Last night was pizza night. It was a surprise when Patti returned home with my favorite pizza from my favorite pizza place of late, Straw Hat Pizza on Shaw Avenue in Clovis.
Not only did she bring pizza home, but she also brought one of their house salads for her and me to enjoy.
Straw Hat
This spot was an Indian restaurant before the owners bought a Straw Hat franchise. Now, everything has flipped.
Before, they had great reviews about their Indian food and the place's ambiance. I heard many good things from friends about dining there but never got the chance.
Their decision to buy the Straw Hat franchise and change over was due to poor dining results. Clovis didn't seem the right spot for an Indian restaurant, but pizza is good anyplace as far as I can see, although it has to be good for it to prosper.
As I see it now, they made the right choice and have done some great things to make their Straw Hat franchise stand out in Cloivs.
The Pizza
I've reviewed their pizza and other foods they serve before, and I'm one for reviewing it again when it seems to get better each time we have it. I don't know about you, but a place that keeps improving its food is the right spot to eat.
Tonight, Patti surprised me with an all-meat pizza. This pizza has everything meat you could think of. It's topped with ham, salami, pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, and linguica with cheese and a vine-ripened tomato sauce.
What keeps me coming back more than the toppings and the great vine-ripped tomato sauce is their dough.
Their dough is the freshest I've had in this area in a long time. I haven't had one pizza where the dough tasted stale or had no flavor.
The only spot with the best dough I've had in California was Pizmo Cage in Pismo Beach. Of course, that's too far to travel for pizza, and until I went to Straw Hat, I figured I would have to wait until we made another trip to Pismo for a great pizza. Not so now.
So, with the dough issue worked out, pizza night from Straw Hat is a treat I look forward to, and you should also.
The Side Salad
They have a salad there that makes my Sicilian heart and stomach happy. It's called the Castroville Caprese Salad. The salad is made of Fresh lettuce, Romaine at that, fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil, Artichokes, and tender chicken breast with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.
This salad has it all if you're looking for a Caprese salad. We've ordered the full-size version each time since it takes two of us to finish it.
It's the perfect side to go along with a pizza or any meal.
Other Foods
We've had their calzones, which are to die for, and my other favorite food besides the pizza is the chicken wings. The wings are always fresh and marinated, never frozen. That's a change from most restaurants in the area.
In The End
You need to go if you haven't been to Straw Hat in Clovis. Never mind the games and things, go for the food. However, the games are fun for the kids and the kid in you. Now go and eat!
Buon. Appetito!
Mark & Patti