Not A Moment Too Soon indeed!

It's been awhile since yours truly has ventured out for some pizza and not a moment too soon as Tommy says.

We've had a few false starts lately for a decent blog update. Tried to hit up a place in Dewitt and lets say our experience there just sucked out some of our fun. I'll not name names ,just cause we will eventually get there cause I've heard good things about the pizza. And well I've been hackin out a lung for a few weeks. Just not feeling up for pizza shenanigans if you can believe that.

While I'm on a Tommy S kick. One more tune from this guy. Go buy everything Tommy Stinson has ever made! I'll take my lovin anyway I can. Usually a Sailor and Coke.

And if I don't get some pizza it will be a mutiny.

Well okie dokie and on with the show. Finally we got some good almost great pizza today. Sipping a Sailor to get in the mood.

My tweenage chicken strip guru.

My better half and designated.

A pizza joint that has been around for not a long time. We decided to check out Maria's over in Colona Illinois. Colona is about as far away from Eldridge and still be considered in the greater Quad City area.

The new I-74 bridge is really coming together and it is way cool to see a bridge like this being built! These pics don't do the amount of work being done to build this thing.

So ,Maria's.

Maria's is in Colona Illinois. Colona is on the south eastern side of the Illinois Quad Cities. Past East Moline and south of Carbon Cliff. But a nice little jaunt. I'd say when the John Deere Classic comes to town Maria's is a 5 minute drive.

A few inside pics.

The mens room. Could use some help.

The menu.

Allrighty. Lets get to the zza!

And let me just say this. Maria's is pretty much a no frills pizza joint. There were some things about my visit that could be considered dings to the final score. More on that in a bit. Shut up Scotty and tell us about the pizza.

So the chicken and pizza.

Moll ordered the chicken strips and fries. Seems to be her thing. The strips were darn awesome. Had a good beer battered type coating with battered french fries. We all had a bite and Moll gives it 2 thumbs up!

So lets to get to it.  Sher was going to get a stuffed crust. But the waitress said a good 45 minutes just for that so we decided on a large thin crust double sausage and pepperoni.

A few pieces in.

So what do we think of Maria's Pizza?

Outstanding!!! If you like cheese,you'll love this pizza. The crust was nice and crunchy. The sausage was top notch and spicy. One ding from me. I didn't think the sauce had enough kick. But that's just me. Sher said it was just fine.

I'll give Maria's an 8.5. The wait was kinda long. The building is a little rough.

But if you are in the area and well if not. You can't go wrong with Maria's in Colona. It's great enough for us.

Drivin on home. Hmm. LeClaire could use a good pizza joint too.

The weather this weekend is pretty crappy,but Maria's surely brightened up our day. Great pizza will do that.

As always my faithful readers. We do it for the love.

Cheers

Scotty

Big Wheels keep on turnin

It's a Proud Mary throw down!  I was weaned on CCR ,but my lawd Tina's legs!!!!! And Ike's Fro.

So what does Proud Mary have to do with pizza? In this blog update not much,but the river does.

The wife and I were without a tweenager and had a hankering for a breaded pork tenderloin.

A joint long on my radar but for whatever reason we took our sweet time checking it out.

Sippi's  just a stones throw from the mighty Mississippi River.

http://www.sippis.net/

Sippi's has been around for awhile now,but reading online reviews always just kind of were blah and meh. Service was always a criticism and man I hate crappy service.

But we have been seeing some good reviews of their breaded pork tenderloin so we decided to venture on downtown.


A Sailor and coke to strike a mood.

 The bar area. I should apologise upfront,cause I was feeling kind of under the weather and we hadn't really planned a full on QC Pizza blog update. So I only got a few pics.

The Tenderloins. Sher and I both got one and they were pretty dang big. We only ate about half of each sandwich. Made for good leftovers too.

So how were the tenderloins? I'd give it a good 8. Nice and thick with good taste. The breading did get a wee bit soggy but it still got into my belly.

We had great service so Sippi's will for sure see us again.

Cheers!

Scotty

I did not run into Norm

Well okay. There is a Pub here in Eldridge. They do not know my name and I'm not sure they would be glad I came to visit,I digress.

We've been kinda fallow lately. Spending all of our money and yard crap. This visit to Maloney's Pub here in Eldridge happened in late February I think.

