Week 36: Campania Pizza

This week we were back in Dallas and looking forward to going to Southlake Town Center to try Campania (www.campaniapizza.com).  First of all, we love heading to Southlake to visit the Town Center and were excited to see what "The Original Italian Pizza" tasted like.  After winning several pizza awards, we figured this place could be a contender. Well. We enjoyed our evening out, but Campania left us wanting more.  


First of all the location is beautiful. A three story building that is within walking distance of some of the finest retailers in North Texas, and also a beautiful movie cinema.  On the first floor, the restaurant has a well stocked bar and two wood fire pizza ovens. The second floor has a wine bar and the roof top is an outdoor patio ready for live music.  Overall the restaurant is over 6,000 square foot, and is covered in Italian Mosaic tiles.   Needless to say, Campania is a prime location for a date night!


The pizza selection, in our opinion, was just alright.  Sure, they had several toppings for a build your own pizza, but the specialty pizza choices were pretty weak.  We decided to keep it simple and stick to the basic Margherita pizza with a focaccia bread and house salad to start.  This pizza prices were fairly reasonable and fit in line with what we have experienced so far this year (PIZZA PRICES).  The focaccia bread emerged first out of the oven...  It was the thinnest focaccia bread we had ever seen.  Imagine a thin cracker covered with olive oil and Italian spices.  It had a good flavor to it, but was a little too thin for our liking.  The house salad was nothing special, however we appreciated that the waiter was able to split the smaller size into two plates. 

After we cleaned up on the appetizers out came out main course... The large Margherita pizza.  The pizza was fairly large and pretty thin.  The top was covered with fresh basil that you could smell from the center of the table.  After we all enjoyed a couple slices we stopped for a status update...  Good but not great.  Campania served up a good pizza, but there was nothing, besides the basil, that stood out.  Not a bad pizza by any means, but not one you would find yourself dreaming of nights later.

The Final Report: 6 out 10

Campania offers a beautiful atmosphere with great friendly service.  The menu has far more than just a pizza, but if you are in the area, its worth the 1 minute drive across the street to enjoy a superior pizza at Coalvines.  If you are looking for a pizza and drink before walking to the movies, Campania isn't a bad choice....

Week 35: The Elf's Den

Believe it or not, this week we found ourselves in the North Pole across the street from Santa’s House at the Elf’s Den.  While this might seem like a complete lie, the truth is our family was in Alaska this last week on vacation.  Although we might have been far away from Texas, we didn’t miss a chance to try a new pizza.  

In a tiny town 10 miles from Fairbanks, AK called North Pole, AK, the Elf’s Den is one of the only “non-chain” pizza restaurants around.  We had a 30 foot RV filled with 7 hungry people.  After a short drive from Santa’s House (www.santaclaushouse.com), we pulled into the Elf’s Den.  

The restaurant was exactly what we expected to see in a town of 2,226 people 3,800 miles from Dallas.  The interior design needed a few upgrades, but overall provided a warm atmosphere for our weary travelers.  Our eyes proved to be bigger than our stomachs when we ordered two 18” pies to-go.  We ordered 1/2 Cheese, 1/2 Hawaiian Deli, 1/2 Meatlovers, 1/2 Frosty Combo (Grilled Chicken, Mushrooms, Alfredo Sauce).  The pizzas were $26.50 a piece, which would be considered high-end, except for the fact we were in the middle of nowhere.  As it turned out we would have enough pizza for the following 4 days...

There was a small mix up on the pizza order and we were about to pack up the RV for our next destination when we realized we only got the Frosty Combo and Meatlovers.  I went back into the “Den” and the waitress apologized for the mixup and cooked us an additional cheese pizza at no cost!  Needless to say we had enough pizza to feed the entire town.  While waiting for the 3rd pizza, I uncovered the true gem that is the Elf’s Den.  Downstairs, below the dining room, was a small lounge/bar filled with local patrons sipping cold drinks while watching our beloved Dallas Cowboys.  So, while we didn’t eat at a local Dallas Pizza restaurant, the Elf’s Den made me feel at home while I watched the hometown football team.

While you will almost certainly never eat a pizza at Elf’s Den in North Pole, AK, it was a delicious break from the standard camping food we had been eating.  The crust was homemade from scratch and the toppings were plentiful.  To give you a real glimpse of the Elf’s Den check out the video Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_z9QqsoNMQ).

The Final Report: 5.5 out of 10

If the Elf’s Den was located in Dallas/Ft. Worth it probably wouldn’t measure up to most of the restaurants we have visited this year.  However, while on our family vacation we enjoyed trying some Alaskan local pizza and staying on track with our 52 week pizza adventure!  We are back in Dallas next week and looking forward to being home... 

Week 34: Nick's Pizza & Pasta

Ever since 1994, Nick and his family have been baking up pizzas and Italian food in HIghland Village.  Voted the Best of Denton County in 2003 and 2004, we thought we should check out Nick’s and see if he still had some good stuff!  Located on FM 407 right off 35W, Nick’s Pizza, Pasta and Subs (www.nicks-pizza-pasta.com) finds it’s home tucked in an inconspicuous strip mall suffering from the economy and newer development in Highland Village.  With all of the competition and economic woes, Nick’s has stood the test of time and for very good reason... They’ve got great pizza and a family atmosphere.

We showed up in the early evening on a Tuesday and got greeted by Nick himself and what appeared to be a joyful staff of family and friends.  In a day when its tough to get good service, this place gets it right on the money with good old fashioned hard work and hospitality.  We stepped up to the counter to place our pizza order and grab our number.  The dining area was a perfect size with an open feel and a couple flat screen TVs.  We ordered a basic small pizza for the kids with half pepperoni and a small white pizza with fresh tomatoes for the grown-ups.  Nick’s has a FULL menu of other Italian classics, but we were here for the pizza!

The garlic bread came out of the oven fast and was about as close to home cooking as you can get.  Covered with fresh garlic and cheese the basket of bread didn’t last long.  Fortunately the pizzas were not far behind.  We intentionally ordered two different types of pizza to get a feel for the place, and got two different results. First the white pizza was FANTASTIC.  I can’t pinpoint what exactly it was, but the crust was terrific.  It had a light floury taste to it but also had a chewiness that was memorable.  The ricotta cheese on top was not overwhelming and the additional tomatoes added a little extra substance.  Overall a very good pie, and one of my favorites in the Flower Mound/ Lewisville area.  The regular cheese and pepperoni pizza was also good, but did not blow my socks off.  A pretty average pizza with a NY style similar to other places we've visited this year.  In a few weeks I’ll definitely be remembering Nick’s White Pizza, but not really the “other” one.

Nick stopped by the table a couple times and made you feel like you had been there a thousand times.  He even took the time to chat about his family and you could tell he loved what he was doing.  As other patron stopped into the restaurant he would greet them all, and many by their names.  Nick’s personality and commitment to his work was certainly something that stood above most of the places we’ve stopped by this year!  About the time we were going to get up to leave he even offered to bring out free Italian Ice for the girls... With two cups of pink ice cream, Nick know’s how to keep the kids coming back for more!

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

With almost 20 years of experience in Denton County, Nick’s Pizza rises to the top.  It wasn’t the best pizza so far this year, but certainly worth the visit if you are in the area.  We would recommend it over any pizza place that we have been to in Denton County this year!