Moonlight Pizza

Moonlight Pizza certainly proved itself Tuesday night when I ventured there for my weekly pizza fix. Located off West Morgan Street (615 W. Morgan Street, Raleigh, 27603) in downtown Raleigh, Moonlight gathers a various crowd. From college kids, to older folks, to families, everyone was enjoying some pizza at Moonlight that night.

The atmosphere at Moonlight was great. It was unique with a black painted ceiling, romantic bulbed lighting, and star cut-outs that give the impression of a starry night sky. There is a plethora of booths and intimate tables that can seat both large groups or quaint couples. The whole restaurant is decorated with artwork. The parts I loved the most were the lighting and the ceiling, which really partnered well with the overall theme.


The pizza itself was amazing, I was actually shocked by how much I enjoyed it just because I didn't know what to expect after looking at the menu. The menu was overwhelming, with 10 specialty pizzas, over 40 toppings, pasta's, calzones, and salads. I looked over the specialty pizzas carefully, trying to find something that really popped out to me. I asked our waitress, who preferred to remain anonymous, what her favorite pizza was. "I love the Blue Moon Specialty pizza, because it's different but delicious! No one would ever think pine nuts would be great on a pizza," she said. The most interesting thing I observed about the menu were in fact the toppings, which were very original. From roasted corn to pistachios, the toppings were vast and so different from any other pizza place I've been too. I decided to be boring, at least in comparison to the menu, and order the Otto's Five Phase Specialty pizza; a pizza that included five regular toppings of your choice. It looked mouthwatering as the waitress placed it in front of me. I was almost drooling as I tried to take a picture of it.

The toppings were fresh and vibrent. The purple onions had a perfect crunch and sweetness, and the roasted garlic gave an amazing secondary flavor to the rest of the pizza. The spinach was perfectly dispersed and melted in well with the thick, stringy, mozzarella cheese. The sauce was also delightful, not too overwhelming in quantity and just the right combination of sweet and tangy.

The pizza totaled to $23.40, and we couldn't even finish it all. It was a large, specialty pizza, so really the price wasn't too bad considering. I would definitely recommend Moonlight Pizza to any pizza head whose down to try something different!

Rudino's, Be There or Be Square!

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Rudino's Pizza and Grinders has been one of my favorite pizza joints to go to in the Raleigh area for years! I decided to make it an addition to my blog because it's definitely a top competitor for the best pizza in the Triangle. Although Rudino's has many convenient locations, I decided to go to the one located off Duraleigh and Edwards Mill (3101 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh NC).









I've been going to Rudino's since I've lived in North Carolina, because it's one my Dad's favorite places and now it's one of mine! This time I asked my dad to join me and he agreed immediately. We were seated upon walking in, even though it was a little crowded due to "March Madness". Rudino's beer and big screen TV's always attract big crowds on game days. Part of what makes this restaurants atmosphere so engaging is it's bar, offering customers popular and local brew to enjoy with their pizza. Nothing beats sitting at the bar watching your home team play, drinking a beer, and having a slice of tasty, made from scratch, pizza.

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Rudino's was actually created by local North Carolinians, and first opened in Cary, NC. Their dough is homemade everyday and their toppings are fresh and flavorsome. There's really nothing bad that I can say about Rudinos. My dad and I always enjoy the service, the atmosphere, and most importantly the pizza. I find Rudino's to be unique for a few specific reasons, one being how they make their pizza. Every time I go I order a pepperoni pizza, and usually go half and half with whoever is joining me. I stuck with my gut, and ordered my usual half of pepperoni. This is one reason I say this is unique, because Rudino's is one of the only pizza places I know that places the pepperoni under the cheese.


Their crust, which is made on site daily, is thin but has just the right amount of flimsy-ness to it. Also, instead of being cut into slices, Rudino's cuts their pies into squares. Another original aspect Rudino's has to offer. The cheese is always warm, thick, and stringy as it pulls away from your mouth after a big bite. The toppings are always extremely fresh, from vegetables to meats. Not many pizza places can top my love for some Rudino's pepperoni pizza.

Overall, it was another great trip to Rudino's. Our total for a large 16 inch pizza, with a charge of $1.50 for additional toppings, was $17.56. A pretty reasonable price considering the caliber of the pizza. I left feeling full and satisfied. Before leaving the restaurant my dad and I talked to our waitress Kelly about the restaurant. "We always have great business here and everyone has a good time," said Kelly, 22. "The pizza speaks for itself," she said. Kelly and I obviously share similar opinions because I believe Rudino's pizza really does speak for itself. Another A++ from Slice of the Triangle! 

The Larger the Slice, the Lower the Price

Credit to www.schianospizza.com

A friend of mine recommended that I go to a local pizza place he knew of that sold 24 inch slices, so obviously I had to give it a shot. The restaurant was called Schianos. It was a cozy, little Italian-run restaurant that not only served pizza, but pasta and Stromboli as well. It was dead, but for a Monday I night that was to be expected.

The restaurant was nothing out of the ordinary, a few big screen TV's, catchy background music, and several generic paintings encompassed Schianos atmosphere. Schianos is located off 13220-164 Strickland Road, Raleigh, next to the Harris Teeter. It's tucked away in a corner so it's not something you would necessarily notice at first glance.


The first thing I asked the waitress, who also happened to be the hostess who sat us, was do you guys really serve 24 inch slices of pizza? She gave me a puzzled look, and responded by saying, "You mean our large slice?". It was humorous to me that at Schianos a 24 inch slice of pizza was simply just the a large slice of pizza, nothing unique. But a 24 inch slice of pizza in my eyes is definitely something out of the ordinary, I had never seem or consumed a slice of pizza that big!

I ended up ordering a large slice of cheese pizza, because I didn't really know what to expect. In all of 15 minutes, our waitress was carrying over what looked like two medium sized pizza's. As she placed one in front of me I quickly realized something different. It was only 1 slice of pizza, with just cheese, exactly how I ordered it but it was about a foot long!

At first, the pizza was hard to eat or even pick up because it was so large. I started out eating it with a knife and fork and then eventually I was able to pick it up, fold it, and eat my pizza New York style. The crust was boring, thin and flimsy, with no unique flavor to it. It fit the pizza well, however, while the cheese and sauce balanced out the plainness of the crust. The cheese was warm, and stringy, meshing perfectly with the light chunks of tomato and oregano that consisted within the sauce. The sauce was not heavy at all, and neither was the cheese. The only thing heavy about this pizza was the size. It was a lot to eat, talk about a food baby. 

Although, the price is what really sealed the deal for me. One large slice of pizza at Schianos was $2.49, additional toppings were 99 cents but by ordering just cheese my dinner came cheap. Our tab overall came to $7.69. The best prices I've seen all semester! "We pride ourselves on making some of the largest pizza pies in the area," said Schianos waitress, Gina. If you're looking for a deal in both quantity and quality you should definitely take a trip to Schianos.