#his comfort food is pasta and his chosen name is italian

[botanybulbasaur]

yo silly little poem i made about the weird process of being loved then disrespected and then abandoned CONTENT WARNING !! mentions of SH, sewerslide, unhealthy relationships

oh boy (poem under the cut)

I loved you

By Luisa

I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you I loved you And I'll tell myself that Until the end of time I love you I love you I love you But I won't Let you go I love you I loved you I love you I loved you But you You You You You, with the brown eyes You, with the high voice, With the humor and the pitch You, with you you you You, with those emotions And attachments You You You God, please, let go Or love me back I love you But I don't understand you Why Have I never known you You, with the dyed hair You, with the filters You, with a new boyfriend home every 3rd month I am not your mother Nor your brother They know you And because they know you at all, They know you in ways I don't Changing my name Makes it hurt less Because then We were two other people In a different time Not the same people One wearing a mask The other who's found Home In his stupidity God, I love you I love you I love you I loved you But But But But I don't know if you Loved me Please Answer me, or answer yourself One of us deserves closure Either tell me what I did Or what it is about me Or admit to yourself that You I don't know you, ■■■■ I don't know what's best for you But But? Kill me Please One of us deserves closure Either you end up exactly how you wanted to end up Back then, even now Or pass me the blade And let me see how it feels To draw my own blood I loved you But when you woke up to my sleeping body beside you You did not order the finest poison You left me there, so you could grieve It's okay I played dead And 2 years later You decided that the best way to heal Was to spit on my corpse I understand so much less Is this okay? I look at every way I've ever tried To love love love Every way I've ever seen you you You You You You, you, you, you; you You You You You I could hang myself right now And you wouldn't bat an eye

#poetry #written in windows notepad #windows notepad is for me what the notes app (apple [i believe]) is for other people #story behind this poem is intensely emotionally jarring for me bro i amnot well #getting a little too personal on tumblr dot com whooo boyyy #god i hope he chokes me out (because then id know how he feels) (then hed get release from what it is i did) #god i hope i choke him out (i dont) (i just want to be allowed to feel) (like he does) #i cant even make food from my own country without thinking about him #his comfort food is pasta and his chosen name is italian #hes autistic #but makes fun of me for being 'AUTISTIC autistic' #said he was 'sending signs' he didnt wanna be my friend #theres so much more to this of course #on both sides #he has so much shit going on #but itll never explain how violated i feel #please #never mock me again #if you ever loved me #then you should feel compelled to let me go completely #and never hurt me again

[floralseokjin]

⤑ made-up love song iii.

Your first encounter with Kim Seokjin doesn’t go so well, nor your second, or your third… and maybe that’s because it shouldn’t work on paper. You’re an elementary school teacher, never left the country despite hitting the third decade of your life not so long ago, and you’re unable to remember the last time you dated. He’s the dad of one of your students, nearly a decade older than you and divorced. Oh yes, and just another minor detail – he’s a multimillionaire. 

Your lives are lightyears apart, yet somehow, your paths having now crossed, things just seem to fall into place…

pairing; kim seokjin x reader  au/genre/warnings; strangers to lovers, romance, eventual smut, eventual angst, single dad! seokjin, ceo! seokjin, elementary school teacher! oc, age gap (oc is 30, seokjin is 37), seokjin is a dilf, lots of lasagne talk, flirting, kissing, fluff 🥰 words; 9,340

↪︎ chapter index

chapters; i • ii • iii • iv • v • vi • vii • viii • ix • x • epilogue (+ drabbles)

After you had time to calm down, of course you ended up telling Soojung about what happened on the date. You kept some things to yourself, mainly about how giddy you had felt throughout the whole thing, but you were sure she could see that for herself – she kept looking at you knowingly, and for once she kept the teasing down to a minimum. You ended up staying awake quite late, Soojung opening a bottle of wine. You were still excited from the date and the thought of what was to come next, but somewhere along the line, you and your best friend started getting into your feelings. (Was it really a Saturday night until you and Soojung ended it with slightly drunk sappy heart to hearts and hugs? Obviously not…) 

For the first time in a while you felt comfortable enough to open up about your love life (or lack of one) and felt it easy to talk about the past and to even bring up Donghae. He was a forbidden topic for the most part, no matter how much you were over him, but tonight had changed something. You didn’t know how to explain it, and no, it wasn’t because Seokjin was somehow the man of your dreams who had magically made things better with just one date. That was dumb and only happened in cliché Hallmark movies. 

No, it was because tonight had shown you that life goes on. No matter what rock bottom you hit, or how long it took you to get over it, no hurt was forever. You’d been single for a long time, and happy at that – after you’d gotten over the heartbreak of Donghae cheating on you – but tonight you’d had fun. You’d enjoyed yourself, enjoyed Seokjin’s company. You didn’t know what would come of your second date, or if there would be a third, but you were okay with that. You were just living in the moment, and right now you really liked that infuriating-not-so-infuriating bastard. 

You were taking a chance, just like he was, and it was actually pretty exciting…

.

.

You woke up late the next morning, something you didn’t reprimand yourself for because it was summer break after all, but also, you had a raging wine headache that had needed all the shut eye it could get. Your head was still throbbing slightly as you reached for your phone on the bedside table but seeing a text from Seokjin waiting for you made it miraculously disappear. 

Seokjin (10:28am) Hi Y/N, Thank you for such a great time last night. I can’t wait until Saturday. Would it be alright with you if I kept in touch throughout the week?  Seokjin

You giggled to yourself at his insane formalities. Why was that so adorable? But most importantly how could he be both cute and sexy at the same time? He was hellbent on making you lose your mind. You thought about teasing him, asking him when he’d grown comfortable enough to drop the Regards from yesterday, but despite how well last night had gone, and despite how much you loved joking around with him in person, over the phone seemed different. You were still a little nervous – giddy nervous, but nervous, nevertheless. Your conversation from last night with Soojung came back to you, reminding you that this was all too real. You were potentially catching feelings for this man, and it was new, and exciting, but equal parts terrifying now that you’d woken up with a hangover. 

Everything you typed out in reply seemed way too stiff, so growing frustrated, you settled on an emoji to cut through the formalities. 

You (10:49am) I had such a lovely time too, Seokjin. Of course it’s fine to keep in touch. I’m looking forward to Saturday night! 😊

What did he mean exactly about keeping in touch?, you wondered as you got out of bed, padding your way down the stairs and into the kitchen for a much needed glass of ice cold water. A good morning text? A how are you? You knew he was busy with work all week, so you weren’t expecting too much, but just knowing he wanted to stay in contact until next Saturday made you smile to yourself as you waited for his response. 

You didn’t have to wait long. 

Seokjin (10:55am) Great! I’m so excited to try your World famous Italian lasagne 😁

Cute. He’d followed your lead, ditching the last of the formalities and even signing off with an emoji instead. You instantly felt more at ease, but – 

Oh no. 

Why did he have to bring that up and remind you of your humiliating blunder? You knew what would be taking up all of your time for the few days – you needed to perfect this goddamn dish. 

Soojung on the other hand was unbothered by your predicament. Mind in the gutter as always. “Do you think that’s a euphemism for something else?” She asked straight away once you’d shown her your messages a few hours later. 

“Soojung!” You exclaimed, feeling yourself get a little hot in the face. You wish she’d stop bringing up sex, it was stressing you out. You told her as much. 

“You’re the one who’s invited him to your house for a second date.” 

You stared at her, greatly unimpressed. “You know why I invited him here.” 

You’d told her last night. You’d been hit with a surge of confidence when you’d suggested it was your turn to decide on something. In truth though, you didn’t know the first thing about restaurants, you hardly ever ate out, and when you did it was either fast food or at the food court in the department store Soojung worked at. You knew he wouldn’t have minded any choice you’d made, but that didn’t stop the slight apprehension you felt. 

It was normal, given your difference in lifestyles, and whilst that seemed to be no issue thankfully, that difference was still there. However really, that’s why you’d chosen to cook for him. Seokjin had shown you something close to him last night – the restaurant he owned with his brother, and now you were to show him something close to your heart. Something that was you. You loved cooking and baking in your spare time and you wanted to share that with him however small. Granted it was things you were confident with, but lasagne couldn’t be that hard, right? A true perfectionist, you’d master it quickly enough…

Soojung rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you could suggest McDonald’s and Dilf would be insanely happy.” She nudged you, squealing like a kid. “He’s just so into you!”

You wouldn’t bite. She was making you nervous again. “Stop calling him Dilf, he has a name.”

“Geez, sorry.” She held up her hands in apology. “Didn’t mean to offend your man.” 

You pushed her shoulder, silently telling her to quit it.

For the next few days it became your life’s goal to master the art of lasagne. Sunday night was spent googling recipes, trying to find the most authentic one. There seemed to be a lot of fuss on the right type of pasta. Flat edged would be fine, but the wavy edge was best. You made note of that. Next was the sauce. Two types. The tomato based one and then the white one – which you learned was called Bechamel. That seemed pretty easy to cook up, but the former seemed a little daunting. Every time you’d had pasta sauce in the past it had been premade, starting from scratch was giving you anxiety. Seokjin thought this was your expertise so you had to make it believable. What if you made it too salty? Too bland?

…Possibly you were thinking way too hard about this. Soojung thought the same. 

“Just buy it in a jar, Y/N, for Christ’s sake. You’re taking this way too seriously. You don’t need to learn fluent Italian to make your little white lie believable. It’s a goddamn lasagne.” 

She had a point. 

“He’d be happy with a sandwich. He’s coming over for you, not the shitty lasagne.” 

“Don’t call my non-existent lasagne shitty, you’re setting me up for failure.” You grumbled, looking at the ten tabs you had up on your laptop screen, all claiming to be the best most authentic recipe around.  

On Monday you went shopping for ingredients. You knew a small world foods store that was just outside of town, you’d been there a couple of times when you’d been baking with the children for class. With help from signposted aisles, you found what you were looking for in no time at all, so that night, you and Soojung both tucked into your first (sort of) homemade lasagne. Only the Bechamel sauces was harder to master than you’d first thought. 

“I think you added too much flour.” Soojung’s nose wrinkled as she spoke. “It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but the white stuff… I don’t know, maybe it’s supposed to taste like that?” 

Nope, she was definitely correct, too much flour, which was odd because you were pretty positive you’d followed the right measurements… 

Tuesday you had a day off from the sight, and even the word lasagne. You met for coffee with your mom but kept the date with Seokjin a secret. Not that she pressed about your love life anymore, she’d long given up on that topic. It was nice to catch up and you made plans for a trip soon. It was hard to find time to visit her when you were in work so you were always thankful for the summer and Christmas breaks. You were her only child, so it made your time together even more precious. She’d only remarried ten years ago, and while Jonathon had kids from his first marriage, they lived abroad. They were older than you and had families of their own. You weren’t particularly close for no other reason than the distance. You’d only met them a few times but they were lovely people. Your father had remarried while you were still in high school, having two more children (a son and daughter) with his wife. You were very close to them despite the age gap and saw them as regularly as you could. Your extended family had long been the norm and you wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Wednesday you were back on the lasagne. You purchased more pasta sauce and decided on the pre-made Bechamel sauce too, just to be safe. This time around everything went smoothly, Soojung had no complaints and neither did you, but you still invited Taehyung around on Thursday for a third go. He was way more enthusiastic than your best friend, singing your praises all night. 

“Y/N, that was amazing!” He exclaimed, leaning back in his chair to pat his belly. “Dilf dick – Uh, I mean, Seokjin, is going to love it.” 

“Guys, is that what you really call him when you’re alone together?” You whined. 

“Blame Soo,” Taehyung shrugged. “She’s rubbed off on me. But, I’m right,” he smirked. “He’s going to want to give you his DD once he tastes this, if you know what I mean.” 

Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, you looked on unimpressed. Maybe if you gave them no reaction they’d stop? 

“Oooo. I wonder what his dick even looks like. I bet it’s as handsome as his face.” Soojung squealed, sat beside her boyfriend. 

“SOOJUNG!” He cried, mouth open in disbelief. 

“Can we just stop talking about his… y’know…” You sighed, unable to say the word aloud. “Imagine if it was the other way around and he was wondering about what I looked like naked.” Soojung wouldn’t be impressed, that was for sure. 

“Fine, you’re right,” your best friend sighed. “I’m just way too excited because you finally like someone!!” She was getting loud now, she always did when she was excited. “And I want it to work out because you deserve it!” 

You chuckled. “Soo, calm down.” But you had to admit her words were sweet. You reached for her hand across the tiny table, giving it a gentle squeeze of thanks. 

“What about Barman dick?” Taehyung asked randomly, totally oblivious that you and she were having a moment. “Huh? Soo? You want my Barman dick tonight?” He wiggled his eyebrows again, a playfulness to his voice as he nudged her. 

She giggled but wasn’t having any of it. “It doesn’t really have the same ring to it, babe.” 

Highly offended he pulled away, pursing his lips. “Whatever.”

“Okay guys, let’s not have a domestic at the dining table.” You laughed. Which was a mistake because now Taehyung’s attention was back on you. 

“So, Y/N, when are you going to invite Mr. Dilf to my bar?”

You sniggered. “How about never?”

“Hey, you ladies are being very mean tonight. I complimented your lasagne.” Hm. That was true, you guessed. “What’s wrong with my bar? I think he’d love it. What does he drink? I see him as a dark rum type of guy.” 

You shrugged. “He was drinking red wine on our date last week.” It still made you feel funny to say the word date. You’d gone on a date. You were dating. A flurry of excitement found its way to your stomach, your excitement for Saturday growing. 

“Interesting,” Taehyung mused.

Soojung stood up, starting to collect your plates. “Okay, I’m washing, who’s drying?”

“Not me,” you sang. “I’ve cooked nearly every night this week.” 

Soojung eyes were wide when you met them, as if she was silently begging you. For what? “Just please promise me there won’t be any lasagne waiting for me after work tomorrow night? I’m going to turn into one at this rate.” 

Saturday arrived soon enough. You woke up the same time your phone went Bing and you knew exactly who it was. Seokjin had been texting you Good morning every day since Monday. He was no longer signing them off with his name, which was progress, and he was even adding more emojis, so you guessed you had rubbed off on him. 

Sometimes he’d drop a meme with the greeting. They were mostly to do with early mornings and workloads to which you’d tease him about because it was your summer vacation after all, you didn’t need to worry about work. But you always sent a Hope today runs smoothly his way too. You didn’t want to rub it in too much. 

Yesterday’s meme had been about dating, something about the guy trying to flirt but being garbage at it and asking if she liked cheese. You didn’t agree that was like Seokjin though – you were gradually learning that he was incredibly modest – but it had made you laugh. Only Seokjin could send you lame memes and you’d find it adorable… You were possibly whipped. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  Good morning. [Image sent] 

Today the meme was about lasagne, which made you question whether he was googling these every morning because no way had a lasagne meme popped up on his social media – if he used any at all. The realisation that he was searching for memes every day was even more endearing and your heart got a little gooey. You read the text on top of the image of lasagne. Dude, is that your new white shirt? Lemme just hop off this fork for a closer look. You genuinely laughed at that one, still wrapped up in your bed sheets. So incredibly lame, but equal levels funny. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  I will not be wearing white… I can’t wait to see you later. Just a reminder that I hope you omitted the garlic for tonight’s meal. I don’t want to embarrass myself by itching all night 😅😂

Immediately the smile dropped from your face and you shot forward, horror washing over you. Oh no. He was allergic to garlic. With the stress of perfecting the world’s best lasagne you’d totally forgotten. What were you going to do? Find a plain tomato sauce? Where the hell were you going to find one? Was that even a thing? You needed to leave now. Jumping out of bed you almost forgot to message Seokjin back. Looking at your phone again the image of the lasagne mocked you… 

.

.

Two hours later you were back at home, in need of a sit down after you’d rushed around town looking for a pasta sauce that didn’t contain garlic (very hard, by the way.) The stress had aged you about ten years. Soojung of course found it highly hilarious. 

“You’d have been in ER before 9pm,” she chortled, still in her pyjamas on the couch. She’d been still asleep when you’d dashed off, a woman on a lasagne mission. 

You ignored her. It wouldn’t have been that bad, right? He said himself he’d only be itching… Clawing off his own skin was probably better than his throat closing up… maybe… 

“How did you manage to forget?” She was still laughing. “AND you said you’d make a lasagne. Italian food always uses garlic. He must think you’re trying to kill him.” At this point you could hardly understand her, words blurring into one as she lost her shit. 

“We went over this. I wasn’t in my right mind when I said I’d cook lasagne.”

She stopped her laugher immediately.  “No way, you’re not blaming me again.” 

“Ugh.” You sighed, suddenly remembering something. “I was going to make my homemade garlic bread.” Now that was a speciality of yours. This night was going to be a disaster.

“Skip the garlic,” Soojung suggested. 

“So, just bread then.” 

She tried her best not to laugh again, not wanting to make it worse. “Yum.” 

It didn’t help. 

What did help though, was making her clean the entirety of the downstairs of the house. As the day went on you started to get more and more nervous, which was silly, but you couldn’t help it. You realised that your place was a shoe box in comparison to his, what the hell were you thinking when you’d invited him here?! It needed to be spotless, to distract him from the fact you would be eating dinner in the same place you would be cooking it… 

You knew there was no need to worry, it was just like last week when you’d grown self-conscious only to be fine once you’d set eyes on Seokjin. No doubt tonight would be just the same, he didn’t give a crap about stuff like that, so why would you even think he would? He’d probably be hurt if he knew… You just couldn’t help those little bubbles of insecurities from floating around inside your brain. You were a law unto yourself, and the garlic-less lasagne wasn’t helping. You’d had no time to prep for it. What if it tasted like cardboard? 

