THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502160018
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CHAIN REACTION
SOURCE: BY BROWN H. CARPENTER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
PIZZERIA UNO, national purveyor of Chicago-style, ``deep dish'' pizza, opened its first Hampton Roads restaurant last year.
At Virginia Beach Boulevard and Military Highway, it's at one of Norfolk's busiest intersections.
Coming off Military Highway, patrons must negotiate through the parking lot of Darryl's next door to find a spot at Uno. But judging from a recent Saturday night, diners find the journey worth it.
Our party of four waited about 20 minutes for a table. (Diners can call ahead for advanced placement on the seating list; we did not.)
Dinner at Pizzeria Uno is pleasant. Aside from a few wall decorations, adornments are limited to individual lights hanging over tables and booths. Acoustics are very good; diners with chatty children needn't worry much about disturbing other patrons.
As its name suggests, the chain emphasizes pizzas. Deep-dish pies are loaded ``with impressive quantities of the finest meats, spices, vegetables and cheeses . . . ,'' according to company brochures.
No exaggeration - these are hefty pizzas. The menu offers 13 kinds, assorted by the ingredients, plus nine lighter ``Plizzettas'' in the trendy, thin-crusted California mode. All pies come in a regular size, serving two to three diners, or an individual size.
We skipped the appetizers, an uninspired offering of pizza skins, Buffalo wings, nachos and veggie dip, and ordered a Chicago Classic pizza and three regular dinners.
The Classic, at $13.85, is a slightly heavier version of the Numero Uno, the chain's signature pizza. The Classic is weighted down with sausage, cheese, tomato and an extra-thick crust. It has no shame, it has no subtlety, it has no flaws. It is for big appetites.
A couple could easily order one Classic and two salads ($2.75 to $2.95 extra), eat heartily and take half the pie home for the next day.
Other deep-dish pizzas are chicken fajita, eggplant and artichoke, and ``Shroom,'' as in mushrooms.
Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($7.95) sounds better than it tasted. The present uses a salty, basic Italian cream sauce.
The Chicken Frommaggi ($7.95), a boneless breast baked with cheese and fresh tomato slices, is the type of entree a chain can excel at. The chicken was tender and moist, the fresh tomato a simple but classy touch amid the cheese.
We ordered two fresh, tasty salads, a Greek and a Caesar, for an extra 95 cents each.
Uno does the fourth entree, babyback ribs ($9.95) superbly. These are even good without the sweet barbecue sauce.
For dessert, we had Eli's Chicago Cheesecake, with chocolate chips and fudge sauce ($3.50), cheesecake topped with maraschino cherries (stems and all, $2.70) and a root beer float ($1.95). All easily passed muster.
Children's entrees - small pizza slices, pasta dinners, chicken or frankfurters - range from $1.95 to $2.95. MEMO: Brown Carpenter reviews chain restaurants with stores in Hampton Roads.
Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of two or
three, unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star
pay for the reviewer's meal and those of the guests.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ROY BAHLS
BELOW: Pizzeria Uno offers 13 kinds of pizza, including spinoccoli,
shown here.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Pizzeria Uno Chicago Bar & Grill: East Virginia Boulevard and
Military Highway, Janaf Shopping Center, Norfolk. 466-0923.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to
midnight Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Deep-dish pizzas, which serve three people, from $11.50
to $13.85; individual pies, from $5.45 to $6.75. California-style
``Plizzettas,'' from $12.85 to $13.85; individual sizes, from $5.95
to $7.45. Extra toppings, $1.80 each for regular pizzas, 95 cents
for individual. Pasta dishes from $6.95 to $9.95; ``Specialties''
(mostly non-Italian fare), from $6.95 to $9.95; salads, add 95
cents. Plus, dinner salads from $4.95 to $6.50.
Reservations: Call ahead for advanced placement on the waiting
list.
Smoking: About 25 percent of the tables are set aside for
smokers.
Owned By: Pizzeria Uno Inc., Boston, which operates or franchises
106 stores around the country.
by CNB