Pizzeria 712 - Update

Where: Pizzeria 712, 320 S State Street #185, Orem 

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 2

What It Cost: ~$35.00

What We Thought:

I have to admit, I am primarily doing this review for very personal reasons -- I am so embarrassed by the horrible photographs from my first review of this restaurant that I just had to redo it. Plus I think Pizzeria 712 is delicious, so any excuse I can come up with to justify the price is good for me! 

The fact that they serve pita bread as a starter for pizza still makes me laugh a little bit (Team Carbs!) but just because I'm anticipating more bread later on does not mean that I can restrain myself from the delicious hummus and pita bread they serve. The hummus has a delicious texture, rich flavor and vibrant color, and is irresistible with the soft fresh pita bread. Plus, you know, anything served on a slab of wood just automatically tastes better if you ask me. 

This little dish is probably in my top three favorite plates ever. Tender juicy braised beef short rib is served on top of a little polenta cake that is more delicious than any polenta I've ever had! The polenta is sourced from the local Anson mills, prepared to perfection, and then sautéed so there is a crispy top that is incredible. It is all served with savory au jus and a spicy amazing horseradish cream that brings it all together. Normally I'm not a huge horseradish fan but it paired so well with the luscious and appetizing short rib that I just couldn't get enough!

Their pizza was delicious as usual - this specific combination of toppings is no longer available, since they typically rotate their menu seasonally. This particular pizza came topped with toasted walnuts, kalamata olives, and fresh parsley, and our server recommended that we try it topped with speck (smoked prosciutto) as well. I wish she had told us that there was an additional charge for the meat - I guess I should have assumed there would have been, but the casual way she suggested it made me surprised when I saw the bill. Nonetheless, it was delicious and left us feeling great after the meal -- good quality food = good feeling afterwards!

The dessert met mixed reviews at my table - it was a bread pudding served with honey almond granola, lavender, and a homemade crème anglais. I liked the crème anglais but thought the overall dessert was kind of bland and that the granola gave it a weird texture. Devynne, on the other hand, thought it was amazing. She loved the delicate lavender flavor and consistency of the bread pudding. So I guess you can decided if you want to take the risk on this one - for us it was either a love it or leave it dessert.

What You Should Do: Well, I think my opinion of Pizzeria 712 has been sustained during this visit - they consistently produce tasty food, have a fun and trendy atmosphere, and are still pretty pricey. I don't think that I want to spend around $14 a person when going out to pizza all the time, but for a special occasion or treat, Pizzeria 712 brings fresh and wonderful flavors right here in Utah County. So check them out!

Green Panda Cafe

Where: Green Panda Cafe, 3220 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Peach Boba Smoothie & Passion Fruit Boba Smoothie

What It Cost: $8.08

What We Thought:


Okay, so we didn't get a full meal here, but I really wanted to share with you about this place! If you're from the PNW like me, you know that bubble tea is a HUGE deal over on the West Coast. For a while, bubble tea was as ubiquitous over there as frozen yogurt is here in Provo. I'm not the biggest tea person, so I would usually go for a bubble (or boba) smoothie instead, and I fell in love with the fun experience of drinking a delicious smoothie with fun little balls of tapioca that get slurped through a giant straw. When I drove by Green Panda and saw their giant sign outside advertising boba smoothies, I was so excited that a place nearby is selling one of my favorite treats! If you know of any other places nearby that sell boba smoothies, please let me know. But so far, this has been the only place that I've found that makes these tasty beverages, and they do a fantastic job.

Their smoothies are light and refreshing on a hot day (which we seem to have had plenty of lately), and are HUGE! Next time I definitely think that Owen and I will share one. They have an awesome range of flavors, including lychee, honeydew, green apple, mango, peach, passion fruit, strawberry, and more. I loved the peach flavor of my smoothie - it actually tasted like the real fruit, rather than a mix of artificial flavorings. And the bobas (chewy tapioca balls) are fantastic - great texture and they really give you quite a few in your drink. Some bubble tea places I've been to in Washington give you like five bobas in your smoothie, but Green Panda puts in just the right amount.

What You Should Do: Check them out! If you've never had a boba smoothie before, then you are in for a real fun and unique dessert experience. Some people think that they are too weird, but I love them!  Definitely a nice change of pace from getting frozen yogurt all the time... Green Panda does a great job with them. Though it may not look like much from the outside, Green Panda Cafe has an adorable panda-themed interior, friendly staff, and fabulous smoothies. We will definitely be heading back there to try the other food on their menu soon! 

