Margherita Pizza

Rated #1 Pizza – Cincinnati Magazine!

If you love pizza, Betta’s Italian Oven is a must-visit.  And you don’t just have to take my word on it…they got a very well-deserved award from Cincinnati Magazine – Best Pizza in the Queen City.

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember)

Now…I have a very special place in my heart for this hometown pizzeria.  And in the practice of full-disclosure – I was the first waitress at Betta’s Italian Oven.  Yes, the first waitress. Ask Will, the owner, he’ll vouch for me.

I went to Xavier University, just down the street, and would stop by every few

Will DeLuca, owner

weeks after class (while Willie was still prepping the restaurant to open).  I bugged the living hell out of that poor man, reminding him that I’d love to work there and to call me when the restaurant was ready.  I suppose my persistence paid off, because I was rewarded with a job and access to the best pizza outside of Italy!

Betta’s is the type of Italian restaurant that you WANT to go to.  Family owned. Family operated. Family recipes. Catching a theme?  Yes, FAMILY.  There are even little kiddos running around.  It’s the way a family owned Italian restaurant should be.

Tile Mosaic

I have fond memories of my time working at Bettas –  constantly busting Willie’s chops, listening to the Italian CDs on repeat, laughing with Cheryl (Will’s wife) and sneaking back to kitchen to chat with my girl, Clara (Will’s sister).  I even got my best pal, Tony, a job there as a “pizzaiolo”, where he learned the craft of making amazing wood-fired pizza.  It really is an art-form and Tony will tell you any day of that week, that maneuvering that pizza peel is a GIANT. PAIN. IN. THE. ASS.

My family has come to love this place.  It’s a go-to spot for a relaxing night with good food.  Uncle Joe and Jane had out-of-town guests (their old neighbors that moved to Canada), so decided to have some folks up to Willie’s to enjoy some pizza pie and a few good laughs.

The Verdict

• 5 out of 5
• FOOD: Wood-fired pizzas are what speak to my soul, but they also have a wide variety of Italian favorites like homemade lasagna, Chicken cutlet Milanese and a signature Chicken Filo.  If you go though, you gotta get a pizza, at least to try.
• SERVICE:  this night, our waitress was personable and assertive – 2 things that are nice to haves when trying to herd cats…also known as waiting on the Pitocco family.
• AMBIANCE:  Filled with Italian paraphernalia. Kitsch with class. My favorite is the Betta’s logo woven throughout the restaurant. It’s carved into the back of each chair and I adore the tile mosaic on the pillar.  The logo is inspired by the town from which the DeLuca family is from in Italy – Pietramelara   

Items Ordered:

• Margherita pizza: Perfect in it’s imperfection – the way a good pizza should be. A non-uniform shape, some “burnt” edges and a flavorful crispy crust. The simplicity of the fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato is beautiful.  I order this every time.
• Councilman’s Favorite pizza: Sausage, pepperoni, green olives and onion.  Satisfies those meat cravings, while still allowing the wood-fired char to shine.
• Betta’s Super Sub (baked): Mix of Italian cold cuts and cheese. Can be accompanied by hot relish, Italian dressing, mayo.  Order it the “Pitocco” way, with Betta’s marinara and get it baked.  This was my standard order.

Like a beacon in the sky, Jungle Jim’s is a Foodie’s Paradise!

I’m sure you are like this too. Whenever you travel back home or to a city that you love, you always have a “hitlist” of local spots you have to visit before you leave.   For me, Jungle Jim’s International Market is always on the “list”.  Think about the craziest thing you would ever want to buy….duck feet? a whole pig’s head? the favorite chocolate you ate every day during your study abroad in Europe? Hot sauce called “sphincter shrinker”?  Yep, they have it at Jungle Jim’s.

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Jungle Jim’s is the perfect blend of:

1. Function (they have everything)
2. Quirk (their decorations are eclectic to say the least – check out their website for photos),
3. Adventure (there is a surprise at every corner and you WILL lose track of time exploring the expansive selection)

Our “Mangia Memior”  (what we’ll remember)

To set the scene appropriately, my father and I are both insane.  We go into a trance the moment we walk through the doors.  My mom loves food andloves the adventure, but she is along for the ride.  And poor Anthony…ahh poor Anthony.  He loves to eat, loves to cook and is definitely an adventure seeker, but unfortunately, just had jaw surgery.  This means that he can’t eat for 6 weeks.  My worst nightmare.  But Anthony is a saint and doesn’t even complain.

