Rinaldi’s Pizza & Subs
966 Fulton Street EastThere’s no other go-to that works nearly as well as pizza on a night when I have time for a dinner break and I’m really hungry. That was the situation I ran in to on Friday night.
Usually, I’m lucky if I can grab a sandwich on my way from job site to job site, but Friday night, I actually had a legitimate dinner break. I was hungry and there is a pizza place I have been driving by almost daily for two years that I had yet to check out.
Rinaldi’s Pizza and Subs is right on the corner of Fulton and Diamond in Grand Rapids. It’s not a very big place with a “dining area” of only two pub tables and a few chairs. Most of the business is done by either carry-out or delivery, but Rinaldi’s had the one thing I look for in a pizza place. Online ordering.
Unfortunately, I had to register an account in order to place my order, but that turned out to be a good thing. By registering, I was given the option for a special right off the bat. My plan was to order a 16″ pizza, but they gave me a two topping 14″ or just $9. I downsized a little bit and put in an order for pizza with pepperoni and bacon.
The confirmation email didn’t really tell me much. It said that they had received the order, but didn’t give me an estimated time. I figured I’d give it ten minutes or so then head over to pick up the pie.
When I walked in the little shop, I was surprised to see a little deli in the small space. The guy working the counter was on the phone taking a call in order, so I had to wait a few minutes. When he finished the phone in order, I gave him my name and he checked the oven. The pizza wasn’t quite ready yet. There was about five minutes left in the oven.
I took a seat on one of the bar stools to wait it out and just a little after five minutes, I was being handed a box with my pizza.
I took the pizza back to work with me and found a quiet spot where my co-workers wouldn’t be able to track me down.
The pizza was a fairly thin crust that worked best as a NY Style. It had a pretty crunchy outer crust which got softer the closer you go to the middle. The pizza was pretty greasy which made it a little messy as I was trying to eat it. I snapped the crust in half and folded over the pizza to get it in my mouth. The greasy cheese actually made it pretty tasty. The grease mixed with the grease from the bacon and the pepperoni to make kind of a spicy concoction.
I ended up getting two meals out of the pizza. For whatever reason, I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I was when I ordered the pizza and only ate three slices. That just worked for Saturday’s dinner as I had several slices left over and I love cold pizzas.
Rinaldi’s is a pretty solid family owned pizza joint. I was happy with what I got and for a good prices. All three guys I had contact with in the store were very friendly and just wanted to chat. Because Rinaldi’s is so close to where I work and they have online ordering…oh, and pizza by the slice, I could see a return trip or two to Rinaldi’s.
14″ Pepperoni & Bacon Pizza
14″ Pepperoni & Bacon PIzza
SW Michigan Dining 