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Since Pizza Hut arrived as the first big time Pizza restaurant in town, Bowling Green has adopted the quasi Italian dish as one of its favorite foods. Whether one of the traditional Cheese - Pepperoni - Anchovy versions, or something a little more exotic like the Shrimp - Pesto - Pine Nut pie at right, locals enjoy Pizza after ball games or movies, at lunch on a Saturday shopping trip, or as the main course at dinner. But in their on going attempt to rise above the competition, the various Pizza specialists have concocted ever more creative interpretations of the old favorite. There's Deep Dish, Stuffed Crust, Thick, Thin, Wood Fired, Mexican, Seafood and Chinese Pizza. And the imagination runs amuck. You can now get Baked Potato Pizza, Pizza on Toast, Fried Egg Pizza and Pizza Rolls. Unlike bigger cities, Bowling Green does not have small, locally owned and run Pizzerias where Granma DeStefano from Sicily, Corsica, Genoa or Bologna serves you Pizza prepared the way they taught her back in her tiny Italian village. Our Pizza is prepared by local outlets of national chains according to formulas marketed and tested across the country. Corporate Pizza is totally different from Pizza made by hand from centuries old recipes. But we've come to love it anyway. |
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| Donato's is pricier than its rivals, but what's a few dollars when you want good pizza?? Donato's is not into gimmicks. It doesn't offer cheese filled crust, extra thick anything, beer baking, folded crust, double toppings, or double deep dishes. But its Marghareta and Chicken Spinach Mozzarella pizzas are the best tasting we've found in Bowling Green. And there's more. If any of your group are not quite in the mood for pizza, but want something similar, Donato's offers five kinds of Strombolis, nine kinds of Hot Subs, and two kinds of Hoagies. We particularly like the Roast Veggie Sub. There are also Wedge Fries and a Three Cheese Garlic Bread you can't find anywhere else. |  |
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Mancino's is a national chain specializing in "Grinders," a special kind of World War II sandwich. However, they also serve Pizza, and while it doesn't get the attention of their famous sandwiches, it's definitely worth a stop. They hand toss their own dough in their own bakery and then give you a choice of seven Pizzas or allow you to make your own. Several of their creations really impress us. The Meat Grande (pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, ground beef, and cheese), BBQ (red onions, chicken, cheese, and BBQ sauce), and Garlic (olive oil, garlic, cheese, chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and red onions) are probably their best. But the Veggie (cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, onions, peppers and red sauce) and Hawaiin (pineapple, bacon, ham, cheese and red sauce) are good, and if you're particularly hungry, there's always the Monster (pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, ground beef, onions, mushrooms, black olives, green olives, peppers and cheese). We think their Calzones (7" pizzas stuffed with cheese and three toppings) are among the best in town. |
| Fazoli's offers a full menu of Italian fast food, although the manager takes issue with the phrase. He insists he serves "Italian food, freshly prepared, fast." It gets its menu and basic ingredients from the corporation, but the Pizzas are prepared during the day and not placed in the oven until you order them. Fazzoli's offers five Pizzas. The best is probably the Margherita, but the Supremo, Four Meatza, Classic Pepperoni and Triple Cheese are also very good. The Supremo is the all ingredients model, for those who are particularly hungry. The Four Meatza is for carnivores, the Pepperoni and the Cheese for traditionalists. You can liven up your meal with a glass of Strawberry Italian Ice. |  |
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When Bowling Green restaurant goers think of The Olive Garden, they think of a classy sit down restaurant offering soups and classic Italian entrees. However, Olive Garden also offers two Pizzas worth trying. Their best is their Chicken Alfredo Pizza, prepared Italian village style, meaning it has a top crust, rather like a shallow dish pot pie. Inside, ingredients include grilled chicken, Italian cheeses, scallions and alfredo sauce. Or you can fix your own open crust version, choosing from pepperoni, peppers, sausage, onions, mushrooms, black olives and roma tomatoes. One advantage of eating at Olive Garden is that you can enjoy a glass of wine with your Pizza. The Villa Antinori Tuscan (medium bodied, fruity red) Chateau Ste. Michelle (chardonnay white), Riunite Lambrusco (slightly sweet red), or Principato Bianco (fruity white medium bodied) all go well with a good Pizza. You might refer to this as Upscale or Gourmet Pizza. It ranks right up there among the very best in town. |
| Pizza Hut (Wichita 1958) was the first national pizza chain to colonize Kentucky (1970 in Lexington), and for a long time they were the best source of pizza in a state with few Italians and no history with the food. Now, individuals and fine restaurants make pizzas locally from scratch while large chains like Pizza Hut have abandoned local cooking and gone to frozen ingredients and even frozen entrees. So Pizza Hut scrambles for its life in a competitive market. Attempts to update have been mixed. They dropped their original pizza recipe (which many old timers still think was a major mistake), and have dropped the calzones (which were hugely popular but not a large profit generator). They now offer five $10 pizzas (meat, cheese, pepperoni, veggie and combo) plus a build it yourself model. There are three pastas (chicken alfredo, meat marinara and lasagna). New in 2009 are $5 specials : Pizza Rollers (four, sushi sized, stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, with ranch or marinara sauce); Panormous Pizza (one topping, four slices); and Pzone (foot long, ellipsis shaped, your choice of pepperoni, meaty or veggie). They have Wings, Breadsticks, Cheese Sticks and Cinammon Sticks. These are the best prices in town. |  |
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