I love the Autumn. Colorful displays of leaves, chilly evenings, and the beginning of the holiday season all wrapped up in a few months make for a whirlwind of feasts and friends. The wind picks up, too, which makes the long nights exciting.
The dropping temperatures are also exciting, in a way. I have a love for climbing mountains, and a chilly morning is a mountain in its own right. It’s bracing and a great way to start a day. At the end of the day, though, when it’s still cold, a hearty dinner can be just the thing to warm you up from the inside out.
Pietro’s Turkey Dinner pizza is just the thing to warm you up. A comfort f
ood bonanza full of familiar flavors: roasted turkey, stuffing, and gravy piled on a cheddar mashed potato base and cooked to crispy goodness then drizzled with cranberry sauce. Actual sauce, too, not the canned jelly stuff which, while delicious, wouldn’t work very well on a pizza. I was skeptical at first, speaking of unusual pizza toppings, about the potato base. I’ve never seen a pizza with whipped potatoes instead of sauce, but the next time I do, I’ll leap at the opportunity to have it again. Red sauce is a thick, moist, acidic counterpart to all the cheese on a traditional pizza. My skepticism was born from a fear that there wouldn’t be enough moisture on this pizza, what with all the bread in stuffing and how dry turkey can be. All that worry was unfounded: the gravy, cranberry sauce, and whipped potatoes did wonders to keep my whistle whetted (and my appetite). The turkey was cooked splendidly, the stuffing was spiced in such a way to compliment all the other flavors, and I desperately wanted more of the cranberry sauce. If I order another Pietro’s Turkey Dinner, it’ll be with extra cranberry sauce.
It’s my policy on these visits to order a beer I’ve never tried before. Argilla is excellent about keeping their beers rotating, and there’s always something new for me to drink. This time around, I ordered a pint of the Beautiful Friend (I couldn’t resist a friend in need): an aromatic American Pale Ale brewed with a hefty dose of oats along with a blend of Pacific Northwest hops (5.8% ABV).
I transpose the descriptions of menu items in order to ensure I don’t misrepresent an establishment’s creations. When Argilla says the Beautiful Friend is aromatic, they’re not kidding. When the bartender set the glass down in front of me, even from his side of the bar, I could smell the tantalizing aroma of this beer. It’s hoppy, more bitter than I generally prefer, but the flavors of the oats come through, creating a well crafted, pleasant brew. Hops, however, aren’t the flavor I was looking for with the pizza of the month. Had I the foresight (lucky you), I’d have ordered a glass of Avenue Brown, Argilla’s spiced brown ale, to go with the rich, comfort food vibes the Turkey Dinner puts out. Fall’s here in spades, so if you’re in need of a good hot meal, Pietro’s and Argilla have just what you’re looking for.
Umbrella Terms 