America’s restaurants are expected to generate $566 billion in sales in 2009, according to the National Restaurant Association.
According to a PizzaToday.com Web poll, 38 percent of operatos say their “large” pizza is 16 inches in diameter.
North Carolina has 1,880 pizzerias
69 percent of pizzerias offer catering.
Carminuccio’s Pizza & Catering / Puget Sound Pizza / Hot Tomato Cafe
Carminuccio’s Pizza & Catering
76 South Main Street
Newton, CT 06874
(203) 364-1133
www.carminucciospizza.com When you are voted as having one of the best 10 pizzas in America by Gourmet magazine, it’s safe to say you rock! That’s the distinction owned by Carminuccio’s, an oldworld-style pizzeria that opened in Connecticut in 1997. The pizza here is simple and conjures the food’s humble roots. It’s accompanied by a bevy of salads, wraps, subs and Italian dishes. From homemade meatballs to Chicken Genovesa, the menu is diverse. And, of course, it includes a Clam Casino (a white pizza with baby clams, roasted pepper, bacon, onion and minced garlic) pie. It wouldn’t fi t in Connecticut otherwise!
Puget Sound Pizza
317 South 7th Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 383-4777
www.myspace.com/pugetsoundpizzaVisit Puget Sound Pizzas’ MySpace page and you’ll notice the rock right away — literally. With Van Halen’s 80s hit “Jump” piping through the speakers, it won’t take you long to notice that this establishment isn’t your run-of-the-mill pizzeria. Among other things, PSP is known for its breakfast. Any day that begins in a pizzeria is a good day as far as we’re concerned!
Hot Tomato Café
201 East Aspen Avenue
Fruita, CO 81521
(970) 858-1117
www.hottomatocafe.comNo doubt about it, this place is hot! Which, naturally, is another way of saying it rocks. Opened by a pair of mountain-biking enthusiasts, Hot Tomato Café is a biker’s paradise. Its location is ideal, and what’s better than pizza as a reward for a grueling mountain ride? The menu at Hot Tomato is limited: salad, breadsticks, pizza (both whole and by the slice), calzones and stromboli. We dig the one out-of-the-ordinary item — the sausage rolls. What’s not to love about spicy Italian sausage wrapped up with ricotta, sweet peppers and provolone, and then baked in a pizza dough and served with a side of marinara? That’s worth climbing a mountain for.