Read other reviews here:

Cocoa Bean Cupcake Café

Where: Cocoa Bean Cupcake Café, 1774 N University Parkway #20, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake, Coconut Lime Cupcake, Better than Whatever Cupcake, Madagascar Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake, Marbled Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake

What It Cost: ~5.50

What We Thought: 

As you may have guessed, I'm not super swept away with the whole cupcake trend. I usually find them way overpriced and smaller than I hoped, and generally uninspiring. However, sometimes you are just in the mood for a little treat that is cute and a little girly. And The Cocoa Bean definitely fits the bill. Of all the cupcake places I have visited, I feel like this cupcake shop has the best prices (still expensive, but worth it), the best sizes (the cupcake actually feels substantial, not tiny), and the most original flavor options (a rotating and seasonal menu). Of all the cupcakes I've had, I think my favorite has been the lemon blueberry and coconut lime, and I have to warn you - I did not find the "Better Than Whatever" to be better than any other cupcake...in fact, it was probably my least favorite flavor I've ever had. I have yet to taste their hot chocolate or other drink options, but I would definitely recommend getting the jumbo sized cupcakes. Oh yeah.

What You Should Do: If you're in the mood for a cupcake, go here above any other place. They always have lots of different options that rotate every day, and are the best priced/sized cupcake near BYU. If you're a cupcake addict, then make sure to get a punch card, and these can make fun little birthday gifts for friends or husbands you forgot to bake a birthday cake for (not saying that this ever happened...two people shouldn't eat a whole cake anyway!) 

Read other reviews here:

Roll Up Crepes

Where: Roll Up Crepes, 1605 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Trip 1: Chelsey & Kirsten (my sister-in-law), Trip 2: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Trip 1: Southwest Chicken Bacon Crepe & Turkey Pesto Cranberry Crepe. Trip 2: "The Awkward First Date" (Bananas Foster Crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream) and "The Break Up"  (chocolate ice cream, Oreos, chocolate syrup - I'm pretty sure that is what the name of the crepe was, but they don't have the dessert menu updated online so I couldn't check)

What It Cost: $10.67

What We Thought:

I'm pretty sure that crepes are the new "hot thing" and there are crepe shops popping up all over the place in this area. This was one of the first, so of course we needed to check it out. To be honest with you, I can't really figure out what the actual name of this place is -- Roll Up Crepes, The Roll Up, and Roll Me Up Crepes are all options, so if anyone knows for sure, you should fill me in! 

The shop itself has some unique decor -- I described it as quaint, Owen thought it was just creepy. Take your pick I guess. The first time I went, I visited with my sister-in-law for lunch right after it opened. It wasn't too busy and we got our food pretty quickly which was good, and I actually enjoyed it a lot. I thought that the combination of turkey, cranberry and basil was a nice mix, and it was pretty filling. Kirsten's was the best - I was worried that it would just taste like a burrito in a weird tortilla, but it tasted fresher and lighter, with a spicy and flavorful sauce. It was a fun trip and I looked forward to going there again.

Then last Saturday evening, I convinced Owen that instead of frozen yogurt, we should stop by Roll Up Crepes for dessert. It was pretty busy, so we tried to order quickly and grab a seat in the rather crowded restaurant. I was pretty excited for my Bananas Foster crepe because I love caramelized bananas, and I was interested to see how ice cream would taste inside a crepe. 

This was what I got:

One skinny pathetic banana on top of some weirdly crunchy caramel, and wayyy too much butter spilling all over the place. And no ice cream to be found. I was a little confused because the crepe itself looked way too thin to have any ice cream inside, so I opened it up and found nothing. I was really looking forward to that ice cream (and I paid for it!), so I kind of pushed myself up to the front, showed the girl at the register my plate, and told her that someone forgot to put my ice cream with the crepe. "Are you sure you ordered one with ice cream?" she asked me. Are you kidding me? How rude! She totally didn't believe me, so I had to get out the menu and show her the one that I had ordered and point out where it said that it came with vanilla ice cream. Then she told me, "Oh, well, we are out of vanilla ice cream." I feel like that would have been a good thing to tell me when I had ordered. She just looked at me like "What do you want me to do about it?" so I asked if I could get a different kind of ice cream. They had butter pecan, which went fine with bananas foster, so I got that kind after many huffy and disgruntled looks. She didn't want to put on gloves to get me some ice cream, so she called up someone from the kitchen and I had to wait there awkwardly and embarrassed while 10 people were waiting behind me in line.