“Lasagne is lasagne,” Soojung reassured you, in the kitchen as you got all the ingredients together. “It’s not going to taste gross just because there’s no garlic in it. Put it this way, at least you can kiss without needing to pop a mint.” 

You whined, shaking your head, you couldn’t even dare thinking about kissing him right now. You’d spontaneously combust from anxiety. 

“Should we clean your room too?” She asked, picking up the jar of pasta sauce absentmindedly. You’d already read the label approximately fifteen times, double checking it was indeed garlic-less. 

“What? No,” you told her, voice all high-pitched. There would be no going upstairs besides from bathroom usage. “But hey,” you exclaimed, rounding on her with the spoon you were holding in your hand. “My room is always clean, bitch.”

She was the messy one.

.

.

Soojung left for Taehyung’s place at half 6, ready for Seokjin’s arrival at 7pm, a hug for good luck before you waved her off. You’d calmed greatly now, nothing like some table laying to ease some nerves. The lasagne was prepped and ready to oven cook, you had a fresh key lime pie in the fridge and you were dressed and presentable with ten minutes to spare. Wonderful. 

The doorbell rung not long after you’d made your way downstairs and you were quickly finding out that Seokjin was a very punctual man. Opening the door to reveal him stood at the porch your heart instantly warmed, skipping a beat when he gave you a dazzling smile and a soft Hey. You felt a little weak at the knees. Nope, you were not ready for tonight. 

In your tiny entryway he offered you a silver gift bag. “I didn’t know what to bring, so.” He said with a shrug as you pulled out a bottle of red wine. 

“Oh, thank you, Seokjin.” You hadn’t been expecting him to bring anything at all. It was a lovely surprise. 

“You probably have some waiting already. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” you reassured him. “We’ll use this one.” You were going to use a bottle of white wine you had laying around, nothing special at all. Red wine seemed better, fancier, maybe it would go better with the lasagne?

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I was gonna get you flowers but I didn’t want to freak you out or anything.”

You laughed. What was he going on about? “Why would that freak me out?”

His smile was crooked as he chuckled quietly. “I don’t know. I’m new to this, I thought they would’ve been too forward.” 

You gave a small shrug, voice barely there when you replied. “I like flowers.”

He gazed at you, warm eyes softening as he stepped forward. “Next time.” He smiled. “Next time I’ll get you flowers.” 

You swallowed fairly loudly, averting your gaze as you outstretched your arms. “Let me take you coat.” Was it hot in here? You felt a little stuffy. 

He shrugged off the beige wool blend, revealing the tight fitting black shirt he had on underneath. It stretched over his shoulders, accentuating how broad they were, how hard his chest was and how much his waist curved inwards. The pants he was wearing didn’t help matters too. He looked effortlessly gorgeous, hair parted to the side, a piece curled above his left eye, softening the blow of his exposed forehead. You moved to hook his coat on the rack, realising you could’ve been gawping. Not that you could help it, the man was trying to kill you.

As you turned to face him again, he smiled. “You look really nice.” His voice was soft which just made it even more dangerous. “I think this may be the first time I’ve seen you in pants.” 

“Really?” You wondered. You were partial to a dress in the summer, so he was probably right. You’d chosen a pair of black skinny jeans and a patterned chiffon blouse. Nothing too fancy, but he looked at you with awe-filled eyes. Unless you were imagining it. You cleared your throat. “You look good too.”

He stepped back, arms outstretched as he looked down at himself. “Thanks. No white.” He chuckled. 

You forced yourself to laugh too, nerves creeping back just because of your stupid damn lasagne. “No white.” 

Moving forward again he took your hand. It was warm and soft, just as you remembered from last week. Who cared about the lasagne when you were this close to him? When he was looking down at you with those brown, twinkly eyes? Not you anymore. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, Y/N.” 

Oh.

.

.

You invited him inside the living room first, pouring him a small (and his only because he the car) glass of wine as you chit chatted for a few minutes. Sat next to him was RJ, who you’d taken from your bedroom to join you both for the night. He wanted to say Hi, had been your opening line and Seokjin had found it hilarious, cracking up instantly. Although his “I missed you buddy, how have you been?” went rudely ignored. Maybe the alpaca was nervous… 

Ever the gentleman, he complimented you on the house, noting the décor with a fond eye. That surprised you, maybe he had played a part with the interior of his home. Well, you’d only seen the cosy family room – but it suited him very well. You knew there had been no need to be nervous when it came to inviting him into your home. There wasn’t a judging bone in Seokjin’s body. 

You talked about your weeks, yours had been fine, but of course you left out all the stress over the lasagne. Seokjin’s week on the other hand had been quite demanding, but that was nothing new he told you with an accepting shake of his hand. He was used to it by now, but he had to admit tonight’s date had made it easier this time around. He was full of the charm, not that you were complaining…

Misook was babysitting Arin tonight, he told you when you asked how she was. It was his weekend this week, he and Nana took it in turns – when she didn’t cancel, he added as an afterthought – but he seemed a lot more relaxed talking about his ex-wife this time around seeing as last weekend she hadn’t broken any promises. He was happy if his daughter was happy, and that made you smile. You remembered Arin’s sorrowful face that day her mom had cancelled on her, so you were glad they’d found time to spend time together. You also remembered how irritated Seokjin had sounded when he was opening up to you on the bench at the school fate… You wondered just how often Nana cancelled plans, and couldn’t imagine how frustrating that was for both Arin and Seokjin… You hoped this marked the start of things being easier for them now. 

Soon after that, you served him your starter (“garlic – wait, no I mean, no-garlic bread.”), and you chatted some more over that and while the lasagne baked. It was surprising how little you’d touched the sides on your first date, so tonight you covered even more bases. Family mainly. You told him about your half and step siblings, your parents’ remarriages of course coming up too. He seemed interested in that, wondering about your views on it and if it had affected you as you grew up. As a divorcee you understood the relevance to him and because he was so easy to talk to you found yourself opening up freely. 

His parents were still married and Seokjin was the youngest out of their two sons, so it was quite unheard of for the second born to take over a family company. In fact, it was the first of its kind for his, which made it even harder for him. His older brother had been the rightful heir to LG Electronics but his passion had always been in culinary arts. His parents had been kind enough to let him follow his dreams, and thankfully, for Seokjin, that meant he could follow in his father’s footsteps. He’d been eager to prove himself but it had been hard in the beginning. His status as the youngest son meant that a lot of people set him up for failure, but with his family’s love and belief he’d managed to succeed and confirm himself as the rightful CEO. You didn’t doubt it. It seemed he’d worked hard to get where he was now. That was admirable. 

The influx of information was so interesting to you and it didn’t feel real. While you could imagine Seokjin taking charge, visualising him in that tailored houndstooth suit he’d worn when you’d first met him, it was strange to think the smiley and soft-spoken man sat in front of you was from a long line of power and wealth. He should be untouchable, yet here you were able to reach for his hand across the table. Able to feel his forefinger stroking delicate patterns into your palm as you opened up and got to know one another more and more… 

“So, if your family’s a big deal, what about things like arranged marriages? Are they still a thing?” You asked, maybe confusing fiction for fact. 

Seokjin laughed at your wording. “They used to be, not so much anymore. I met my ex-wife through a friend. They concentrate less on things like that these days.” He shrugged, adding as an afterthought, “As a divorced CEO I think I’m a great example of that.” 

That was true, you thought to yourself, wondering how the breakdown of his marriage had also played a part in the stress of his early years as CEO. 

“I know it all sounds pretty crazy, but I like to think my family is just like anyone else’s.” He continued, smiling bashfully when you met his gaze. “That I’m just like anyone else.” 

You wondered how many people had immediately judged him because of his status… You’d been one of them, right? Even if you hadn’t known any of the details, you’d written him off as some obnoxious, rich guy who flaunted his wealth… You felt guilty thinking back. He was the complete opposite.

You nodded in agreement before grinning. “I’d have liked to see what college Seokjin was like.” 

“A complete nerd, to tell you the truth.” 

He answered so seriously, you didn’t know how to react, and then he was laughing loudly, cracking up at himself. You couldn’t help but join in. That’s when your stove alarm went off, shrill and incessant, signalling the arrival of the dreaded lasagne…

It turned out he loved it though. 

“This is amazing,” Seokjin praised, mouth still half full as he chewed. You did have to admit it was good. It tasted just like the original, despite the lack of garlic. Seokjin quirked an eyebrow, smirking your way. “So, how lucky am I to be able to try this World famous Italian lasagne?” 

“Very lucky.” You kept your answer short. Hoping he’d just drop it. 

He didn’t. 

“How lucky?” He tried to pry from you. “How many people have tried it?” 

You gave him a small smile, hovering your fork over the plate. Technically he was the third, but you couldn’t tell him that, could you? “I can’t disclose that.” 

He emitted a short laugh. “What about the recipe? Care to share?” 

You brushed him off with a soft chuckle. “A chef never tells her secrets.”

“Not even me?” His bottom lip jutted out as he looked across at you. 

Your heart did a little dance. He was being unfair. “Don’t pout like that, it’s making me feel guilty.” 

Thankfully the lasagne topic fizzled out after a couple more minutes, your cold sweat having time to dissipate while you chatted and ate together comfortably. However a few minutes later you noticed Seokjin fidgeting slightly in his seat. You politely ignored it to begin with, unsure if you were just imagining it, but then he started itching the back of his neck. You put your fork down, a sick feeling washing over you. “Is anything wrong?” You asked, now watching him itch up his forearm. “Seokjin?”

He looked at you in mild confusion, eyebrows creasing together as he opened his mouth. “Are you sure there wasn’t any garlic in this?” 

You swallowed away the panic racing up your throat. “I’m sure.” You’d read the back of that jar and then read it some more. “I’m positive.” 

… Weren’t you? You watched him scoot his chair back, leaning down to start scratching the back of his calves. He made noises of discomfort as he did so. 

“Oh, no…” You were up before you could stop yourself, racing around him to start hunting in the recycling for the glass jar. 

“Wait, where are you going?” 

You could hear Seokjin’s voice behind you, sounding alarmed, but you were too panicked to really take it in. You needed to be sure. This was just your second date, you couldn’t ruin things already. Turning him into one giant itchy red blob had not been your intention.  

“I was only teasing you.” Still, his words didn’t sink in. That was until you felt a hand on your elbow, tugging gently for your attention. 

You spun around, worried eyes wide – even wider when you found him so close. He was on his feet too, bent a little to level with you, pretty much within kissing distance. His voice was soft when he spoke, you found yourself distracted by his mouth. “Y/N, I was just messing around.”

You blinked, not truly understanding with all those annoying distractions zooming around your mind, but slowly you pieced his words together. Oh. Despite the relief you felt, now you just felt silly. Plus, he was still so close to you… 

You took a step back, the small of your back pressing up against the counter. You needed a clear head. “Don’t freak me out like that.” You told him, but you still sighed in relief, hand against your chest. “I thought I’d poisoned you.” 

He looked a little concerned, but you could tell by his eyes he found your reaction amusing. “I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I just wanted to make you laugh.”

“Make me laugh? You nearly gave me heart failure.” However, you gave him what he wanted, a laugh that sounded weak and shaky, but it was something – you did see the funny side. 

He joined you, shoulders relaxing now that he knew you were okay. He looked behind you, eyes on the trashcan, a bemused smile on his face. “What were you looking for anyway?”

“The jar.” You answered, as if it wasn’t obvious. You turned, deciding to fish it out anyway. Holding it up to him, you were adamant. “See, no garlic. Check.” 

He chuckled. “I already said I was joking.” He took one look at your desperate expression and gave in, taking the jar from your hand. “But if it makes you feel better…” You watched him as he read the label, silently soaking in his handsome features. He looked softer tonight, the curve of his jaw rounding as he smiled. It took you a moment to realise he was done. He handed the jar back to you, and you prayed to God he hadn’t caught you staring at him all gooey-eyed. “It’s fine.” He confirmed. “I’ll be itch free tonight.” 

You smiled and plopped the glass back inside the can. “I looked around town for hour trying to find lasagne sauce sans garlic.” 

He looked guilty. “I’m sorry for being awkward.” Then he paused, eyes narrowing, the hint of a smirk itching at the corners of his mouth. “But… Y/N, are you a fraud?” Huh? What did he mean? You didn’t need to wait long for an explanation. “I thought a certified chef would cook up a batch of her own tomato sauce.”

Oh. You’d gone and put your foot in it, hadn’t you? It was probably time to explain yourself… “I have a confession,” you began, sounding wary. Seokjin looked interested albeit it mildly confused. “I… may have told a little white lie.”

He shook his head, a puff of laughter leaving him. “You’ve lost me.” 

You took a deep breath, knowing you were going to have to spell it out for him. “I’ve never made lasagne before. Ever. In my entire life.” 

He looked confused as silence spread out between you. He sounded it too when he spoke again. “Then why did you say it was your speciality?”

You groaned, dropping your face into your hands for one dramatic moment. “I panicked.” Peeking at him, you babbled on. “I know it sounds stupid but Soojung was curtain twitching and it was stressing me out and then you were asking me what I cooked and lasagne just popped into my head!”

Seokjin blinked, his mouth twitched and then he was laughing – loudly. 

“You find it funny?” You asked, relaxing a tad. 

“Very.” He laughed harder but seeing the look of bafflement on your face he tried is best to still it. 

“I’ve been practicing it like crazy,” you whined, happy you could finally tell him all about your lasagne struggles. “This is my fourth time eating it this week. Soojung nearly killed me.” You snorted at the memory. This started up Seokjin again. “And then I forgot you were allergic to garlic. Your text reminded me this morning and I had to rush out to the grocery store.” 

He was weak at the knees at that, and you were laughing just because he was. It was contagious. “Stop,” you wailed, attempting to get a hold of yourself. This week had actually been quite traumatic. “I’m glad you find it funny, I’ve been in constant stress ever since you drove off last week.” 

“I can’t help it.” He chuckled, although he did sound apologetic. “You’re just so adorable.” The air that settled around his effortless admission made your skin prickle. When he carried on, his tone was gentle. “You know I wouldn’t have minded if you changed the menu to something else, right?” 

You pouted ever so slightly. “But you were looking forward to it.” 

He gave a small shrug. “True, but… that was more so code for ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you again.’ The food was just a bonus. I’d be happy with a Big Mac.” 

You felt your cheeks burn and you tried to shake yourself out of it. “So embarrassing,” you murmured. You didn’t know what for… The lasagne mess or the fact he could have this much of an effect of you? You were inclined to go with the latter. 

“What about the no-garlic bread?” Seokjin asked, changing the subject a little. Maybe he’d sensed your embarrassment and didn’t want to make it worse. He was sweet. “Did you make that?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Well, I didn’t bake the bread. I just toasted it.” It was still a speciality of yours though. “It would’ve been much tastier with the garlic.” 

He gave you an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. This body wants to turn me into a miserable old man.” 

Pfft. Old? Miserable? He was anything but. 

“Sit,” he prompted you, smiling as he motioned with his head to the table. “Finish your World famous Italian lasagne before it grows cold.” 

As you moved he delicately cupped his hand around the curve your waist, giving it a soft squeeze before he got to his chair first. Your stomach flipped, head dizzy as you sat and tucked your chair in. Last Saturday popped into your head, the way you’d loosely held hands outside and how you were sure he’d been leaning in to kiss you – properly. 

You knew one thing. You really wanted to kiss him tonight. 

Trying to get a hold of yourself, you glanced at him, catching his eyes. He was already tucking in again, and he grinned bashfully, as if embarrassed. “This really is great. All that practice paid off.” A pause. “You should show me how you cooked it sometime.” 

Your face lit up in surprise. “You cook?” In the back of your mind you were aware that he’d probably been hinting for a third date, but you were so shocked by the possibly of Seokjin cooking you couldn’t stop yourself from asking. 

He chuckled quietly. “I mean, when I have time and can be bothered. I like cooking but it’s just easier to go to a restaurant or get it delivered.” He looked sheepish before adding, “Or Misook does it for me.” 

There was no shame when it came to that. Seokjin probably worked all hours of the day, no one could expect him to tie on an apron when he got home and start pulling out pots and pans. 

“Do you cook a lot?” He asked. 

You nodded. “Soojung and I take it in turns.” 

“So what is your speciality?” He smiled. 

This time around you were in your right mind and able to answer properly. “Veggie tacos.” 

He raised his eyebrows, impressed. Then he tried again. “Can you make them for me sometime?”

He was persistent, you’d give him that. You shrugged, trying your best to sound impassive but the little smirk gave it away. “Maybe if you say please…” 

He laughed, leaning forward, a hand clasping yours as he tilted his head. The piece of curled hair falling into his left eye. “Please?”

Your heart did another little dance inside your chest. 

.

. 

After dessert you both made your way back to the living room, settling on your couch with two pomegranate mocktails Taehyung had prepared for you yesterday. All you had to do was add the pomegranate juice and lemonade to the ice cubes and crushed lime segments and mint before serving, easy-peasy. Seokjin was highly impressed, but of course you couldn’t take the credit. It was all down to your best friend’s very helpful barman boyfriend. 

You were glad Seokjin wanted to stay as you didn’t want the night to be over yet. It had flown by so fast and you’d had so much fun. You already felt like you knew him better, even after only two dates. It was strange to you, how you could feel so relaxed in a stranger’s company, but then again, you guessed he wasn’t a stranger anymore… Plus, he was so easy to talk to, so interesting to get to know…. Everything between you two came easy. 

