I feel the need to preface this by saying that this is my first ever blog here at The News-Herald since I joined the copy desk a little over four months ago. And what better way to acquaint myself with The News-Herald’s blogosphere than by starting here, in a blog devoted to one of my all-time favorite subjects: FOOD!

Anyway, this tale begins on a not-so-distant Sunday when Cheryl, a fellow copy editor, mentioned that she and Sean had ordered from Teresa’s Pizza one Saturday night. She could not stop talking about how good it was. In fact, she was raving about it while enjoying her leftovers from the previous night’s dining experience. It was the first time I had heard of Teresa’s Pizza, but I assure you it was not the last.

Fast forward to later in the week. A group of staffers started planning to order from Teresa’s Pizza at least a day in advance. Now, I feel it is important to mention that we take our food here very seriously on the copy desk; if we are going to order out, we often devote at least an hour to discussing our options and deciding where to go and what we want. It’s a problem. We know this.

Then, this past Monday, Robin me that she had enjoyed the pleasure of Teresa’s Pizza three days in a row! This seemed totally absurd; however, today when I arrived sans-previously prepared dinner, I should not have been surprised to hear Robin suggest ordering take out from — you guessed it! — Teresa’s Pizza. Considering the hype it had been receiving over the past few weeks, of course I consented. And boy am I glad I did.

At the semi-suggestion of my boyfriend (he got it last time), I ordered a meatball sub. Now, being Italian, I’ve had my fair share of meatballs sandwiches throughout my life. This sandwich, though, was phenomenal. They didn’t skimp on the meatballs like some places do, there was a perfect amount of sauce — which was deliciously flavorful, but not too sweet like some marinaras can be — and the cheese was the perfect compliment. The bread was not soggy from the sauce, the sandwich came hot, and the meal left me wanting more. Not because I wasn’t full, which I assure you I was, but because it was so delicious I didn’t want it to end.

Luckily I was able to steal a piece of pizza (sausage and black olive, a combination Dominic and I adore and is scoffed at by everybody else in the newsroom). This pizza was also absolutely delicious. It had abundant amounts of that same flavorful sauce I enjoyed from my meatball sub, ample toppings and delicious crust—the makings of an awesome pizza.

Now I totally understand my coworkers' obsession with Teresa’s Pizza. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do as soon as you can. You will not regret it. In fact, if you stop by the News-Herald around 7:30 one evening, you will likely find the copy staff enjoying dinner from there as I’m pretty confident we’ll be frequenting this fine establishment on a weekly basis.

-Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

I've been a big fan of Bob Evans. No matter what time of day I go, I can find something on the menu I enjoy. But I especially love the Wildfire Chicken Salad. The dinner is stacked with lettuce, corn, grape tomatoes, tortilla strips, cheddar cheese and chicken strips coated in barbecue sauce, with the restaurant's special Wildfire Ranch dressing on the side. Several of us at The NH frequently get this when we order out, and if you've had it, you know why. If you haven't had it, I would definitely recommend trying it.

And, after a recent, incredibly positive experience, I would recommend you order it from the Bob Evans in Willoughby (Interstate 90 and state Route 91).

I was heading to my boyfriend's for our regular mid-week TV night. I had a while to drive because I was across town, so I asked him to call and order me a dinner-size Wildfire Chicken Salad with rolls on the side -- my usual order.

When I got to the restaurant to pick the meal up, the woman helping me was putting an extra bread container into my bag. She smiled at me and said, "This is for your friend." I was a little puzzled because my boyfriend had said he didn't want anything, and I must have looked it because she asked, "Are you going to see him?" I said yes, hesitating, but she smiled and said, "This is for him." She handed me the carry-out bag and receipt, and I saw that I was not being charged for the extra goody she had given me.

When I got to my boyfriend's place, the first thing he said to me was, "DID YOU KNOW THEY HAVE CHERRY BREAD?" He said when he placed the order, the woman listed all the types of bread they had, and he asked her about the cherry bread and remarked how good it sounded, but told her I had wanted rolls.

And what was in that bonus container I walked out of the restaurant with? Two slices of cherry bread.

I really appreciate this customer service. The server had no reason to give me an extra serving of bread. Because she did, you can bet I will be patronizing the Willoughby location and encouraging my friends to do the same.

Visit the company's Web site to view the menu and find other restaurant locations.

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com