Cincinnati Pizza Quest- Adriatico’s

Cincinnati Pizza Quest goes to Adriatico’s. Until recently, everyone I’ve met that has lived in Clifton briefly or for many years raved about Adriatico’s. And after starting our pizza quest project, Pomodori’s has also gained momentum with many votes, especially because of their brick oven pizza. But that’s for another month…

The husband lived in Clifton for graduate school and spoke highly of their pizza. Unfortunately it was one of those places he never took me to. And both Liz of Get in mah belly and I have heard others praise their pizza as well and for that reason we decided to try Adriatico’s for February.

Liz offered to bring it over to our house, which was perfect because after 2 full days of house cleaning I wasn’t in the mood to cook; I just wanted to sit in front of the TV to watch the Oscars (how about that Slumdog Millionaire?), eat pizza and drink the husband’s home brew. For toppings and crusts, I requested pepperoni with thick crust while Liz got cheese on thin crust.
When we delved in, a good 45 minutes after it came out of the oven, I felt let down. After all the rage, I expected a little more from their pizza than what we got. The sauce was the clear winner this round. It was tasty and rounded out the tomatoe-y flavor perfectly. I could taste the cooked garlic and herbs in the sauce. The crust was a 3. It was flavorful but unfortunately the thick crust was just that, thick pieces of dough with sauce and toppings. The cheese definitely lost points, I gave it a 3. It had toughened in transport from the restaurant to our house and was a layer of hard cheese rather than complementing the dough and the sauce. Adriticao’s is a carry out pizza joint with couple tables, according to Liz, so it’s expected that the pie would travel some distance to reach its destination. Keeping that in mind, I was disappointed in the hardened layer of cheese. However, the cheese redeemed itself a little in the flavor. Like everything else the pepperoni was average, 3.5; it was spicy like it should be on a pizza and not greasy. It was fine but not outstanding.

During the ordering process, the husband was adamant on getting the bearcat pizza. I am not sure of the toppings or the type of crust, but I do know that it’s an extra large that can serve a crowd. Obviously, we didn’t get an extra large pizza with a variety of toppings for three people.
Adriatico’s gets 3 slices for their attempt to serve decent pizza. After hearing so much about it and trying it for myself, it’s evident that they cater mostly to college students (due to its proximity to UC) that are indifferent to pizza. Knowing that, I’ve decided to give them another chance only if we are in the area or if someone wants to try the Bearcat pizza with me.

And now I also understand why the husband didn’t take me there all these years; he didn’t want me to be disappointed with a so-so pizza that everyone else raves about. Or let's hope that's the case.

Liz visiting the next morning to pick up her forgotten camera for the JeanRo nose to tail dinner. Hope you enjoyed the dinner Liz. wait.... nevermind