Reader's Review: Verso's Casual Italian Bistro & Pizzera

I really enjoy that my readers take an active interest in the blog, and I always appreciate tips, suggestions, and reviews from the loyal c-bus-eaters.

I haven't left Columbus since I went to Scottsdale last (ok, I guess I have gone home to Celina a couple of times, but we never go out to eat at home) so I really appreciate it when my friends across the state give me the skinny on delish grub.

I got a review tonight from a reader in the great state of Cuyahoga County.  Pizza is a favorite on this blog, and I feel like there is no distance too great for a good slice of pie.  Tonight's guest picture  and review is from Verso's Casual Italian Bistro and Pizzeria.

Verso's menu looks pretty good, reminiscient perhaps of the old Iacono's in Columbus. And the best part about the pizza menu: SHEET PIZZA! I haven't had that since elementary school, or for my Celina fans out there, from West Side Carryout.

Tonight, my guest readers ordered up a large pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom pizza (that seems to be a favorite here?), a caesar salad (also a favorite), and the Verso chips, which I think sound the most delicious item on the menu: house made chips  with garlic ranch sauce.  Uhh, talk about heaven on a chip.

The consensus on Verso: strong.

Campus/Upper Arlington: Tommy's Pizza

Tommy's Pizza is considered a staple of pizza places in Columbus.  Open for over fifty years, Tommy's is a favorite of many in Columbus.

I gotta tell ya, when I attended Ohio State, I was more of a Hound Dogs kind of girl.  I never really went to Tommy's, although there is a restaurant on Lane Avenue.  I just never really tried it.  My friends were all Hound Dogs fans, and when I lived up on Bethel Road, I would frequent Iacono's (which, I am understanding from reading up on Tommy's and from word-of-mouth, was a pizza establishment by the same family.  As you can see from Tommy's website, Tommy's last name is Iacono so there must be some relation, right? Although that's like saying all Patel's are related, which I know clearly isn't true...I digress).

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Columbus.  Bright, blue skies, puffy happy clouds, and lots of sun.  Good day for pizza, right?

My buddies Geoff and Connor and baby Jack ventured out for a good pizza pie.  We traveled to the Tommy's on Lane Avenue, next to the Taco-Bell-turned into a-Pho restaurant which i must try sometime.  Tommy's is very family friendly which is great as we had Jack in tow (although he is a very good little boy).

When you walk into Tommy's, you see old-school fire ovens.  The employees make the pizza in assembly line order; one for dough, one for assembling dough on pan, one for putting toppings on, one for placing pie in oven, one for taking pie out of oven, one for cutting pie with gigantic knife, one to yell to the server to pick up the order.

We sat in the back of Tommy's in a nice booth.  It's great walking into a restaurant where you see families sharing a meal, sharing stories, and plenty of people on date night (including some  grandmas and grandpas that were smitten with baby Jack).  I was put in charge of ordering so I ordered a pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom pizza.  Large of course, as  I was with two dudes with good appetites.

I think that the crust at Tommy's is the best part of the pie.  It is very thin, and crispy like a Ritz cracker.  However, it is sturdy enough that it is able to hold up all of the ingredients.  When you bite into the pizza, you get the nice oozing warmth of freshly baked mozzarella cheese, but that crust, man, it is like crispy, crunchy, and soft.  All of the ingredients together make a nice combination, both with flavor and texture.  Needless to say, our pizza was destroyed, consumed, and the cardboard sheet on which it came on was completely empty.  Even Jack had a piece.

CONCLUSION: I will be putting Tommy's into my rotation.  The pepperoni are kinda wussy though, so I may do without them from now on.

The Brewery District: Columbus Brewing Company

I feel that the Brewery District is an abandoned part of Columbus. I have been told that several years ago, it was the happening place to be; the bar scene was fresh, even complete with a piano bar. However, now when you drive on South High between the Statehouse and German Village, down Front Street, it's kind of sad; apart from the High Beck, I hardly frequent the area.

Except, for one location: The Columbus Brewing Company.

The Columbus Brewing Company (CBC) is located on Short Street, sort of behind the Kroger and by Lang Stone Company; it is literally a hidden gem. When you enter CBC, you are immediately in front of the hostess stand. The seating consists of an L shaped area with four to six seater booths, and in the middle, tables for larger parties. When seated in the dining area, you can look into the kitchen. I love this look in restaurants; the ability to watch the chefs, line cooks, and waitresses all work together to ensure customer satisfaction and perfection on a plate.

The bar is a great place to sit. Situated immediately to the right of the entrance, it is a great place to people watch, and, to watch TV if you are grabbing a bite alone. The bar also overlooks the outdoor patio, which fills quickly in the delightful outdoor dining season Columbus is fortunate to have.

The happy hour at CBC is great. Appetizers are half off, and there are great drink specials.

CBC is a great lunch spot as well. Fresh, great salads, soups, and healthy sandwiches. My favorite salad is the roasted chicken salad; crisp lettuce, clean tasting chicken, fresh corn, dates, and the best part, corn bread croutons. I mean, who in this city has corn bread croutons?! The perfect combination in every bite; you can easily get each element of the salad in one bite. I try and recreate the salad at home, but it is not quite the same.

At lunchtime, another one of my favorites is the buffalo chicken wrap. I am a sucker for buffalo chicken. The crispy chicken strip; the spicy sauce; and the bleu cheese. However, CBC's chicken in the buffalo chicken wrap is far from typical; moist, juicy, and not very greasy.

Last night, I went to CBC for a late night dinner with some friends. I arrived around 8:20 to a not-too-badly crowded restaurant for a Monday night. I sat at the bar and waited for my friend to arrive. Skimming the menu, I realized how reasonable the drinks were. $5 for a glass of red wine, pretty cheap beers, and tons of options on any. As a brewing company, CBC serves its own beer in addition to others, and the varieties of home made Columbus beer are great.

I started with a spinach salad. Fresh spinach leaves, goat cheese (plus 10 points), roasted tomatoes, and a light balsamic dressing awaited me, along with fresh lavash bread crisps. The only downside: a cold fork. What is the point of a cold spoon on a salad plate? I have never understood this concept. I hate having cold hands, and a cold salad fork? Anyway...the salad was delish. I cleaned my entire bowl.

Next up: pizza. After a strong case of the Mondays, what better way to decompress than with a cheesy, gooey piece of pie? CBC used to have THE BEST barbecue chicken pizza. Unfortunately, it is no more on the menu. As a good Indian, I am a big fan of fennel. CBC has a great fennel sausage pizza. The sausage is spicy to bite; to complement the heat from the sausage, fresh banana peppers are on top of the pizza. Finally, delicious, fresh provolone cheese is generously placed on top. Last night, the pizza was particularly spicy; apparently, the banana peppers were extra fresh.

Although we did not get dessert, I highly recommend the upside down banana cream pie; fresh sliced bananas, a delicious graham cracker crust, candied pecans, and fresh caramel and whipped cream on top.

CONCLUSION: CBC is the bomb. Go often, and go hungry.