Hungry for a pizza and a brew? Here are 5 places to try – The Columbus Dispatch
The weekend is upon us, and for many, that means dining out.
If you are in the mood for a good pizza and maybe a brew to go along with it, we’ve compiled a list of five places to try.
Whether you prefer a pepperoni pizza or something more exotic, you will find something here to suit your tastes.
Burger and a beer?:Here are four restaurants in Columbus to try for a good burger and a beer
How did we arrive at our recommendations? We pulled this list together from recent columns by G.A. Benton and Gary Seman Jr. who write each week for our Weekender section.
So kick back and relax this weekend and enjoy a good pie and an adult beverage of your liking.
Aracri Pizzeria
51 E. Gay St., Downtown
Aracri Pizzeria on Gay Street only opened in January. But operating under its previous name — Cafe Napolitana — the business had enjoyed “neighborhood favorite” status at different Downtown addresses for about three decades. (A related Aracri Pizzeria near the Ohio State campus, which is not part of this review, premiered in 2018).
With the relocation and name change came a retooled menu. New York-style pizzas featuring house-made dough are still the focus, but several starters, sandwiches and pasta dishes are currently offered that include fresh dough baked into comforting bread.
House dough gets baked into thin-crusted discs with puffy, toasty edges in the eatery’s signature pizzas. When taking advantage of Aracri’s fantastic dinner discount during happy hour (5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays), customers can enjoy an unbeatable pizza value: $5.50 for 10-inch (although they seemed bigger), one-item pies.
More about Aracri:Restaurant review: Aracri Pizzeria sticks with familiar but flavorful fare of predecessor
Natalie’s Grandview Music Hall & Kitchen
945 King Ave., Northwest Side
The impressive pizzas that emanate from a domed behemoth oven feature thin but puffy, Neapolitan-style crusts with a fine toasty flavor. About 10 predesigned pies are offered, including the crowd-pleasing Casanova ($18), with crumbled fennel-seed sausage, Ohio bacon, crisp pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, lively crushed-tomato sauce and chiffonade of basil.
For something without meat, the alluringly earthy Funky Funghi pizza ($17) was a flavor-fest of various mushrooms, Gorgonzola, roasted garlic, mozzarella, herbs and truffle oil.
More about Natalie’s:Restaurant review: Ambience, food, service and music make Natalie’s Grandview a No. 1 hit
Dante’s Pizzeria & Restaurant
3586 Indianola Ave., Clintonville
Staying true to an old-school local style, all pizzas feature oregano sprinkles and “no ledge edge” crusts cut into rectangles. But the thin, yeasty crusts are appealingly distinguished by air pockets and by remaining straight and sturdy under the weight of multiple toppings and alluringly abundant, oven-browned cheese.
Characteristically, Dante’s hasn’t ventured into specialty pies of the Buffalo-ranch variety, and its most exotic ingredient is zucchini. A few combos are highlighted, though, like the five-topping veggie ($21.50 for a 14-inch large).
Better executed than most of its ilk, that meatless composition combined chopped onions and green peppers with banana peppers and canned black olives and mushrooms into a not-watery spot-hitter that equaled more than the sum of its parts.
The “all the way” pizza (a large is $21.50) was less greasy yet cheesier and more flavorful than many other “supreme”-style pies. Onions, mushrooms, green peppers and half-moons of fresh zucchini (which I subbed in for anchovies) supplied depth and sweetness to good pepperoni and standout, idiosyncratically sliced house sausage so zesty and garlicky it reminded me of merguez.
More on Dante’s:Restaurant review: Dante’s gets a makeover but the food remains dependably delicious
Gatto’s Pizza
3420 Indianola Ave., Clintonville
The new Gatto’s Pizza, at 3420 Indianola Ave., is a larger version of the old Gatto’s at 2928 N. High St.
“The old place was past its prime,” said owner Tony DeRubertis. “It was too small. We’d outgrown it. It’s just a better situation all around. The great thing about Gatto’s is it doesn’t change,” said DeRubertis, who had been running the pizzeria for the past three years.
The dough is still hand-tossed, pizza and sauce are still homemade, as are the meatballs and caseless sausages. Most of the fresh-vegetable pizza toppings are cut by hand. New pizza ovens and beer and wine all are part of the new Gatto’s, which moved about 1½ miles from the old spot, DeRubertis said.
More on Gatto’s:Gatto’s keeping its pizza traditions, slinging pies, pasta in new Clintonville location
Sono Wood Fired
4055 the Strand W., Easton Town Center
Sono Wood Fired in Easton Town Center has a lot of moving parts: a scratch kitchen, imaginative fare and a menu built to satisfy virtually all tastes.
Part of the Good Eats Group out of Chicago, chefs John “Mac” McLean and Martin Murch offer more than a few flourishes on the Italian-inspired dishes.
Sono is well-known for its Tuscan-style pizzas.
McLean said he learned to make the dough in Florence. He uses high-gluten flour for a chewy texture and adds Sono’s homemade beer, Church Street 1837 Red Ale. It ferments for two days before it’s rolled out for service. “After two days it’s perfect,” McLean said. “So, it’s a process for us.”
The red sauce, or “rosso,” with salsiccia ($19) uses a spicy fennel sausage from Chicago, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and basil.
“I will tell you that is one of our more popular pizzas here,” he said.
More on Sono:Behind the Menu: Sono Wood Fired about more than pizza: ‘We have a lot of cool things’