Italian & Pizza Archives

Home Slice Pizza

December 6, 2017

You probably wouldn’t think to check on E. 23rd Street in Downtown Chattanooga for great pizza, but Home Slice Pizza has got you covered!

Have you ever noticed how some of the best places to eat are the most unassuming places? Perhaps the place that you have driven by 1000 times and never even noticed, let alone bothered to stop into. Or the little Thai place in a strip mall somewhere that you literally had to search out on Yelp when you were not feeling a downtown excursion in an unfamiliar town. Or the pizza place that you might have heard of but then forgot about, located in a little corner of a hotel just off the interstate, in the midst of a bunch of fast food places and gas stations.
That, my friends, is Home Slice Pizza. I think that I had seen something about it when it opened, but then kind of forgot about it. A search for somewhere to eat downtown or in North Georgia so we could make a quick getaway to Beverage World for Philip to look for some loot turned it up and off we went.

When we got to Home Slice Pizza, located on one end of The Chatt Inn on 23rd Street, I wasn’t even sure it was open. There were no cars out front and from the outside it didn’t appear that there were any lights on. I was wrong, though, and we went on in to be waited on by Jimmy. He explained the menu to us and made some recommendations.

The space is tiny – a counter for ordering and four tables. Jimmy explained that, right now, most of their business is take-out. They also work with a local delivery service so patrons can have their pizza brought to their home. Jimmy told us that the owners of the hotel had been trying to bring in a restaurant that would last to that location. They hired a general manager with lots of restaurant experience to come and build it from the ground up. While the owners are involved, they allow the team working in the restaurant lots of room to create and experiment. They are hoping to expand to a second restaurant, hopefully in the Hixson or Red Bank area. The second restaurant would have more space than the current restaurant.

When we see garlic knots on a menu, we are basically required to order them. When Jimmy told us that their garlic knots were pretty much fantastic, it was settled. For $5, we got an order of soft and pillowy rolls coated in garlicky butter and a crap ton of Parmesan cheese, plus a cup of warm marinara sauce with a generous serving of cheese sprinkled on top of it too. My criteria for a great garlic knot: soft on the top with a tiny bit of crunch on the bottom, a little chew to the bread inside (but not too much), and tons of flavor. These checked those boxes nicely.

The Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch pizza sounded amazing, but I decided ultimately to go with the Meatball Meltdown. This may sound crazy, but I have never eaten a pizza with meatballs on it. I can’t think of a chain pizza restaurant that offers them, nor can I think of another locally-owned pizza joint that I have noticed offering them, though that could definitely be an oversight on my part. The Meatball Meltdown was made with Home Slice’s sweet and savory sauce, double cheese (!!!!), fresh garlic, and fresh, sliced meatballs. The small was $7 and a perfect size for one person. Actually, since I had eaten the garlic knots beforehand, I was only able to finish 3 of the 4 slices. The pizza was exceedingly (but not excessively) meaty. The cheese made for a perfect cheese pull – too bad I didn’t get a picture of that! The crust was a little crunchy and perfectly chewy with a good amount of garlic seasoning on it.

Philip when with Jimmy’s recommendation and got the Oh Captain, My Captain pizza (also $7 for a small). The Oh Captain, My Captain is made with their sweet and savory sauce, cheese, pepperoni, spicy sausage, chicken, bell peppers, diced onions, and mild wing sauce on a garlic crust. All the flavors went together perfectly and the wing sauce provided a great finish to an already delicious pizza. One thing I was particularly impressed by was the freshness of the chicken. Often, when I eat chicken on a pizza or in a pasta dish in a restaurant, it tastes like it has been sitting in the fridge for a few days. This chicken did not taste like that at all.

Home Slice Pizza also serves sandwiches, wings in a variety of flavors, and desserts (deep-fried Oreos! Deep fried Twinkies! Cinnamon knots!). Unfortunately, we were way too stuffed from our pizza and garlic knots to get a dessert. But that is a good thing, right? That means that we really enjoyed the pizza. By the time we left, the restaurant was full and we were actually rushing to move from our table to make space for another couple that had come in. We found the prices to be very reasonable and especially liked that they offer a personal-sized pizza. We tend to prefer different toppings on our pizzas and that can be problematic when you are forced to share a larger sized pizza. Additionally, Jimmy was extremely friendly, helpful, and customer-oriented.

If you are out on 23rd Street, check out Home Slice Pizza. Actually, make a special trip out there to try it. It’s definitely not what you would expect in this area and it is 100% worth the trip!