So once I finally got my ice cream, I dug in to my fairly destroyed crepe and discovered that it was nothing special. Basically the only flavor I could taste was all the butter that pooled around my plate, and I felt super heavy and gross afterwards.

Owen's was a little better, thankfully, because it's pretty hard to go wrong with chocolate and Oreos. The presentation was boring, and the flavors were also a little boring, but it was fine and satisfied the craving for sweet. Meh.

What You Should Do: Go if you have to. I would recommend going for lunch and getting a savory crepe, but I was so humiliated by the whole ice cream incident that I probably won't be going again. It doesn't matter how good your food is if the experience and customer service are a huge disappointment.

Eva

Where: Eva, 317 S Main Street, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen & Jarom (my brother-in-law, who also happens to be a vegetarian)

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Spanakopita with Spicy Feta & Balsamic, Spicy Chickpea Shells, Spinach & Potato Gnocchi, Greek Mac & Cheese baked in Phyllo Dough, & Chocolate Pots de Créme

What It Cost: $57.00 (including tip, for all 3 people)


What We Thought:


Friday afternoon, I went over to my friend Katie's house and helped her with her new little baby, Eva. As I was holding Eva and playing with her, I said, "Tonight I am going to eat at a restaurant named after you, baby Eva!" However, somehow, in her little baby mind (she's only 7 weeks folks), it must have gotten processed as "Tonight I am going to eat you baby Eva!" because her eyebrows got all scrunched up and she began to wail. Back to you mama Katie!

When we walked into Eva, I knew right away that it was a good pick. It had a dingy yellowish sign outside the unassuming front door, but once we stepped inside, it was bustling with servers rushing plates, laughing and chatty diners, and LOTS of people for its tiny square footage. It was clear that this was one of those trendy & hip places that not a lot of people know about (so exclusive), which always makes me a little wary to begin with (see Sammy's). We told the casually dressed hostess who came up to us that we needed a table for three, and she informed us that the wait would be between 45 minutes-1 hour, but that she would take our names & number down if we wanted to go grab drinks or something. Of course there would be no grabbing drinks for us, but we agreed to give her my number and she said she would call us when a table was available. 

This is where I would have done things differently. Instead of wandering outside in the cold with our measly jackets, we should have planned ahead and gone shopping at the Gateway or ice skating or something. There are loads of things to do nearby, but since we didn't really have a plan, we just kind of walked around for a while until our faces froze off and we decided to check back in with the restaurant. We kind of awkwardly stood in the way at the front of the restaurant (the entryway was only about 2 feet long) and it ended up being over and hour & a half until we were seated, but fortunately our stomachs were so frozen that we kind of had forgotten how hungry we were by 8:45....

We were seated at a table in the corner of the restaurant near the kitchen, where the overhead lamp light was burned out and it was all very dim. Normally I wouldn't really mind, except I was trying to take photos of the dishes and it was a little crammed. Our appetizer arrived quickly, and all complaints in our mind vanished.

I'm a huge Greek food lover -- we had Mediterranean fare at our wedding, and though my sister was so kind and thoughtful to grab a plate for me, apparently all of the spanakopita was already out before she could snag some for us. I knew we had to order it here so I could show Owen the wonderfulness of this flaky spinach-filled dish. The spanakopita served to us at Eva did not disappoint. The phyllo dough was crispy and flaky, perfectly enveloping a mixture of cooked flavorful spinach and spicy feta. An acidic balsamic glaze complemented the rich and warm flavors of the pastry's insides, and we couldn't get enough of it. Absolutely wonderful.

Jarom, my brother-in-law, was pleased to see all of the vegetarian options on the menu, and decided to go with the spicy chickpea dish with tomato sauce, basil, and cashew cream. The term spicy was no understatement -- this dish was hot! But the wonderful kind of hot, where it's surprisingly zippy while you are taking your bite, but your mouth isn't still burning after you finish your taste and it leaves you with a pleasant aftertaste. A unique and filling vegetarian dish that we would highly recommend -- Owen loved it so much, he finished what Jarom couldn't eat after wiping clean his own plate!

