I graduated from Spring Arbor University on Saturday. Because I was an RA for the second half of my college career and had to close down the building--and because I put off packing as long as humanly possible, natch--I didn't get moved out until Sunday night. So it hasn't really set in yet, but I'm a college graduate. And my degree is in English writing. As a college graduate with a degree in English writing, I feel qualified to write a restaurant review. I have no experience reviewing food, but as an English major, I have plenty of experience pretending I know what I'm talking about.
Today, I want to talk about Spring Arbor's best kept secret: Amy's Pizza.
There are a few important Spring Arbor rivalries: SAU vs. IWU. Andrews vs. Ormston. Billy Stone vs. Jeff Tabone vs. Aaron Daigle (Category: Best Looking RD [Male]). But maybe (probably) the most important is the Marino's/Amy's rivalry.
Marino's, of course, has home court advantage; it's literally right across the street. Amy's, comparatively, is a little bit of a hike. But, if you're willing to walk the extra hundred yards, you're in for a better slice of pizza.
Amy's isn't much to look at. The building itself looks like the office at an RV park, and there's a clip-arty, smiley, anthropomorphic pizza above the entrance. The inside isn't much better; pretty tight, with only a few tables. At least one booth has stuffing and a spring poking out of the vinyl. But, you don't go to Amy's Pizza for the atmosphere (although, I kinda dig the hole-in-the-wall charm). You go to Amy's Pizza for the pizza.
If you're anything like me (read: not a vegetarian), your typical pizza order is a meat lover's with as much bacon, ham, sausage, and pepperoni as they can cram onto 12 inches of dough. Don't go with the meat lover's at Amy's. Don't overload on toppings. This is a pretty thin slice of pizza. Too many toppings will make it soggy and limp. Stick with one topping. The pepperoni and sausage are good places to start.
The crust, while thin, is great. Crust is one of the main differences between a Marino's pizza and a pizza from Amy's. Marino's favors a thick, plain crust. Amy's crust is buttery and seasoned with garlic. The garlic also comes out in the sauce. Down the street, they use a sweet marinara. Amy's sauce is zestier. The cheese at Marino's is thicker and harder. Amy's opts for a thin, soft, greasy cheese.
Those are the main differences. And, now that you know, you're responsible. It's a heavy weight being the only enlightened one in a friend group full of Marino's lovers. But, you can always do what I do: grab a pizza from Amy's and eat with your friends at Marino's. It's the best of both worlds.