Home Slice Pizza is located at 2000 E. 23rd Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37404. Their hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. You can call them at 423.531.3500. For more information, you can check out Home Slice Pizza’s website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Cherokee Brewery and Pizza Company (Dalton, GA)

July 19, 2017

Cherokee Brewing and Pizza is a brewery and pizza restaurant located in downtown Dalton, Georgia serving housemade pizzas and a variety of craft beers.

So…you guys should have gotten this post back in March. Except I got a new phone immediately after I ate there and my photos weren’t in my cloud…so I lost them. Oops.

Philip actually discovered Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company when he went down there with one of his friends. He brought me back a couple of slices of pizza and I was pretty impressed, so we got back down there pretty quickly. He was not too sad about going back a third time, since they have a good selection of craft beers on tap, some of them that are not available in Chattanooga, including their own brews.

We went a little after lunch on a Saturday afternoon. There were quite a few people in there but I wouldn’t call it crowded. We sat at the bar…if you sit at the bar, the bartender will take your food and drink order. If you sit at a table, you order at the counter and then if you want a drink you can go to the bar to get it.

We each decided to get a salad – I got a house salad with homemade ranch dressing, and Philip got a Caesar salad. The first time we went we shared a large Caesar salad and it was big enough for a family of six. The house salad, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. A lot of thinly sliced red onion. If I had known that, I would have ordered it without the onion…but the salad was delicious otherwise. The Caesar salad was good – fresh, crispy lettuce with creamy Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, and croutons (boxed). The small salads were $4 each.

As for pizza, we contemplated the Hot Mess Chick with housemade pesto, pulled smoked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan ($11.50), the Big John with BBQ sauce, pulled smoked pork, jalapeño, pineapple, white cheddar, and mozzarella ($11), and the Heavy D with Buffalo sauce, smoked pulled chicken, garlic, provolone, and mozzarella ($11.50). Ultimately, we settled on the Heavy D. The bartender brought us some ranch dressing to eat with the pizza as well.

The pizzas at Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company are a perfect size for two hungry people or three not-so hungry people. The crust is thin, crispy around the edges, and just chewy enough. The toppings ratio was great – not too much or too little of anything. If you’re hesitant to order the Heavy D because you are afraid it might be too spicy, don’t be. It has just a tiny bite, but I had no trouble eating it. In the past, we have tried the Big’s (red sauce, pepperoni, meatballs, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and Parmesan for $11.50) and the Whig (truffle oil, mushroom, onion, spinach, roasted garlic, risotto, and mozzarella for $11.50). Both were excellent.

Our total before tip was $31.57, which included two small salads, a pizza, and two draft beers (Philip enjoyed both their house-brewed beer as well as the Wicket Weed stout that he tried). The service has always been friendly here and the food is great. It’s a hike down to Dalton, but it’s worth it to try the pizza and beer at Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company.

Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company is located at 207-B West Cuyler Street, Dalton, GA, 30720. It’s toward the back of the building so you have to walk around the corner before you see it. They are open Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Sunday. You can call Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company at (706) 529-9478. For more information, you can check out their website, cherokeebrewingandpizzaco.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Ricko’s Pizzeria and Italian Cuisine (Lakesite, TN)

June 14, 2017

Ricko’s Pizzeria is a pizza restaurant in Lakesite, Tennessee (Soddy-Daisy/Hixson) that serves pizza, pasta, & sandwiches & has quickly made a name for itself!

Usually, when I write about a restaurant, it’s the first time I’ve been in. That’s not the case with Ricko’s Pizzeria and Italian Cuisine, though. Ricko’s Pizzeria opened back in March and, since it’s just a couple of miles from my house, we’ve eaten there several times since they opened. I’ve mentioned plenty of times that I like to give new restaurants some time to get their flow before I write about them, though, so we decided to wait.

Ricko’s is in a spot that has been a handful of other restaurants in the 15 years that we’ve lived in this part of town, most recently occupied by Ron’s Pig Out, a barbecue restaurant. The interior is pretty basic. You order at the counter and they call your number out when it’s ready. If you’ve ever dined at a Rafael’s in the area, the menu will be familiar to you – it’s very similar to the menu at Rafael’s, right down to the buy-one-get-one-free pizzas (excluding the personal pan pizzas). It is my understanding that the family that owns it was previously connected to a Rafael’s restaurant…not sure how.

Anyway, we placed our order immediately when we walked in and our food was out in about ten minutes. Philip wanted to try the garlic knots, so we got an order of those. The garlic knots were a little crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. I prefer them just a little bit softer on the outside than these were, and would have liked for them to have a little more garlic. Still pretty good, though. They were served with a basic marinara sauce for dipping.

