Raymond's Pizza

We were up in West Chester awhile back because we were out petting puppies with the kids (since we don't actually want a dog and this is the next best option) and we heard of a place up there that had a lot of pets that you could take out and play with. I can't remember the dog place, but the reason it is relevant is because it was right next door to Raymond's Pizza. So after we played with some puppies we walked next door to get some pizza.



I guess we were there before the lunch rush because there was only one other table when we arrived. This worked out to our benefit because we were able to have them change one of the TV's to a kids channel for our tow young kids while we waited for our pizza to arrive. They also had a pizza game where you could build your own pizza with Velcro. At first I thought it was going to be a modern version of the old "Pizza Party" game I used to play as a child, but turns out it was nothing like it.



Anyway, we got some wings and some pizza. Both were actually very good. It made the idea of moving to West Chester ever, not such a bad one. I don't think there are any Raymond's around on the West Side, but I haven't actually checked. The wings tasted like I was actually at a wings place and the pizza was a nice change from the normal Larosa's or Domino's. But now that we have Romeo's I just go there when I need to change it up.



But if you are ever in the area, or if you want to pet some puppies, stop by Raymond's for some pizza and Velcro pizza toys.

Chuck E. Cheese's in Colerain

So I just got back from Chuck E. Cheese's. As an adult with children I have been here about 3 or 4 times now. Every time I go, I wonder how they keep people coming back. I don't know if it is just the "magical" aspect and that this is the closest thing to Disney World around here, especially in the winter. But the game selection for young children is awful. Almost 80% of all the games there are just driving games where you have to be like 4 feet to even reach the pedals or games that require a push of ONE button to try and time it right to get a "prize" or the SUPER BONUS! We all know those games are rigged and almost impossible to win these awesome prizes and in turn just get 3 tickets for every token you waste. There is little to no fun involved in those games. Then 10% of the games are for newborns where you just strap your baby in to a machine and let it rock back and fourth for 15 seconds.



So after trying out EVERY game, my kids finally know which games they can play and have to go back and fourth from the 2 or 3 games they can actually play and have some sort of fun with. Maybe Chuck is marketing to teenagers now, but I always thought it was for the young kids and arcades (such as Doc Holidays, RIP) were for the real arcade gamers and for the older kids.




None the less something is working for them. The game selection is poor, the robot singer and dancers usually just scare the kids and it costs 4000 tickets to get a Barbie, but one thing I can't complain about is their pizza. I have always been a fan of their plain as can be pizza. And now that I have found online coupons, we can get a large pizza, 3 drinks and 45 tokens for $20. So that is what Grace and I did today. We ate, we played, she thinks I am the greatest dad, we got our prize of cotton candy (200 tickets) and we only spent $20, not a bad day I'd say.




So I will give Chuck some credit. Somehow they stick around when the Doc Holidays, the Choo Choo's, the funky dunks and whoever else I am forgetting fail and close. We will be back and I will continue to complain until my kids are older and they can play the driving games and like wasting a token at a time with one push of a button. But of course by then, they will have changed everything.

Romeo's Pizza

Romeo's Pizza is a chain that recently has opened two locations in Cincinnati. They are mainly from Cleveland and Columbus, but I am glad they made their way down to Cincinnati. For some reason, they opened up their second location right next to my house on Delhi Pike. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad they did, but Delhi Pike has been struggling ever since I can remember. But that is neither here nor there, let's get to the food.



They opened up the restaurant on June 30th, we heard of them through an ad we got in the mail. We have already ordered from there twice in 3 weeks of them being open, which is a lot for us. The first time we just got a large traditional pepperoni pizza since we had a coupon for $9.99. The pizza was very good and FINALLY my wife and I agree on a pizza place. Before this, I always wanted Papa Johns and she always wanted Larosa's. Of course our picks were each others least favorite pizza places around. So now we have a go-to pizza place that we both can enjoy.



The pizza itself was good for all the pizza reasons. The crust was awesome, the sauce was delicious (a bit sweet, which you can really notice the next morning when you eat it cold) and the cheese was very good. If I had to compare it to any other chain around, I would have to compare it to the Pizza Hut, but it definitely is better than Pizza Hut and a lot less greasy. I don't know what it was that reminded me of Pizza Hut's pizza other than the overall taste, but deciding between Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Larosa's, Donato's, Domino's, etc ... it most resembles Pizza Hut. The final test was that Grace, my 3 year old, also enjoyed it and ate at least 2 pieces.

The second time we got Romeo's was just last night and we had a coupon for a Large 1 Topping pizza, Extreme Cheese Bread and a 2 Liter of Pepsi for $14.99. This time we went with the "thincredible" pizza crust and we got half pepperoni and half pineapple. Honestly, I liked the traditional crust more. The thin crust wasn't that much thinner, but it felt like there was less pizza and it was cut into small squares which I like the regular pizza slice better.



The Extreme Cheese Bread was very good and didn't even need to be dipped in anything, even though they serve it with marinara sauce. The bread was even good the next morning for breakfast, still soft and flavorful. Couldn't complain about anything either time we ordered there.



We will definitely become regulars at this pizza place (if we aren't already) and can't wait to try some of their award winning pizzas or subs. I also want to try out their wings, so obviously we have a lot of work ahead of us and I am sure I will be doing another blog about this place down the road. If you haven't checked it out yet and you are in the Delhi or West Chester area, I would highly recommend it.

Noce's Pizzaria

I first just wanted to comment on Noce's Pizza. We had it a few days ago and I think I really hyped it up too much in my mind. It was nothing special. Granted, we did just get a regular pepperoni pizza, nothing fancy, but it wasn't that great. I would probably rank it close to a Dominos type pizza, I would definitely rank it below Papa John's. I guess everyone has their own taste when it comes to pizza, but I have never really had a "bad" pizza. Pizza is pizza, but after having Giordano's, any pizza is going to have a hard time living up to "the best". If Noce's was closer by and was a little cheaper in price (I paid $15 for a large pepperoni), then I would think about getting it more. It definitely has a freshness about it and it has fresh hand tossed crust, but it just didn't wow me.



We did get some Garlic knots though, and you can't go wrong with garlic, butter and bread. It is tough to screw up.



I would say that you have to try it, but don't go into it like I did thinking it is going to be the best pizza in Cincinnati. But let me know what you think about it!