Newspaper Page Text
Page 8A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Social
Local pizzeria blends New York style with dough
I f you think all pizza is basi
cally the same, you might be
a redneck, as Jeff Foxworthy
would say. And although I certainly
don't consider myself an epicurean in
contrast, my recent visit to Johnny’s
New York Style Pizza restaurant at
Duncan Comers in South Hall was
pretty enlightening.
As a walk-in with no prescheduled
appointment at around 2 p.m. on a
Thursday afternoon, I was lucky to
catch pizzeria manager Ben Plant
when he was no longer bombarded
by orders from lunchtime patrons.
Prompted by a menu in hand, I began
my interrogation.
“What's a New York style pizza
compared to the kind I’m used to get
ting in a box from Domino’s or Papa
John’s?” I asked.
“It has a thinner crust, finer ingre
dients, low-moisture cheese, and is
cooked on brick rather than in a pan,”
he explained.
Apparently, that style also applies
to 16 specialty pizzas and calzones
on the Johnny's menu and, thankfully,
these too were well-described.
Calzones are defined as a folded
pizza, kind of like a quesadilla stuffed
with traditional Italian ingredients.
To add further to the confusion of
less experienced diners, entree choic
es include a rolled dough concoc
tion called stromboli, and a selection
of customized pizzas to reflect the
regional cuisines of Mexico, Greece,
Sicily and Hawaii.
I suppose it’s befitting that pizza
prepared and cooked in New York
style should appeal to as many differ
ent ethnic groups as those residing in
the Big Apple.
But I found it puzzling that the
Johnny’s chain picked Atlanta
as its base of operations in
1994. After all, we native
Southerners tend to be a lit
tle slow to warm up to any
foreign vittles modified for
daily consumption by “those
Yankees.”
Nevertheless, the Johnny's
Pizza franchise blossomed here faster
than a magnolia bud on a hot sum
mer’s day and, by the end of this
year, will include more than 75 res
taurants in Georgia and neighboring
states. Among the newest of these, the
Duncan Comers facility and another
on Dacula Road are among the most
accessible.
Both the Braselton and Dacula
franchises were purchased within
the past year by Michael Plant, a
Snellville-based CPA with a nose
for investments. And both locations
are family ran, primarily by brothers
Ben and Samuel Plant with part-time
assistance from their father Michael
and mother Donna.
“We call Mom our official baby
holder. She still works full-time as
a corporate accountant for Verizon
Wireless, but loves to mix and mingle
with our family patrons when she’s
not on the clock at her regular job,”
Ben Plant said.
And among the regular patrons of
Johnny’s, there are always plenty of
young-uns for Moma Plant to cuddle.
According to management, the
Braselton pizzeria has become a popu
lar spot for family dining. And though
there are no strolling accordionists
or mandolin players to enhance a
New York-Italian motif for the enjoy
ment of parents, youngsters are often
entertained by the showmanship of
In Focus
with Fil
Fil Jessee
filwrites@aol.com
the cooks.
Thanks to the restaurant's very
open floor-plan, children can eas
ily watch routine kitchen acrobatics
without leaving their seats. This typi
cally includes a lot of dough pound
ing, flipping, and aerial spinning
before toppings are added and pizzas
are ready for baking.
And in the Braselton area, the only
other kid-friendly dinner show is at
the hibachi grills of local Asian res
taurants.
Johnny's is also a popular and
affordable hang-out for dating teen
agers and older couples who prefer
the experience of dining out to eating
take-out in front of the television. For
these, there are many other alterna
tives to pizza on the menu.
Popular Italian dinners served with
a garden salad and garlic bread run
the gamut from lasagna, two kinds
of parmigiana, ravioli, and spaghetti
dishes to less familiar items like the
“Manhattan Garden” vegetarian med
ley and the “Bronx Bomber” for meat
lovers. And for carb watchers, there’s
a doughless pizza with a choice of
toppings served in a ceramic dish or
low-carb tortilla wrap.
Guests with lighter appetites can
select from an array of 19 differ
ent oven-baked subs and eight salad
plates. And for those age 12 and
under, smaller portions of spaghetti,
ravioli, or macaroni and cheese are
LUNCHTIME
Hot from the brick oven, two lunchtime orders are transfered to the
pick-up counter by Johnny’s manager Ben Plant.
available.