Like opening up to him, being a bit more vulnerable… 

“I’ve been slightly nervous all week,” you admitted, clutching your drink to you before chuckling softly. “– and not just about the lasagne faux pas…” 

“There was no need to be nervous. I thought we left all that behind on the first date,” Seokjin reassured, smiling warmly your way. 

You were sat together, turned to face one another. It was intimate and cosy. He had one leg lifted, the ankle resting on the knee of the other leg, and where his pants had ridden up, you could see an inch or so of his calf before it met the black cotton of his sock. For some reason, you found that very, very sexy. Maybe you had been single for far too long. 

“We did,” you agreed, hesitating slightly. “It’s just… I haven’t done anything like this in so long.” 

You didn’t even think you’d ever invited someone around for dinner before. You were still quite young when you found yourself in a relationship with Donghae so your dates before him had been very basic. Your dates with him hadn’t really classed as such just because you became official fairly quickly, and your dates after him, well, it was already known that they had been few and far between. 

“You already know we’re in the same boat,” he smiled before chuckling bashfully. “No, but really, when I asked you for dinner that day at the fate I was expecting you to turn me down.” 

“How come?”

He looked down at his drink, lifting a shoulder. “I thought you’d think that I was crossing a line… or maybe the spark I was feeling was all in my head and in reality you just found me really annoying.” 

That was cute. He’d been doubting himself. Human after all. Not that you’d ever thought he wasn’t. You still didn’t miss the opportunity to joke around though. “I mean, both can exist simultaneously.” He taking a sip of his mocktail when you replied so he ended up snorting into his glass, amused by your wit. 

A moment or so passed and Seokjin gazed at you, smiling softly. If he kept this up, you’d be a puddle on your parquet flooring. “So, tell me,” he hummed. “How did I luck out so good?” You raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant. “How come an amazing person like you isn’t married or in a relationship?”

He must’ve seen the slight shock on your face and panicked instantly. “Is that a weird thing to ask? I feel like it is. I apologise.”

“No,” you insisted, sitting up a little straighter. He followed. “No, it’s not.” You wanted to open up to him. You really did. You just didn’t know where to start. Although, it was pretty simple. “I’ve been single for a while.” 

“How long?” Seokjin was instantly focused, attentive, noticing the change in your body language. 

“Three years. My last relationship didn’t end very well.” You paused, wondering if you should continue. But then… It had been a massive part of your life. No matter how much time had passed and no matter how okay you were now, it had still happened. And Seokjin, he had trusted you enough to open up about his divorce – even before you’d gone on your first date. You wanted to talk about it. You really did. 

“I found out my fiancé was cheating on me.”  

Seokjin’s eyes widened, unable to cloak his surprise. He hadn’t been expecting that. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “It was rough getting over it. Took me a while, but it is what it is. It’s in the past now.” 

“Did it put you off dating?” 

You were pleasantly surprised to find it was actually easy to talk to Seokjin about this. Your mouth was opening before you had to think about it. “I mean, at first. I was still very much in love with him, even after he broke my heart. But I got over him and I started dating again – briefly – It just didn’t feel right.” You stopped to smile. “It’s been over a year and I can’t say I missed it… but you…” Nerves growing, you pushed them away. “You’ve changed that. I’m having fun.” 

Seokjin’s face lit up and he chuckled. “I did hit second date status after all.” 

“You did…” 

“So,” he leaned closer, a small smirk on his face. “You could say, hitting your car that day wasn’t actually my fault because it was supposed to happen.” 

You snorted as you laughed, head falling against the back of the couch. “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

He made a sound. “But we wouldn’t have met otherwise.” 

“We would!” You exclaimed. “The parent-teacher meeting.” 

He blinked, feeling dumb. “Oh, yeah.” 

It wouldn’t have had the same effect, granted, but you would have become acquainted with one another regardless. “Would you have still liked me?” You asked without thinking, surprising yourself. 

“Yes,” he replied immediately. “I was instantly attracted to you after all, it’s just…” Instantly attracted? Definitely a charmer... “There would’ve been no way for me to get to know you like I did.”

You narrowed your eyes. “You’re really adamant that you had to reverse into my car to make this work, huh.”

He shrugged casually. “It was the only way.” 

You laughed quietly, finishing the last of your drink. Time was getting on, it was pretty late, Seokjin had already finished his, you watched him sit up to lean forward and place the glass on your coffee table. His shirt tightened across his shoulder blades and you could see his back muscles as he stretched. Oh.  

Settling back into the same position, he looked over at you and grinned. His teeth were perfect. Did this man have zero flaws? Why were you so whipped? It was embarrassing. 

“I had fun tonight,” you told him, trying to keep a lid on whatever was going on with you right now. 

He seemed pleased with that, nodding his head. “I’m happy to hear that you think I’m a fun person.” 

You scoffed, body falling closer to his. Your shoulders brushed together. Seokjin didn’t take his eyes off you. “Hm. I don’t think I said that.” 

“Hey, don’t be so mean.” He murmured, one side of his mouth quirking up. 

Like you couldn’t stop yourself, your hand reached for the collar of shirt. He had the top two buttons loose and your pinkie finger brushed against his collarbone. Sparks flew, but you tried to ignore them. “I thought you liked it when I was mean.” You teased, voice low. 

Seokjin hummed, his eyes still twinkled like they always did but there was something else to them, a depth that made you feel funny. He sunk closer to you. So close you could study the thick curve of his eyelashes, notice that both his eyelids were different. He really did have beautiful eyes. You could stare at them forever. 

Preoccupied, you slowly realised that he was watching you too, studying your features in the golden glow of the floor lamp that hovered over the couch. His lips parted, you heard them rather than saw it, but then your attention was on them again. Just like it had been earlier on in the night. He was staring at yours too as he spoke. “I wanted to kiss you last week.” 

You heartbeat quickened but you tried to keep cool. “You did kiss me.” You laughed. 

He sighed. “On the cheek.”  

You lightly tugged his collar, fingertips now brushing the skin of his chest. “Isn’t that what you said you wanted to do?”

You could feel his own heartbeat against your forearm that was pressed into him. It was definitely running a little faster than it was supposed to – stronger. “Yes, but…” He glanced up to your eyes. “I was just being polite. I wanted to kiss your lips.”

It felt like you were holding your breath. Maybe you were, you just couldn’t think straight. Time seemed to stretch out, but you knew what you wanted. So you went after it. Giving him a small smile, you replied. “Maybe I wanted that too.” 

He swallowed, voice so low now it was barely a murmur. “Is that an invitation?” His eyes bounced to your lips again, then back to your eyes as he asked permission. “Can I kiss you?”

You ever so slightly dragged your bottom lip beneath your teeth as you nodded, breath catching in your throat as Seokjin leaned forward and closed the distance between you. The hand in between your bodies moved to delicately hold the wrist of your arm against his chest, holding you there as his other hand reached for your jaw, angling your face to press a kiss to your mouth. His eyes were already closed so you followed. 

He hummed at the contact, his lips soft and warm and you let yourself sink. His actions were light at first, faint as he kept constant pressure, as if he was familiarising himself with the sensation. You couldn’t even let yourself think about how this was the first kiss you’d shared with someone for a very long time. All that was going through your mind was how good it felt to be touched like this by him. 

He readjusted the hand on your face, tucking some hair behind your ear to cup your cheek. You liked that. You liked it when he touched you, and he eased from your mouth completely before coming back with a firmer pressure. It was your turn to make a sound; a tiny gasp as your lips began to move together ever so slowly. He liked that, a hum of satisfaction vibrating against the soft skin of your lips. You clutched at his shirt, gathering the crisp cotton in your fist, that would surely turn it creased, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was too preoccupied with reaching for the glass you’d forgotten was hugged to your body by your free hand. 

He unclasped it from your fingers and had no choice but to break away from your mouth to put it next to his on the coffee table. You whined, attempting to tug him back to you, and he chuckled, taking a hold of one of your hands. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, leaning forward to place the cocktail glass down. 

And he was. 

This time he used both of his hands to grasp your face and dive back in. He was more confident this time, moving in such a way his lips pried yours open. You reached for his shoulders, grasping them to hold him closer and this time you both made noises – sweet, quiet ones that worked beautiful together as your lips moulded with gradual urgency. 

When your hands found the nape of his neck, fingers through his hair, he had to drag the tip of his tongue across your bottom lip, seeking entry. You met it with yours, tasting hints of pomegranate and lime with each wash of tongue. A hand of his slipped down to your side, stroking up and down the curve as if he couldn’t help but to touch you. He settled at your hip after a moment, the other splayed against the side of your neck, his thumb rolling small circles under your cheekbone. 

This was getting addictive. You could tell by the way you moaned softly against each warm, wet curl of his tongue. This was everything you’d imagined and more – because you had imagined it. Late and secretly at night when you were trying to drift off to sleep and thoughts of lasagne were banished… You were glad your first kiss was here, inside, on your couch, because this wasn’t something for the open, your knees wouldn’t have been able to hold you up. 

You could have kissed him forever, you mean, you definitely didn’t want it to stop but you pretty much had to. Breathing was a necessity, right? If you couldn’t breathe you wouldn’t be able to ever kiss Seokjin again and that would be absolutely awful… 

You did it the right way though – gradually. Seokjin slowed it right down, only hints of his tongue left as he hummed indulgently, like he was savouring your taste before he had to inevitably pull away. It made your insides jump around like crazy, hearing him enjoying himself, and you tried your best to come to when he started easing the pressure of his lips, pressing small, chaste kisses to them instead as you ultimately (but slowly) broke apart. 

You opened your eyes, blinking up at him, hands falling from his hair, aware you had become one with your cushions. You struggled to free yourself as he sat back and you watched him smile fondly at you. His breath was shaky – so was yours, and you were sure his hands trembled slightly as one reached up to scratch the back of his neck. His neck that was blotched with red, flushed, travelling to his cheeks. They were rosier than you’d ever seen them before. Your gut stirred. 

“I’ve been dreaming of that,” he told you, before making a face at himself. “Too cringey?” 

You giggled – it sounded foreign. “Just a bit.” But didn’t deter the fact you loved it. 

You warmed when you felt him squeeze your hip, realising his hand was still there and you reached for it, tangling your fingers with his. He pulled them to his mouth, kissing your knuckles softly. His expression was thoughtful when he lowered your hands. “In all seriousness, thank you for giving me a chance, after well, you know, everything.”

You smiled, touched by his earnestness, but it was hard to keep a sane mind when his lips were as kiss bitten as they were – deep pink and glistening. You wanted to kiss his face off. 

“It’s no problem,” you quipped, as if you were doing him a favour. 

He chuckled tenderly, and luckily for you he was unable to stop himself from kissing you again. He reached forward, hooking a finger under your chin to press his mouth to yours softly. “I’d really love if we could keep on doing… this.” He murmured. 

“The dating or the kissing,” you grinned, stealing another kiss in the process. 

“Hm,” he contemplated. “Both preferably.” 

And then you were on one another again, eager once more. 

Although, you did manage to pull away briefly to tell him something, his mouth moving to the side of your face to kiss there instead as your hands dragged down his back. You were somehow able to get the words out – ones that made him laugh against your wet jaw. 

“I’m so glad you hit my car.” 

Written 2020 - 2021.  Please refrain from posting my work elsewhere. No translations allowed. © floralseokjin 2021

#seokjn fanfic #bts fanfic #jin fanfic #floralseokjin:writings #fic:mls

[1234-angelika]

Cook as you Go

an: As always, I'm excited to share this with y'all.There is a couple words in italian, mostly the name of the food. I had to use google so if it is wrong, can someone please correct it. This is the third installment of the Happily Ever After series for David. Hope y'all enjoy!

words:1 k

warnings: Alcohol, age-gap relationship,

summary:"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate." -Alan D. Wolfelt

masterpost|taglist|have an idea

The four days that passed since David had asked you out went by in a blink of an eye.

Today was Friday, which meant the highly anticipated date was tonight. Of course, over the four days, you had planned nothing, leaving all of your planning until the day of. Now, it was an hour until he would be there to pick you up, he insisted, saying ‘that’s what a gentleman does.’ You had done your hair and makeup but were stuck on what to wear. Your favourite shoes were laid out, and you were trying your best to coordinate your outfit with the shoes. It wasn’t a difficult task, and you would’ve been able to do this easily on a typical day, but you were just so damn nervous. You really liked David, and that fact really freaked you out. Not to mention, you were only a year older than Joy and were afraid of how she and the rest of his family would react to that. In your heart, you knew that you wouldn’t come between him and his family, so if they ended up disapproving, the relationship would be over.

After trying on half of your closet—most of it ending up on your bed in a pile—you finally decided on an outfit. Satisfied with the outfit you had chosen and willfully ignoring the mess you had made in the process, you went downstairs. You pulled your coat around yourself and then headed outside to wait for David. It wasn’t long before his car pulled up in front of your house. You climbed in right away, eager to start the night.

He kissed both your cheeks in greeting and said, “You look amazing.”

With warm cheeks, you replied. “Thank you. You look really nice too.”

And then he took off driving. A couple minutes into the drive, his hand found a home on your knee. He looked over at you, making sure it was okay. You offered him a nod and made no move to push his handoff. You enjoyed the drive to his place, with no sounds except the music softly streaming from the car speakers.

As his car pulled up in front of his house, all the air escaped you—it was beautiful and massive. Walking into his home, the atmosphere was friendly and warm, compared to the bracing chill from the autumn air outside. The smell of garlic and roasted vegetables ensnared your senses. David led you to the kitchen, and the delicious smells multiplied tenfold, making your stomach gurgle in anticipation.

David grabbed an apron and handed it to you so quickly, you took off your coat and draped it over a barstool before grabbing the apron.

“So, what are we eating David?” You asked, excited for dinner. Especially considering the delicious smells that greeted you upon entry.

“Well, I prepared a roasted vegetable antipasti platter and I have some wine set out for us to enjoy while we cook dinner together. I thought it would be a nice idea since you enjoy cooking, a chance to get to know each other better, in an environment that you’re comfortable in.”

“First, that was a really sweet idea,” you said, pausing to kiss his cheek, “second, it smells amazing so I’m excited to learn the plan for dinner.”

“We will be making Linguine alle vignole.” He said with a smile, trying to gauge your reaction, inadvertently profiling you.

As soon as David finished his sentence, you let out a shriek of excitement. “That was my favourite dish when I was in Liguria!”

With a chuckle, he replied, “Well, wasn’t that a lucky guess.”

After tying the apron for you and pouring the wine, David passed over some utensils and began instructing the first steps to the dinner. Together, you worked at making the delicious pasta dish. Throughout the process, you and David got to know each other better, talking about everything under the sun, from favourite colours and hobbies to families. You had even broached the subject of past partners. Occasionally, the two of you would pause for a snack from the platter or some wine while chatting. As you got more comfortable in his home, you spoke more freely and with more enthusiasm.

The chatting flowed effortlessly over dinner. At your insistence, though it took almost five minutes, you struck a deal with Dave. You would take the dinner dishes into the kitchen and get started on them while he would prepare dessert for the two of you. Once the dishes were dealt with, you went and sat in the living room where he had asked you to wait for him. You made yourself comfortable on the couch and then let your eyes wander around the room. They landed on the pictures carefully arranged on the mantle. From your position on the sofa, you allowed yourself to take some time to study them, smiling to yourself as your gaze went from picture to picture. Shortly after you had made yourself comfortable, Dave wandered in with two cups in hand. As soon as he handed it to you, you knew what it was.

“Seriously David, you’re spoiling me. Affogato al caffe! Thank you.” You said with a smile so wide it made your cheeks hurt in an effort to convey the happiness and gratitude you felt toward him.

Taking a seat on the other end of the couch, he replied, “Bella, you deserve to be spoiled,” he paused to take a bite and then continued, “and for the record, it’s a spiced affogato al caffe.”

Conversation quickly found its place in the room, and it was like the two of you had never stopped. The night wore on, enjoyable all the same. The only thing that put a stop to the night was how tired you were. You left David with a sweet kiss on the cheek and took an Uber home. The whole ride, the only thing you could think about was how well David knocked that date out of the park.

taglist:

@multixfandomwriter @myescapefromthislife

#criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #david rossi x reader #david rossi #happilyeverafter #hea

[the-star-the-idiot]

Marbles

It was a hot summer day, when a particular man found himself driving down a quiet country road. He was on his way to a town far away to visit some family members. It had been ages since he met with them and he was thrilled to get to see them again. He thought about how big his niece and two nephews must have grown in the time he’d been gone. While driving, he listened to his favourite cassette tape, featuring multiple songs excellent for road trip entertainment.

The cassette was old and would glitch out every now and then, skipping and distorting audio, but it didn’t happen often enough to bother the man, so he had never seriously considered fixing or replacing it. Instead, he found a certain charm to his old, extensively used cassette.

Lately, the summer heat had been unbearable, and this day boasted a heatwave among heatwaves. Even with his window rolled down, driving at high speeds, he could feel his dress shirt stick to his skin and caught himself breathing as though he weighed tens of kilos more than he truly did. He was not an old man, nor a heavy man, but he was quite sensitive to the scorching sun.

“I need to find a place to stop,” he thought to himself. He feared he was close to passing out from heatstroke, and his water bottles had been running dry for the past couple hours, not to mention they had gotten warm long before he had finished drinking them, so he had not particularly enjoyed his moments of rehydration.

As if an act of mercy from above, he passed by a Bed & Breakfast sign. The next turn would lead him somewhere he could get some rest, water and food. The man was eager for the opportunity to freshen up with a shower and a change of clothes. He cursed himself for sporting a suit during one of the country’s worst heatwaves in modern history. Barely a kilometre after the sign, he found another, identical to the first, accompanied by the awaited turn off the main road. After a while of driving through a somewhat dense forest on a thin gravel road, he found the place he had been looking for.

