Outstanding Pizza in the Crossroads District

I need a weekly pizza fix to feel that all is right in the world.  It doesn't even have to be great pizza--just decent.  Just to be clear--there is no such thing as bad pizza, but not every pizza joint can boast outstanding, delicious, "oh man, I could eat this everynight for a year" pizza.  Pizza Bella can! 

 

 

We had a small group for the GAS Club this month, but the smaller group made it easier to hear what was going on at the table and easier to share our plates as well.  Becky owed the club some appetizers and wisely chose a cheese plate and brussel sprouts.  The cheese plate was good, although I'm not sure of all the cheese varieties.  There was Brie and soft goat cheese along with a raisin/walnut bread, mustard, nuts and a hard cheese with green streaks that tasted delicious.  But next to the fire roasted brussel sprouts, the cheese plate was forgettable.  A very hefty portion allowed all 6 of us to get a nice sampling with enough left over for Becky to take to lunch the next day.  The smoky flavor was obtained by cooking in the pizza oven at a high temperature.  Our polished, well-informed server gave us the secret recipe, but we will not be sharing that with our missing members!

We each ordered a different pizza and were able to sample 6 pizzas.  I'll need to come back a few more times to get through the rest of the list as all sound delicious.  Grandpa couldn't resist the anchovie pizza and the fishes weren't hairy, looked and tasted fresh, but--let's be honest--they were still anchovies!  Even Grandpa picked them off before devouring the crust and sauce.  My own Margherita Pizza had just the right mix of mozzarella and basil over a robust tomoato sauce.  My favorite was the Potato pizza--the potatoes were so creamy and buttery tasting!

A nice meal could be made of the brussel sprouts alone, but I couldn't return without ordering a pizza--it tastes great leftover!

Final Score from Mrs. Ref 4.5 of 5

 

The Farmhouse was Outstanding

Mr. Ref here, I missed the last GAS club gathering, because I was... refereeing, but I am sure glad I didn't miss this one.  The Farmhouse had an abundance of atmosphere and some very unique décor.  They actually had a wall made out of old doors, and if you didn't really look at it you would not even notice because it blended right in.  The wall-door fit right in with the rest of the ambiance.  This was month especially nice because our son Michael and his girl friend Kate were able to attend.  This time we had several people that did not blog from the last outing, so we were bombarded with appetizers and my wife opted for wine as her extra donation to the group.  The family had a great time talking about all of the activities they had already started this summer and all of the up coming adventures still to be had for the summer.
Let start talking about the food, I had Aged Hanger Steak and it was very good.  The steak was cooked to perfection and was melt in your mouth good, and the fries were homemade from fresh potatoes.  Even though it doesn't sound like much, it was delicious and one of the best meals I have had with the GAS club.  I also tried my wife's salmon, and I generally do not like salmon, and it was very good also.  I really enjoyed The Farmhouse and gave it a 4.5 out of 5.  I would definitely recommend the Farmhouse.

Farmhouse is my Fav

My mouth started watering when I picked up the little post-it note I used to jot down my menu selection when I began writing this blog tonight. Can't wait to return to this comfortable locale.

I think we hit the jackpot with Farmhouse Restaurant.  I was hoping to find a nice little "fresh & local" themed restaurant for our Spring gathering, and, although my Australian Salmon didn't fit the bill for "local", I just couldn't pass it up.  For once--I made a truly sensational menu decision!  This photo sure doesn't do justice to my plate.  I love salmon, but did not realize there was good salmon, outstanding salmon, and "oh my goodness, what is this succulent deliciousness in my mouth salmon"!  I am embarrassed to admit I couldn't contain my moaning with each delectable bite.  The salmon was served on split pea sauce accompanied by an fabulous apple compote topped with kale and side of rice ball.  The rice ball didn't belong on the plate--it was ordinary and tasteless, but I just kicked it off and forgot about it--one misstep among genius food.

 

I talked Michael into ordering the rabbit stew with a poached quail(?) egg and was ecstatic to find out rabbit is also an incredible dish when prepared at the Farmhouse. 

Our lazy GAS clubbers from last month (including me) ordered cheese trays to share and local wine.  The cheese trays were an epiphany in paring honey, apple compote, cherries, and balsamic vinegars and peppery crackers together for a delightful, mouth-tingling opening.  Amigoni's Voignier paired beautifully with the cheese plates, but Pirtle's Red did not fare as well against the flavors.

I could go on and on about the different dishes I was able to taste.  Let it suffice to say, I felt honored eating this food and will soon find reason to return.  Mrs. Refs final Score 5/5!!!