Spinach Dip. 

Mediterranean Salad. 

Chicken Pesto Calzone. 

Magazine Supreme Pizza. 

I’ve ordered Magazine Pizza about 3 times and have loved it every single time. Their Spinach Dip is awesome! The garlic bread sticks that accompany it are thicker, but still soft and chewy on the inside. I nearly liked it more than the pizza itself. To be honest, I usually hate calzones due to excessive breading, but Magazine Pizza has found the perfect bread-to-filling ratio. I can now say that I love calzones. As for the pizza, it’s perfect! The pizza was picked up and traveled to the Westbank and despite the wait, it was still crispy and delicious. Excellent job especially for Game Day service!

Loves: Late hours every day of the week. Online orders. Great calzones, dip, and pizzas!

What NOT to Love: Limited parking on busy days or weekends.

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Fresh dough, made in-house.

Pizza Makers ready to go!

House Salad.

Fumé. Olive oil. Garlic. Smoked Mozzarella. Basil. Smoked Prosciutto.

Patata e Funghi. Sausage. Mushroom. Truffle Oil. Mozzarella. Rosemary. Garlic.

Arugula Pizza with Iberico Ham (the most expensive ham in the world!). Note: There is an upcharge for Iberico Ham for $11.

The pizzas came out very quickly! Service was great and even though it was counter service, someone would come by occasionally to check on us. The pizzas were quite good. The crust was thin and doughy. I do wish there was a bit more of a chewiness to the dough, but I still enjoyed it. The space is very family friendly and great for large groups as well. Looking for Napoletana pizza in the Houston area? Pizaro’s is the home of napoletana pizza in Houston! The customer service was exceptional and really made our large group feel welcome!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Our Pizza Maker crafting our pizzas!

A bunch of cheeses, toppings, and meats. 

Before the Blaze. 

Our friendly pizza maker. 

The finished product: thin, crispy, flash-fired pizzas!

Our pizza makers were especially friendly and helpful. I ordered the Meat Lover’s Pizza and added fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, and basil. My fiance ordered the White Top pizza and added chicken, garlic, jalapenos, and spinach. The pizzas were flash-fired quickly and out came two thin, crispy gourmet pizzas. You can top it off with your sauce of choice. We added olive oil to the Meat Lover and Pesto to the White Top pizza. The crust was thin and crispy but still had a nice bite to it. The pizzas are pretty large considering they are a “personal pizza”, but I can probably eat a whole one with no problem if I was hungry enough.  I only ate half of the pizza tonight as a snack.

Next time I’m craving a quick late night bite, I know where I’m going. I love that Blaze opens later than most fast food joints: Monday- Thursday til 11PM and midnight on the weekends. Also, they serve draft beer! Since my fiance often gets home late from work, we’re always looking for late night joints for dinner. Blaze will have to be one of the top on our list now (especially since it’s only a few minutes away from our home!).

Rating: 5/5 spoons

It’s not often I get to visit Colorado, so why not try the best of the best?! So, how did Rioja measure up to this recognition?

Goat Cheese Biscuit. Seasoned Flatbread. Lavender Sourdough. Loved the lavender sourdough. Perfect note of lavender paired with sourdough!

Pre-meal Rosé. 

Chardonnay. Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco, Rioja.

Amuse bouche: Pork belly bite. 

Fresh Bacon. Pork belly. Cardamom. Curried Garbanzo Bean Pureé.

Duck Confit Flatbread. Lemon Pistachio Pesto. Gorgonzola Dolce. Cherries. Port Pickled Red Onion.

Beet Gnocchi. Strawberries. Hon-shimeji Mushrooms. Walnuts. Tarragon. Horseradish-fromage blanc.

Pacchetti. Rapini Mousse filled Saffron Pasta. Heirloom Tomato. Italian Sausage. Burrata. Basil.

Artichoke Tortelloni. Artichoke Mousse. White truffle brodo. Queso de Mano. Chervil.

Seared Sea Scallops. Arugula Risotto. Baby turnips. Artichoke. Saffron-lemon Puree.

Beignets. Sweet Goat Cheese. Black Mission Fig Filled Pastries. Ruby Port Wine Reduction.

Hand made ice creams.  Left to right: Apricot Ice cream. Tangerine Sorbet. Cognac Ice Cream. Lace Cookie Plate.

Candied Mint. 

