You know, sometimes you eat at a place that is not bad, not great, but works.  Rome’s was like that for me.  It definitely was not life changing pizza, it definitely was above mediocre pizza, but it really wasn’t memorable.  I don’t know if I will ever go back (heck, I might walk over there if they are changing my oil over at Meinike again), but then again I might.

So what should you surmise from this review? Give ole Rome’s Pizza a try instead of ordering Pizza Hut or Domino’s one evening to spend your money at a local business or swing by to get a $4.50 lunch combo of two slices of pizza with a drink instead of your #5 combo at McDonald’s.  It is definitely at least worth a try.

Maybe not a spectacular piece of pizza, but it is a good deal.

Value: 9/10 (how can you hate on $4.50 for a lunch of two pieces of pizza and a drink?)
Atmosphere: 8.5/10 (cool atmosphere with checkered floors on the inside; amongst all the Italian decorations there was a picture of the Eiffel Tower that made me go, “What the Hell?”)
Service: 6/10 (above average, not bad, but not memorable nor did it leave me with a WOW feeling)
Taste: 6.5/10 (tasted better than Pizza Hut)
Website: www.romespizza.com
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***NOTE: It appears that this restaurant is no longer in operation***

My continuing search for breakfast food besides tacos led me around the corner to the Flour Power Café.  With a funky painted interior, the restaurant tries to strike a chord with a hippy feel full of peace and love.

I will say that I tried to eat breakfast here once before and was like 5 minutes after 11:00AM, which I was told is when they stop serving breakfast.  I understand that there has to be a point in time when you stop serving breakfast, but I think you should have a grace time of at least 15 minutes!  I ended up returning on this morning to check them out.  (Oddly enough, their website shows that they serve breakfast all day long on the weekend, but I would advise getting there early and not chance it!)

I was in the mood for a big breakfast and ordered coffee, orange juice, the European Omelet (which came with a couple of biscuits), and a couple of jalepeño sausage kolaches.

When my plate was brought out, you could immediately smell the deliciousness of the European Omelet.  It is made with three eggs, pesto, garlic, tomato, basil, Parmesan and Brie cheese.  The two cheeses and the spices work incredibly well to get an amazing taste to the omelet.  Particularly pleasing was the way that the omelet smelled as you ate it; looking at other tables, this dish looked as though it was one of the tops.

This omelet is amazing and will really fill you up!

The homemade biscuits were really nice and had that more course crumbly texture rather than the flakey kind of biscuits.  With a little butter and jam, they made a nice sweet compliment to the omelet.  I will say that kolaches are not worth ordering.  They are really small  and the bread is really dense instead; there was also a strange sweet taste in the kolache that I was not a fan of at all.

My waitress was incredibly friendly and we talked a lot about where we were both from and some of the places we liked in San Antonio.  She was excellent at providing suggestions from the menu (the kolaches were my own doing) and didn’t let my coffee go empty.

I would say that Flour Power Café is pretty groovy man.

Value: 7.5/10 ($8.25 for a three egg omelet and $2 for coffee can make this a fairly expensive little breakfast, although the omelet is huge)
Atmosphere: 8.5/10 (funky colors on the interior, but not as much hippy décor as I would have thought)
Service: 9.5/10 (waitress really engaged me in conversation and made good suggestions)
Taste: 8.5/10 (great tasting omelet and biscuits; the kolaches were a miss so I don’t know how other entrees would be like; so-so coffee)
Website: www.flourpowercafesa.com
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Yes I go to Lula’s frequently and yes I have already written about the restaurant.  However, I had another plate that was worth talking about.  The Thursday special is poblano chicken and for $6 you get a glass of tea, rice, charro beans, and a large portion of chicken covered with poblano sauce.

No matter breakfast or lunch, Lula's always seems to run mean daily specials.