Yet another sign, identical to the other two, stood before the yard of a humble, well-kept, red, wooden house. The man quickly found a place to park his car, next to another car which he could only assume belonged to the owner of the house. Upon exiting the car, he was met with the sight of a young girl past the corner of the house, in the backyard. She seemed to be playing, dancing while observing something he couldn’t see, too far past the corner. “Can I help you, Sir?” a woman’s voice was heard asking. The man quickly fell back down to reality and turned towards the person talking to him. There stood a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early 30’s, sporting a dark red sweater and khaki jeans. Her long, straight hair glowed red in the sunlight. He cleared his throat and enquired about a room for him to stay the night. “Why yes, there’s plenty of room,” she said and smiled sweetly at the man. “We currently don’t have any guests, so you’ll be free to choose whichever room you’d like.” The woman continued, explaining that there were three rooms available, two of identical size and price, and one larger, albeit more expensive room. The man was surprised as to how deceptively spacey the house was, given its rather small façade. Nevertheless, he chose the larger room; he enjoyed having a lot of space, especially regarding the bed. Having chosen the large room, he would be finding himself in a comfortable double bed. “Well, come on in and scope your room out,” said the woman. “I’ll be happy to help with any luggage you’d like to bring inside.”

Inside, the man found himself in a tidy, clean house. The floor looked newly-waxed and all the wooden furniture boasted a neat, white colour. “You’ve got quite the impressive home, Miss,” the man said. “Why, thank you!” the woman replied and laughed lightly, in an almost embarrassed manner. “I don’t have much to do when there aren’t any guests over, so I often find myself trying to keep everything in check.”

Once the two were done moving some of the man’s luggage to his room, the woman invited him down to the kitchen for coffee. The kitchen smelled as though he had walked into a rustic, Italian restaurant, and he saw two large pots on the stovetop, one with a lid on top and the other without, letting a gentle steam rise from it. The two sat down at each end of the kitchen table once the man had received his cup of coffee. “So what brings you past this area?” she asked, gently stirring her cup, to which she had added a sugar cube and a little milk. “I’m on my way to meet some relatives,” he responded, needlessly stirring his cup as well, to which he had added nothing. He enjoyed his coffee black. “I haven’t seen them in quite some time, seeing as I live pretty far away, and I’ve never been particularly good at staying in touch.” The two talked briefly about family and the importance of talking to even the more distant relatives every now and then. “So you’re going alone?” the woman asked after a short while. “You’re not bringing anyone with you? Your wife?” The man cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly. “I’m pretty much all I’ve got back where I live,” he said. “Practically all my family lives where I’m headed and uh, I’ve never been particularly lucky in my romantic endeavours. A couple girlfriends here and there, but nothing too serious. Never married.” “What a shame,” she responded, smiling sweetly at him once again. “I’d imagine a handsome man like yourself would have been quick to get tied down by some lucky girl. Either something’s wrong with you, or something’s wrong with the girls you’re seeing,” she continued and laughed, to which the man responded with a hearty laugh. “So, how about yourself?” the man asked. “I assume the girl in the back is your daughter, so surely…” “Legally, yes, not biologically,” she said. “I adopted her from a close friend of mine who grew too sick to take care of her. It would be nice to find a man to alleviate the situation of raising a child, but…” she stopped to smile once more at the man. “I suppose whatever’s plaguing your endeavours are plaguing mine as well.” “C’est la vie,” he said slowly, gently sipping his still warm coffee, trying not to burn his mouth.

A moment of silence coated the kitchen, an awkward tone. The man didn’t quite know how to continue the conversation, but to their rescue came the little girl from the backyard. “Mommy!” she said excitedly. She looked to be around the age of six or seven. Her hair was a bright blonde and her eyes were the strongest shade of green the man had ever seen. She wore a white summer dress and looked as happy as any child would on a summer day. “Hi, sweetie!” the woman said in an equally excited voice. “Did you have fun outside?” “Uh huh! I played with the marbles again!” the little girl responded. The woman smiled sincerely at her before quickly realising she still had a guest at the other side of the table. “Oh, right,” she said and laughed. “As you can see, pumpkin, we have a guest over. Would you like to greet Mister, um–” she stopped herself, realising she had forgotten to ask the man his name. “Florence,” the man butted in. “You can call me Mister Florence. Pleased to meet you, little lady.” “Hi, Mister Florence!” the little girl said, just as excited as when she came in. She certainly didn’t seem shy around new faces. “My name is Eden, and mum’s name is Scarlett!” The three of them shared the pleasantries of a proper greeting, and shortly after that the little girl scurried away to wash up and change clothes before supper. Scarlett had been preparing Pasta Bolognese, which would soon be ready.

“It’s a simple, not very presentational meal,” Scarlett said once all three were sitting by the table, acting as though the food she’d made was nothing impressive. “But I hope it tastes good all the same,” she continued. Eden didn’t skip a beat and immediately began eating. She looked as though she enjoyed it very much. Her mum smiled at her, eating from her own plate quite slowly. The man took a bite and was met with a plethora of flavours dancing in perfect harmony in his mouth. A hint of garlic, a mild acidity from the tomatoes, and a prominent taste of fresh herbs, not to mention a perfect balance of salt and lemon pepper. “Wow,” he uttered after swallowing his first bite. The woman waited patiently and with eager curiosity for him to continue. “This might be the best Pasta Bolognese I’ve ever had,” he then said, to which Scarlett replied by smiling proudly. “I’m glad you like it, Mister Florence,” she responded. They all ate mostly in silence, as they were too busy enjoying the food to make proper conversation. As much as the man relished the food, however, he couldn’t help but enjoy the ice-cold water he drank beside it even more. He had almost forgotten how dehydrated he had felt ever since arriving. Each sip came with a pleasant, refreshing rush throughout his body.

After the meal, the sun seemed to have evaded them. Florence took notice to how dark it could get despite it being summer and made an off-hand comment about it. Scarlett explained to him that even though the forest around them wasn’t particularly dense, it was just enough to block out the sun once it lay low enough. It was particularly dark indoors, in the rooms where the lights weren’t on. Scarlett and her daughter seemed like they were fans of preserving electricity. “Well, I suppose it’s best this way, I am quite tired after the long drive,” Florence said. “Would it be alright to use the bathroom to freshen up before I go to bed?” he then asked. “Yes, of course, you’re more than welcome to,” Scarlett responded. She showed him where the bathroom was, and requested he’d turn the shower off while soaping up. It was a rather spacious bathroom, and the shower had plenty of elbow room. There was no bathtub. Once again, the man thought about how deceptively large this house seemed to be. Having been given a towel, he locked the door and went about his business, relieving himself before stepping into the shower. The water was cold and pleasant, though slightly shocking, like taking the first step into the fresh water of a river. He let out a heavy sigh of relief and went about his shower routine, turning off the water in between to soap up per Scarlett’s request.

Once finished, he stepped out and began drying himself. He felt extremely tired, and this feeling seemed to grow heavier by the second. He took his time drying up, unable to go any faster. The whole house was quiet, save for the occasional creaking of floorboards. All the man could hear were the soft sounds of the towel slowly moving against his hair and skin. He placed the towel around his waist, opened the door, and was just about to step out when he noticed a figure standing outside the bathroom. It was Scarlett, with her arm extended toward the door handle. The both of them expressed shock. “Goodness,” she exclaimed, jolting her hand back. “I’m sorry, I thought you had already gone to your room.” “No, I’m sorry,” he responded. “I didn’t expect–” Florence interrupted himself. With the light from the bathroom hitting her, Florence couldn’t help but take notice to her clothes, or rather lack thereof. She was wearing purple lingerie, a sort of see-through nightgown. Her breasts were in full view, covered only by what was essentially a violet-hued filter. Realising he was ogling her, Florence quickly averted his eyes and began nervously stammering, trying to apologise for looking at her in such a manner, but unable to form a coherent sentence. He then closed the door and closed his eyes in a panic. “I’m sorry,” he finally said after collecting himself. “I, uh, didn’t mean to stare. I’ll just wait a moment for you to go, and then I’ll go to my room and we can pretend this never happened, okay?” Scarlett didn’t answer, and the man made the assumption she had agreed. After waiting for a few seconds, certainly enough for the woman to have made herself scarce, he carefully opened the door, sighing in relief when he didn’t find her standing there. He shut off the light and exited the bathroom, turning toward his room, but was met with a silhouette before taking even a few steps. There she stood, in the dark corridor. The man couldn’t make out any details, but averted his eyes once again anyway. “If you’re sorry about looking, then at least now you can’t,” she said. “I don’t think I mind, though. Besides, this was my fault. I’m sorry for startling you.” “No, no,” he retorted. “It’s not your fault at all. I shouldn’t have taken so long. I didn’t realise I was being so quiet.” Scarlett giggled quietly in response. “Well, this house is rather quiet,” she said light-heartedly. “Really, though, it’s fine. It was just a little mishap, right?” “Right,” he answered quietly. “A slight, misfortunate coincidence, stumbled upon by chance,” he thought to himself, and that’s all it was. She slipped past him and opened the bathroom door, and he looked back at her. She turned on the light before closing the door, peeked her head out and looked back at him as well, giving him a sincere and reassuring smile. She then closed the door behind her, leaving the man to go back to his room. His thoughts were all over the place as he went to his room, but once he lay down in the soft, cosy bed he quickly lost track of his mind and fell into a deep slumber.

The flip clock rang loudly in his ear. It was precisely 8 o’clock in the morning. The man felt as though he was boiling in the heat. “Another scorcher,” he grumbled to himself. He flailed around as he got dressed, and stumbled his way to the kitchen with the luggage he had brought indoors, where he was met with the fresh smell of coffee. “Good morning!” said Scarlett with a happy tone. The man awkwardly cleared his throat before he could bring himself to respond. “Good morning,” he said. He felt a bit embarrassed about last night’s mishap, but looking at her it seemed as though she had completely forgotten about it. “Sleep well?” he asked, anxious to not let silence fill the room. “Like a log,” she responded. “How about yourself?” she asked as she presented him a cup of coffee. “Same here, seems being in a car for hours on end knocks me right out,” he said and laughed a little to himself. “I’m afraid I can’t stay for breakfast, I ought to get going immediately,” he continued. Scarlett looked slightly disappointed for a fraction of a second, then quickly smiled and said she understood. They briefly talked about the price for a one night’s stay, and after the man finished his coffee and paid for his room, he made his way out the door and to his car. Scarlett stood by the door of the house, watching him prepare for his drive. “Goodbye, Mister Florence, have a safe trip,” she said, smiling sincerely at the man. “If you happen to pass by on your way home, you’re free to stay another night should you feel the need,” she added. “Thank you very much,” he replied before climbing into his car. “I might take you up on that offer,” he continued right before he closed his car door. He thought about his family, his niece and two nephews, and smiled to himself as he turned the key. The car cranked, but it didn’t start. He turned his key again, same result. A third try, but it wouldn’t start. “Shit, what now?” he muttered as he exited his vehicle. “Something the matter?” Scarlett asked, still standing by the door. “It sounds like my battery’s dead,” he said. “You don’t happen to have any jumper cables you could lend me, do you?” Scarlett shook her head, but offered to call for help. The man thanked her and went back indoors with her. He waited by the kitchen table, listening to the woman’s call with the mechanic in the other room. He could hear her stating the suspected problem, as well as a couple other possible issues which the man hadn’t even considered. It seemed she knew a thing or two about cars. She gave her name, the man’s name, and the address before thanking the mechanic in advance for his time and efforts. After hanging up, she relayed the message that there would be someone to fix the problem in an hour or so, two at most. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” she said. “Feel free to have some breakfast, this one’s on the house.” “That’s very kind of you, thank you,” he responded, grabbing himself a small stack of freshly made pancakes. “Say, I haven’t seen your daughter around this morning. Does she tend to sleep in?” he asked while coating his breakfast is syrup. “Oh, no, she’s been awake a while,” Scarlett answered. “She’s most likely outside, playing with the marbles again. She treats them like they’re her best friends.”

Marbles. He hadn’t thought much of it the evening prior, most likely because he was focused on other things, but now it had caught his full attention. “She seems quite enthusiastic about some small glass toys,” he said with a slightly puzzled look. “They’re not toys, Mister Florence,” Scarlett said. “It’s quite the interesting phenomenon, actually, and as far as I’m aware it only occurs in this area, in these woods,” she continued and offered to show him what she meant after breakfast. He had some time to kill before the mechanic would show up, so he finished his pancakes quickly and followed her to the backdoor, where he was met with an unbelievable view. Eden was dancing in front of possibly hundreds of glass marbles, all of them floating in the air as though they weighed nothing. As the light of the morning sun hit them, they refracted it onto the grass, splitting it into different colours. “They’re natural,” Scarlett said and pointed to a bed of flowers near the corner of the backyard. “Sprout from those flowers there, during spring and summer. They stick around for months, just floating in the air in the middle of my backyard, disappearing without a trace when autumn rolls around.” “Incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Florence said. “I can see why your daughter likes them so much,” he continued, clearly mesmerised by the scene in front of him. He asked if he could get a closer look, to which Eden turned around, having heard them talking, and gestured excitedly for him to come near. He looked at Scarlett for approval, and she nodded at him, smiling as sincerely as always. Up close, the view was even more fascinating. The marbles were colourless, save for a fraction of the light passing through them being reflected and dispersing into a well-known spectrum of colours inside them. Upon close inspection, they were without question made out of glass. “What kind of flower sprouts glass marbles?” he thought to himself. Eden continued to dance next to him, but when he lifted his hand, reaching for one of them, she stopped, although he didn’t notice. She looked intently at his hand. Scarlett noticed Eden’s sudden shift in behaviour, and realised quickly what was happening. “I wouldn’t–” She spoke too late, and he made contact with one of the little orbs.

Suddenly, there was no Mister Florence to be found. He, along with the marble he had touched, had vanished without a trace. Eden looked back at her mother, and the two looked at each other for a short moment. Then, Eden smiled, giggled and quickly returned to dancing with her floating friends. Scarlett smiled back at her, and shortly after she stepped back indoors, closing the door behind her and making her way to the phone. It was a beige push-button phone attached to the wall separating the hall and the living room. She dialled a familiar number. “Franx Mekanix, Frank speaking,” said the man on the other end. “Hey, Frank, it’s Scarlett,” she said. “Listen, I have an empty car in front of my house that needs towing.” “Again?” Frank asked. “Again,” she replied. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me how–” Frank was interrupted by Scarlett giving him a stern tone. “No. I won’t. I don’t pay you to ask questions,” she said. “Do what you want with the car, just make sure there’s no trace of it. Pick it up as soon as you can.” Frank sighed, but agreed and said he’d be on his way immediately, on the condition that he’d be paid in cash this time. Scarlett agreed, and hung up.

Next thing she knew she was emptying the trunk of the car standing next to hers, moving practically anything she found that wasn’t bolted down to a fire pit in the woods, about two hundred metres behind her house. She and her daughter would spend several summer evenings barbecuing at that spot every year. Once she was done piling the luggage and other things as neatly as she could in the fire pit, she made her way back to the car, making a detour through the house to grab a screwdriver, and removed the license plates. She brought both of them into the house, cleaning them in the kitchen sink the best she could, then after letting them dry they were brought up to her bedroom.

An hour later, Frank arrived with his tow truck. He got right to work, with Scarlett sitting by the front door, watching him. Once he got done with that, he approached Scarlett. “Another mysterious car missing both its license plates and its owner,” he said, faking a smile at her, to which Scarlett seemed unfazed. “Anyway, I’m all set and ready to go,” he continued. “What do I owe you this time?” she asked. “Seeing as this gets riskier every time,” he responded, followed by him briefly muttering to himself as he tried deciding on a price he deemed fair. “How’s a hundred bucks sound?” he then proposed. Scarlett sighed quietly under her breath, but agreed and handed him the cash. They didn’t say goodbye, instead awkwardly nodding at one another as Frank began driving away.

A few hours passed, and evening had come. It was about 9 o’clock, with the sun hanging low and the forest blocking out its faint, red light, leaving the house in the dark. Scarlett had just finished tucking in Eden for the night. She made her way to her bedroom, where she changed clothes, from a casual outfit she had picked out for the day to a black dress that fell below her knees. She applied some make-up to her face and picked out a dark red lipstick – her favourite colour. Afterwards, she picked up the license plates that had been resting on her vanity desk, and kissed each one, living a dark red kiss mark on both of them. She placed one of them in the bottom drawer on the right side, with the numerous others she had collected over the years. She took the other one with her as she left the house, bringing a matchbox, a cannister of lighter fluid and a bottle of red wine with her as well, and made her way to the fire pit. She placed the license plate atop the pile and generously sprayed the lighter fluid over everything that lay in the fire pit. She lit two matches tightly held together, and gently threw them at the fire pit, stepping away as the fire quickly rose and engulfed the mound of luggage and other things. The wind was still, allowing the flame to dance gently, as she opened her bottle of wine. With each sip from the neck of the bottle, a tear slowly grew larger and larger in the corner of her eye. As sips turned to chugs, the first tear fell, followed by many others, and when the bottle eventually ran dry, she let out a pained cry into the empty night, throwing the empty bottle at the side of the fire pit, causing it to shatter against the stones. She fell to her knees with her head in her hands, sobbing loudly, with the crackles of the fire being the only other noise accompanying her.