On this visit I decided to have the Italian cheese steak with mushrooms for $6.45. Sandwiches are served with fries and a pickle spear. The Italian cheese steak is tender sliced steak with melted provolone on a crusty Italian roll. You can order it with peppers and onions or with mushrooms (I am sure they would do both, but I haven’t asked). I am pretty sure there is a little mayonnaise under the steak. I really like this sandwich. It’s flipping huge (I ate half that night and the other half for lunch a couple of days later) and very flavorful. The only complaint that I have is that I am fairly certain the mushrooms are canned, and I am just not down with canned mushrooms. They are not a deal-breaker, though. The fries are basic frozen fries – pretty good but not anything that sets them apart.

Philip was in the mood for a pizza so he went with the personal pan pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms ($5.25 for a two-topping pizza). The pizza here has always been good when we’ve ordered it. The crust is not too thick or too thin and they don’t over-sauce it (something that drives me crazy). Again, canned mushrooms…but not a deal-breaker. We definitely choose Ricko’s over the national chain that’s just a little further down the street. It’s very convenient to call it in and have Philip stop on his way home from work.

Ricko’s Pizzeria is a welcome addition to the Lakesite/Middle Valley area. They serve sandwiches, salads, pasta, and other entrees in addition to pizza, and the staff is always very friendly. We’ve never had a long wait here, even on days that they are busy (which they often are). It’s nothing fancy, but it’s good. Judging by the number of cars we usually see in the parking lot at dinner time and after church on Sundays, I think that Ricko’s Pizzeria will be around for a while.

Ricko’s Pizzeria and Italian Cuisine is located at 8615 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tennessee, 37343. They are open Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can call Ricko’s at (423) 682-8050. Ricko’s does not have a website, but you can find more information on their Facebook page.

BiBa’s Italian Restaurant

November 30, 2016

BiBa’s Italian Restaurant in Hixson, Tennessee offers a variety of tasty Italian favorites at fair prices – including $10 off your meal on your birthday.

I have a little obsession with Italian food going on right now. Has anyone noticed? Starting with Boccaccia this summer, then Hummingbird Pastaria a few weeks ago, and now BiBa’s. BiBa’s was an early Chattavore stop, so you can read my first post about them if you keep scrolling, but I thought I’d update with some fresh pictures.

Philip and I went to BiBa’s for dinner last Monday night. There wasn’t much of a wait when we arrived at about 5:30, though the restaurant was filling up by the time we left a little under an hour later. Our server, Brooke, was quick to get our drinks to us and take our order, because it didn’t take us long to decide what to order. She quickly brought our rolls, then our salads. BiBa’s rolls are definitely the stuff of legend…fluffy knots coated with garlicky oil and parmesan cheese. These seemed a little smaller than usual, but they were as tasty as ever. Carry breath mints when you plan to eat these rolls. I love the Caesar salad at BiBa’s. The lettuce is always fresh and cut nicely, and the creamy housemade Caesar dressing is so tasty. They put plenty of cheese in it, too (though this one could have used a few more croutons).

I’ll go ahead and apologize for the fact that I ordered the exact same thing on this visit as I did on my last visit. I am basically incapable of ordering anything else when I go to BiBa’s. I mean, I’ve had other things, and I’ve liked them all…but tortellini Gabrielle just lures me in almost every time. What’s not to love about cheese tortellini coated in a thick layer of cream sauce and mozzarella, with just a touch of tomato sauce? I am sure that there is nothing authentic about it, and certainly nothing healthy about it, but when you need some comfort food, this provides all the fat and carbs that you need. I realize that the picture leaves a lot to be desired…I do think that they should work on their plating skills.

Philip decided to go for the chicken Francesca, which has emerged as his favorite meal on the BiBa’s menu. Lightly breaded chicken breast, sautéed then tossed in a lemony sauce and served over angel hair (or spaghetti or fettuccine, your choice) is hard to beat. It’s a generous portion, as I’ve found with pretty much all I’ve ever ordered here. We both had our leftovers for lunch the next day (and Brooke even brought us a second basket of rolls, which we packed right on up in our to-go boxes). Like mine, Philip’s could have used a little “flair”, like a sprinkle of parsley, to make the picture pop, and maybe a vegetable side. It was tasty and well-cooked, though.

Brooke was a great server. She was extremely attentive, keeping our drinks filled and clearing our dishes quickly. The prices are pretty average – $32.67 pre-tip (there’s a bit of an upcharge for Caesar salad versus house salad) – especially considering that we got two meals out of this. Would I call it the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten? No, nor the most authentic. However, it tastes good and it’s close to my house. It’s definitely a good dinner option when you’re eating in Hixson.