Although from my own perspec
tive, Johnny’s seems like more of a
dine out kind of place than a choice
for telephone orders to enjoy in my
home, this restaurant does offer the
same kind of take-out and home
delivery service you can expect from
Domino’s or Papa John’s. And for the
party hardy at home crowd, this piz
zeria also caters.
Would I add anything if I owned the
place? Yes! I would like to see printed
on the menu a brief explanation of
what makes a New York style pizza
different from the traditional kind.
In addition, some recorded Italian
music playing in the background and
at least one server with a Brooklyn
accent like Fran Drescher's might
also help to punctuate this unique eth
nicity. What a concept, “The Nanny”
with the little ones in the dining
room and maybe a chef look-alike for
Marlon Brando as “The Godfather”
twirling dough in the kitchen. Now
that's restaurant entertainment, New
York style!
Fil Jessee lives in Braselton, where
he works as a freelance journalist.
He can be reached at filwrites@
aol.com.
Trash removal
offered during
cleanup days
Hoschton will hold its city-wide
cleanup days Wednesday through
Friday, April 23-25.
For residents of the city, special
dumpsters will be provided in the
field next to the Hoschton City
Hall. The dumpsters will be for
disposal of household trash items.
Hazardous waste, such as oil or
antifreeze, is prohibited.
The city will also provide a trail
er at city hall to allow residents to
dispose of appliances.
Residents are asked to call city
hall to ensure there is space on
the trailer to accept appliances
before delivering them. Proof of
residency within the city limits of
Hoschton is required.
Electronics — such as com
puters, monitors, televisions and
printers — may be left at city hall
to be recycled, rather than tossed
into landfills.
During the cleanup days on April
23-25, city employees will provide
free curbside pickup of yard items,
such as brush and leaves.
Leaves must be bagged, and
brush should not be longer than
four feet and tied in bundles, if
appropriate. Residents must call
city hall to schedule the service
before placing the items at the
curb. The items must not be placed
in the street.
For more information about the
cleanup days, call the Hoschton
City Hall at 706-654-3034.
To place a classified ad, call 706-367-5233
sims
& COMPANY
SALON
simsandcompanysalon. com
706.335.2123
Greg andTrina Sims former salon
owners and stylists from Atlanta
w/over 40 years experience open
Sims & Co. Salon in Commerce.
Specializing in French Layered Haircutting,
Texture Cuts and Balayage Highlighting.
Open Tues. through Sat.
LASIK Could Save
Your Vision - If You
Act Soon Enough
According to a recent FDA Advisory, wearing contact
lenses puts you at risk of several serious conditions
including eye infections and corneal ulcers.
These conditions can develop quickly and could make
you ineligible for LASIK, putting lens-free 20/20 vision
permanently out of your reach.
If you experience itching, redness or pain, the FDA
recommends that you remove your lenses immediately
and schedule a consultation with an eye care professional
-like Dr. Richard Blue, who will tell you frankly if your eye
health makes you a candidate for LASIK or not.
FREE LASIK Report!
9 Things You Should
Know To Make An
Informed Decision
About LASIK
Call NOW To Order
Or To Schedule Your
Free LASIK Evaluation
m
1-888-237-2583
Blue
laser
GROUP
• Athens, GA • Gainesville, GA
• Greensboro, GA • Franklin, NC
www.bluelasergroup.com
• $500 Off All Laser LASIK
• 0% Financing Options
CLOTHING AND CONSIGNMENT SHOP
• Women & Junior Clothing • Men's Clothing
• Prom • Maternity • Dresses • Accessories • Handbags
- We specialize in name brands and gently used clothing only -
To sell your clothes come by
or call 706-335-7821
We are open Monday - Saturday 10-7 and Sunday 1-5
Located at 137 Pottery Factory Drive at Commerce Crossing
Come Join Us For Our
4 HUMAhlt 4
I jJTil
V Jackson Comutv ^
-
OPEN HOUSE
9*3
And
ADOPTION DAY
9*2
Saturday, April 19
•O Bring this ad to receive one FREE dose of Frontline Plus
(one dose per family please)
School
At the new *~
Traditions Walk^
Retail Center r-
Animal
Hospital
•O Enter our FREE give-away for your chance to win FREE Science
Diet Food, Free 6 month supply of flea/tick preventative, $100 gift
certificate to Traditions Animal Hospital and a FREE Micro Chip.
•O Bring the kids...We will have a jump-in inflatable.
•O FREE goodies...You won’t leave empty-handed!
Hwy. 332 at Hwy. 124 • Hoschton
706-654-4VET
(838)
