Colombo's Italian Restaurant ~ Elkhart, Indiana ***Temporarily closed***

Colombo's pizza. When I think of the classic mid-crust pie that I grew up with, there's a picture of a Colombo's pie in my head. And nostrils, taste buds, stomach, etc. This is a full-service, sit-down restaurant that also caters, serves wine & beer, will offer you a salad prior to pizza, etc. There are pasta dishes, sandwiches, appetizers, desserts, veal, seafood... the whole nine yards. But for me, it's all about the pie.

Prior to learning about razor-thin NYC slices and 2-inch thick Chicago pans, the only pie I knew was what I call the mid-crust Elkhart pie. It's a bit more substantial, and as a result of the heftier base can handle a heavier load of toppings. If you get a larger slice of Elkhart pie, one slice might be enough for most appetites. For years I would tell people that I never had a pizza elsewhere that would crack the top 5 in Elkhart - and I only stopped saying that when I no longer had 5 Elkhart places that I frequented. Those that remain are still rock solid, and Colombo's is still my go-to.

My fave here (like most pizza joints) is a straight pepperoni sausage mushroom pie. They have a wide range of sizes - from 9" personal pie up to a mammoth 20" jumbo. I generally go with 16" when ordering for 2-4 people (or even just myself, because - duh - LEFTOVERS!) Adding 3 toppings means you'll have a pie probably 3/4 of an inch thick, with a nice red sauce, ample meat & cheese - not doughy by any stretch - and you'll be full (but will still want one more slice).

Incidentally, Colombo's has a sister restaurant - I believe another branch of the same family - called Da Vinci's on the other side of town (northside by the toll road rather than SE side for Colombo's). At one point I sampled each and found their fare to be similar; would be curious if that is still the case 20+ years since my last Da Vinci visit

- Rude Dante review

(ed: a new style is born! See labels... Oh - and if your logo has the Mustache Pete with the chef's hat and he's making the A-OK symbol, you're golden! You go there no matter what you hear.)

Rude would also like you to know that Lucchese's Italian has closed (a place I went some 17 years ago based on his recommendation) as well as Riverview Tavern (Ma's Place) in nearby White Pigeon, Michigan (which appears to have closed in 2013).