BiBa’s is located at 5918 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343. They are open Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can call BiBa’s at (423) 843-0001. You can find more information on BiBa’s Facebook page or on their website.

Original Post

Did you know that BiBa’s in Hixson offers $10.00 off on your birthday dinner? Well, technically, it’s a “free dinner” up to $10….so let’s just say it’s $10 off.

Anyway, that’s how we ended up there. It was the birthday of one of our friends, and she decided that she preferred to go to BiBa’s rather than the, um, other Italian restaurant in Chattanooga that offers a free birthday dinner. We were invited to go along, and since a BiBa’s blog post had been planned anyway and we had a coupon, we took the offer.

We arrived at 4:45 p.m., and let me tell you, that’s the time to go! If you go on a Friday or Saturday night or Sunday after church, be prepared to wait. Weeknights aren’t so bad….but when we arrived there was only one other table with guests seated. Our server, Callen (who also happens to go to our church), quickly brought out our drinks. We arrived a few minutes before our friends, and that gave me time to talk myself out of the specials-chicken ponza (chicken with mushrooms, garlic, and artichokes served with pasta with lemon butter sauce) or spinach ravioli (with broccoli and carrots and alfredo sauce) and decide instead on my favorite menu item, tortellini Gabrielle (cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce and a touch of marinara). Philip decided on shrimp scampi. Meals at BiBa’s come with a house salad, but we each added a Caesar for $1.50 extra. Our friends decided on chicken parmesan and fettucine alfredo.

The best, and I do mean the best thing about BiBa’s is the rolls. I mean, the other stuff is good….but the rolls-wow. Housemade knots brushed with garlic butter and sprinkled with parmesan. Very delicious. And they are very forthcoming with the rolls, which is always a plus. At some restaurants you have to fight over who is going to get the last roll in the basket. Philip and I usually end up cutting it in half (bread is ~~our~~ my weakness) but at BiBa’s they always bring out two for every person at the table and happily refresh your basket when you are “getting low.”

I do believe these rolls will be in Heaven!

The Caesar salad at BiBa’s is also fantastic. The dressing is housemade. It’s very different from the Caesar dressing that I make at home, mainly because it is creamy, but you can definitely taste the different components that make up a good Caesar dressing…the garlic, the salty brininess from the anchovy (no, it doesn’t taste fishy) or the Worchestershire sauce (which is what I use at home-much easier to keep around). Their croutons are not soggy but not so hard that you need to get dental work after eating them. I don’t know about the parmesan that they use, and that’s my only issue. I should have asked the server but didn’t think to. Of course, you know that I am a parm snob and buy blocks of Parmigiano-Reggiano at the grocery store that I then grate over everything. The parm served here is definitely the powdery kind….but mixed into everything I can’t tell if it is the fresh powdery kind or if it’s the bulk jarred kind that I remember so well scooping into shakers when I worked at Chuck E. Cheese’s. It’s fine, though. Everything tastes really good, so I’m not too worried about it.

Yummy Caesar salad!

Another advantage of arriving at your dinner destination at 4:45 p.m. is that your food comes out very quickly. Philip and I were starving, so we pretty much Hoovered our salads, and as we set the bowls over to the edge of the table, Callen arrived with the entrees. Now, I love, love, love cheese tortellini, and I also love alfredo sauce. Marinara sauce=not my favorite, but I really love how the small amount that they use to top the tortellini Gabrielle mixes with the alfredo, which is made on the premises. It’s one of the best alfredos I’ve ever had…nice and thick and not too salty. They don’t say this on the menu, but there is also mozzarella on top of the pasta. Yum! Unfortunately, the tortellini isn’t made on site (I asked on a previous visit). I guess you can’t have everything.

Tortellini Gabrielle: Cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce and a touch of marinara (and mozzarella!). That’s the marinara in the middle-not oil (which is what it looks like)!

Shrimp scampi is a dish that I love to make at home-shrimp sauteed in a garlic butter and white wine sauce served over linguini. Philip’s pasta was very fresh with a good balance of garlic and white wine flavor. I tried to get more out of him, but he doesn’t write this blog and I guess he’s not as much with the words about the food as I am. Ha. Anyway, he said it was extremely tasty and he would definitely order again. I didn’t want to grill our friends about their meal, but I did take pictures for you to see. By the way, the portions are huge, so you will probably take some home with you-like we did. You should know, though, that when you reheat your leftovers….you will see all the oil from the sauce. If you are like me, you will drain it off. Tasty, but not lowfat. Fine by me.

