Foodie Find: Blue Grotto Takeout

Blue Grotto Chef's Antipasti Platter 

There are times you just don't feel like cooking. Or eating out. Delivery is really not an option in Kansas City unless you want pizza or Chinese, so the last resort is often takeout. The first time we tried Blue Grotto, which is located in Brookside, we actually did eat in the restaurant. We had a Groupon-type coupon and went there straight after work one evening, so we were able to take advantage of the happy hour specials as well. Everything we had was fabulous, from the wine to the pizza, but what we enjoyed the most was the Antipasti Platter.

Like the description says, the Antipasti Platter is Chef's choice so the items included vary from time to time but we've never been disappointed. It always includes various meats, cheeses and veggies such as marinated mushrooms or asparagus, as well as flatbread and baguette slices. This time around, it included prosciutto, salami, cured olives, marinated mushrooms, and Gorgonzola and asiago cheeses. The amount of food you get for $17 is astounding. I mean, you could barely get that much prosciutto at the grocery store for $17 alone.

Next time you don't feel like cooking, stop by and pick up the Antipasti Platter for yourself. You seriously can't go wrong.

Restaurant Review: Spin Neapolitan Pizza

One of the perks of my job is that we frequently have sales reps bring us in lunch and one of the department favorites is Spin! Neapolitan Pizza. I've had it quite a few times and have even brought leftovers home for Dave, but he's never had it straight from the restaurant. Since I'm a member of their Spin! Club, a weekly e-mail hits my inbox on Monday mornings advertising their specials and the pizza of the week. We made a pretty nice dinner last night, so decided to take a break from the kitchen and take advantage of their Monday special: buy two pizzas and get a third pizza or a salad for free. The deal was even sweeter for us since I had earned a $10 gift certificate through the Spin! Club.

Tonight, we each picked a pizza and agreed on a salad:

Greek Salad with Cucumber Buttermilk Dressing

#5: Oliva e Carcioffo

(Roasted artichokes, kalamata olives, caramelized onions and roasted capers with a roma tomato sauce and Italian cheese mix)

#13: Cipolla e Chevre

(Roasted & caramelized onions, goat cheese, fig jam, fresh mozzarella with an olive oil glaze and Italian cheese mix)

Traditional Neapolitan pizza features a round, thin crust with minimal toppings and more often than not, a tomato-based sauce with fresh mozzarella. While Spin! sticks to the traditional style crust, they step outside of the pizza box with their wide array of toppings. Our choices tonight were some of their more adventurous options and did not disappoint.

I love anything involving olives. And capers. And artichokes, so the Oliva e Carciotto was an obvious choice for me tonight. Since these toppings can be slightly controversial and not the most popular, this pizza had never appeared at any of our lunch-time meetings. We are missing out. To me, this was a perfect combination of all of my loves and I enjoyed every bite of my slice. Dave wasn't so sure about the artichokes because as he put it "It's just not my cup of tea", but I felt they added an extra punch of flavor that I will enjoy with my leftovers tomorrow for lunch as well.

We had another hit this evening, as the Cipolla e Chevre was also a refreshing combination of ingredients. The figs added a sweet, yet tart flavor that complemented the caramelized onions and goat cheese without being overpowering. It definitely gave Dave inspiration for his next homemade pizza creation. Ever since taking his first bite, he's been coming up with ways that he could incorporate figs into his next freshly baked pie.

There's really not much to say about the salad. I generally enjoy the wide array of dressing that Spin! features for their leafy options, so tonight I requested a side of the Cucumber Buttermilk in addition to the Greek vinaigrette that comes with the Greek salad. Unfortunately, the Greek vinaigrette didn't make it into our takeout bag and the Cucumber Buttermilk was just so-so with this salad option.

Overall, Spin! Pizza is a good option when craving that thin-crust style and unique toppings. We'll definitely be adding it to our rotation, but with all of the great pizza options we have in our area it won't necessarily be at the top.