The Lido

Have you ever found a place that just didn't look like what it's supposed to be?  A restaurant that literally just looks like a place with a sign above the door that says "open".  You walk in and the place looks like it hasn't been updated in about 30 years.  You eat the food and immediately blown away from the taste.  That is what I love doing.  I love a hole in the wall kind of place. 

The Lido

I was first introduced to this place a few years back and I cannot stop going back there for the food.  The outside literally looks like someone just converted a old garage into a restaurant.  You would actually think this place isn't a place to eat, but I assure you it is.  The interior is pretty much the same story.  It's old and out of date but I love it.  You look behind the bar and you will find appliances that you would have at home.  The tables and chairs haven't been changed in a while.  The ceiling is clean enough, but you can see the age. All I can really say is that the place has a lot of character.  I can honestly say that I feel at home there.  The type of place where the waitress is really nice, but not cause it's her job, cause she/he just wants to be nice.  

The service is great.  You can laugh and talk with the waitress about what is good on the menu.  You can pretty much order anything off the menu and be happy with it.  There are two particular dishes that I will talk about.  I believe these two dishes are the star at this place.

First  would be the sliced steak sandwich.  Basically sliced steak SMOTHERED in butter over bread and a side of fries.  When I say it is smothered I mean it's 40% steak 80% butter.  Yes, I know that doesn't make 100% but that's how much butter there is on the steak.  This is not a bad thing.  It somehow has a great balance to it.  the taste and texture of it all just plays well together.  It's like the day that peanut butter met jelly.  This is one of the only things I order from this place and I am happy with it.  

Second dish would be the pizza.  Their idea of pizza is awesome.  There are few places that I have found that make this type of pizza so well.  This pizza is the thin crust pizza.  A crust so thin and made so well it might as well be a cracker.  I am not joking here people.  This pizza is awesome sauce with a side of high fives all around, it's thin and flaky, tasty and great. I can probably eat a whole pie by myself (most likely two).  

If you are looking for a great hole in the wall type of place to eat at.  If you are looking for a surprisingly great meal.  Find this place and eat there.  I think you will enjoy it.

___

Follow link for more info

http://www.lidoonline.com/Index.html

U Pie Company

Pizza is very much a staple food.  I have traveled to many a places around the world and everyone seems to have their own version.  I am not here to tell you which version is the best.  I love my pizza and everything it represents.

U Pie Company

This is a small place located in the heart of Englewood NJ.  This is going to be a simple and easy review.  I would rank this place on my top 3.  Now that is a bit of a high standard considering that I have been to many pizza places.  The following is why I think this way.

First they make your pizza order a personal sized pizza, but not the crappy circular 4 slice ones.  The personal pizza comes in a oval and with 6 slices.  It's kind of a mini sicilian pie, and the best part it was all for me!

I do not know what this cook does to make this pizza so good, but I can't ask him to stop.  He makes this pie as if it were cooked in brick oven.  Yes, I said it "as if".  He makes this pizza out of a oven.  I am not saying that pizza made from an oven is bad, but i honestly prefer brick oven.  The quality and flavor and everything about it can be taken to the next level because of the brick oven.  This man was able to pack in so much flavor and awesomeness into his pies but he does. 

This man got it right.  He represents what is right about food.  He makes it clean, tasty, cheap, surprising, comfortable and best of all easy.  So here is to you sir making that pie for me at U Pie Company you did it right.

Service: 4 ( a little slow at times)

Food: 5

Decor: 4

Price: 5 (great food at cheap prices!)
Total: 4.5

____

follow link for more info

http://www.yelp.com/biz/u-pie-company-englewood

sorry they don't have their own web site.

 ___

 EDIT: 2-8-2013

Sadly I passed by this place today and it was closed for good.  It makes me sad when I see good places go out of business.  I will miss their food.