88 San Marco Ave
St. Augustine, FL 32084-3258
(904) 829-1133

Borillo's Pizz & Subs

This is a review in response to a question received from a follower of ours on Twitter. A couple from the Atlanta, GA area notified us that they would be visiting the First Coast area of Florida for a football game in late October. The location of their stay is just South of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on A1A. There are little options when in this area of the coast. You can either drive north for 15 – 20 minutes or south to St. Augustine. St. Augustine has some good options BUT also has some really bad options as well. So on a sunny Florida afternoon I decided to make a stop near the intercoastal bridge in St. Augustine.

For a few years I have seen a little pizza place on A1A less than 5 minutes from the intercoastal bridge. As you drive into St Aug. you will see Borrillo’s on the right just before the tourist area starts. Do note that if you pass the parking lot for Borillo’s, you now have to drive almost 2 blocks south to turn right, then another 3 blocks to make the circle. You can go about a block south to turn left against the sightseeing trains and walking tourists in the area. So, try to make the lot the first time. The parking lot is small with more parking in the back of the restaurant.

Borillo's Store Front

As you walk by the front you will see the young guys in the kitchen window that faces the road, throwing pizza dough up in the air for preparation. The entrance is a glass door that is in the side of dining area. The place was very busy and congested when I walked in. I thought to myself that his would be a good time for me to wash my hands. So out the back door of the dining area to the restrooms I go. This door literally took me back outside. However it was a ‘fenced’ in area with plywood and lattice to keep the tourist from using the toilet. As I am looking to the path to the restroom I am wondering how they are able to have this area pass health code. This walkway outside the rear of the restaurant takes you by trash cans, rugs, mats that are drying, and an ice maker. Once I make it to the restroom I was kinda taken aback, due to the fact that it seems they do not have air conditioning in there. So as I wash my hands in this small and extremely hot bathroom, I am glad that I have nothing else that I need to do in there because I wanted out. So, I make my way past the mops, trash and other items to get back in the cafe.

Path to the Alleyway Bathroom

Once in the café, I noticed a very big challenge for me. For those of you who do not know, I am a very large man of over 300 lbs. Well, all of the booths are, let’s just say…not fat man friendly. The owner let me know that I could grab a resin chair that they had in the room and sit at the end of one of the tables. To me this was really not the option I was looking for. So I decided to order my slices to go. The owner and the girl behind the counter were very kind and tried to be as accommodating as they could.

2 Slices

Before I placed my order I looked to the wall at the menu. Everything on the menu was very reasonably priced. The most expensive item on the menu was a specialty pizza just over 18 bucks. Most of the items were under $7. Most of the subs (hot or cold) were under SIX dollars! This is for an 8 inch sub. This caught my attention. They even had garlic bread appetizers for $2.50 add cheese and it was still only 2.95. But on this stop I was craving some of their N.Y. style pizza. I went with 2 slices and an Arnold Palmer. As I waited to get my food to go I watched as the staff made sure the dine-in customers were taken care of. Even the owner was filling the drinks for some of the patrons. Oh, there we go. My food is ready.

Size of the Slice of Pizza

With it being such a nice day out, I decide to open the tailgate of my truck and hang out in the parking lot. As I open the bag I realize that I made a mistake with my order. That is right, I made the mistake. These pizza slices were the size of some people’s heads. In classic N.Y, fashion, you must fold this slice to eat it. The decision for me on this day was to get the sausage pizza. One of the things you notice inside is that they boast about the locals voting Borrillo’s as the best pizza in the area. Well, I have to say that this is a darn good slice. The Arnold Palmer wasn’t bad either and all for less than $6.50.

While I am standing there, the owner steps outside for a little break. I find out that his name is John and he and his wife are from Pittsburgh, Pa. Like many others he and his wife retired in Florida. They own and operate 2 Italian places. This one in St. Aug and Rocky’s in Flagler Beach, are about an hour south on A1A. John informs me that they have held the title of best pizza for several years running. He also tells me that he has been in the restaurant business for most of his life. The reason I tell you this is that it is good information. See if you find someone who on a whim decides to open a restaurant then be aware that they might not know what they are doing. I did not mention to him my displeasure with the bathroom area. But it will make me think twice about the next time I stop here.

