Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Leptologists Eat at Pies an Pints

Candice: You gave me no choice today. You must have something in mind.
Paul: We're going to Pies and Pints.
Candice: Oh, yes, it's been getting a lot of buzz.
Paul: It's a twenty minute drive from downtown, but we've gone farther for less buzz.
Candice: Let's hope it stands up.
Paul: We manage to drive around the entire strip mall in search of the place.
Candice: Driving over those speed bumps in an otherwise empty parking lot...
Paul: I like to obey the laws.
Candice: Uh huh. I know you well enough to ask, "Which laws?"  Here we are. The location is large with three wings surrounding the kitchen.
Paul: There's also an outdoor area for better weather than today's.
Candice: Mark, our server, sits us in the front wing.
Paul: It smells vaguely of disinfectant.
Candice: Look at this selection of microbrews. Breakfast Stout, Elevator Dark Horse. There are lot of local brews on the menu here.
Paul: Good for them. And the menu is full of specialty pizza pies.
Candice: I'll have one of those, the Garlic Mushroom Pie, and for appetizers, the Chargrilled Hot Wings and the Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Flatbread.
Paul: Good choices there. I'll go with their most famous pie, the Grape Pie, as seen on TV.
Candice: I haven't seen it.
Paul: Me neither, but Mark assures us it has indeed been seen on TV.
Candice: As have you, if we're including "internet" TV.  Ah, here are the appetizers, nicely presented.

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Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Flatbread
Paul: The flatbread is drizzled with balsamic. A lump of something sits in the middle.
Candice: Goat cheese.
Paul: This is excellent bread.
Candice: Yes, if this is their pizza dough, then I have high hopes. The goat cheese is an excellent contrast to the sharp balsamic.
Paul: The wings are also good.

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Chargrilled Hot Wings
Candice: It's not a buffalo sauce at all, they're grilled with  sriracha hot sauce, citrus, garlic and cilantro.  Fabulous.
Paul: They're spicy, not tangy. They have a deep flavor that goes all the way to the bone. They're moist and fresh.
Candice: My favorite thus far.  And...the hostess manages to sit a couple right next to us in an otherwise utterly empty room.
Paul: How are you supposed to shout your opinions with someone this close to us?
Candice: Me?  Shout?
Paul: Are we doing the <blank stare> bit again?  'Cause, I gotta tell ya, you're gonna lose again.
Candice:  Meh.  Win, lose..as long as I'm eating good quality food.  I must admit, this is one of my pet peeves. Use the rest of the room before you seat two parties next to each other.  Not that I don't like people, but we do discuss more than just the food on these excursions, ya know?  Trying to help a fella out here...
Paul: Point taken.  Let's skip the blank stares then.  Look, the pizzas are here!

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Mushroom Garlic Pie
Candice: Indeed, they are.  Mine is a beautiful pie. It smells divine.
Paul: There's a lot of mushrooms on that thing.
Candice: You should try some fungus for once.
Paul: Um....
Candice: My pie is savory with the earthiness of the mushrooms and the sweet of the onions.
Paul: You make it sound good.
Candice: That's because it is.  I don't tend to say things I don't mean.  My one complaint, however, would be that it needs something acidic to the cut through the sweetness. Try it.
Paul: Okay.... Oh, I hate mushrooms. I see what you mean -- it's savory -- but mushrooms aren't my thing.

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Grape Pie
Candice: They're good for your health, man.  Thanks for trying, though I gotta say - you're not a fun guy.
Paul: I see what you did there.
Candice: < blank stare> How's yours?
Paul: It has an excellent crust. The cheese is wonderful. The grapes... are interesting. A small explosion of sweetness. A great contrast of flavor and texture.
Candice: Let me try. Yes, you're right. This is an interesting pie.
Paul: "Interesting" is an interesting word. It can mean so much.
Candice: Open to interpretation can be a good thing.   You know what your pizza could use?
Paul: Some sausage?
Candice: Or some pepperoni.  A light, tangy, thin sliced...
Paul: I agree. Even so, it's an awesome pizza to try at least once.
Candice: Mark informs us that the crust is a standard pizza dough, except for a touch of honey and a coating of garlic oil around the edge.
Paul: They have the crust down. It was excellent.
Candice: Yes, I'd come here for the crust alone.  Repeating myself, I declare that the best part of the meal was the chicken wings.
Paul: Is that why they're going in your box?
Candice: You had more than I during lunch. I'll take the rest.
Paul: Of course. Your thoughts?
Candice: They have a great dough for their flatbread and their pies. The wings were fabulous and it looks like their selection of beers is local and wide.
Paul: The prices were decent. The wait was non-existent.
Candice: I'd definitely come back again; there's lots more on the menu a person could try.  Thinking a great place for a weekday dinner for the family.
Paul: I do have one of those...
Candice: And, a fine example of one you have, sir.  Let's get to work so I can get home soon to have our...I mean, these wings for dinner, eh?

Candice   Paul   

Worth the Price?
Worth the Wait?
Worth Coming Back?

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