Rummy’s Pizza
Crawfordville
Friends familiar with the Tallahassee Rummy’s Pizza restaurant in the Killearn area were pretty excited about the opening of the Crawfordville Rummy’s location. I was just happy to have another choice for pizza, especially an option that is not a national chain. I do occasionally order from the local chain representatives. To give them their due, places like Domino’s and Pizza Hut offer great prices and they deliver. If I want a large quantity of pizza to feed a crowd economically, I go to the chains. When I want a pizza with a little more personality, I am going to open my wallet a bit wider and choose a place like Rummy’s.
In any discussion about pizza, the question has to be addressed, “Is it NY-style pizza?” Many southern pizza joints lay claim to New York pizza bragging rights. Few non-New York pizza parlors, however, actually achieve that distinction. I’ll get this out of the way right now. Rummy’s Pizza is not going to make you feel like you are visiting Little Italy. That said, Rummy’s does plate a decent pie.
Rummy’s has been open in Crawfordville for well over a year now and has had ample opportunities to iron out the new restaurant wrinkles. It appears they have settled into a comfortable groove and consistently generate regular business. On a Friday or Saturday night, I often wish they had two cash registers – one for the eat-in crowd and one for handling take out orders. I also wish that one person would handle calls while another would handle the people paying at the register. Sometimes that line at the register gets long and hold times to place an order can take a while.
To date, I have generally really enjoyed Rummy’s pizzas. There are times when I would like the crust to be a bit crisper all the way to the center of the pie, though, and it makes me wonder if they sometimes rush the baking time.
Rummy’s offers a nice variety of meats, veggies, and cheeses to top your pie. They even offer local favorite Bradley’s Sausage, in hot or mild. I would love to see them add artichokes and maybe even eggplant to their veggie topping list but it is otherwise a comprehensive variety of the healthy stuff. Hm, they offer an eggplant “rolotini” entrée…surely they could toss some eggplant on a pizza, right? To be fair, I haven’t yet asked.
Patrons can request their own combination of toppings or order from a list of ten signature pizzas. I personally recommend the Veggie Lover’s, the White, and the Buffalo Chicken.
Rummy’s also offers football-sized calzones. You can enjoy a standard cheese calzone or add any one of the many pizza toppings as an additional stuffing at $.75 per ingredient. With a starting price of $8.95 for the basic cheese, those extra stuffings will take your calzone cost quickly over the $10 mark.
They also offer an array of appetizers, a six-pack of salads, and a nice variety of classic Italian pasta specialties. Burgers, sausage dogs, and hot dogs with or without chili are also available. They have a kids’ menu with offerings under $5. Three of the items include chips or fries. All the children’s entrees include a small drink.
In the mood for a hoagie or hero, sub-style sandwich? Rummy’s offers meatball and chicken parmesan, classic cheese steak and chicken “Philly” sandwiches, and a sausage and pepper combo. These sandwiches include your choice of chips, fries, or veggie sticks.
I have developed some favorite orders over the last year of dining at Rummy’s. If you like spicy sausage and ricotta, I recommend ordering a pie with sliced spicy Bradley’s sausage layered with ricotta and marinara sauce. For salad lovers, try the buffalo chicken salad with char-grilled chicken breast. I am not sure what vendor supplies their bleu cheese dressing but I think it is one of the best available in this area.
Rummy’s wings can be ordered tossed in your choice of any one of nine flavors. The Spicy Garlic and Mango Habanero sauces are worth a visit on their own. The last time I ordered takeout, my husband I ordered 10 of each flavor. When I walked in to pick up our order, the manager mentioned that the kitchen was using a new pepper in the Mango Habanero wings. He handed me a small green-stemmed red pepper to take home with my order. The bhut jolokia pepper, also known as the Red Savina habanero, is billed as the world’s hottest chili pepper.
I loved the new kicked up Mango Habanero sauce with the bhut jolokia. My husband said it made him sweat and he downed the better part of a beer with his portion. I found the sweet and peppery hot sauce partnered nicely with a bite of bleu cheese dipped celery.
If you still have an appetite for a sweet ending after finishing a Rummy’s meal, the menu does offer a few dessert choices. I can vouch for the sticky sweet fried honey dough. Share a basket of these sweet doughy little bites with a few friends.
Rummy’s bills itself as an Italian Grill and Sports Bar. The dining room boasts multiple large screen televisions. I have watched a few football games here and even caught a presidential debate over a late supper during the last election cycle.