You're going to judge me for this one -- macaroni & cheese, Chelsey? Really? But lately I've had a craving for cheesy pasta that would not be satisfied with any ordinary boxed meal. This mac & cheese was mixed with fresh tomato, bacon and arugula, and was sandwiched between layers of perfectly crisped phyllo dough. Talk about comfort food to the most delightful extreme. Every bite was soft, warm, rich and inviting, and though I could feel the heavy cheese sauce adding inches to my waist with every luscious morsel, I couldn't stop myself. 

What? A dish that's not topped with chopped basil?? I know, you are shocked. Owen ordered the spinach & potato gnocchi that was served with parmesan, truffle oil, mushrooms, peas, and a white wine cheese sauce. "A flavor punch in the mouth" was how Owen described it. Though he personally found it a little too rich, I thought it was utterly decadent and perfect: soft pillowy gnocchi, smoky mushrooms that didn't make me want to gag (a big accomplishment), sweet crisp peas, vibrant green spinach, all mixed together with an intense and indulgent sauce. It doesn't really photograph well, but my was it delectable. 

 And to round out our meal, we sampled their chocolate pot de créme -- a perfect ending to our meal. The chocolate mousse base was thick, sweet, had the perfect consistency, and was rich enough to complement the light and fluffy cream on top. The fruit served along with it was dulcet and ripe, a perfect pairing. I was a little disappointed in the lack of flavor of the pistachio cookie in the center, but nothing could really ruin the purity of the chocolate base. I also would have preferred chopped mint rather than two leaves artfully placed, because although they look pretty, no one really wants a large mouthful of mint leaves.

What You Should Do: Go right now! But make sure to do it right -- have one person run into the restaurant and leave your name & number, and then go shopping or do something fun instead of wandering in the cold. There is a parking lot right across the street (be sure to bring cash for it, no cards accepted) so you'll be able to rush back when they call you, and you'll be able to enjoy your night of mouthwatering Mediterranean dishes!

J Dawgs

Let me just begin this post with a huge disclaimer: I HATE HOTDOGS. I always have, all growing up. The idea of them grosses me out, the flavor of them grosses me out, and I'll only eat the breading if you force me to eat a corn dog. So when my then boyfriend/fiancee raved on and on about this hotdog joint that was out of this world, I just smiled and nodded and thought to myself "No way am I ever going to spend a single cent on any kind of hot dog. Not going to happen." But then somehow, magically, the very first J Dawg came into my life.

Where: J Dawgs, 858 N 700 E, Provo (just on the SE corner of campus)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen, Monica & Devynne

Number of Visits: Too many to remember

What We Ordered: Beef Hot Dog, Polish Hot Dog, all with a variety of toppings

What It Cost: $3.00/dog ($4.00 for dog + drink)

What We Thought: 

This is me, the very first time I ever ate a J Dawg. It was at the Stadium of Fire pre-party hosted by Qualtrics (where my husband works, aka the coolest company eva) and we had free J Dawgs. That kind of pure joy cannot be faked my friends. Shock and awe. Those two words can barely graze the surface of how I felt. This was a truly eye-opening culinary experience, and I have been a J Dawg die-hard fan ever since.

This is a place that is famous for a good reason. Their food rocks, is cheap, and it rocks. Simple as that. Where can I even begin?

There are three important characteristics of a hotdog.

1. The Bun - I would eat these buns plain all day long. Soft, so fresh, and a light buttery flavor -- these are the perfect compliment to this wonderful masterpiece. They fold around the hotdog and toppings just right, but aren't too soft that they get soggy with the Special Sauce.

2. The Toppings - Though this location does not come equipped with the complex varieties that other hotdog joints may boast (i.e. Hot Dog King), it doesn't matter at all. They supply you with the freshest and best options to compliment this flavor sensation. I've tried all of the different toppings with all different combinations, and have found my favorite mix: smattering of fresh onions, 3-4 banana peppers (no more, no less), plenty of Special Sauce (this is basically your typical BBQ sauce, times a million) squeezed in along the sides and in the scored dog itself, and a pickle on the side to cleanse my palate. Some people make the mistake of ordering ALL of the toppings on their dog, especially since it does not cost more to get more toppings, but I do not recommend this. The flavor will overpower the simple wonderfulness of the hotdog, and you will wonder what all of the excitement is. I recommend trying a few different combinations of 3-4 toppings and then picking your favorite. You may even like it best plain! (just FYI: Owen's favorite combo right now is sauerkraut, onions, pepperoncini, and Special Sauce)