As a matter of fact, I would recommend if you are visiting St. Augustine that you do make a stop here. But I would suggest you get the pie, calzone, sub or pasta to go. This would be a great meal to have back at the hotel or beach house that you are renting. Overall this is a great little place.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

Flippers Pizzeria

Late one evening, after having been to the Disney parks all day, I was in need of some food. Not wanting to spend the next hour in a crowded restaurant, I chose take out. The last thing I wanted was to go to a drive-thru and get a burger. With my hotel room being near the Disney parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, I wanted to try Flippers Pizzeria. I had seen the flyer in a tourist info booth and thought to myself that I liked the name, but are they a fly by night kind of place. Well to let you know, Flippers is a very established Italian restaurant chain in central Florida.

Dining Room Table

The first thing that I had noticed as I walked up was the Pepsi machine behind the counter. If you have followed my other reviews, you are aware that I am a Coke fan. This detail did not deter my visit to Flippers though. Since I was just going to get a to-go order I can just buy a can from the machine at the hotel. The second thing I noticed at Flippers was the patrons seated in the little patio area. This place was very popular for being the middle of the week and almost 10 pm. After I had placed my order at the counter, I realized this place is very popular as the workers from Disney were ending their day by stopping by to get take out for themselves.

Counter and Staff

The staff was very friendly as I waited for the calzone that I had ordered. Actually the calzone here is called a…. wait for it… flipper. Sorry about that last sentence but it was just too easy to do. Sitting in the dining area looking around I noticed that Flippers Pizzeria has an almost upscale feel to them. The atmosphere gives you a real Italian feel. Looking around at the bottles of wine on the wall and the jars of olives I had this idea of a ‘mama’ in the kitchen correcting the cook on his mistakes.

Counter

While I sat there I looked over the menu to see what other options that I bypassed. For the starters (appetizers) that were on the menu were almost boring for a place that has so much character. When I go to an Italian place I know I can get garlic bread, breadsticks, or bruschetta. That was all that these guys offer for starters. Priced between $3.99 and 5.99, meh…. boring. Now looking at the rest of the menu gets quite a bit more exciting. The flatbreads, the wraps, ‘brick-fired sandwiches’, and the chicken portabella alfredo all sounds so good. How can I forget the brick oven specialty pizzas?!? A chicken alfredo pizza, a Mediterranean chicken pizza, oh my an all meat pie with pepperoni, sausage, beef, ham, smoked bacon, and meatball… Did I make the right decision for the flipper???, I am now wondering.

Flipper

It is too late for any changes now, I have received my flipper. Off to the hotel I go, and I can smell this ricotta and ham filled creation just waiting for me. I get to the room and dig in. The guys there at the restaurant made sure as I was leaving to tell me to have a great day, they also gave me a little extra sauce, crushed pepper, and parmesan cheese in separate containers. The food was wonderful. With a calzone there is a close line to over cooking them and the guys at Flippers did a great job on not doing this. As a matter of fact they did a great job on everything there. If they would liven up the ’starter’ menu just a bit they would have a most perfect pizza place. This is a great restaurant with wonderful food and a staff that is very friendly.

With the prices being very reasonable: flatbreads from $7 to 16 inch pizzas topping out at $21 and they do offer daily lunch specials with several items at $5.49 up to $7.49). Flippers is a place that I will definitely visit again, the next time I am in Orlando. These guys have a total of 10 restaurants in the central Florida area to go to. According to the flyer they not only offer dine in and carry out but also have delivery (at least at the Lake Buena Vista location).

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

9802 Baymeadows Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32256-7917
(904) 646-1370

www.thegiulianosjax.net

 One of my favorite things to do is to visit a good lunch buffet. Going to Giuliano’s in Jacksonville, Florida is a real treat. I must admit that I am a regular to Giuliano’s before I start this review. My first experience was with the lunch buffet in the spring of 2009. Since then I have ordered pizza as a take out and have had the buffet many times. Now on the last visit to Giuliano’s in October of 09 I once again had the lunch buffet. On this day they offered a fresh salad with iceburg lettuce, small tomatoes, peppers, cheeses, and various dressings. There are always two options for pizza (this day was pepperoni and tomato and cheese). There is something different that they do to the pizza there, something that makes their pizza one of the best you will have.