Shrimp Scampi: shrimp sauteed in a garlic butter and wine sauce over a bed of linguini

Fettucine Alfredo

Chicken Parmesan

BiBa’s also serves pizza, which I have never had….but they look very good. And they are served on a lovely silver cake pedestal, so the presentation is very nice. The ambiance is very nice in the restaurant, with dark colors, nice paint and pictures, a wood bar (separated by a wall from the dining room) and bottles of wine on the table to gently “suggest” that customers buy a bottle. In my opinion, BiBa’s is much better than the national pasta chains around Chattanooga. We don’t go there often, but then we don’t go to many restaurants (Chick-fil-A aside) very often. Give BiBa’s a try!

BiBa’s is located at 5918 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343, in front of Publix. They can be reached at 423-843-0001. Check out their website or their Facebook page.

Hummingbird Pastaria (Signal Mountain)

November 9, 2016

Hummingbird Pastaria, formerly known just as Pastaria, is serving amazing fresh Italian food in a familiar location on Signal Mountain.

So, last weekend I gave Philip three choices for our late afternoon lunch. Two were in Ooltewah…and one was on Signal Mountain. He ended up choosing the Signal Mountain option, so we headed up the mountain to check out Hummingbird Pastaria.

Hummingbird Pastaria has been around for a couple of years, but you may remember it as Nino’s Pastaria…or just Pastaria, which is how most people know it. The restaurant has been around for years, but changed hands a little while back. Since the change in ownership, they’ve upped their menu game, serving handmade pastas, handmade cheeses, house made breads…I’m not sure why it took us so long to get back in.

We arrived around 4 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon and the place was fairly empty…a couple of large parties occupied the dining room but other than that there was no one in there. We requested a seat on the patio and our server brought us some water and homemade focaccia with cannellini bean puree. The foccaccia was fresh with a very tender crumb, the cannellini bean puree flavorful with garlic and herbs. We couldn’t resist the bruschetta ($7), though, and thank goodness for that. With crunchy grilled bread, melted mozzarella, and a blend of fresh tomatoes, garlic, julienned basil, and olive oil, this was the best bruschetta I’ve ever had. I was still talking about it the next day. It was so fresh and so tasty – surprisingly for late October tomatoes. I was already sold before I got through the appetizer.

I was stuck between the bolognese – meat sauce with tomatoes, cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and house made pappardelle (wide ribbons of pasta) for $13 or the funghi bianchi – mushrooms, cream, spinach, truffle oil, and housemade fettucine for $12. When our server described the funghi bianchi as kind of an amped up fettucine Alfredo, I was sold. If you guys haven’t figured this out, I’m a sucker for a good cream sauce. The handmade pasta was absolutely amazing – the texture of fresh pasta is just so different from dried. The cream sauce was thick and rich, and the truffle oil provided the perfect finishing layer of flavor and a complement to the sauteed mushrooms. There was just enough spinach to add a little color to the dish, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano crowned the pasta beautifully.

It didn’t take Philip long to settle on the polpette – pork meatballs with marinara, pecorino, and housemade spaghetti ($10). I like to add a little ground pork to my meatballs, but I’ve never made them with all pork…now I know that I need to. The meatballs were so tender, with a lighter flavor than a meatball made with all beef or a mixture of ground meats. The sauce had a great flavor, with the freshness of tomatoes set off by garlic and herbs. The pecorino (a sheep’s milk cheese similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano) added a delicious tanginess to the dish, and the spaghetti was just the perfect classic pasta for this dish. He also got a Caesar salad ($6) – romaine lettuce with croutons, Spanish white anchovy, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The salad was fresh and crunchy, with a classic (i.e. not creamy Caesar dressing), lemon wedges on the side, and an actual anchovy fillet on the side. If you are squeamish about such things (we are not) you may want to ask them to leave that off. It was a very tasty salad.

Was this our most economical meal in recent history? At $42.06 pre-tip (Philip also ordered a beer)…no. But I have to say, I would pay it again for a meal that makes us swoon like this one did. Like I said, I was still talking about this meal the next day. It was absolutely amazing. The service was good – friendly and attentive – and the atmosphere is simple but nice. It’s definitely a staple on Signal Mountain.

If you’re looking for a delicious Italian meal, Hummingbird Pastaria is the place to look!

Hummingbird Pastaria is located at 720 Mississippi Avenue, Signal Mountain, Tennessee, 37377. They are open Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can call Hummingbird Pastaria at 423-886-1900. For more information, you can check out Hummingbird Pastaria’s website or follow Hummingbird Pastaria on Facebook.