#Marbles #Story #Horror #Short story #Horror story

[fluorescentpipedream]

@musesnotebook

Nikolai is the oldest of three, he was four when his parents got divorced, and still remembers how much they fought, even before Matthias was born. He got his love of cooking from his mother and grandmother and had originally chosen to stay with his mother following the separation. He and Matthias ended up in their father’s care after his 6th birthday, being told it would be better for them if they were with their father. (The real reason was their mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer and she didn’t want to put her boys through that. She survives, but remains in a fragile state, she eventually remarries though never has other children, Nikolai stays in contact with her until her death, following the opening of his first restaurant. Matthias is too young to understand and just thought mommy had gotten tired of him. His brother explains it to him later) After moving in with his father, step-mother and new baby brother, Nikolai is quiet and has reservations about this new family though the woman does try very hard to connect with him. It’s not until he gets sick and she spends the entire day watching over him that he finally lets his guard down a bit more. Later on, he rationalizes his standoffish behavior towards her by saying he felt abandoned by their mother and didn’t want someone replacing her.

He and Matthias start to take a very protective stance over their baby brother, especially as he gets older. He opened his first restaurant in San Francisco and was able to take his mother to the opening shortly before her death. She was infinitely proud of her son and told him to continue to work for what he always wanted.

His first restaurant and the first one to receive the attention that set him on his way was Rose in San Francisco. It featured a French theme and breakfast/brunch options. It’s also got a very vegan/paleo-friendly menu that tries to make sure there’s something for everyone while maintaining a 5-star atmosphere. Most items on the menu can be customized with the customer in mind. He apparently spent a few years in France learning from the best chefs there in order to more appropriately prepare each of the items on the menu. He also learned how to make beignets and madeleine cookies, both of which require 10 minutes so they can be made fresh.

His second restaurant opened in the Venetian a few years later and though it did get a lot of attention he felt as though he was just spinning his wheels there. At the time, he was starting to become more popular with a higher clientele, going so far as getting to meet Gordon Ramsay when he came to dinner at the restaurant and after speaking to him he somewhat took Nikolai under his wing, offering him several suggestions and a few chances to really work towards his goals. He eventually ends up moving out of the Venetian, feeling that it’s not quite the right fit for him, as it doesn’t fit into the Italian setting that most Santarelli casinos strive to reflect. After meeting with Livia Prim at her usual table he ends up telling her the situation and is offered a place in the newly remodeled Bellagio. The menu for his new endeavor features more sustainably-grown alternatives, a fresh fish menu featuring sushi and a more organic feel to it. He has more fun with that one, feeling it’s a better fit for him and his vision of the future.

He’s been living in Vegas before deciding to open his latest restaurant in New York, though wants to do something completely different. After returning to his Scandinavian roots by taking a trip back to his family home there, he begins work on opening Spisa in the states, taking a sharp left from what he’s typically done before. The menu features a very colorful tasting menu with salads, and a more rich meat section, featuring lamb, steak, and chicken while finally moving away from fish courses. The general goal of Spisa is to take people back home with things you might find in your bestamour’s (grandma) kitchen, focusing on comfort food with a Michelin star flare. He’s got a truffle oil macaroni and cheese that is apparently to die for, and his little niece Maisie adores it.

For the grand opening he’s offering small plates with samples of a handful of his dishes including the white truffle oil mac & cheese, tomato bisque and a different take on grilled cheese (apparently similar to what was made for him by his step-mother), and cuts of lamb with a braised onion sauce, steak with asparagus and some kind of cream sauce and a small bite of a pesto pasta thing with chicken. He also will have desserts, most of them coming from more classic Norwegian sweets but he’s got a cheesecake with fruit compote and a flourless chocolate cake as well. The guest list for the opening is going to make it quite the event, but he did remember to invite his family as well.

He uses his mother’s maiden name, Wolfe, rather than his father’s name when he’s started his restaurants, mostly so as not to draw attention away from his little brother’s career. He always told Craig he didn’t want to overshadow him.

#characters #new #information #gustaf skarsgard

[jo-shaneflorence18]

Under the Tuscan sun (and rain)

8/05/2018: It was an early start today, seven o'clock at Santa Maria Novella Station for a seven thirty departure. As such, there was no time for the usual lethargy before we left the apartment so Jo and Cecilia left early for a head start. Once a street level we power walked, to different intensities, through the urban grid until we reached Piazza Santa Maria Novella and Via degli Avelli which led us straight to the station. By the time we arrived at the taxi rank, there were already people around to greet us. Having alerted them to our presence, we then scooted down to MacDonald's for some quick chew and spew which we finished off back in the queue.

The last time we took this tour the buses were at the bus station immediately adjacent to where we were but due to road works around the car parks, we had quite a walk in front of us before we arrived at the temporary arrangements. Our guides led us around the perimeter of Maria Novella before we were able to board the buses and commence the journey.

A sun bathed Cecilia waiting for departure

The trip was slow. On the trip out we encountered traffic everywhere, bumper to bumper all the way out of Florence. It took quite a while to reach Porta Romana and the old thirteenth century city walls. Patiently we waited, until we reached the top of Via Senese, the long uphill stretch taking us away from the city. Soon enough we were making better time allowing for a nine o'clock arrival at Siena.

Being dropped off on the roadside at Viale Vittorio Veneto meant, as with the last time, our guide would need to shepherd us up past the next set of ancient walls adorned with the Medici coat of arms,  past Stadio Artemio Franchi, home to once Serie A contenders, Robur Siena and into the outskirts of Siena.

We were in Medici territory

At some point we were introduced to another guide, a lady who specialised in the area and with coloured cloth in hand, would spend the next hour or more leading us through, and telling us about her town.

Our first stop was not very far, Piazza Salimbeni, where we stood near the adjacent roadway to get a perspective of what we were about to be told. The story was all about the buildings that embraced the square on three sides. To our left was sixteenth century Palazzo Tantucci, our right, fifteenth century Palazzo Spannocchi and to complete the trifecta, the much older Fondaco of the Salimbeni straight ahead. All now owned by Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, supposedly the oldest continually operating bank in the world, dating back to 1472 under the instruction of the Magistracies of the Republic of Siena. The bank began its life as a Monte Pio or pawn agency with the express purpose of aiding the town's underprivileged classes in times of hardship. The Charter of 1624 adopted progressive reforms that linked the Monte more closely to the local economy resulting in the bank's name change to Monte dei Paschi. The Grand Duke of Tuscany granting the bank's depositors a state guarantee backed up by the revenues from the state-owned pasture lands in the Maremma (the Paschi), in southern Tuscany. Interesting story.

Sallustio Bandini, Italian archdeacon, economist, and politician who's donation of his private library to the University of Siena necessitated the formation of the precursor to Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena's communal library

The next lesson was the origins of the Palio and Contrade. Siena is historically made up of three districts or trazi, in turn comprised of seventeen contrade of which six belong to Terzo di Camollia to the north (Bruco, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Luca and Oca), five to Terzo di San Martino to the south east (Civetta, Leocorno, Montone, Nicchio and Torre) and six to Terzo di Città to the south west (Aquila, Chiocciola, Onda, Pantera, Selva and Tartuca). Each contrada is represented by an animal, mythical creature or symbol and represent areas of where people plied their trades. Two examples of which are Giraffa (Giraffe), from the north-eastern area from the Piazza del Campo whose residents were painters and Lupa (She Wolf), to the north of the piazza. Their residents were traditionally bakers.

The insignia of Contrada Bruco (Caterpillar), pinned to the façade of Palazzo Spannocchi, old mercantile family of Siena.

As history tells it, the contrade supplied soldiers to mercenary forces that were paid to defend Siena from its foes during the middle ages but over the centuries the contrade have taken a more ceremonial involvement, no more so than Il Palio di Siena. The Palio is a bare back horse racing event over four days with origins in the far distant past and is the major Sienese event for the year. Twice a year, the Palio takes place with the horses running several laps around Piazza del Campo. The first race, Palio of Provenzano takes place on the 2nd of July and a few weeks later, on 16th of August, the Palio of the Assumption.  Ten of the seventeen contrade take part with the horses consigned and the jockeys chosen early in the piece. A series of trials ensue over the duration of the event culminating with the main race on the fourth day. The winner takes home the Drappellone and hangs it in the contrada's museum.

Our guide holding up an aerial shot of Piazza del Campo during the Palio

After the rundown on the square, Palazzo Pubblico and the other surrounding buildings, the crowd dissipated to all corners to enjoy the free time that we were allotted. We chose to head west, and conquered the incline known as La Mossa (start and finish line of the Palio) and into Costa rella dei Barbieri, the stretch between the Piazza del Campo and the Duomo, past Battistero di S. Giovanni Battista and eventually into Piazza del Duomo. We then queued to enter Duomo di Siena.

Longish queues at Duomo di Siena

We were now in Selva (Forest) country

The queue was certainly worth the wait and few euro to get in. Apart from the beautiful façade, the inside was magnificent with the white and dark green marble hooped theme of the outside being continued throughout. The floor, covered with red, black and white mosaics certainly made the place stand out as it is easy to be "basilica'd out" in this country and we weren't even at Rome yet. You can only see what you can see. There was apparently plenty of other stuff around but we had to move on as time was pressing.

This mosaic is of the Sienese Wolf (She Wolf of Siena) Surrounded by Symbols of Allied Cities. Legend has it that the twin sons of Remus, Seno and Aschio, fled to Siena  after Romulus murdered their father and had the same fate in mind for them. They took refuge in Tuscany where Seno would found the city of Siena. Aschio founded Asciano. The mosaic dates back to 1360 odd but has been touched up over the centuries

The magnificent ceiling of the Duomo

We made it back to Piazzo del Campo with some time to spare but not much. Time to quickly look around though. Next to our meeting place was the entrance to the loggia of the Palazzo Pubblico, an internal setup of which we only had time for a glance. Certainly worth a look next time. Before long we were heading back to the bus and on our way to lunch.

Bust of Mangiaguadagni? Doesn't seem rotund enough given his reputation. Torre del Mangia was apparently named after the tower's first bellringer or something. Giovanni di Balduccio must have had an appetite as he was supposed to have spent all of his pay on tucker. Hence the name Tower of the Eater

Our next stop, Fattoria Poggio Alloro was about an hour north west of Siena. From there we would head a little further, just across the valley to San Gimignano. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly by the hosts and shown around the complex with a brief description of their history and what they do. From the three brothers who migrated to the area and raise enough money to buy the property almost fifty years ago to describing the wines, organic food and farm animals that are produced by the family today. We were doing the same thing here three years ago and not much had changed. When you're on a good thing, stick to it. Jo reckoned that their toilets were bigger which may reflect its popularity.

After being escorted through the distilling area beneath the restaurant, past the grapes and artichokes, and past the sheds containing the cattle and other creatures, we were seated for lunch. Breads, olive oils, pasta and antipasto a plenty, all accompanied by Poggio Alloro reds and whites. Last time we were here it was an excellent feed and today was no different. After lunch we showed our appreciation, dropped in to the takeaway shop and reboarded the bus that would take us up the hill to a very stormy looking San Gimignano.

Cecilia feeling comfortable

Being shown through the farm

The experience was brief at San Gimignano. Not only due to it being geared up to rip off tourists, but the weather was closing in. We were dropped off in the allotted bus area, a few hundred metres away and well below Porta San Giovanni, the main entrance, having to endure the cold and wind that was put on to welcome us. The rain had been threatening for a while but held off until we could browse the shops and get an idea of the layout of the place. This is where the genders again separated.

San Gimignano town walls

The women stayed around the shops and the lower area of Piazza Della Cisterna where they managed a break at Caffetteria Gelateria dell'Olmo. The men ventured further out and eventually were caught out by the foul weather which called a halt to pretty well everything.

A very wet Via San Matteo with no cover in sight

Back to the bus. Next stop Pisa.

Not everyone had the luxury of umbrellas as we all waited for there to be enough space in the bus station for ours to arrive. There was plenty of sharing going on

It was rest time on the bus as Pisa was a fair way away, about an hour and a half. We left San Gimignano around four and arrived at Park Pietrasantina, the local bus station by five thirty. From there we were told that we would be left to our own devices and escorted to Porte Manin, almost a kilometre away, past the Africans and Bangladeshis selling stuff along Via Cammeo, their tents backing onto the western wall that faced the baptistry. By now it was six and it was here that those who had chosen to, and paid to climb the tower were given their tickets and times. We had to be back at the bus by seven thirty. Shane and Jo had climbed the tower before so it was only Cecilia and the boys to climb at the designated time slot of six thirty. That was until Cec backed out so Shane took the spare ticket. Jo and Cec spent the time around the grounds.

The usual touristy stuff

During the time that the boys were waiting to queue for the tower, Thomas took the time to look for a watch. He promised his boss that he would bring him back a Rolex and would get one for himself as well. Up until now he had been telling the Africans that he wasn't interested and to leave him alone. As we approached the tower he noticed a street seller flogging watches just down the road, in Piazza Acivescovado and allowed him to spruik his products. Out came the watches, all looking in mint condition and guaranteed original. "How much for the Rolex?", Thomas would ask. "One hundred and twenty euro", the African dude would come back. "Your joking!" would be Thomas's reply. "Eighty" he'd come back. And so on it went until after walking away, they both settled on fifteen euro for one watch. Cheap just for the entertainment and the talking points back home. It was time to queue.

Tilting at four degrees and getting worse

The queue was short due to designated time slots. As we approached the front we entered almost immediately being warned not to loiter too much as the line needed to keep moving. The inside was interesting with devices set up so as to keep track on the tower's tilt progression and information boards setting out what was, what is now and what was expected.

The tower is continually monitored after underexcavation, reduction of inclination and stabilisation of groundwater took place during the nineties

Information boards at the tower's base

The climb to the top was the usual. Tight radius, enough lean for us to favour one side of the step or the other, depending on which side we were on and the manoeuvring around slower climbers and people returning from the top. After stopping to look out of each opening and grappling with the even tighter spiral staircase that delivered us to the deck on top, we exited to the late afternoon sunshine that lit up the Piazza dei Miracoli and its surrounds. A look around, the odd pose for the cameras and a less than scientific observation of the bells and their inscriptions and we were off, back down to the bottom for a leisurely stroll back to the bus.

Quasimodo, eat your heart out

The descent of the tower was a hell of a lot easier than the ascent and as such we didn't need too much of a break when we met up again. As a group we wandered through the Piazza dei Miracoli watching the many people relaxing, one way or another and admiring the cathedral, the baptistry and of course the Camposanto Monumentale. We had been lucky, as the further we travelled away from the south during the afternoon, the better the weather became. Since Pisa and Florence were of similar latitude and travelling south into rain, one would be hopeful that since leaving fine weather in Florence this morning and returning to fine weather in Pisa, we would return to fine weather when the day concluded. This was not to be.

Practising fornicators

The time to meet back at the bus was soon approaching so we left the fornicators behind and returned to the bus station the way we came. As we walked back past the Africans along Via Cammeo, they all started showing their watches and stuff again, so with Thomas needing another watch, he fronted one of the sellers and offered five euro for a Rolex. He agreed and off we went, feeling ripped off by the first exchange. By nine we had braved the rain that had indeed moved north and were settling down in our apartment.

Damn, he was ripped off

Late and wet

Tomorrow, a day to look around.

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/best-casual-dining-eateries-and-coffee-shops-in-edinburgh/

Best casual dining eateries and coffee shops in Edinburgh

Best casual dining eateries and coffee shops in Edinburgh

1. Southside Scran Well-known chef Tom Kitchin recently opened a second gastropub in the Scottish capital, the Southside Scran. Slightly south of the city centre, in Bruntsfield, menus here feature belt-busting hearty dishes based around seasonal Scottish produce but with a French twist. The beautiful dining room features an open rotisserie grill showcasing local produce. Typical menu items include Highland wagyu beef tartare with melba toast or the gluten-free option of a Newhaven crab and chickpea pancake, garnished with chilli, ginger and coriander. The rotisserie serves up such delights as Ayrshire pork fillet and rotisserie leg with a pineapple salsa. 2. Nonna’s Kitchen Situated in Morningside, it's a fair distance to Italy but Nonna’s Kitchen has an excellent reputation for its authentic Italian dishes. Specialising in fresh fish and seafood, there is an impressive list of constantly changing daily specials. Their range of artisan-made pasta and pizza dishes are especially popular. Please note reservations are a must in the evenings but it’s perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a small bite you’re after, a full a la carte meal, a family meal, or even for business meetings. 3. Whiski Rooms This restaurant certainly ticks the box for one of the best views of Edinburgh, and you can expect traditional Scottish dishes with contemporary twists and a firm emphasis on locally sourced fresh produce. Whisky lovers can enjoy the vibe in the bar any time of the day and take part in the daily whisky tastings before browsing around the adjoining whisky shop. 4. Toast Toast is Edinburgh’s first wine café located at The Shore in Leith. Offering a casual coffee, wine and food experience, the café is open seven days a week and serves simple yet imaginative food alongside a carefully chosen wine list. Located in a former art gallery, Toast brings a unique café destination and is the perfect place to meet friends for a casual chat. Breakfast and brunch dishes include huevos rancheros, shakshuka and avocado toast with poached eggs, lunches of nutritious home-made soup, sourdough sandwiches and salads. For those keen on dining a bit later in the day, they serve a selection of smaller plates with a Mediterranean influence. Coffee shops in Edinburgh

5. Castello Coffee Overlooking the edge of the greenery of Bruntsfield Links, owner Sandro uses coffee from his London friends Allpress. The building in which the café is located used to be two shops and the spaces are divided up to provide two independent, funky areas – a mezzanine floor on one side with another airier space towards the back of the shop. There is a varied menu which included cooked breakfasts, salads and sweeter treats sourced from local baker Leo’s Beanery. There is also a lot for vegetarians to choose from. 6. Thomas J Walls Coffee Spacious and elegant, this shop is located on the southern side of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The owner offers high-quality coffee and the house bean is usually a Red Brick espresso. But it’s not only the coffee that’s good – brunches are hugely popular in the relaxed atmosphere. Think shakshuka, yoghurt and granola or rosti with spinach. Décor includes tables and chairs as well as the more relaxed sofa and armchairs – all adding to the classy feel.

