Pizza

“Bring on the Slice” There’s pizza and then there’s PIZZA!

Ah Badabing logoIf you’re from NY and missing the pizza you grew up with, or are just looking for a new adventure in Pizza, Ah Badabing is for you. Tucked away in Lakewood on 100th Street, across from McDonald’s in the little brick shopping strip, it is worth the effort to find. Owner/operator Brian D’Millo introduces the authentic NY style pizza that North Westerners have been missing out on! Hand-crafted with fresh ingredients and signature sauce created from Brain’s childhood memories, this pizza is perfect whether you are hosting the gang for Monday night football, grabbing lunch, or just enjoying a quiet “pizza and a movie” night at home. Pizza from $4.99 a slice that easily feeds two, to a 30″ multiple topping pizza that feeds 8-16 people, depending on the number of teenagers! Try it once, and Ah Badabing Pizzeria will become your “go-to” Pizzeria!

Ah Badabing Pizzeria, 6101 100th St SW, Lakewood, WA, (253) 582-2170

Brian D'Millo holding a slice of pizza Ah Badabing Storefront Brian D'Millo throwing dough

Pizza, coffee and a suntan TO GO

remember staring across Union at Poole’s Nursery on 6th Ave, wondering what if anything could ever revive that corner. It didn’t take long before Poole’s emerged in a far more industrious form, now known as Poole’s Corner. 3 stories of commercial energy rose out of the little corner, giving life to a host of businesses. Farrelli’s Pizza, Origin 23 and Bahama Tan provide a little retail something for everybody on the ground level, while offices buzz overhead.

The center has become so busy that I am usually forced to park in the underground garage (free) because all the street-level parking spots are full. Farrelli’s pizza is quite good, and the kitchen is open late every night. This is a huge bonus if you like midnight hot wings. Origin 23 (previously Firehouse) is home to coffee, snacks, gelato, wifi, and big tables, which naturally caters to UPS students, and anyone who despises the thought of contributing to the coffers of Hanoi Howard and the rest of the clan at Starbucks. Bahama Tan rounds out the bottom floor, and provides a pre-vacation tanning solution or a prophetic glimpse into the future of skin cancer; you make the call.

The little nursery is long gone, but the Poole name lives on safely for generations to come. For this corner, the building style works. I’m just not sure how many of these mixed-use buildings we want on 6th Ave. The concept usually gets rave reviews from our local, developmentally conscious (hippy, urban, art) people, but if they continue to pop up everywhere, we are left with nothing but a multi-level strip mall. Thoughts, anyone?

OMFG delicious

The Rock has long been a nighttime take-it-or-leave-it for me. Crowds, pricing and mediocrity have generally kept me away, save for the weekday lunch buffet (a Tacoma classic). After granting The Rock another chance, I can tell you the food, drinks and service were all off the charts. Bravo, Rock, bravo.

Everybody knows that Pagliacci has the best pizza in the world. Well, I am here to announce that this is no longer the case. In the words of the not-so-great George Thorogood, move over little Pagliacci, a big, old Rock is movin in!

My comprehension of the experience is already cloudy, after having just finished my leftovers 15 minutes ago. The crust is hand-tossed, thin and crispy – it’s the closest crust to Pagliacci I’ve ever seen. What was so great about it? There was this prosciutto, meatball, almond and mushroom pizza that seriously ‘knocked my socks off’ <== I have never used that phrase before. You can't imagine how good it was. They have an impressive selection of pizza toppings, providing endless possibilities to appease even the pickiest of eaters (I brought one of them with me and she loved her mushroom n' olive pizza). Last night we walked right in and sat down at a booth in the bar. This new room they've created is cozy and comfortable compared to the old setup. To top it off, our server was one of the best I've had anytime, anywhere. I went in with little enthusiasm for a place I'd been many times and left with a new favorite.

Nick -n- Willy’s Pizza

NICK -N- WILLY’S PIZZA
2602 North Proctor
Tacoma, WA
(253) 444-3060

The anticipation was killing me. The time was finally here to make my inaugural voyage to Nick -N- Willy’s Pizza. In all ways, I was ready.Too bad Nick -N- Willy’s was not. I won’t get into the details at this time, as this was merely their 3rd day in bidness. Everything that could go wrong went wrong tonight.

I will return in the not-so-distant future for a mulligan visit. The gloves will be off, and I will check my politically correct at the door. I’m expecting perfect next time. Anything less would be uncivilized.

Now open at the corner of 26th & Proctor, Nick-n-Willy’s offers take & bake AND cooked pizzas, salads, and dessert items. Notable pizza ingredients: Pesto w/ pine nuts sauce, feta, seasoned beef, fresh spinach, mandarin oranges, fresh chopped cilantro, smoked bacon andmany others. Family size signature pizzas go for $16.99 and personal pizzas are $5.99. Please give it a try and let me know how it goes.