The bar part of Rummy’s name translates into beer and wine. Beer is available by the glass, the pitcher, and the bottle. Wine is offered by the glass. They’ve recently added sangria to the menu. On a recent visit, I received my Shock Top draft with an orange slice, always a nice touch with a Belgian white, Witbier style brew.
There is an outside seating area with umbrella-topped rounds for those who wish to dine alfresco. Smokers are out of luck during football season, though, as there are no televisions outside. Perhaps they can get a glimpse of the gridiron action through the large glass windows?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Talk o' the Town
Talk o’ the Town Deli
Crawfordville
August 5, 2009-08-05
The Inaugural Review
This recipes and review gig is going to be a little hobby…sort of an online indulgence to allow me to share my love of all things cooking related with my friends and family. I grew up in a “foodie” family. My relatives and I have owned restaurants and worked in the food service industry throughout my life. Enjoying good meals was a big part of my family experience when I was growing up.
As an adult, in another life, I was a restaurant mystery shopper for several companies. Mystery shoppers review restaurants and rate the business on service, cleanliness, and quality of food, among other things. My friends, family, and I had loads of fun dining out at various places around Florida on someone else’s dime and I gained extensive knowledge about the restaurant business along the way.
I’ve been toying with the idea of writing about food for sometime and this review represents my first foray into the realm. Comments and suggestions are very welcome!
I was very excited when I saw the announcement in the local newspaper, The Wakulla News. A New York-style deli was opening in Crawfordville! After my initial excitement abated, my innate Yankee skepticism about attempts to recreate Northern food and culture south of the Mason-Dixon Line reared its ugly head. Were real New Yorkers running this venture? I hoped for the best and drove by the location occasionally to watch their progress.
Finally, I returned from vacation and saw that the lighted “Open” sign had been turned on. I bee-lined my way in to the parking lot to pick up a menu and do some reconnaissance. I walked up to the counter and ordered an iced tea while I perused the wall menu. A man opened the door and called out to the counter staff in a decisively New York accent, “Youse got Boar’s Head meat?” The staffer said no.
Dismayed, I asked, “So what kind of meat are you carrying?”
The befuddled staffer replied, “Hormel, our food distributor said it was better quality.”
New York accent guy snorted, “Real New York delis use Boar’s Head.” He departed.
I looked at the lady working the counter, “Well, in New York, we used to choose delis according to which ones stocked Boar’s Head. Boar’s Head really does have a better reputation, it can be a real selling point..”
The woman cocked her head toward the back of the house, “She is from New York.”
“Um, okay, well, I’ll be back for lunch tomorrow with a friend. Good luck!” I said.
I went home and related the story to a good friend who relocated from New York years ago to work in the Florida food service industry. He shook his head.,“Hormel, really?”
The hour for my lunch date approached. My friend and I stood before the wall menu and made our selections. She chose “The Miami”, a panini that came generously filled with turkey, tomato, onion, and spinach artichoke spread. The bread choices included white, wheat, multigrain, rye, and pumpernickel. All sliced bread, no sub or hoagie rolls to be had here. While I adore rye and pumpernickel breads, the lack of sub rolls disturbs me. No bagels, no bialys, no hoagie rolls, no baguettes, nada, zilch, zip. Sorry, folks!
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would not order an Italian style sandwich as listed on the menu on anything but a sub roll – the classic New York way to prepare such a sandwich.
I had been watching other diners while I waited for my friend to arrive. I decided on a Cobb Salad that I had observed another patron eating with obvious enjoyment at a nearby table. Calorie counters beware, the only “light” dressing option is fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.
The final report? The food was good -- well-prepared and fresh-tasting. Service is fast and friendly. The staff seemed to be learning to use the register on the fly and ice is served from a cooler behind the counter, but none of this detracts from the flavor of the food. The front of the house has limited space and the tables are two tops. Business was brisk and seating was limited when we finished our meal at the height of the lunch hour.
Beverages include brewed Luzianne tea, sweet and unsweet, as well as bottled sodas. Soup, chips, chili, and cookies are available. The menu lists potato, macaroni, and cole slaw made on site. Do they make their own egg salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad? I plan to find out on another visit.
I would recommend this deli as a Subway or Myra Jean’s alternative for a change of pace. However, do not go to this place expecting a real New York style deli. And no, pastrami is not offered. They do, however, have liverwurst. It is a nice little sandwich shop and a welcome addition to the Crawfordville food scene, but hardly a haven for the New York ex-pat crowd.