7. Cult Espresso Cult Espresso, tucked away on Buccleuch Street, opened at the end of 2014. Filled with magnificent, coffee-infused smells and decorated with cosy intimacy in mind, the aim of this establishment is to ensure customers come away with an appreciation for the skill that goes into making that perfect cup of bean-filled perfection. The cafe’s USP is the brewing of Bath-based Roundhill Roastery beans in a Kees Van Der Western machine – what a treasure for lovers of quality coffee.

  8. Lovecrumbs It’s the name more than anything that makes us love this place. But bear in mind it’s cake only so if you’re a sandwich or soup lover, this is not the place for you. If a salty peanut butter chocolate tart, violet and blueberry cake, chocolate and rosemary cake or vegan brownies, head on over. Coffee is Artisan Roast, tea from Anteaques and bespoke hot chocolates from Coco Chocolate and, for those trying to stay off the caffeine, try the organic pressed apple juice. It’s very popular with students who love the vintage, upcycled ambiance.

9. The Hideout Café With a bookcase brimming with literature and lots of comfortable seating, The Hideout Café provides the perfect setting for book lovers – or if you simply want to watch the world go by. The menu comprises gourmet pastries, light bites, cakes, bakes and specialty brews from Clifton Coffee Roasters, as well as Action Smoothies, all named after butch actors like Sly Stalone. Grilled wraps and salads complete the fare and the floor-to-ceiling windows provide your calm window on the world.

#Edinburgh #foodie #GroupAccommodationEdinburgh #selfcateringedinburgh #VacationSoup

[wikitopx]

Charleston, South Carolina–a colonial city known best for its historic buildings and friendly people–is now adored for its standout culinary scene.

The Holy City has long since arrived as a must-see (and taste) destination of the South, and restaurants here must be special in order to thrive alongside the current Charleston talent. Expect a unique atmosphere from each spot in town and a loving dedication to local ingredients and farms.

Local Charlestonians and visitors alike enjoy the local food movement that's woven into the lowcountry's celebrity chefs and nationally recognized restaurants. Take, for example, the genuine pride with which The Ordinary presents each oyster, or the chalkboard menu at Husk that changes twice daily to reflect what's available locally.

Some of Charleston's best restaurants are found slightly off the main course–tucked into downtown neighborhoods among residential homes. Five Loaves Cafe is a longtime staple, serving vegetarian and gluten-free menus in humble environs for such a stellar variety of soups.

It would be remiss to collect a list of Charleston's best restaurants without mention of those honoring French and Italian cuisine with lowcountry ingredients. Chez Nous, Our Home, is at home on a semi-hidden street downtown, snapping and sharing photos of the unique offerings of the day each morning. Meanwhile, Trattoria Lucca artfully serves up the best pasta you've ever had–handmade fresh daily.

1. FIVE LOAVES CAFE

From loaded salads and stacked deli-style sandwiches to impressively flavorful soups, curry, fish, and chicken dishes, Five Loaves satisfies every party and taste. Ask any Five Loaves regular for their perfect meal, and they'll likely recommend a unique set of choices--not to mention the fantastic daily specials. We humbly recommend the Eggplant-Wrapped Goat Cheese to start, followed by the Tri-Color Cheese Tortellini or the Pumpkin Seed-Encrusted Salmon. Looking for a quick lunch? Go half and half with your choice of soup-salad, soup-sandwich, or salad-sandwich. Beyond just palette, Five Loaves takes care of those with dietary restrictions or food allergies, and offering clearly marked menu options during both lunch and dinner service.

Recommended for Best Restaurants because: A best-in-town restaurant doesn't have to be expensive. The fans of Five Loaves speak volumes for the great value of well-prepared lunch and dinner dishes.

Clare's expert tip: Five Loaves takes on a different mood from lunch to dinner. Head here for a quicker, more casual soup and sandwich, or choose dinner for a cozy neighborhood date night.

2. R KITCHEN

Chef and owner Ross Web heads a small team of assistant chefs in his venture here on Rutledge Ave--to bring affordable fine dining to downtown Charleston in a comfortable, open, and inviting environment. Whereas they're at it, R Kitchen offers much more to its little group of visitors at each of three nightly seatings: a $25, 5-course dinner that emphasizes local, seasonal ingredients and a menu that's crafted to meet the needs and tastes of each guest in attendance that evening. Call ahead for reservations (nightly reservations here are in high demand) and be sure to disclose any dietary needs or preferences. Chef Ross will take care of your party, and you will be able to watch each step taken to plan and serve your dinner.

Recommended for Best Restaurants because: R Kitchen makes our list for the dedication of head chef and owner Ross Webb's dedication to affordable fine dining and locally sourced ingredients!

Clare's expert tip: You can't get much better than 5 courses for $25, especially when your meal comes alongside a live cooking session seen easily from most seats in the house (plus on-point wine pairings).

3. CHEZ NOUS

Chez Nous, meaning Our Home in French, is as cozy inside as you would expect from the name. But don't let that fool you--the team at Chez Nous serves up a three course menu (two options for app, entree, and dessert) each day that commands the attention of locals and visitors alike. The presentation of each dish is lovely, guaranteeing a top-notch experience before you've even take your first bite. The owner-chef couple of Chez Nous know what they're doing, and offer an impressive variety of traditional, authentic French (and sometimes Spanish) dishes from day to day. Each day means a different menu, with some recurring items: a bread basket of croissant and baguette, tartine du jour, fish, and quail. No reservations are accepted as this little side street hotspot, so be sure to plan ahead for your Chez Nous meal.

4. THE ORDINARY

Housed in a fantastic old bank building on Upper King, this downtown shellfish bar and fish restaurant serves as it were the highest quality fish and shellfish, sourcing locally and sustainably. The Ordinary too offers many 'exotic' (or at slightest gutsy) items on a day by day basis, as well, counting Razor Clams, Spanish Octopus, among others. The freshness of the fixings and the artistic nature of the presentation, is prove of the care and authority of head chef Mike Lata (also at FIG). Speaking of introduction, do you take your seafood in tower form? Bring a group shellfish significant others to The Conventional, and check the event with a double--or triple--Shellfish Tower.

5. MCCRADY'S

McCrady's plates each dish as in spite of the fact that it was an art form, and the benefits abound in it's stellar reviews and reputation in town (and over the country). Located just manysteps back from bustling East Bay Street, McCrady's serves a inventive menu focusing on what's new, regular, and nearby to the Charleston area. The setting is elegant and inviting, total with fireplaces and purple booth seating, making for the perfect celebratory meal or date night dinner before a show. Don't skip the bar during your visit to McCrady's--many argue that their cocktail program is as strong, if not even better, than their food.

6. TRATTORIA LUCCA

Chef Ken Vedrinksi and also chef at Coda Del Pesce on Isle of Palms, knows exactly what he is doing when preparing Italian food. We're just thankful he's chosen to bring is talents for authentic Italian to the city of Charleston, serving world-class pasta dishes from a Bogard Street corner at Trattoria Lucca. This casual, comfortable, and semi-subdued restaurant is warm and cozy inside, and the smells alone are enough to sell you on a long night of taste-testing. The Trattoria Lucca menu features daily specials that are worth noting, while menu regulars include the standout the Golden Beets and Octopus appetizer, Bucatini with browned goat butter, and the Fusilli Bucati with housemade duck sausage.

7. HALLS CHOPHOUSE

Both longtime locals and first time visitors to Charleston quickly become aware of Hall's Chophouse on Upper King, and it's glowing reputation for high-quality steaks, chops, and seafood. The elegant, old-world steakhouse interior of Halls, and the ever-present owner of this family business, only serve to add to the charming ambiance of this fine dining establishment. While Halls may be known for it's Filet Minion and Wagyu Filet, its Sunday Gospel Brunch is not so quietly gaining a dedicated following. That's because the Gospel Brunch at Halls is unlike any other in Charleston, or perhaps the entire Southeast. Expect full, flavorful, gut-busting plates of Shrimp & Grits, Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, and Southern Sweet Potato Pancakes to pair perfectly with their open bar, and the joyous chorus of a local gospel group from 10am - 3pm each Sunday. Come hungry, leave very, very happy.

8. EDMUND'S OAST

Make the reservation, come interior, and instantly you are feeling at home here. Edmund's Oast was outlined with awesome attention to detail, made for long and relaxed meals, and comfortable space to enjoy good food with great company. The restaurant itself inspires another time much like a feudal age, and holds 130 inside. Edmund's Oast too serves an alternative menu for its covered open air space, The Bowery, a truly idealize setting for a fall or springtime beer and bite. Each dish--especially the charcuterie and cheese boards--are presented in a wonderful yet approachable way. Expect a fine feasting level of quality with regard shown to nearby ingredients. The service is top-notch, and each server and bartender is an master in their field.

9. HUSK

Chef Sean Brock pays homage to solely Southern ingredients in an 1893 house on Queen Street. Casually elegant d--cor showcases the Lowcounty in soft, neutral tones and details such as dried okra pods as table centerpieces. It's for good reason that Husk has received so many accolades, including a coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2010. Brock has done his homework in terms of Southern heirloom produce and heritage meats, and he aims to reintroduce many of these ingredients. He puts his inventive, modern turn on traditional Southern dishes consolidating local products such as Benne seeds, house-cured nation ham, and Geechie Boys grits. Before or after your meal, stop by Husk's cozy bar next door for a crafted cocktail or one of the Kentucky-made quaffs on the amazing bourbon list.

10. FIG

Distilling the essence of each season is what FIG is all about. True to its acronym, which stands for Food Is Good, FIG delivers big taste in a lively dining room, where the walls are decorated with serene scenes of the Lowcountry. (Chef) partner Mike Lata has long been a champion of local farmer and fishermen. His commitment to local ingredients complements the time he spent working in French kitchens, and the FIG website boldly quotes him: When you eat at FIG, you taste produce grown in the Lowcountry's distinctly sandy soil, fish caught in our briny waters, and livestock raised on our pastures... That's a creed still serving the FIG restaurant's mission today since their opening in 2003. And though the menu changes nightly, the flavorful fish stew, served in a cast-iron cocotte, has been a menu staple since the restaurant opened.

Here are a few more ideas for what to do in the area: Top 10 things to do in South Carolina

From : https://wikitopx.com/food/top-10-best-restaurants-in-south-carolina-701466.html

#Wikitopx #Wikitopx - Feed

[eatbcstx-blog]

Take Our Poll

Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza

  Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

Amico Nave Ristorante 203 E. Villa Maria, Bryan, TX • 979-703-1953

Amico Nave Ristorante is the sister restaurant to Shipwreck Grill and the name literally means “Friend of the Ship.” Amico was born of a passion for great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Owner Wade Beckman’s stepfather, Tony, is from Sicily and lived in Bryan for most of his life. Tony passed down his grandmother’s sauce recipes to Wade who paired them with modern dishes to give our menu that old world charm, with a modern flair. Pizzas are a customer favorite at Amico.

Antonio’s Pizza 104 College Main, College Station, TX 979-260-3535

Huge Slice Selection at Antonio’s on Northgate.

You can order whole pies to eat there inside or out on the patio…or grab a slice or two of an old favorite or something more creative. Creative slice specials are something Antonio’s Pizza on Northgate is well known for.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd., Post Oak Mall Pad Site • 979-696-5700

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse specializes in pizzas and “pizookies,” a pizza-inspied dessert cookie that is quite heavenly, ice cream is involved.

Blaze Pizza College Station Century Square, Across from Texas A&M • 979-227-2629

Blaze Pizza College Station is: healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = pizza.

Blue Baker 3 College Station Locations

D’Vinchee Pizza by Blue Baker

In addition to out-of-this-world bread, cookies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, Blue Baker makes awesome stone oven pizzas.

Cafe Eccell 4401 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 979-599-7929

Cafe Eccell stone oven pizza.

Among many other fine entrees and desserts, Cafe Eccell is well known for its pizzas. Their pizza oven was chosen with great care and serves as a centerpiece to their restaurant. The advanced design in wood/gas combination provides a unique product.

Carino’s Italian 620 N. Harvey Rd., College Station, TX • 979-764-7374

  From the Italian classics, to Carino’s one-of-a-kind spiced Italian favorites, all offerings are handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available. Whether you’re craving Italian comfort food like the 16-Layer Lasagna, or something with a little more spice like the famous Italian Nachos, Johnny Carino’s has something for everyone.

DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks 3 Bryan-College Station Locations 979-764-3283

DoubleDave’s is an Aggieland original.

DoubleDave’s Pizza, a College Station original since 1984 still serving up your favorite pizzas for carryout, delivery, and the daily lunch buffet. Don’t forget their World famous Peproni Rolls and Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli.

Domino’s Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-774-5567

Domino’s Pizza says: Are you looking for pizza delivery? Let Domino’s fill that special place in your heart. It might sound cheesy, but we want to be your favorite pizzeria. We love to provide our fans with the best pizza deals that Domino’s has to offer. Next time you’re thinking of food places near me, don’t forget about Domino’s. With over 5,000 pizza places to choose from, you’re only a few clicks away from a delicious pizza.

Fazoli’s 400 Harvey Road, College Station, TX • 979-694-5199

Fazoli’s fast, fresh, Italian restaurant is a favorite in College Station, TX. The Pasta and Sauces, Breadsticks and Salads are FRESHLY prepared throughout the day. Oven-Baked Dishes and Submarinos® are never baked ‘til you order them! Made with 100% Real Mozzarella and Provolone, vine-ripened Tomatoes in their Authentic Marinara Sauce, plus Garden Vegetables. Fast, fresh, Italian! They also offer catering Anytime. Anywhere. Any Occasion. Call 888-FAZOLIS to place your order!

Gumby’s Pizza 107 Dominik Dr. 979-764-8629

Extra Large Pizza from Gumby’s Pizza on Dominik

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “The Buffalo Wings were juicy and moist. There was a decent amount of meat on the bone. The sauce wasn’t too hot, but was perfectwhen cooled by the ranch dressing they come with. The wings aren’t breaded so they aren’t too heavy. Overall, they’re pretty good for pizza shop wings.”

Hungry Howie’s Pizza 105 Southwest Pkwy. & 4501 S. Texas Ave. 979-693-6666

Hungry Howie’s flavored crust pizza.

The original home of flavored crust pizza. Ranch, Garlic Butter, Butter Cheese, Cajun…whatever flavor you want, they bake it into the crust at Hungry Howie’s. 2 locations and delivering all over Bryan-College Station.

Little Caesars Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-696-0191

Little Caesars Pizza uses only the finest ingredients, including a blend of 100%, never-frozen Mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, sauce made from vine-ripened crushed tomatoes and dough made in-house, every day, at every location.

Marco’s Pizza 1842 Graham Rd. 979-690-7770

The Pepperoni Magnifico is a very popular specialty pie at Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza is relatively new on the Bryan-College Station pizza scene, but their authentic Italian sauce has been successful since it was perfected by their founder in 1978. They make all dough fresh in store. They use three fresh cheeses that melt into one amazing taste.

Mighty Slice Pizza 303 University Drive. 979-846-8806

HUGE Slices at Mighty Slice in the Backyard on Northgate

Get Texas size pizza by the slice at Mighty Slice Pizza on Northgate. 28 inch pies and 14 inch slices. Size does matter and still some of the best pizza in town.

Mr. G’s Pizzeria 201 W. 26th Street 979-822-6747

Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “I tried the White Pizza, which the menu proclaims is “A favorite of Mr G himself!” The pie is basically their original pizza without the red sauce and sprinkled with basil. It was good stuff! The crust was fluffy and thin at the same time, stone oven perfect!”

Papa John’s Pizza 1741 University 979-846-3600  1740 Rock Prairie 979-680-0508

Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza at the All American Favorite Papa John’s. They have two locations in College Station. The University Drive location has a nice dining room.

RX Pizza 200 W. 26th St.Downtown Bryan 979-721-9158

Pizza of the Month at RX Pizza and Bar in Downtown Bryan.

Recent RX Pizza Review on EatBCS.com: “Tried a take out pie from Downtown Bryan’s RX Pizza today and it was great. The crust tasted as if the dough is made from scratch and it reminded me of the two wood fired pizza places in College Station, Napa Flats, West End and the two in Bryan – Amico Nave and Cafe Eccell. This should be a hit in Downtown Bryan which did in fact lack the combination of a well mixed adult beverage and and adult pizza. Easy parking and located in what used to be a drug store for decades. Great prescription for a successful eating & drinking establishment.”

Urban Bricks 1512 Texas Ave S. Ste. 100, College Station, TX • 979-431-3833

At Urban Bricks, they bring an authentic Neapolitan pizza at a reasonable price to your table. We live in a world full of options, we want choices, we want things fast, and want our customers to have it too.  Urban Bricks embraces the pizza eating culture by providing a customized experience for every taste without compromising our quality for speed.

The Village and Art979 Gallery 210 W 26th St, Downtown Bryan, TX • 979-703-8514

The Village and Art979 Gallery has many specialties, brunch, healthy coffee-house fare, pasta bowls, dinner entrees, all incredibly tasty, as are their handmade pizzas. Out of this world! Many locally sourced, fresh ingredients too.

Vote for Your Favorite Pizza in Bryan-College Station Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

[betlinedesign]

Syracuse

About a year ago, I went out to Syracuse for a design conference.  To say it was an awesome experience wouldn't do that weekend away justice - it was the first time I had ever taken myself somewhere in New York State by myself, and though I was initially nervous, it turned out to be one of the super positive experiences we all hope to have.  I made some new friends, found some amazing places to hang out, and totally broke out of my comfort zone.