My dad and I wove through aisle after aisle, while mom and Ant trailed us with the cart.After an initial scattered quest, we aligned on what our “weird” menu item would be -  “cinghiale” (aka wild boar). Cincinnati was kind of chilly and a wild boar ragu would be a nice hearty meal.

To our dismay, the meat department was fresh out of cinghiale.  Said he just sold the last one and was surprised about it.  I guess all the Italians in greater Cincy had a hankerin’ for some wild boar ragu.

No wild boar, no problem.  Guanciale (pork cheek).  We could make a nice Amatriciana instead- a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale, pecorino cheese and tomato, originating from the town of Amatrice. We also purchased some baby octopus, cerignola and castelvetrano olives and rosemary bread.

For our Amatriciana recipe, click here Recipe for Amatriciana

Top 5 “MUST SEES” at Jungle Jims

1. Visit the Bathroom.  The facade is a Port-a-Potty. Hilarious. Check out this video for a real view.
2. Scope out the Seafood section.  Tons of life fish, whole fish, shellfish. Awesome.
3. Check out the Hot Sauce area.  The names alone, will cure depression.  You will laugh out loud.
4. Look Up. Look Left. Look Right.  Amazing decorations EVERYWHERE.  An Amish carriage.  A bear dressed as a singing Elvis.  A talking Campbell’s soup can.  Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest.  Where do they get this stuff?
5. Check out the produce. Bring your iPhone.  You will see fruits/veggies you’ve never heard of.  Look them up and see how to eat them.

While living in Rome, I used to go to this little family owned restaurant near my friend’s apartment at the Policlinico stop on the blue line.  Money was tight, so we ate a lot of pasta.  One of my favorite meals was Sugo all’amatriciana.  They usually served it with beautifully al dente spaghetti or bucatini.  I thought it was time to bring this dish back to the states.

My family and I visited Jungle Jim’s International market and were able to find the number 1 ingredient for Amatriciana… Guanciale (aka pork cheek).  To read more about the Jungle Jim’s adventure, click here Jungle Jim’s Post

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

I know why my dad took us to Jungle Jims.  It’s because he knew I’d loooove it. And then we’d get to come home and cook together.  In the kitchen where I grew up.  At the dining room table where we’ve had so many meals.  Nostalgia.  Food brings people together. And in my family, cooking brings you even closer.  My dad and I busted each others chops all night.  “You are doing it wrong”.  “Move over, you’re hogging the counter”.  “When’s the pasta gonna be done?!”  “What are we gonna make Jaclyn?” (Jaclyn is my brother Nick’s lady friend that is a vegetarian.  I guess pork jowl would be considered meat.)  But, busting’ chops in my family is a sign of love.  I cherish these moments.

Amatriciana with Tagliatelle Pasta

• ¾ pound guanciale sliced thin and in pieces.
• If you can’t find guanciale, you can use pancetta
• 4 garlic cloves sliced super thin.
• I like it garlicky, so you can add/subtract to your taste
• I sliced the garlic with a razor blade. Yes, alla Goodfellas.
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick.
•  Some recipes say to do it 1/2 thick, but I prefer thinner.
• 1 ½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes.
• Obviously add/subtract based on how hot you and your guests like it.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups chunky tomato sauce
• 1 pound Tagliatelle or whatever long pasta you prefer
• 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
• Pecorino Romano, for grating

Directions

1. Start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
2. After cutting the guanciale into small pieces, put into a skillet (no extra oil) and begin to sautee.  Cook until it loses about half of it’s fat.  Do not overcook it, because it will turn into crispy pork bits.  Delicious, but not what we are looking for.
3. Remove guanciale from skillet and place onto plate with paper towels.  Pour almost all of the fat out of the pan. Reserve enough to sautee garlic and onions.
4. Add in onion and sautee until translucent. They should not have a “bite” or “crunch” to them.
5. Throw in thinly sliced garlic.  It will basically melt away into the pan. Thanks Paulie from Goodfellas.
6. Toss in the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Add in the reserved guanciale and parsley and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
8. Add in cooked Tagliatelle pasta and let it set in the sauce for a few moments to soak up the flavor
9. Place into serving dish and grate cheese over top

The Verdict

• 4 stars
• Would You Eat It Again? Yes, for sure, but will most likely have to use pancetta instead of guanciale, since I probably won’t be able to find it in Miami, unless Laurenzo’s Italian Market has it.
• What Would You Change?  I committed a terrible offense and overcooked the pasta.  Was trying to do too many things at once.  Also, I left the guanciale in the skillet for too long and ended up with those pork bits I mentioned we don’t want.  So next time, I’d be sure to remedy these things.