Crawfordville
August 5, 2009-08-05
The Inaugural Review
This recipes and review gig is going to be a little hobby…sort of an online indulgence to allow me to share my love of all things cooking related with my friends and family. I grew up in a “foodie” family. My relatives and I have owned restaurants and worked in the food service industry throughout my life. Enjoying good meals was a big part of my family experience when I was growing up.
As an adult, in another life, I was a restaurant mystery shopper for several companies. Mystery shoppers review restaurants and rate the business on service, cleanliness, and quality of food, among other things. My friends, family, and I had loads of fun dining out at various places around Florida on someone else’s dime and I gained extensive knowledge about the restaurant business along the way.
I’ve been toying with the idea of writing about food for sometime and this review represents my first foray into the realm. Comments and suggestions are very welcome!
I was very excited when I saw the announcement in the local newspaper, The Wakulla News. A New York-style deli was opening in Crawfordville! After my initial excitement abated, my innate Yankee skepticism about attempts to recreate Northern food and culture south of the Mason-Dixon Line reared its ugly head. Were real New Yorkers running this venture? I hoped for the best and drove by the location occasionally to watch their progress.
Finally, I returned from vacation and saw that the lighted “Open” sign had been turned on. I bee-lined my way in to the parking lot to pick up a menu and do some reconnaissance. I walked up to the counter and ordered an iced tea while I perused the wall menu. A man opened the door and called out to the counter staff in a decisively New York accent, “Youse got Boar’s Head meat?” The staffer said no.
Dismayed, I asked, “So what kind of meat are you carrying?”
The befuddled staffer replied, “Hormel, our food distributor said it was better quality.”
New York accent guy snorted, “Real New York delis use Boar’s Head.” He departed.
I looked at the lady working the counter, “Well, in New York, we used to choose delis according to which ones stocked Boar’s Head. Boar’s Head really does have a better reputation, it can be a real selling point..”
The woman cocked her head toward the back of the house, “She is from New York.”
“Um, okay, well, I’ll be back for lunch tomorrow with a friend. Good luck!” I said.
I went home and related the story to a good friend who relocated from New York years ago to work in the Florida food service industry. He shook his head.,“Hormel, really?”
The hour for my lunch date approached. My friend and I stood before the wall menu and made our selections. She chose “The Miami”, a panini that came generously filled with turkey, tomato, onion, and spinach artichoke spread. The bread choices included white, wheat, multigrain, rye, and pumpernickel. All sliced bread, no sub or hoagie rolls to be had here. While I adore rye and pumpernickel breads, the lack of sub rolls disturbs me. No bagels, no bialys, no hoagie rolls, no baguettes, nada, zilch, zip. Sorry, folks!
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would not order an Italian style sandwich as listed on the menu on anything but a sub roll – the classic New York way to prepare such a sandwich.
I had been watching other diners while I waited for my friend to arrive. I decided on a Cobb Salad that I had observed another patron eating with obvious enjoyment at a nearby table. Calorie counters beware, the only “light” dressing option is fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.
The final report? The food was good -- well-prepared and fresh-tasting. Service is fast and friendly. The staff seemed to be learning to use the register on the fly and ice is served from a cooler behind the counter, but none of this detracts from the flavor of the food. The front of the house has limited space and the tables are two tops. Business was brisk and seating was limited when we finished our meal at the height of the lunch hour.
Beverages include brewed Luzianne tea, sweet and unsweet, as well as bottled sodas. Soup, chips, chili, and cookies are available. The menu lists potato, macaroni, and cole slaw made on site. Do they make their own egg salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad? I plan to find out on another visit.
I would recommend this deli as a Subway or Myra Jean’s alternative for a change of pace. However, do not go to this place expecting a real New York style deli. And no, pastrami is not offered. They do, however, have liverwurst. It is a nice little sandwich shop and a welcome addition to the Crawfordville food scene, but hardly a haven for the New York ex-pat crowd.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
About Me
I like to cook and I like to eat. Cooking for friends and family is one of my favorite pastimes. I come from a long line of great home and professional cooks, with a few restauranteurs thrown in for good measure.
In this blog, I am going to talk about new restaurants, favorite restaurants, and restaurant news. I also plan to share recipes and sometimes post food-related pictures.
In this blog, I am going to talk about new restaurants, favorite restaurants, and restaurant news. I also plan to share recipes and sometimes post food-related pictures.
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