This year, I wasn’t able to go to the design conference (deployment sucks) but I was lucky enough to get to show my husband around the city I found I loved last year. We were able to spend one last weekend away together before he’s off for his deployment, and Syracuse did not disappoint!

I’m a Californian, and as a West Coast gal it’s always mind-blowing for me to consider how close together things are out here.  In the time it would take (without traffic) to get from San Diego to Los Angeles, we were able to get get in Syracuse and get settled into our hotel room.  

We stayed at the Aloft Inner Harbor Syracuse , which is this AMAZING hotel not too far outside of my favorite neighborhood, Armory Square.  Our room looked out on the water, the bed was unbelievably comfy, and the modern decor and aesthetic totally brought us back to our Iceland trip from a few weeks ago.  

There wasn’t a single picture I took of the hotel that didn’t include an explosion of our stuff, so I’ll just refer you to their photos - I promise, this is exactly what the room looked like, and it was huge.  Absolutely huge.

We both had to work while we were in Syracuse, but the positive is we had three whole days to hang out, so we found plenty of time for adventures.  While my husband checked in with his local leadership and checked off some last minute things with his team, I happily connected with the hotel for some remote work.  Sometimes it can be hard for me to work remotely - my job requires some pretty hefty bandwidth for internet that has (on occasion) overwhelmed my home router, but the hotel internet was a beast and kept pace with me all day, and no matter where I went (by the hotel, down in the lobby, hanging out in our room) I was connected and good to go.

Eating

Truthfully, it can sometimes be a pain to try to find clean eating friendly food while traveling.  While the world has become much more open to the idea of alternative eating models, a lot of what we see labelled as “clean eating” or “organic” still doesn't really mesh with the way we eat.  This certainly isn’t a judgement or an admonishment to the world for not conforming to how I personally live, but seriously nothing wrecks a vacation like feeling bloated and lethargic because you aren’t eating right.

More often than not, we pack ourselves food that we know meets our standard and dietary restrictions.  We’ve rolled up to beach weekends with friends with a massive cooler of goodies, just to be sure that we’ll be set up for the weekend.

That being said, it was surprisingly easy to find restaurants that were clean eating friends all across the broader Syracuse area.  I had no idea that grain bowls were becoming such a thing, but I am not complaining - it was fantastic!

One of the places we stopped in most frequently was CoreLife Eatery, which is an awesome restaurant where you can build your own grain bowl.  My husband refers to it as the Chipotle for clean eating, and he isn’t wrong.  

Not only were the salads, soups, and grain bowls all clean eating with serious vegetarian options, but their fountain drinks were so good!  There’s a high chance that they were packed with sugar, which we are supposed to be avoiding, but we just cut it down with half water and decided to indulge.

Our big date night in town involved heading to Pastabilities, which honestly we half chose because of the name.  I saw that they made their pasta from scratch, and it seemed like it might be clean eating so, we gave it a shot.  It was fantastic!

I studied abroad in Italy, so I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart from really good quality Italian food.  We were sitting on the back patio of Pastabilities, and the smell was exactly like so many of the coastal restaurants that I had loved eating at when I first arrived.  Plus, it was the first time in years I had access to burrata, AKA the cheese of all cheeses, and I scarfed it down in every possible way.  If you’re ever in Syracuse, I would HIGHLY recommend giving Pastabilities a shot.  You won’t regret it! 

If you know me well, you know that I have coffee issues.  I spent 6 years working at Starbucks, and while I can no longer speak to the training process, when I came through, you had to try out all of the coffee types, be able to speak to them with authority, and pair them.  Since that was also my first job, that was where and how I got hooked on coffee.  Excellent planning on Starbuck’s part - it’s actually difficult for me to drink a normal cup of coffee, because light or medium roast is just too acidic and ends up giving me stomach problems.  

For this reason, I can be a little hesitant about trying new coffee out.  As I mentioned before, nothing wrecks a relaxing vacation like having an upset stomach.  That being said, we found Freedom of Espresso in Franklin Square just down the block from our hotel, and it was really cute.  The dark roast actually was a dark roast, and it had great flavor and depth.  My only slight critique is that when we were there at 8am on a Friday, there were no snacks.  At all.  We bought day old bagels that they had out, but I was sorta bummed that we had to go find breakfast somewhere else.  It’s also worth noting that when I stumbled into another Freedom of Espresso location in Armory Square, they had plenty of options - I think we just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Our last surprise find was Original Grain.  To be honest, I was a little bit skeptical at first.  I mean, why are there so many grain bowl spots in one town, and why is this one so fresh and hip but empty? 

I can’t really explain the emptiness, especially because I’ve never been more wrong about a place.  It was BANGING.  Like, seriously, the most amazing glorious thing I’ve had in a while.  We found this place the day after we watched Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, so when my husband dragged me off to the bathroom door to see the Notorious B.I.G. photo, we felt pretty confident that we had made the right choice.

The staff was unbelievably sweet, and let me ask a million questions - and even subbed out ahi tuna for chicken when I mentioned that I was a vegetarian (I just expected them to leave it off and charge us the same price).  I ordered the Mexi-Cali bowl (obviously.  If it has either ‘Mexi’ or ‘Cali’ in it, I’m 98% more likely to order it) and I’m not sure what my favorite part was - how pink it was, or how fresh.  Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I ate food and it tasted like California, but this had it down.  

A side bar about New York food.  It’s good, and I clearly have chosen to live here.  But there’s something about California food - I swear you can taste the sunshine in it.  Produce from California just tastes different, and it gets lost when you ship it.  The way that produce and veggies taste, smell, feel at home is just different and more vibrant.  But I’m biased, don’t trust me ;)

 Adventures

While of course we did out fair share of relaxing by the pool at the hotel and lounging in our luxurious room, what’s the point of visiting a new place if you don’t check out some cool sites?

We’re big fans of wandering around, so we headed over to Armory Square one afternoon, which is my favorite neighborhood in Syracuse.  There’s a ton of cute little shops, some coffee joints, and yummy restaurants - plus, the Museum of Science and Technology is right smack dab in the middle, so there’s a ton of people watching and fun things to explore without spending too much.  This the neighborhood that has Original Grain, Pastabilities, and a Freedom of Espresso location.

 Sadly, it isn’t really summer in upstate New York without crazy amounts of rain that drop out of nowhere, so when an unexpected thunderstorm rolled through, we headed over to Destiny, USA.  It really isn’t our type of place - it’s one of those megamalls that popped up when we were in high school, but lately we’ve stepped a little bit away from that kind of mentality.  There’s not a lot for minimalist yogis with a penchant for organic fair trade cotton to find at a mall, but it was interesting to walk around and check out.  If we had kids, this would have been their dream place - there was an indoor adventure spot where kids were strapped into these safety harnesses and climbing all over the place, and a few indoor style amusement parks.  While ultimately it wasn’t our jam, I’m glad we stopped in.

When the storm cleared up, we headed out to a little park new Lake Oswego, which was too cute for words.  There was a little bit of a beachside main street feel to it, and it’s been developed to have a biking path, a running path, and huge amounts of lawn and outdoor play areas for kids.  We spent some time wandering around, and admiring peoples dogs as they came by (we were getting homesick for our little man by this point, clearly). 

After another weekend there, I still love Syracuse.  It’s a lovely city, and it’s always nice to see some of these older, former industrial cities starting to revitalize and made beautiful again.  Have you ever been out to Syracuse?  What are your favorite spots?  Let me know in the comments below!

#Syracuse #Travel Blog #Upstate New York Travel #Clean Eating and Traveling #Reviews

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/best-casual-dining-eateries-and-coffee-shops-in-edinburgh/

Best casual dining eateries and coffee shops in Edinburgh

Best casual dining eateries and coffee shops in Edinburgh

1. Southside Scran Looking to eat out in Edinburgh? You’ll be pleased to know that well-known chef Tom Kitchin recently opened a second gastropub in the Scottish capital, the Southside Scran. Slightly south of the city centre, in Bruntsfield, menus here feature belt-busting hearty dishes based around seasonal Scottish produce but with a French twist. The beautiful dining room features an open rotisserie grill showcasing local produce. Typical menu items include Highland wagyu beef tartare with melba toast or the gluten-free option of a Newhaven crab and chickpea pancake, garnished with chilli, ginger and coriander. The rotisserie serves up such delights as Ayrshire pork fillet and rotisserie leg with a pineapple salsa. 2. Nonna’s Kitchen Situated in Morningside, it’s a fair distance to Italy but Nonna’s Kitchen has an excellent reputation for its authentic Italian dishes. Specialising in fresh fish and seafood, there is an impressive list of constantly changing daily specials. Their range of artisan-made pasta and pizza dishes are especially popular. Please note reservations are a must in the evenings but it’s perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a small bite you’re after, a full a la carte meal, a family meal, or even for business meetings. 3. Whiski Rooms This restaurant certainly ticks the box for one of the best views of Edinburgh, and you can expect traditional Scottish dishes with contemporary twists and a firm emphasis on locally sourced fresh produce. Whisky lovers can enjoy the vibe in the bar any time of the day and take part in the daily whisky tastings before browsing around the adjoining whisky shop. 4. Toast Toast is Edinburgh’s first wine café located at The Shore in Leith. Offering a casual coffee, wine and food experience, the café is open seven days a week and serves simple yet imaginative food alongside a carefully chosen wine list. Located in a former art gallery, Toast brings a unique café destination and is the perfect place to meet friends for a casual chat. Breakfast and brunch dishes include huevos rancheros, shakshuka and avocado toast with poached eggs, lunches of nutritious home-made soup, sourdough sandwiches and salads. For those keen on dining a bit later in the day, they serve a selection of smaller plates with a Mediterranean influence. Coffee shops in Edinburgh

5. Castello Coffee Overlooking the edge of the greenery of Bruntsfield Links, owner Sandro uses coffee from his London friends Allpress. The building in which the café is located used to be two shops and the spaces are divided up to provide two independent, funky areas – a mezzanine floor on one side with another airier space towards the back of the shop. There is a varied menu which included cooked breakfasts, salads and sweeter treats sourced from local baker Leo’s Beanery. There is also a lot for vegetarians to choose from. 6. Thomas J Walls Coffee Spacious and elegant, this shop is located on the southern side of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The owner offers high-quality coffee and the house bean is usually a Red Brick espresso. But it’s not only the coffee that’s good – brunches are hugely popular in the relaxed atmosphere. Think shakshuka, yoghurt and granola or rosti with spinach. Décor includes tables and chairs as well as the more relaxed sofa and armchairs – all adding to the classy feel.

7. Cult Espresso Cult Espresso, tucked away on Buccleuch Street, opened at the end of 2014. Filled with magnificent, coffee-infused smells and decorated with cosy intimacy in mind, the aim of this establishment is to ensure customers come away with an appreciation for the skill that goes into making that perfect cup of bean-filled perfection. The cafe’s USP is the brewing of Bath-based Roundhill Roastery beans in a Kees Van Der Western machine – what a treasure for lovers of quality coffee.

  8. Lovecrumbs It’s the name more than anything that makes us love this place. But bear in mind it’s cake only so if you’re a sandwich or soup lover, this is not the place for you. If a salty peanut butter chocolate tart, violet and blueberry cake, chocolate and rosemary cake or vegan brownies, head on over. Coffee is Artisan Roast, tea from Anteaques and bespoke hot chocolates from Coco Chocolate and, for those trying to stay off the caffeine, try the organic pressed apple juice. It’s very popular with students who love the vintage, upcycled ambiance.

9. The Hideout Café With a bookcase brimming with literature and lots of comfortable seating, The Hideout Café provides the perfect setting for book lovers – or if you simply want to watch the world go by. The menu comprises gourmet pastries, light bites, cakes, bakes and speciality brews from Clifton Coffee Roasters, as well as Action Smoothies, all named after butch actors like Sly Stalone. Grilled wraps and salads complete the fare and the floor-to-ceiling windows provide your calm window on the world.

#Edinburgh #foodie #GroupAccommodationEdinburgh #selfcateringedinburgh #VacationSoup

[eatbcstx-blog]

Take Our Poll

Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza

Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

Amico Nave Ristorante 203 E. Villa Maria, Bryan, TX • 979-703-1953

Amico Nave Ristorante is the sister restaurant to Shipwreck Grill and the name literally means “Friend of the Ship.” Amico was born of a passion for great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Owner Wade Beckman’s stepfather, Tony, is from Sicily and lived in Bryan for most of his life. Tony passed down his grandmother’s sauce recipes to Wade who paired them with modern dishes to give our menu that old world charm, with a modern flair. Pizzas are a customer favorite at Amico.

Antonio’s Pizza 104 College Main, College Station, TX 979-260-3535

Huge Slice Selection at Antonio’s on Northgate.

You can order whole pies to eat there inside or out on the patio…or grab a slice or two of an old favorite or something more creative. Creative slice specials are something Antonio’s Pizza on Northgate is well known for.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd., Post Oak Mall Pad Site • 979-696-5700

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse specializes in pizzas and “pizookies,” a pizza-inspied dessert cookie that is quite heavenly, ice cream is involved.

Blaze Pizza College Station Century Square, Across from Texas A&M • 979-227-2629

Blaze Pizza College Station is: healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = pizza.

Blue Baker 3 College Station Locations

D’Vinchee Pizza by Blue Baker

In addition to out-of-this-world bread, cookies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, Blue Baker makes awesome stone oven pizzas.

Cafe Eccell 4401 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 979-599-7929

Cafe Eccell stone oven pizza.

Among many other fine entrees and desserts, Cafe Eccell is well known for its pizzas. Their pizza oven was chosen with great care and serves as a centerpiece to their restaurant. The advanced design in wood/gas combination provides a unique product.

Carino’s Italian 620 N. Harvey Rd., College Station, TX • 979-764-7374

From the Italian classics, to Carino’s one-of-a-kind spiced Italian favorites, all offerings are handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available. Whether you’re craving Italian comfort food like the 16-Layer Lasagna, or something with a little more spice like the famous Italian Nachos, Johnny Carino’s has something for everyone.

DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks 3 Bryan-College Station Locations 979-764-3283

DoubleDave’s is an Aggieland original.

DoubleDave’s Pizza, a College Station original since 1984 still serving up your favorite pizzas for carryout, delivery, and the daily lunch buffet. Don’t forget their World famous Peproni Rolls and Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli.

Domino’s Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-774-5567

Domino’s Pizza says: Are you looking for pizza delivery? Let Domino’s fill that special place in your heart. It might sound cheesy, but we want to be your favorite pizzeria. We love to provide our fans with the best pizza deals that Domino’s has to offer. Next time you’re thinking of food places near me, don’t forget about Domino’s. With over 5,000 pizza places to choose from, you’re only a few clicks away from a delicious pizza.

Fazoli’s 400 Harvey Road, College Station, TX • 979-694-5199

Fazoli’s fast, fresh, Italian restaurant is a favorite in College Station, TX. The Pasta and Sauces, Breadsticks and Salads are FRESHLY prepared throughout the day. Oven-Baked Dishes and Submarinos® are never baked ‘til you order them! Made with 100% Real Mozzarella and Provolone, vine-ripened Tomatoes in their Authentic Marinara Sauce, plus Garden Vegetables. Fast, fresh, Italian! They also offer catering Anytime. Anywhere. Any Occasion. Call 888-FAZOLIS to place your order!

Gumby’s Pizza 107 Dominik Dr. 979-764-8629

Extra Large Pizza from Gumby’s Pizza on Dominik

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “The Buffalo Wings were juicy and moist. There was a decent amount of meat on the bone. The sauce wasn’t too hot, but was perfectwhen cooled by the ranch dressing they come with. The wings aren’t breaded so they aren’t too heavy. Overall, they’re pretty good for pizza shop wings.”

Hungry Howie’s Pizza 105 Southwest Pkwy. & 4501 S. Texas Ave. 979-693-6666

Hungry Howie’s flavored crust pizza.

The original home of flavored crust pizza. Ranch, Garlic Butter, Butter Cheese, Cajun…whatever flavor you want, they bake it into the crust at Hungry Howie’s. 2 locations and delivering all over Bryan-College Station.

Little Caesars Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-696-0191

Little Caesars Pizza uses only the finest ingredients, including a blend of 100%, never-frozen Mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, sauce made from vine-ripened crushed tomatoes and dough made in-house, every day, at every location.

Marco’s Pizza 1842 Graham Rd. 979-690-7770

The Pepperoni Magnifico is a very popular specialty pie at Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza is relatively new on the Bryan-College Station pizza scene, but their authentic Italian sauce has been successful since it was perfected by their founder in 1978. They make all dough fresh in store. They use three fresh cheeses that melt into one amazing taste.

Mighty Slice Pizza 303 University Drive. 979-846-8806

HUGE Slices at Mighty Slice in the Backyard on Northgate

Get Texas size pizza by the slice at Mighty Slice Pizza on Northgate. 28 inch pies and 14 inch slices. Size does matter and still some of the best pizza in town.

Mr. G’s Pizzeria 201 W. 26th Street 979-822-6747

Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “I tried the White Pizza, which the menu proclaims is “A favorite of Mr G himself!” The pie is basically their original pizza without the red sauce and sprinkled with basil. It was good stuff! The crust was fluffy and thin at the same time, stone oven perfect!”

Papa John’s Pizza 1741 University 979-846-3600  1740 Rock Prairie 979-680-0508

Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza at the All American Favorite Papa John’s. They have two locations in College Station. The University Drive location has a nice dining room.