You don’t need a passport to party at a damn good Oktoberfest!

Dust off your lederhosen, empty your stomach and get your alcohol tolerance up.  It’s that time of year…Oktoberfest time!  Sausage, Beer and awesome outfits, here we come!

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is a tradition that has been going on for ages, and for as long as I remember, we’ve always gone.  The festival in and of itself is pretty amazing.  It’s the largest Oktoberfest outside of Munich, Germany and combines old traditions with some hilarious new favorites.  Check out some of the footage from this year’s Weiner Dog Race, Barrell Rolling, Stein Carrying Contest, Chicken Dance and even Brat Eating Contest with the World Famous, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, crushing 35 brats in 10 minutes. Yum.  Also, this year, quite a few booths had signs about Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food visiting their restaurants, so we’ll have to be on the lookout for the Cincinnati episodes.

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

Our Pitocco family tradition is to meet the whole crew at Schmidt’s booth on Sunday at 11:00am (yes, my family is insane) and kick off the day with a giant “Bahama Mama” (in photo above). It’s a smoked mett with quite a spicy kick to it.  Really cleans out the sinuses and gets ya going for a long day of eating!  Mr. and Mrs. Weber (my husband’s parents) joined us this year and Mr. Weber sported a fantastic Oktoberfest hat with countless number of pins he’s collected over the years.

This is the one day of the year where we Pitocco kids actually acknowledge and embrace our German heritage.  Our mom, Kathy (nee Doerger…nice little German name) frolicks from block to block singing along with the German bands — old favorites like “Roll Out the Barrell” and the song they used to sing to me as a child “She’s Too Fat for Me” (Yes, I was a slightly overweight toddler.  My pediatrician even put me on a pediatric diet. Lardass).

Booth upon booth we gorged ourselves, stopping to chat with folks we haven’t seen in ages,  while watching fellow festival goers devour brats, sauerkraut balls and steins of beer. We even stopped to get our photo taken with little wooden German folk cutouts.

Embracing our German Heritage

One not-so-pleasant, but definitely memorable moment, occurred on our trot back to our car, where we all stood dumbfounded at what we saw -  A  homeless woman (who sadly also had some obvious mental issues as well) lifted up her shirt to expose her belly in order to gain the attention of a homeless man in a wheelchair, then thrusted her pelvis forward and pointed to her lady parts. Yikes!  It’s kind of embarrassing even writing it and believe me, it was even worse in person.

Besides that treachery, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2011 was a great.  I’m happy we were in town for it and happy we can spend time with our families, keeping fun traditions alive.  I’m already looking forward to next year!

Items Ordered:

• Bahama Mama mettwurst
• Goetta Sandwich on Rye (Goetta is a German-American breakfast meat comprised of sausage, steel-cut oats and spices.  It is specific to the German-American population of the Greater Cincinnati area)
• Sauerkraut Balls
• Goetta Nachos
• Goetta Mac & Cheese
• Brat with sauerkraut on pretzel bread
• Fried pickles
• Izzy’s Potatoe pancake [MUST EAT]
• Izzy’s Corned Beef & Swiss on Rye Bun [MUST EAT]

The Verdict:

• 5 stars overall
• FOOD: I’m  not complaining, because everything was pretty darn delicious.  I do find myself gravitating to the more traditional Oktoberfest items like brats, metts, sauerkraut, potato pancakes and ruebens/corned beef.  The new twists on old favorites like Goetta nachos and Goetta Mac & Cheese are great to try, but my heart belongs to the traditional fare.
• SERVICE: all of the vendors are in the Oktoberfest spirit, cordial and super helpful if you don’t know what something is.
• AMBIANCE: this is reason enough to go even if you don’t like German food. Great tradition, fun music and awesome people watching.  Friday and Saturday are more of the party days, with huge crowds and tons of debauchery.  Sunday is a little more tamed (at least in the AM), so great for families or folks looking to really sample the food without getting trampled by drunken bafoons.