We had started out cruising up to Dewitt for a full on QC Pizza blog update at Jorgie's. Jorgie's was packed and in that typical townie bar vibe, we didn't feel real welcome. The place was packed and no room to sit and we were pretty much ignored. Might go back , but I'll spend my money where we are more welcomed.

So we drove down the street to Hall Of Fame Pizza.They were packed and we didn't even bother going in.

Onto plan B. Maloney's has been open for a couple of years now, but the wife and I aren't bar goers. So we had never stopped in.  It was a crappy night and we didn't feel like driving on into the QC. So we tried them out.

Hmm. Next time I'll try a burger. Then tenderloin was okay,but not great. Kinda dry and not much flavor .Sher got some wings the were just rubbery. She sent them back,but I think she lost interest.

The menu.

The chow.

So Maloney's that night was okay. Next time I'll try something else from the menu.

Cheers!

Scotty

Top Jimmy indeed!

While doing some research for this blog post and trying to think of something witty to come up with.

Top Jimmy by Van Halen seemed apropo. But. Isn't there always that but? In looking up VH's video. I learned something that never crossed my mind. There really is a Top Jimmy! I'm not foolin either. I should be ashamed of myself for this oversite for sure.

So. A new joint popped up on pizza radar. I was driving to work and an ad came over the radio for a new pizza place over in Moline. I was intrigued enough to get home and check out their online presence.

What really stood out to me is not only do they do the yada yada QC style pizza ,but they have a deep dish and a thin crust. Sweet!!!!!

The menu.

Okie Dokie. So Top Hat is a take out / carry out only operation. We did not know that as we went over the river.

So, we walked in and figured out what we needed to do to get some pizza. A few pics.

The Top Hat owner!

So finding out this was strictly a takeout pizza joint. We ordered and walked down the street to Rascal's. Yeah. That Rascal's.

This is where the blog kinda goes sideways. As Sheri and I were drinking some beers at Rascal's. Sheri says to me. That's the Sugar Nipple guy. Matthew Truitt.

I couldn't help but act the blatherer. Yeah,kinda attention and name droppin ho I am.

Good times too. The Nipples are going to be playing with The Shockers come Shamrock Shake Day(march 16) at the Fairgrounds!

Okay.Okay let's get to the pizza for effs sake.

So how was Top Hat Pizza?  For a one man operation ,Sher and I give it a solid 9 across the board. Sheri got a small pepperoni deep dish. I got a medium double Italian sausage thin crust.

We both agreed the deep dish sauce was the best. The thin crust was top notch. Sheri says Top Hat Pizza has the best deep dish in the QC. We both give it a solid 9! Plus Rascal's is right down the street for rock and roll!

Next visit will be me ordering a QC style sausage on thin crust. Sheri and I agree. Top Hat Pizza is worthy of your pizza money.

Cheers!

Scotty

Ah gee Peg !

Yes! Let's rock indeed. I know. It has been a while hasn't it? Crap weather. Crap sickness (except for yours truly). My self destructive ways seem to combat cooties,floozies,sneezies and the like.

Almost a month ago since the last  update and way overdue too.

Readers of this blog by now know that my videos usually try and tell a story about where we went or things we did or food we noshed. And so it is today.

What the heck does a few Al's have to do with this update? Most Al's I have known have been pretty good guys. I mean how can one not like an Al?

And so to this blog update. A pizza joint that has long been on my zza radar. Kinda like Zoey's in Marion. One of those places I know about but for some reason have just never ventured forth to try it out.

Well off we go. Alfano's is on 11 St in Rock Island. Over the Centennial Bridge and on towards Milan.

http://www.alfanopizza.com/

Alfano's is pretty much a no frills pizza joint. Probably 3 tables seating 10 peeps maybe. Better to take out. And there was a line.

So Scotty? How was Alfano's after all these years driving past and saying we need to go there?

Sher got a deep dish sausage and mushroom. I got a thin crust double sausage.

Chicken wings courtesy of Blazin Wings!

After all is said and done. I'm gonna give Alfano's an 8.5. The trouble with this blog post is that there really isn't a dining area,so we took the pizza home. From Al's to Eldridge with traffic is about a good 25 minutes.

My main ding is the sauce. If the sauce had some wang it would be home run. Alas rather pedestrian flavor. although the sausage and cheese kicked ass!



That said. Alfano's does pizza different than the usual QC style pizza. For that they get a 10.

Scotty.