When I woke up this morning, I was really in the pizza mood. It was 12:10 after I finished showering and I was in the mood for cheese and pizza sauce. I've heard a lot about this place on Valley Mills called Poppa Rollo’s and wanted to check it out. My friend Katy decided to join me to try out this place that some people call the “Best Pizza in Waco.”

          Upon arriving, the place looked like a whole in the wall, dingy place. We parked in the parking lot out back and walked up. This first thing I noticed was a miniature carousel for kids. It brought be back to younger days when my family used to go to the fair together.

          Ah, those were such sweet times.

          The interior of the restaurant is extremely different from the rugged, rundown-look outside. It was dark with a classic look and relatively clean. There are four distinct seating areas in Poppa Rollo’s: the bar, the classic oldies area, a more modern party room and an arcade seating area for kids. There were booths in tables in the area Katy and I were sitting in, the classic oldies area. The décor included dim lighting from mini glass-bottomed chandeliers and old pictures and articles all along the walls. On the television was an old, black and white show covering The Beatles.

          My meal consisted of a dinner salad, focaccia and the classic Texas special, filled with The Works’ toppings. The Works is topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms and jalapenos.

          The dinner salad and focaccia came out pretty quick. The dinner salad, which I got with 1000 island dressing on the side, was delicious. It was a simple salad with bacon bits. The lettuce was pretty fresh and crisp, and the dressing was amazing. The focaccia, basically bread cooked with olive oil and covered in cheese, was pretty decent. It was a simple dish that came with marinara and ranch. My thoughts on the focaccia were that it tasted like a milder, less salty version of a Cheez-It. Katy thought otherwise. She said that the dish tasted more like a croissant and that I was just trying to justify the orange color of the bread. I decided to stick to my opinion and she stuck to hers.

          Now the main dish took a little longer, probably because baking pizza takes a while. I was a little confused when it was brought out. It was baked like a bowl in the shape of the great state of Texas, but I couldn't see anything but cheese. After my first cut into I realized that the toppings were underneath the cheese, like a reverse pizza. It was pretty cool and the pizza tasted great as well. I wouldn't say that it was the best I had ever had, but it satisfied my hunger and I would definitely come back for more.

          After Katy and I had finished, we asked the waitress for to-go boxes because we had a lot leftover. The pizza, particularly the Texas special was a little pricey, but the staffing and atmosphere were great. The waitress was really nice and friendly. The building awkwardly put together and as one customer put it, “This place is weird!” However, overall I would definitely recommend this place as a place to try at least once. The food is pretty good and I would encourage everyone to explore the building a little. One of the doors looks like a vault and another door looks like a brick wall. It’s a pretty unique destination.

          As I pull up to Clay Pot, a local Asian restaurant located off of 10^th street and I-35, I suddenly notice how awkward and out of place it looks. The red, yellow and green paint on the outside of the building make it look silly, not at all like what a typical building would look in Waco. It’s just a little too much for the eyes. The parking lot is quite small, much like what I said about Baris in last week’s post.

          Upon entering Clay Pot, I see that there are both regular seating, tables and chairs, and ground seating with pillows and a low set table. My cousin Kat, who decided to eat with me, wants to sit on the floor. The pillows are quite comfortable and I instantly like the decision to sit on the ground. The televisions are set to the Olympics and it makes me quite content. As I gazed around the room, I can see a variety of oriental decorations. The owners have hung paper lanterns around the room in the shape of boxes and lotus petals. It is quite stunning and the light from the lanterns gives a soft glow to the ambiance.

          The restaurant is relatively on the smaller side and, although there are empty tables, the room feels pretty packed. The employees are very nice with their greeting and I instantly prefer the service of Baris’ service. I order lemonade and Kat gets water. I also order fried dumplings and Clay Pot fried rice with beef, and Kat orders a clay pot. The lemonade is, in my opinion, amazing. It is the perfect mix of sweet and sour! The water is just regular tap.

          The food comes out relatively fast and, while I’m waiting, I notice that selection of condiments include soy sauce, sriracha hot sauce and hoisin sauce, all typical Asian food condiments. Soy sauce is obviously salty, and the sriracha adds a pleasant heat level to food. Hoison sauce is a little different thought; it is a mixture of sweet and salty, but not in the typical since. It has a unique flavor that's quite indescribable flavor, so if you ever get the chance to try it, keep an open mind.

          The fried dumplings are very oily, but aren't that bad. It comes in a cute, boat-shaped bowl with lettuce and an orange sauce. The orange sauce is sweet and tangy. The dumplings are crispy and very oily, but not bad at all. They are slightly salty and juicy on the inside. When I eat the lettuce, dumping and sauce together, I’m surprised to say that it tastes pretty good. The lettuce is slightly bitter which mixes well with the slightly salty dumpling and sweet sauce.

          After finishing off the dumplings, I proceed to the main course, the fried rice. The rice is really brown and comes out on a large, square plate. The rice hast onions, beef, green onions, eggs and cilantro mixed into it. My first bite has me taken back. It is way too salty! After trying each ingredient separately, I come to the conclusion that the rice is where all the salt is coming from. I’m assuming that they put too much soy sauce in it when frying the food. However, I really like the onions and green onions. I try adding the dumpling’s sweet sauce and it still isn't enough. Although I finish the meal, I am really disappointed in the fried rice.

