My husband and I stopped in at Lincoln Square Mall tonight - yes, on a Friday night! - specifically…read moreto try Patricio's Pizza. Because it was kind of late, we opted to share the Hawaiian calzone, a garden side salad, and we each ordered a Coke Zero.
I honestly cannot believe this place wasn't busier for being a pizza place on a Friday night, but also Lincoln Square is not typically somewhere one thinks about when deciding where to go out on a Friday, but I digress.
We picked a table and waited while our calzone was made, fresh. As promised, in less than ten minutes, we were called up to pick up our food. The salad was fresh, and came with red and green peppers, spicy red onion, and juicy grape tomatoes, which was a nice change from typical boring garden salads one gets from other pizza places. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. Excellent French dressing.
The Coke Zero - crispy! Delicious.
The calzone was a decent size, not too big and not too small, perfect for one really hungry person, or just enough for two to split and not feel gypt. The crust was perfectly done, nice chew, good bake, and delicious yeasty dough. Loads of ham and pineapple, and delicious melty cheese. The calzone came with a side of marinara for dipping. Next time, I will add jalapeños, if I order it again.
I might have given Patricio's five stars had it not been for two main issues: 1) the marinara was cold. Had the sauce been warm, it would have won me over, and 2) the calzone's fillings needed some oomph, like maybe some seasonings, a sprinkle of oregano and garlic powder, or maybe smoked ham instead of regular, and maybe sprinkle some Parmesan for a little umami in with the mozzarella, just to give the filling some extra flavor. It needed something to take the tastebuds to that five star range.
Even so, we agreed we will go back and try other things on the menu. They have pizza by the slice, whole pies, Italian beef and other sandwiches, and pasta. I am thinking this little family owned joint will be a town favorite very soon!
We liked it. Satisfying and tasty! I recommend you give it a try!