The sauce is very creamy and has a bite that has a sort of slow burn to it.  The chicken is nice and tender, kind of like you would expect fajita chicken to taste.  What really stole the show were Lula’s charro beans; I think that they are the best tasting ones in the city!  I had to get a pint to go to take home for later on that week.

Needless to say, if you haven’t already done so, get over to Lula’s!

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I know we are in a recession and all, but the new dollar Frosty is ridiculous…

Really Wendy's? Really? (The Frosty is on the right)

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Here is my second crazy creation, dubbed the “Rise and Shine,” which includes: hamburger, cheddar cheese, bacon, fried egg over easy, and pico de gallo.  Go order one up today!

The "Rise and Shine" Burger

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Over at the newly redeveloped area of 410 and Blanco is a little Neapolitan pizzeria called Dough.  Being held to the strict standards of pizza making (they have to make their own cheese in house and use particular ingredients), they are one of the few pizzerias certified by the Italian government in the states.  But the question remains, how good is the pizza?

A friend and I went over one day during lunch.  We sat outside and it was nice to be in a European café feel.  The waitress was incredibly nice and took time to inform us all about their restaurant and the ingredients they used.  I only wish the prices were as nice… for lunch without a drink I ended up spending $10 with tip.

The pizza tastes just like the ones in Italy. . . I promise.

One of the things I particularly like was the water; they must serve the same filtered water used to make the dough (or maybe I was just imagining it).  The pizza came out and was about the size of a normal plate.  If you have ever been to Italy, you know that the pizzas taste very different than they do over here in the US.  They aren’t as greasy and I never felt weighted down like I do over here.  The sauce is also different and the pizza isn’t just covered with cheese like the pizza over here.

The pizza at Dough was spot on to those that I had abroad; I don’t how but they recreated the flavor perfectly and the crust was spot on too.  It was a little crunchy on the bottom but still had some doughiness to it.

This would be a fun place to take a date (their wine list is pretty comprehensive) because it has a nice atmosphere without being too ostentatious.  As far as an everyday pizzeria goes, the price would fall out of the range of an average Joe.  Sometimes you want something different and are willing to pay for it.  Dough is a perfect place for those days.

Value: 8/10 ($10 for lunch with water, but given the exotic nature of the ingredients, this doesn’t seem too ridiculous)
Atmosphere: 9/10 (cool outdoor café with a European feel)
Service: 9.5/10 (very friendly staff who talked about the history of the restaurant and the standards they must adhere to)
Taste: 9.5/10 (tastes like an old world authentic pizza)
Website: www.doughpizzeria.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DoughPizzeria
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Wow! Order up is featuring my burger through November 15!

If you go in between now and that time and ask for “The Epic” you will get the burger that was listed in this post; they accidentally left out that sun dried tomatoes, but you still get a pretty awesome burger!

I look forward to creating another monstrosity in the near future, so stay tuned!

Here is there announcement:

Gear Up for the Big Game!

With football season in full force, it’s time to get your game faces on and get pumped up Orderup style.

Stop by and get a 50% Discount on any of the following game day favorites.*

Sausage Pizza – created and loved by David, Orderup customer.
Fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, black olives, and sliced onions.

Steak Nachos – created and loved by Kim, Orderup Server.
Hand-cut chips, cheddar cheese, beans, grilled jalapenos, and grilled steak.

The Epic Burger – created and loved by Garrett, Orderup customer.
Hand-pressed patty, guacamole, bacon, Jack cheese, grilled Serranos, grilled onions, and garlic.

Orderup proudly supports the San Antonio Arts Community by offering live local music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. To find out who’s playing, view our Listenup schedule.

Orderup
Hand-crafted, authentic pizzas, tacos and burgers made to order from fresh ingredients.

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*Mention this e-mail to receive the discount. Offer good one time only. Price includes only toppings listed in this e-mail. Valid at all three locations: Lincoln Heights, Colonnade and Stone Ridge. Offer good through 11/15/09.

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