Recently at work, I found myself forgetting to bring lunch with. Not wanting to spent the afternoon regretting a sub-par lunch from Jimmy Johns (I will state that I don’t mind Jimmy Johns on a road trip, but not for a lunch that will be holding me for the remainder of the day) – I ventured over to Pairings to check out the food. I had been there a few times to pick up some adult libations previously, but not been into the restaurant portion. My boss suggested I check out the pizzas. I called ahead and ordered one of the 10″ pizzas, made to order. I chose pepperoni and garlic.

I drove over to pick it up, and it was ready and waiting for me. While the cashier was running my card, I checked out their cases of other food. They had huge meatballs, lasagna that looked enough for two meals, along with salads, pastas and gigantic pork chops.

I grabbed my pizza and headed back to my office, just down the road. As soon as I was in the confines of the truck, I was overwhelmed by wonderful smells of fresh garlic and pepperoni. When I opened up the generic white box, and saw a wonderful meal waiting for me. The pepperoni slices, as you can see were huge, and looked and tasted very fresh. There were actually full cloves of garlic chopped in half and spread around the pizza, that was a huge bonus.

The cheese was plentiful, but not overwhelming, and while it gave the pizza substance, I didn’t find it overly flavorful, or something that made the meal for me. The crust was pretty good around the edges and most of the way in, however I think the center was just slightly underdone. It is fired in a faux wood oven, and was rotated a few times while cooking. This didn’t turn me off to the pizza at all, since the outer two-thirds of the crust were fantastic.

Overall, I would certainly go back to Pairings for pizza, and possibly to try some of their other food options, as their menu is quite varied. Also, When you stop in for food, check out the wide selections of wines and beers they have. Along with a vast array of wines from around the region, and world, they carry a number of craft beers that are sure to satisfy any thirst you may have.

Have you eaten at Pairings, or picked up something from their liquor store? Let me know you opinion.

Pairings Food and Wine
6001 Shady Oak Road
Minnetonka, MN 55343
952-426-0522

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