3. The Dog (or should I say "Dawg") - This was the best surprise of all. I had no idea a hotdog could be so savory, spicy, meaty, flavorful, transcendental, and perfect. This is high quality meat my friends, and even your typical hotdog hater like myself will be blown away. There is nothing about this that tastes cheap or plastic-y or rubbery (my usual complaints about dogs), and it is grilled to juicy perfection. They score the dogs with a criss-cross pattern on top, which allows for the flavor of the sauce and any other condiments you desire to penetrate deep into the meat and take your mouth on a miraculous journey. Do not miss out on this. It is so worth the journey -- oh wait! It's five feet away from campus! And it's so worth the price -- oh wait! It's only $3! It really doesn't get better than this.

One of many wonderful J Dawg experiences, with many more to come. 

What You Should Do: Go right now! Do not delay this experience any longer. If you haven't eaten here, you haven't truly lived (the BYU life anyway). They've opened a new shop on University Avenue that is a little less shack-like, more store-like, so hopefully we will go there next!

Sweet Tooth Fairy

Where: Sweet Tooth Fairy, 1227 S University Avenue, Provo (across the street from Provo Towncenter Mall)

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcake & Raspberry Lemonade Cupcake

What It Cost: $5.02

What We Thought:

Oh the popular cupcake. How fun and cute and perfectly sized. Just enough sugary happiness for one. That was my mentality when I coerced Owen into taking me to The Sweet Tooth Fairy after a particularly excruciating midterm.

When we got to the cupcake shop, there was no one inside. We waited around in the awkwardly silent shop for a few minutes until the girl running the register finally came through the back door...oh sorry to interrupt, were you eating cupcakes back there? She kind of pouted while we looked at the different cupcake options...I guess it was like 8:30 but come on lady. A little customer service would have been nice. We made our choices as quickly as we could and then decided to get them to-go because we felt awkward just eating our two cupcakes alone in that shop. The individual carrying cases for the cupcakes were hands-down the best part of the whole cupcake experience.

The cupcakes were average -- a little dry and not really that creative. My raspberry cupcake was chewy and not moist at all, though I did like the tartness of the lemon frosting and the fact that you could actually see raspberry seeds in the cupcake itself. Plus, let's be honest - I like pink. Owen's was your typical pumpkin chocolate chip with cream cheese frosting. The only problem with this was that they were also average size -- three bites and they were gone. More than 80 cents a bite? I don't know if it's worth it.

What You Should Do: Give it a try. You'll probably get a more friendly typical bubbly-cupcake-selling-BYU-girl than I did, and that really would have helped the experience. Personally, I'm more of a Cocoa Bean cupcake fan, but if you happen to be craving a sweet treat and you have lots of cash and you're near the Provo Towncenter Mall, then go and try it. I think I may go back and try some of their macarons or cookies -- I hear the black & white cookie is pretty darn awesome.

 

Awful Waffle

Read restaurant update (5/22/2012) here

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Where: Awful Waffle, 815 N 700 E, Provo (just kitty corner from JDawgs)

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey, then Chelsey, Monica, & Devynne

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Trip 1: 2 Belgian waffles, one with kiwis, blueberries, whipped cream & syrup, the other with strawberries, Oreos, Nutella, and whipped cream. Trip 2: 1 crepe with "European Specaloos," bananas, & cream cheese frosting, and one waffle with strawberries, caramel, and whipped cream

What It Cost: $10.75 & $10.62

What We Thought: 


I feel like Belgian waffles and crepes are the new "hot thing," maybe "the new cupcake" or frozen yogurt if you will. Every time I blink a new crepe shop pops up, and of course we feel like we should try it. Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner (or lunch) (or midday snack...)?

The waffles were different than what I was expecting. They were pretty dense, and quite chewy. The toppings were fresh and delicious, but not cheap. If I was going to go again, I would bring my own syrup (since it is not worth the add-on 50 cent price, and they are very skimpy with the syrup), and I would bring my own milk since they charge $1.50 for a tiny cup, when a whole gallon of milk practically costs $1.50.

