Restaurant Review- Flyers Pizza

     The first local only place I tried, Flyers was one of the initial kicks I needed to get me so interested in local food culture. I was new to the area, unemployed, and nearing the very last of my savings when I got a call back for a management position at Flyers. After a half dozen e-mails back and forth I finally got scheduled for an interview and made my way to their corporate headquarters in Dublin. The interview was going pretty well I thought, since I met 3/4 of the companies executives. They liked my passion for food, they liked my drive, they even seemed to accept that I hadn't had training in a lot of the paper work that managers needed to know how to do.
     But then came the question that ended my chances of stepping into that job. "Which of our pizza's is your favorite?"  I had to answer honestly,  I was new to the area and hadn't actually had Flyers Pizza yet. And it was over, thanks for your time, so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight. I was given a coupon for a free pizza, any size or toppings, and ushered out the door.
     Now, I'll admit it, I was heart broken. That had been my best possible job prospect at the time and I was desperate for work, but despite that I couldn't help but approve of their decision and respect them for it. My passion for food was excellent, practically a job requirement, but I wasn't passionate about THEIR food. I wasn't in love with THEIR product yet, so I wasn't right for the position.
     It is a glorious thing for a business to care so much about what they make that you can't work there if you don't genuinely love it as much as they do.
     So, later that same day, sad and dejected, Mary (my fiance) and I made our way to our local Flyers to console ourselves with a nice slice. The interior of the place was spotlessly clean, and done up in much the same way that an old diner would be, though that diner would have to have a strong aeronautical theme to it. Classy.
     So we placed our order, the staff was friendly and helpful, and seemed genuinely excited when they heard that it was our first time there. We were seated quickly, drinks were brought immediately and kept full the entire time, and eventually we were brought our pizza. The "Ultimate" BBQ Chicken Pizza.
      I was slightly disappointed to find that unless you ask for it specifically, and are willing to to pay a little extra for it, you're not getting a thick doughy crust. Their standard is a flat crisp crust that, as it turned out, was still really good. It managed to be just the right mixture of crisp and flaky, and went extra well with the BBQ Chicken, leaving the overall dish  feeling like really high class nachos. The cheese was gooey and delicious, the vegetables (though sparse on this particular pizza, as opposed to their Country Garden Pizza which is heaped with all kind of fresh goodness) were well chosen as an accompaniment, and the sauce was tasty. They use Sweet Baby Rays which is the only big commercial Barbecue sauce that I will actually pay for, thoguh I still prefer my own Black as Midnight BBQ.
     Despite the crippling blow to my finances that, that day represented, I still took away a love for the product that would have stood me in good stead 12 hours earlier. So now many months, and many pies later, I finally get to tell everyone about it.

Final Ranking: A+ (Take note, this is an A+ DESPITE the places way higher than average prices. I'm even willing to pay for their 'Thick Dough,' more often than not. Flyers is a totally worthwhile buy, and I'm happy it's a part of my Columbus Experience.)

Black as Midnight BBQ Sauce

     Smokey, Sweet, Tangy, and Spicy, those are the watchwords we live by at The Columbus Digest when it comes to making a good Barbeque Sauce. But not everyone has the leisure of casual Sunday cook-outs in the park. People in Columbus are busy, and sometimes a cook-out goes down at the same time as the sun. When the last rays are slipping behind the horizon and your friends are on the way after a long day at work you need a Barbeque Sauce with a built in pick me up, and so we present our 'Black as Midnight BBQ Sauce'.

What You'll need:

4 Pounds of Ketchup
1 1/2 Cups of Coffee Grounds
1 1/2 Cups Blackstrap Molasses
1 Cup White Vinegar
1/2 Cup Buckwheat Honey
1/2 Cup Mustard
3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Liquid Mesquite Smoke
2 Tablespoons Orange Zest (Available in most grocery stores in the spice aisle as Valencia Orange Peel)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder

What You'll do:

1. In a normal coffee pot brew 6 Cups of Coffee with the 1 1/2 cups of grounds (We used Folgers French Roast, but feel free to use your favorite.)
2. Pour the fresh brewed Coffee into a medium sauce pan and heat on medium until it has reduced to 1 Fluid Cup of VERY VERY strong Coffee and pour into a large pot.
3. Combine all of your liquid ingredients in the large pan and place over medium heat until boiling stirring frequently.
4. Reduce heat to simmer. Meanwhile combine all of your dry spices in a bowl and whisk together before thoroughly mixing into your liquid mixture.
5. Stir frequently for 30-45 minutes or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. (We used this time to watch an episode of 'No Reservations' on Netflix.)
6. Remove from heat and allow to stand until cooled to room temperature before pouring into airtight plastic bottles. (Kroger's at Georgesville Square had nice 4 Cup screw on lid containers on sale right next to their aluminum foil.) Makes approximately 11 Cups of sauce.
7. Before I receive any complaints, or worse yet someone thinks they made the sauce wrong, it is actually a very deep red, not black. The name is a reference to the intensely strong coffee used in the sauce.