**Keep in mind that “The Chef” and I like to order various menu items and create our own tasting menus so some of the dishes were split in two by the chefs in the kitchen. That’s why the portions appear a bit small, but each small bite was bursting with deliciousness.

I know this sounds super cliché, but the entire meal was like an orchestrated musical. There was never a moment that I felt I was waiting for my food. It’s almost magical how they organized it. Those who are not in the industry don’t realize how difficult food service can be and I can understand why when restaurants like Rioja make it look so easy.

Now, onto the food…

They catered to exactly towards my palate! Delicate, light, and bursting with flavor. I had so many favorites. The amuse bouche was scrumptious and I could eat a bowlful! My favorite pasta was Chef Jen’s signature pasta, the Artichoke Tortelloni. Next, would be the Fresh Bacon dish. It sat on top of a savory Curried Garbanzo Bean Pureé. Lastly, the sweets deserve some mentioning especially since my hometown is the home of the beignets (New Orleans)! The beignets were delicious and complimented the ice cream and sorbet dishes well. My favorite ice cream was the Cognac. “The Chef” jokes that I’m an alchie, but you can’t blame me for having great taste!

From top to bottom, Rioja excelled in great service, food orchestration, and flavorful execution. I can’t wait til I visit Denver again to try brunch at Rioja!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Chop Salad. Little gem lettuce. Prosciutto Cotto. Garbanza beans. Tomatoes. Anchovies. Spring Onion. Parmigiano.

Shaved Brussel Sprouts. Golden raisins. Toasted almonds. Creole mustard.

Whole cauliflower. Whipped goat feta.

Wood Roasted Octopus. Potatoes, Jalapeno, Tomatoes.

Wild Mushroom Pizza.

Other notable pizzas: Tutto Carne and Margherita

Pizza Domenica is mainly counter service, but I’ve noticed that they also do table service depending on how busy they are. It’s family friendly, but is great for meetings and get togethers. The pizzas are delicious..warm, flaky, and buttery. Almost like the consistency of a buttery croissant. I love it! The reason why I love Pizza Domenica over it’s mother restaurant is the chewy, yet crunchy  texture, and the main restaurant hasn’t been very consistent with the pizzas.

I also loved the Cauliflower and the whipped goat cheese…the complimented each other very well. Trust me…you’d be surprised how delicious this seemingly simple dish is!

So many pizza choices down Magazine St. and to be honest, they’re all unique to each restaurant and all very delicious!

Here are some other reviews on other Magazine St. pizza options:

Theo’s Pizza

Reginelli’s

Other notable dishes: Crab & Corn Bisque, Caesar salad, Uptowner Sandwich

I’m pretty picky when it comes to pizza. I like both thick and thin crust pizzas and Reginelli’s is definitely my favorite thick crust! My favorite thin crust would be Theo’s pizza (click to check out post!). I alternate between those since I love both!

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Upcoming Post: Pizza Domenica

Truffle & Mascarpone Burrata – As Seen on the Food Network. House pulled truffle Burrata. Colorburst Farms tomatoes. Rosemary Balsamic Reduction. Flatbread.

This delicious handrolled Burrata is probably the culprit behind my sudden mozzarella binge. The combo of truffle and mascarpone was perfect! It left me wanting much more!

Bread. Oven-baked. Perfect chewy and soft bread texture, just like the pizza dough itself.

House Smoked Salmon Spinach & Pancetta. Baby Spinach. Vital Farms pasture raised organic hard boiled egg. Gorgonzola. Crisp apple. Toasted Walnuts. Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette.

Pork Love. Sopressata Salami. Sausage. Pancetta. Speck. House Pulled Mozzarella. Tomato Sauce.

Other Delicious Pizza: Arugula & Prosciutto. 

I’ve never been to Naples, so I can’t guarantee the authenticity of the dishes, however, my palate tells me that this has to be one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had… San Antonio is filled with pizza joints, but this one provides a romantic, yet homey atmosphere and more importantly, a delicious meal awaiting…

Theo’s is a cute little joint located down Magazine St. known for their thin crust gourmet pizza baked in a stone hearth oven. 

I love to have a little green with every meal so I ordered a Bacon, Blue, & Spinach Salad. It was delicious! The combination of bacon, fresh mushrooms, and sweet red onions…perfecto!

Marilynn’s POTA Supreme . The thin crust pizza is a nice change up for your usual original crust. It’s light and crispy so you don’t leave feeling overloaded on carbs AND you’ll have room for dessert!