Thursday, May 22, 2008
Highlander Pizza is good Italian
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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The famous Food Network chef, Mario Batali, likes to say that "Good Italian cooking is all about balance." He's speaking of the balance between ingredients that, when done just right, make simple Italian dishes excel.
The folks at the newly-opened Highlander Pizza in Roanoke certainly have a keen respect for this theory of cooking. I've visited the restaurant nearly a half dozen times now, trying out everything from simple appetizers to sandwiches to an entree. Except for a slightly watery salad one day, I've been much impressed with the food at this establishment. This is their second restaurant, the other being in the New River Valley, I believe.
Highlander Pizza is in the old Jumbo's Squeeze-In location across from the Food Lion shopping center on Electric Road and Grandin Road Extension. A small place, it now seems much more open and roomy with the light paint and simple decor. They've added a flat-screen on the back wall so the kids have something to watch while eating their pizzas. Heaven forbid they should have to make conversation with their parents.
The sandwiches and subs are made most delicious not just for the filling, but as a result of using their own homemade and baked breads, which themselves have great texture and flavor, featuring a crunchy-baked outside.
Take, for example, my pizza steak sub. You can hear the cook chopping the steaks right on the grill. Here's where that balance thing comes into play -- the sub could have been ruined with too much of this or that, but this one featured just the right amount of mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce. The steak was chopped very fine and sauce and cheese were a perfect marriage for this delicious sandwich, which I will definitely order again.
More recently I tried a Caribbean shrimp salad: Romaine lettuce topped with grilled jumbo shrimp, garlic croutons, and shaved parmesan cheese. It's a nice serving for under $8; the shrimp were large, fresh and grilled to perfection.
If your middle's getting larger and your pocketbook smaller, you'll be happy to know that I've found a lunch-sized pizza that's just right calories-wise and otherwise. The PitaPizza costs less than five bucks and features their delicious sauce and mozzarella on a sensible and non-caloric pita bread. I went the extra mile for another 50 cents and added pepperoni. To my notion, this is a perfect lunch: filling without the guilt.
Entrees include spaghetti in all its variations, chicken parm, stuffed shells, manicotti, lasagna, baked ziti and a fried chicken alfredo. The spaghetti Rosa Maria sounds delightful, with grilled chicken, topped with ricotta, parmesan cheese, mushrooms and baked in a fresh alfredo sauce, which they do a very respectable job of preparing.
There's all manner of calzones and strombolis, plus chicken roll, sausage roll, and pepperoni roll.
Parmigiana subs come in 8 and 12 inch models, featuring meatball and cheese, chicken, and sausage Parmigiana with green peppers, mozzarella and marinara sauce. The list of cold subs include ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, combination subs, Italian subs (which I prefer hot -- I guess they'd accommodate you on this request as they seem anxious to please), and something called a "Super Sub" with ham, salami, bologna, pepperoni, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion and Italian dressing.
As one might reasonably expect from a place called Highlander Pizza, the list of pizzas is sizable, and as I've mentioned, are to my liking, both because of the fresh dough they use and because of the near-perfect red sauce in their ingredients. Choose from about a dozen pizza combinations or create your own. They're available in 10, 14, and 16 (XL) sizes. You get lot of pizza for the dollar at this place.
The tea is strictly sweet, the soft drinks are limited, and there is no beer or wine served. This may change with time as they've just opened, but I saw no ABC posting when I was there.
Highlander Pizza delivers and accepts all major credit cards.
Highlander Pizza
2043 Electric Road
Roanoke, Va.
540-774-7777
