It’s been almost four months since I first introduced readers to Kaz and Michelle Kaczmarek, owners of the newest downtown pizzeria. During those months the couple has been hard at work preparing for their launch, and recently, after clearance from the DiCarlo’s team, the two opened the doors without much fanfare to ease into operations.
The couple grew up in the West Virginia/Ohio border area enjoying pizza at the original location of DiCarlo’s and they are excited to share their memories from that time with their new hometown. The downtown location is the first in the franchise’s nearly ninety year history to include space for indoor dining. The traditional model called primarily for takeout – either of a prepared pizza or a kit for with everything for baking your own (which are also available at this location).
The driver for the shift in model came primarily from the size of the current location. While the DiCarlo family agreed the location was perfect, it was twice the size of most of their other locations. Inside you’ll now find the classic look of the company’s black and white (with splashes of red) look along with clean lines and stainless counters. You can see the freshly shredded cheese and watch your pizza come to life.
And the pizza? I’ve had it twice. Like most people who have never had “Ohio Style Pizza,” I really didn’t know what to expect. To have the ingredients added to the top after the crust baked seemed counter-intuitive. We ordered a “half-rack” (which is two boxes, btw) for three of us to enjoy for dinner (we called in noted Pizza Expert, Urban Boy for the job). I wasn’t sure it would be enough. It over-fed the three of us and, at about $30, is one of the cheaper dinners for three you’ll find downtown. The verdict was unanimously positive. The taste was good and we loved the crunch that came with the crust. My second taste came behind Urban Woman’s back (I’m supposed to be on a diet), so don’t tell her.
I dropped in and spoke to Kaz and Michelle, who said the business has been going well. They expect big things after Saturday’s UT game and feel they are ready. They’ve also expanded their hours into the early morning a couple of nights a week to serve those who might need a bite or two before hitting the road. The current hours are Sunday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday and Tuesday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, closed Wednesday, Thursday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Friday/Saturday, 11:00 am to 1:00 am.