With this waffle, I made the mistake of thinking that the melted Nutella would sub in for the syrup. Not so. It was very dry and difficult to eat since I only had 4 oz. of milk to wash it down. At least it was filling since it was so dense!

The crepes were alright - I wasn't too impressed by the fancy Specaloos spread that they get imported from Europe. It is a spread with the consistency of peanut butter that is made from Biscoff cookies, and they even sell it at places like Macey's and Winco now! The overall combination that I ordered was way too sweet, even for me, but it was my own fault for choosing such a saccharine combination of flavors. I wish they had flavor suggestions or something so that crepe rookies like myself won't make the same mistake.

What You Should Do: Go if you have to. And if you're hungry and have brought your own form of liquid to wash everything down. And if you bring your own real plate. They serve the waffles on styrofoam plates and I have really weird feelings about cutting into styrofoam for some reason. But what you should really do is learn how to make your own crepes - they aren't too hard, and future dates/spouses will be impressed by your skill (I like to add a little vanilla and cinnamon to them - as do the owners of the Awful Waffle). Oh, and go to Winco and buy your own Biscoff spread - it's all the rage these days.

Pizzeria 712

Since it's not really in the budget to go back to all of these places and try the food again, many of these posts are going to be written in retrospect. You may be thinking, "How on earth can you remember how every restaurant was?" But as I was compiling my list of places we've been, I was able to remember all but one of the dishes we ate at each of the 75 restaurants I wrote down. Let's just say that food makes a serious impression on me. So although some of these reviews may be from a while ago (maybe even back to our dating years...), they will all be an honest and accurate report of our dining experiences.


Where: Pizzeria 712, 320 S. State St. #185  Orem, UT 84058 (When coming from BYU, go down State Street, go past the Scera theater, and it will be on your left back in thing that looks like an apartment complex. Kind of difficult to find, but definitely worth it! They have a big white sign out there now too that is a little helpful)


Who Went: Chelsey & Owen


Number of Visits: 1


What We Ordered: Owen: Roasted Red Potato Galette with Lemon Parsley & Creme Fraiche. Then we shared a pizza with the following toppings: house-made sausage, fennel, caramelized onions, garlic, fresh mozzarella, and their house tomato sauce


What It Cost: $24


What We Thought: 

As you will soon be able to tell as the blog progresses, Owen and I are kind of pizza fanatics. We went through this phase where we decided to try out every pizza place in the Provo/Orem area...and we did. When we were in this phase, Pizzeria 712 was the newest, hippest pizza place around. It's kind of back in the corner, hard to find, and very full of trendy individuals. They follow the Alice Waters philosophy of food -- cooking simply with the best and freshest ingredients to show the potential of the food itself. This mentality was clearly displayed in our meal that evening. 

We weren't super hungry, so we decided that instead of getting two pizzas we would just get one + an appetizer. Good choice. The pizzas are big enough for one person to probably eat 3/4 and take a quarter home, if you are quite ravenous. We started out with the Red Potato Galette, which was Owen's choice. Unfortunately, we realized once we received our dish that all we did was basically order a over-glorified baked potato. The flavor was nice, but come on, it's pretty hard to mess up on a baked potato. I'll make this one at home for an eighth of the price instead. 

Then we received some pita bread and hummus. Yay -- more bread to go with our order of bread (pizza). We recommend this if you are going on an all-carb diet á la Mean Girls...Anyway, it was a nice little touch, especially since I'm a huge hummus fan, so we enjoyed it. 

Then we received our pizza. Though it looks a little messy, I have to admit that Pizzeria 712 lived up to their goals -- it all tasted very fresh. The tomato sauce actually still tasted like tomatoes (usually not the case with many pizzas...), the housemade sausage was quite savory, and I loved the fresh mozzarella. Good quality cheese is one of the ways to this woman's heart. The wood oven crust was just right -- infused with a smoky flavor and not too dense. It was a little burnt for my taste (as noted by that big black spot) and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the lack of fennel taste. For those who are unfamiliar with fennel, it is a highly aromatic herb that tastes like mild black licorice (similar to anise). And I love it. So naturally I wanted more of it, but for those who don't know what fennel is, it probably was just the right amount. 

What You Should Do: GO! It has a fun, stylish atmosphere, and the dishes are all reasonably priced considering the freshness and flavor of the ingredients they use. Plus you sound cool talking about how you "dined at Pizzeria 712 last night." Totally worth it.