 On the main part of the buffet you will find different options each day. This particular day was chicken marsala, chicken parmesan, lasagna, and a crab fettuccini. The wait staff was very helpful and kept our drinks filled. So much to the point I had to let them know that I was done with my drink. The reason that I say them is that the staff seemed to share the duties and we did not have one server only. They (the servers) also kept us stocked with fresh bread and oil for the dipping.

 Giuliano’s is a wonderful and quaint restaurant that is tucked away in a strip mall. The restaurant offers a little bar that is not actually in the dining area. Then to the other side of the bar is a little wine and gourmet shop. The lighting is dark and some may say romantic in the dining side of Giuliano’s. There is always great Italian music playing softly and the smell of the great things to come out of the kitchen. The men’s room is clean and large. The rest of the restaurant is also clean and again, the staff is wonderful. Do not be surprised if the manager comes to your table to ask if everything is going well.

So, if you find yourself traveling on I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida you need to exit off of onto Baymeadows then go East to the corner of Baymeadows and Southside. You will find Giuliano’s in the in the corner of the shopping center on the right, before Southside. They are open 11 am until 10 pm. They do offer take out, catering as well as delivery. You can also check them out on the web www.thegiulianosjax.net

Reviewed by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

700 Historical 441 Highway

Suite A

Cornelia, GA 30351 

As I was driving through a familiar area of the east Georgia mountains, I found myself remembering a tasty little pizza place which I visited a few years ago one cold night.  Memories of good pizza, sports on the t.v., a friendly bartender and your local, everyday customers that were “lets hang out” kind of guys went through my mind.  I remembered that there were pictures of all the local high school football, softball, baseball and any other sport you can name were hanging on the wall.

These memories drove me once again to Johnny’s New York Style Pizza in Cornelia, Georgia. It is a little place with indoor seating for the non-smokers and outdoor seating for those who want to light up. It seems there is full service in and out. It was almost 1 pm when I pulled in amongst the local patrons. Judging by the full parking lot, I may have a wait. Upon walking inside…I realized I didn’t. There is a couple at the bar, a few local business people having a power lunch and a family of a grandmother, a blonde kid and a one legged woman. (I’m not trying to be funny, just stating the facts). Just for the idea of the place, and to people watch, I grab a table near the back of the room. (Always sit near the rear exit in Italian restaurants according to movies) 

Candice or Charlotte, or someone with a name that begins with a C, greets me with a smile and a menu. She offers me a beer, which is one of the draft specials, but since I don’t like beer too much, I got a Diet Coke.  The Diet Coke just so happens to be included with the lunch special! Lunch specials at Johnny’s start at $4.99. My choice was $5.99 for a 2 topping calzone with a drink. Man, remembering the pizza I had last time made me excited to try the calzone.  C said the calzone was made with both mozzarella AND ricotta. The other options I was considering for the lunch special were pizza: 2 slices and a drink for $4.99 or the spaghetti that the one legged woman was eating…it looked good. I decided that I was really craving the calzone and stuck with that. 

About 5 minutes passed and out came my wonderful looking food. I was sad to see that it was a little bit smaller than other calzones I’ve enjoyed elsewhere, but hey, it was on special.  It was heavily, and I mean HEAVILY dusted with grated parmesan cheese. My fillings, which they called toppings, were fresh mushrooms and ham. Both of the toppings/fillings were hard to find due to the overabundance of dough. And I do mean a lot and lot of dough. I know Italians from New York and they would have taken great offense to this excuse for a calzone. It tasted o.k. but certainly did little justice to Italian food and calzone lovers. 

When my waitress C, who was very kind and sweet, came back to ask how things were, I nodded and just let her think the food was good.  I did not respond either way. But I did ask a few questions about the place.  Come to find out, they have been there for a few years. They apparently are part of a small chain that is in the Southeast, this is the only location that I was aware of. Also the owner and inventor of Johnny’s New York Style Pizza is from Georgia. I guess the word ’style’ makes up for it not being authentic Italian. Now, like I said…in the past I ate pizza here that was good, and I plan to go back for the pizza…but definitely not for the calzone. 

To find Johnny’s New York Style Pizza in Cornelia, Georgia, you need to know that it is on US 441 Business. When you are in Cornelia heading north towards Demorest (Piedmont College). Johnny’s is on the right before you get to the US 441 bypass.  If you do go, I hope you have the same experience I did on my first visit where I had the pizza, not this one where I had the calzone.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com