Thursday, July 5, 2007

Ciro's Pizza - San Diego Gaslamp Quarter

After the drive from Yuma and the bizarre lunch experience at Kitima, we chilled out at the hotel for the rest of the afternoon. We'd driven by the USS Midway and Star of India windjammer along the shore on the way back to the hotel. I mentioned that a harbor cruise might be fun and Tara agreed. We looked through the literature at the hotel and found some discount coupons and eventually book a cruise for Sunday. We surfed online, napped, and generally did nothing. Around 9pm, I suggested finding something to eat. The Gaslamp Quarter just outside our hotel is the favored destination for clubbers and tourists, so it's not very cheap and generally very crowded. I did find a reference to a Ciero's pizza that was both good and cheap. Eventually I found it's address just a few blocks away and we walked over.

Ciro's bills itself as a Bronx-style pizzeria and sells by the pie or slice. It's a tiny storefront with four tables on the sidwalk and a few seats along a counter to the left of the kitchen area. I got a slice of pepperoni and one with all meat. Tara got a pepperoni and a half dozen garlic knots. She got a coke and I got a root beer. The lady behind the counter slid our slices and knots into the oven to warm them and we grabbed our drinks. In the back of the kitchen we could see dozens of cooked pizzas on racks. It smelled great.

While Tara snagged a table on the patio, I waited for the food. After a few minutes, it came out and I brought it to the table. It was perfect. The crust was nice and crunchy, the slice the right amount of greasy, and the sauce and toppings were spiced just right. I loved it. The outside crust was chewy. This was my favorite meal of the trip. Simple, basic, and done perfectly for what it was. Tara's knots were a bit underdone and they were out of marinara for them. She wished they were more garlicy. The pizza had no such problems. All for only $15. A bargain in the Gaslamp.

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