          All over, Clay Pot has really amazing servers and staff. They are attentive, polite and genuinely nice. The ambiance is soft and warm, but the room got way to stuffy. They even had to leave the front doors open to air out the restaurant. As for the food, the lemonade was amazing and the dumplings were pretty decent. However, the main course just did not sit well with me. Even now, as I am writing this blog post, my throat simply craves water just thinking about the fried rice. I would definitely go back, I just wouldn't get the fried rice again.

          The smell of fresh bread makes my mouth water as I enter Baris. Baris is a local pasta restaurant that is known for their amazing and cheap food. In fact, they have framed certificates on their wall that prize them as having the best pasta in Waco. I've heard plenty of good things and have even eaten there a couple of times with friends.

          This week was a more eye-opening experience because I ate their by myself and focused my all on using my five senses to get a real feel for the place. The first thing I notice as I pull into the parking lot is how small it is. It is a completely mess as there is barely enough room for cars to squeeze to the back parking lot. Additionally, a couple parking spots block the view to the connecting street and make it hard to leave at times.

          As I approach the green door I hear the crinkle of a bell attached to it and notice a Baylor Bear claw sticker on the window. The delicious smell of baked bread hits me and I ask for a table for one. The place is rather packed for 2 p.m. on a Sunday, but there is still plenty of seating. They have both booths and tables. On the table lies a mahogany menu on top of a paper place mat with a map of Italy. The tableware includes a simple knife and fork set. They are clean, but have some scratches on it. I order water and wait for it to come out.

           The restaurant has brick walls on two sides and the other two sides are colored in yellow paint. The place has a homely atmosphere with the soft yellow lighting and ceiling fans. The brown floor tile is smooth and clean. The booths need some new upholstering to replace the torn mahogany-colored ones. The servers are all wearing black and are attentive to the more busy tables. I get my water and have to wait 10 minutes before one of them decides to take my order. I decided on a tossed salad, fried cheese ravioli and Dee’s special.

          The water comes is a slightly transparent, plastic cup with crumbled ice and a lemon slice. It tastes just like tap. The waitress serving me then brings out the salad with two different dressings. The one in a white bottle is ranch and is sub par, but the red house dressing is delicious! It tastes tangy, sweet and salty all at the same time and looks watery salsa. However, the salad is a bit too much for the small plate and lettuce spills on to the place mat as I stir it around. The salad consists of lettuce, a slice of tomato, sliced red onions and shaved carrots. It taste simple, but has a spicy after taste. All in all, the house dressing really makes the salad exquisite.

          I have to wait 10 more minutes before the baked ravioli comes out. All together is consists of three pieces of ravioli and a small bowl of marinara sauce. The ravioli is filled with white cheese that crumbles instead of melts. The outer shell is dry and the edged can be bit tough. The marinara is more salty than sweet and the herbs tended to get stuck in my teeth. The marinara is a little overpowering, but definitely makes up for the dryness of the ravioli when eaten together. It’s not a bad appetizer, but I wish it was moister.

          Now the Dee’s Special is a plate of ziti pasta covered in cheese and meat sauce. It came out another 10 minutes later and was set on the other end of the table. As I go to pick it up, it burns me. I realize that the waitress never informed me that the plate was hot and the thought makes me fume a little inside. The first thing I notice is a scoop of what appears to be cottage cheese. It is fluffy and tastes like a bland form of whipped cream cheese. It is delicious. The next thing I try is the ziti and, although it is soft, I’m disappointed as it leaves a bit of grease on the plate when I pick it up. The melted cheese that lies on top of it all is pretty decent. It is well melted and keeps the rest of the food steamy and warm. The last thing I try before digging into the pasta is the meat sauce. It is rather salty and leaves a slightly bitter after taste. When I eat it all together I feel that there is a bit too much going on. I then realize how salty it is because I find myself having to continuously drink water between bites. It is filling like all pastas, but some pieces of the ziti were hardened and overcooked. Altogether, I find it to be much too salty.

          After I finish half the plate, I call the waitress and ask for a to-go box. After waiting for 10 minutes, I get up to leave without my unboxed pasta. As I make my way to the register to pay, the waitress follows me and finally asks me if I needed box, but I decide against it. She then goes in the back to get the owner, Mama Baris as she’s called, to ring up the order. It appears that only the owner is allowed access to the register. As she approaches, I get a giant whiff of cigarette smoke and I am taken back. I pay and leave.

          Overall, this restaurant was alright. My favorite part of the meal was probably the house salad dressing and the ravioli. The pasta and meat sauce was way too salty for my liking. I prefer the elegance and flavors offered to me at Olive Garden. As I review these facts, I realize that I never even got my free bread. Although I would come back again, it would definitely be for a different entrée. The atmosphere was decent and homely, but the staffing annoyed me. They were less than attentive and only checked on my once throughout the whole meal. The atmosphere and smaller details really made the place what it is, but I am not the biggest fan of the main courses. Hopefully, the next time I decide to eat there, I’ll find something with a little less salt and get a little more bread.

I've decided to start a blog on restaurants in Waco because people are always wondering where they should eat. Now I'm no expert at food or blogging, so these posted are based on my aesthetics and personal preference. I'll try to be descriptive as possible to give me readers the best possible idea of what each restaurant is like. So enjoy as the posts start coming up!