RX Pizza 200 W. 26th St.Downtown Bryan 979-721-9158

Pizza of the Month at RX Pizza and Bar in Downtown Bryan.

Recent RX Pizza Review on EatBCS.com: “Tried a take out pie from Downtown Bryan’s RX Pizza today and it was great. The crust tasted as if the dough is made from scratch and it reminded me of the two wood fired pizza places in College Station, Napa Flats, West End and the two in Bryan – Amico Nave and Cafe Eccell. This should be a hit in Downtown Bryan which did in fact lack the combination of a well mixed adult beverage and and adult pizza. Easy parking and located in what used to be a drug store for decades. Great prescription for a successful eating & drinking establishment.”

Urban Bricks 1512 Texas Ave S. Ste. 100, College Station, TX • 979-431-3833

At Urban Bricks, they bring an authentic Neapolitan pizza at a reasonable price to your table. We live in a world full of options, we want choices, we want things fast, and want our customers to have it too.  Urban Bricks embraces the pizza eating culture by providing a customized experience for every taste without compromising our quality for speed.

The Village and Art979 Gallery 210 W 26th St, Downtown Bryan, TX • 979-703-8514

The Village and Art979 Gallery has many specialties, brunch, healthy coffee-house fare, pasta bowls, dinner entrees, all incredibly tasty, as are their handmade pizzas. Out of this world! Many locally sourced, fresh ingredients too.

Vote for Your Favorite Pizza in Bryan-College Station Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

[eatbcstx-blog]

Take Our Poll

Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza

Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

Amico Nave Ristorante 203 E. Villa Maria, Bryan, TX • 979-703-1953

Amico Nave Ristorante is the sister restaurant to Shipwreck Grill and the name literally means “Friend of the Ship.” Amico was born of a passion for great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Owner Wade Beckman’s stepfather, Tony, is from Sicily and lived in Bryan for most of his life. Tony passed down his grandmother’s sauce recipes to Wade who paired them with modern dishes to give our menu that old world charm, with a modern flair. Pizzas are a customer favorite at Amico.

Antonio’s Pizza 104 College Main, College Station, TX 979-260-3535

Huge Slice Selection at Antonio’s on Northgate.

You can order whole pies to eat there inside or out on the patio…or grab a slice or two of an old favorite or something more creative. Creative slice specials are something Antonio’s Pizza on Northgate is well known for.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd., Post Oak Mall Pad Site • 979-696-5700

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse specializes in pizzas and “pizookies,” a pizza-inspied dessert cookie that is quite heavenly, ice cream is involved.

Blaze Pizza College Station Century Square, Across from Texas A&M • 979-227-2629

Blaze Pizza College Station is: healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = pizza.

Blue Baker 3 College Station Locations

D’Vinchee Pizza by Blue Baker

In addition to out-of-this-world bread, cookies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, Blue Baker makes awesome stone oven pizzas.

Cafe Eccell 4401 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 979-599-7929

Cafe Eccell stone oven pizza.

Among many other fine entrees and desserts, Cafe Eccell is well known for its pizzas. Their pizza oven was chosen with great care and serves as a centerpiece to their restaurant. The advanced design in wood/gas combination provides a unique product.

Carino’s Italian 620 N. Harvey Rd., College Station, TX • 979-764-7374

From the Italian classics, to Carino’s one-of-a-kind spiced Italian favorites, all offerings are handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available. Whether you’re craving Italian comfort food like the 16-Layer Lasagna, or something with a little more spice like the famous Italian Nachos, Johnny Carino’s has something for everyone.

DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks 3 Bryan-College Station Locations 979-764-3283

DoubleDave’s is an Aggieland original.

DoubleDave’s Pizza, a College Station original since 1984 still serving up your favorite pizzas for carryout, delivery, and the daily lunch buffet. Don’t forget their World famous Peproni Rolls and Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli.

Domino’s Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-774-5567

Domino’s Pizza says: Are you looking for pizza delivery? Let Domino’s fill that special place in your heart. It might sound cheesy, but we want to be your favorite pizzeria. We love to provide our fans with the best pizza deals that Domino’s has to offer. Next time you’re thinking of food places near me, don’t forget about Domino’s. With over 5,000 pizza places to choose from, you’re only a few clicks away from a delicious pizza.

Fazoli’s 400 Harvey Road, College Station, TX • 979-694-5199

Fazoli’s fast, fresh, Italian restaurant is a favorite in College Station, TX. The Pasta and Sauces, Breadsticks and Salads are FRESHLY prepared throughout the day. Oven-Baked Dishes and Submarinos® are never baked ‘til you order them! Made with 100% Real Mozzarella and Provolone, vine-ripened Tomatoes in their Authentic Marinara Sauce, plus Garden Vegetables. Fast, fresh, Italian! They also offer catering Anytime. Anywhere. Any Occasion. Call 888-FAZOLIS to place your order!

Gumby’s Pizza 107 Dominik Dr. 979-764-8629

Extra Large Pizza from Gumby’s Pizza on Dominik

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “The Buffalo Wings were juicy and moist. There was a decent amount of meat on the bone. The sauce wasn’t too hot, but was perfectwhen cooled by the ranch dressing they come with. The wings aren’t breaded so they aren’t too heavy. Overall, they’re pretty good for pizza shop wings.”

Hungry Howie’s Pizza 105 Southwest Pkwy. & 4501 S. Texas Ave. 979-693-6666

Hungry Howie’s flavored crust pizza.

The original home of flavored crust pizza. Ranch, Garlic Butter, Butter Cheese, Cajun…whatever flavor you want, they bake it into the crust at Hungry Howie’s. 2 locations and delivering all over Bryan-College Station.

Little Caesars Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-696-0191

Little Caesars Pizza uses only the finest ingredients, including a blend of 100%, never-frozen Mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, sauce made from vine-ripened crushed tomatoes and dough made in-house, every day, at every location.

Marco’s Pizza 1842 Graham Rd. 979-690-7770

The Pepperoni Magnifico is a very popular specialty pie at Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza is relatively new on the Bryan-College Station pizza scene, but their authentic Italian sauce has been successful since it was perfected by their founder in 1978. They make all dough fresh in store. They use three fresh cheeses that melt into one amazing taste.

Mighty Slice Pizza 303 University Drive. 979-846-8806

HUGE Slices at Mighty Slice in the Backyard on Northgate

Get Texas size pizza by the slice at Mighty Slice Pizza on Northgate. 28 inch pies and 14 inch slices. Size does matter and still some of the best pizza in town.

Mr. G’s Pizzeria 201 W. 26th Street 979-822-6747

Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “I tried the White Pizza, which the menu proclaims is “A favorite of Mr G himself!” The pie is basically their original pizza without the red sauce and sprinkled with basil. It was good stuff! The crust was fluffy and thin at the same time, stone oven perfect!”

Papa John’s Pizza 1741 University 979-846-3600  1740 Rock Prairie 979-680-0508

Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza at the All American Favorite Papa John’s. They have two locations in College Station. The University Drive location has a nice dining room.

RX Pizza 200 W. 26th St.Downtown Bryan 979-721-9158

Pizza of the Month at RX Pizza and Bar in Downtown Bryan.

Recent RX Pizza Review on EatBCS.com: “Tried a take out pie from Downtown Bryan’s RX Pizza today and it was great. The crust tasted as if the dough is made from scratch and it reminded me of the two wood fired pizza places in College Station, Napa Flats, West End and the two in Bryan – Amico Nave and Cafe Eccell. This should be a hit in Downtown Bryan which did in fact lack the combination of a well mixed adult beverage and and adult pizza. Easy parking and located in what used to be a drug store for decades. Great prescription for a successful eating & drinking establishment.”

Urban Bricks 1512 Texas Ave S. Ste. 100, College Station, TX • 979-431-3833

At Urban Bricks, they bring an authentic Neapolitan pizza at a reasonable price to your table. We live in a world full of options, we want choices, we want things fast, and want our customers to have it too.  Urban Bricks embraces the pizza eating culture by providing a customized experience for every taste without compromising our quality for speed.

The Village and Art979 Gallery 210 W 26th St, Downtown Bryan, TX • 979-703-8514

The Village and Art979 Gallery has many specialties, brunch, healthy coffee-house fare, pasta bowls, dinner entrees, all incredibly tasty, as are their handmade pizzas. Out of this world! Many locally sourced, fresh ingredients too.

BEST Pizza in #BCSTX Ranked by You Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

[eatbcstx-blog]

Take Our Poll

Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza

Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

Amico Nave Ristorante 203 E. Villa Maria, Bryan, TX • 979-703-1953

Amico Nave Ristorante is the sister restaurant to Shipwreck Grill and the name literally means “Friend of the Ship.” Amico was born of a passion for great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Owner Wade Beckman’s stepfather, Tony, is from Sicily and lived in Bryan for most of his life. Tony passed down his grandmother’s sauce recipes to Wade who paired them with modern dishes to give our menu that old world charm, with a modern flair. Pizzas are a customer favorite at Amico.

Antonio’s Pizza 104 College Main, College Station, TX 979-260-3535

Huge Slice Selection at Antonio’s on Northgate.

You can order whole pies to eat there inside or out on the patio…or grab a slice or two of an old favorite or something more creative. Creative slice specials are something Antonio’s Pizza on Northgate is well known for.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd., Post Oak Mall Pad Site • 979-696-5700

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse specializes in pizzas and “pizookies,” a pizza-inspied dessert cookie that is quite heavenly, ice cream is involved.

Blaze Pizza College Station Century Square, Across from Texas A&M • 979-227-2629

Blaze Pizza College Station is: healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = pizza.

Blue Baker 3 College Station Locations

D’Vinchee Pizza by Blue Baker

In addition to out-of-this-world bread, cookies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, Blue Baker makes awesome stone oven pizzas.

Cafe Eccell 4401 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 979-599-7929

Cafe Eccell stone oven pizza.

Among many other fine entrees and desserts, Cafe Eccell is well known for its pizzas. Their pizza oven was chosen with great care and serves as a centerpiece to their restaurant. The advanced design in wood/gas combination provides a unique product.

Carino’s Italian 620 N. Harvey Rd., College Station, TX • 979-764-7374

From the Italian classics, to Carino’s one-of-a-kind spiced Italian favorites, all offerings are handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available. Whether you’re craving Italian comfort food like the 16-Layer Lasagna, or something with a little more spice like the famous Italian Nachos, Johnny Carino’s has something for everyone.

DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks 3 Bryan-College Station Locations 979-764-3283

DoubleDave’s is an Aggieland original.

DoubleDave’s Pizza, a College Station original since 1984 still serving up your favorite pizzas for carryout, delivery, and the daily lunch buffet. Don’t forget their World famous Peproni Rolls and Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli.

Domino’s Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-774-5567

Domino’s Pizza says: Are you looking for pizza delivery? Let Domino’s fill that special place in your heart. It might sound cheesy, but we want to be your favorite pizzeria. We love to provide our fans with the best pizza deals that Domino’s has to offer. Next time you’re thinking of food places near me, don’t forget about Domino’s. With over 5,000 pizza places to choose from, you’re only a few clicks away from a delicious pizza.

Fazoli’s 400 Harvey Road, College Station, TX • 979-694-5199

Fazoli’s fast, fresh, Italian restaurant is a favorite in College Station, TX. The Pasta and Sauces, Breadsticks and Salads are FRESHLY prepared throughout the day. Oven-Baked Dishes and Submarinos® are never baked ‘til you order them! Made with 100% Real Mozzarella and Provolone, vine-ripened Tomatoes in their Authentic Marinara Sauce, plus Garden Vegetables. Fast, fresh, Italian! They also offer catering Anytime. Anywhere. Any Occasion. Call 888-FAZOLIS to place your order!

Gumby’s Pizza 107 Dominik Dr. 979-764-8629

Extra Large Pizza from Gumby’s Pizza on Dominik

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “The Buffalo Wings were juicy and moist. There was a decent amount of meat on the bone. The sauce wasn’t too hot, but was perfectwhen cooled by the ranch dressing they come with. The wings aren’t breaded so they aren’t too heavy. Overall, they’re pretty good for pizza shop wings.”

Hungry Howie’s Pizza 105 Southwest Pkwy. & 4501 S. Texas Ave. 979-693-6666

Hungry Howie’s flavored crust pizza.

The original home of flavored crust pizza. Ranch, Garlic Butter, Butter Cheese, Cajun…whatever flavor you want, they bake it into the crust at Hungry Howie’s. 2 locations and delivering all over Bryan-College Station.

Little Caesars Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-696-0191

Little Caesars Pizza uses only the finest ingredients, including a blend of 100%, never-frozen Mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, sauce made from vine-ripened crushed tomatoes and dough made in-house, every day, at every location.

Marco’s Pizza 1842 Graham Rd. 979-690-7770

The Pepperoni Magnifico is a very popular specialty pie at Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza is relatively new on the Bryan-College Station pizza scene, but their authentic Italian sauce has been successful since it was perfected by their founder in 1978. They make all dough fresh in store. They use three fresh cheeses that melt into one amazing taste.

Mighty Slice Pizza 303 University Drive. 979-846-8806

HUGE Slices at Mighty Slice in the Backyard on Northgate

Get Texas size pizza by the slice at Mighty Slice Pizza on Northgate. 28 inch pies and 14 inch slices. Size does matter and still some of the best pizza in town.

Mr. G’s Pizzeria 201 W. 26th Street 979-822-6747

Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “I tried the White Pizza, which the menu proclaims is “A favorite of Mr G himself!” The pie is basically their original pizza without the red sauce and sprinkled with basil. It was good stuff! The crust was fluffy and thin at the same time, stone oven perfect!”

Papa John’s Pizza 1741 University 979-846-3600  1740 Rock Prairie 979-680-0508

Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza at the All American Favorite Papa John’s. They have two locations in College Station. The University Drive location has a nice dining room.

RX Pizza 200 W. 26th St.Downtown Bryan 979-721-9158

Pizza of the Month at RX Pizza and Bar in Downtown Bryan.

Recent RX Pizza Review on EatBCS.com: “Tried a take out pie from Downtown Bryan’s RX Pizza today and it was great. The crust tasted as if the dough is made from scratch and it reminded me of the two wood fired pizza places in College Station, Napa Flats, West End and the two in Bryan – Amico Nave and Cafe Eccell. This should be a hit in Downtown Bryan which did in fact lack the combination of a well mixed adult beverage and and adult pizza. Easy parking and located in what used to be a drug store for decades. Great prescription for a successful eating & drinking establishment.”

Urban Bricks 1512 Texas Ave S. Ste. 100, College Station, TX • 979-431-3833

At Urban Bricks, they bring an authentic Neapolitan pizza at a reasonable price to your table. We live in a world full of options, we want choices, we want things fast, and want our customers to have it too.  Urban Bricks embraces the pizza eating culture by providing a customized experience for every taste without compromising our quality for speed.

The Village and Art979 Gallery 210 W 26th St, Downtown Bryan, TX • 979-703-8514

The Village and Art979 Gallery has many specialties, brunch, healthy coffee-house fare, pasta bowls, dinner entrees, all incredibly tasty, as are their handmade pizzas. Out of this world! Many locally sourced, fresh ingredients too.

Who Has the BEST Pizza in #BCSTX ?!? Vote Now! Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

[eatbcstx-blog]

Take Our Poll

Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza

Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.

Amico Nave Ristorante 203 E. Villa Maria, Bryan, TX • 979-703-1953

Amico Nave Ristorante is the sister restaurant to Shipwreck Grill and the name literally means “Friend of the Ship.” Amico was born of a passion for great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Owner Wade Beckman’s stepfather, Tony, is from Sicily and lived in Bryan for most of his life. Tony passed down his grandmother’s sauce recipes to Wade who paired them with modern dishes to give our menu that old world charm, with a modern flair. Pizzas are a customer favorite at Amico.

Antonio’s Pizza 104 College Main, College Station, TX 979-260-3535

Huge Slice Selection at Antonio’s on Northgate.

You can order whole pies to eat there inside or out on the patio…or grab a slice or two of an old favorite or something more creative. Creative slice specials are something Antonio’s Pizza on Northgate is well known for.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 1520 Harvey Rd., Post Oak Mall Pad Site • 979-696-5700

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse specializes in pizzas and “pizookies,” a pizza-inspied dessert cookie that is quite heavenly, ice cream is involved.

Blaze Pizza College Station Century Square, Across from Texas A&M • 979-227-2629

Blaze Pizza College Station is: healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = pizza.

Blue Baker 3 College Station Locations

D’Vinchee Pizza by Blue Baker

In addition to out-of-this-world bread, cookies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, Blue Baker makes awesome stone oven pizzas.

Cafe Eccell 4401 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 979-599-7929

Cafe Eccell stone oven pizza.

Among many other fine entrees and desserts, Cafe Eccell is well known for its pizzas. Their pizza oven was chosen with great care and serves as a centerpiece to their restaurant. The advanced design in wood/gas combination provides a unique product.

Carino’s Italian 620 N. Harvey Rd., College Station, TX • 979-764-7374

From the Italian classics, to Carino’s one-of-a-kind spiced Italian favorites, all offerings are handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available. Whether you’re craving Italian comfort food like the 16-Layer Lasagna, or something with a little more spice like the famous Italian Nachos, Johnny Carino’s has something for everyone.

DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks 3 Bryan-College Station Locations 979-764-3283

DoubleDave’s is an Aggieland original.

DoubleDave’s Pizza, a College Station original since 1984 still serving up your favorite pizzas for carryout, delivery, and the daily lunch buffet. Don’t forget their World famous Peproni Rolls and Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli.

Domino’s Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-774-5567

Domino’s Pizza says: Are you looking for pizza delivery? Let Domino’s fill that special place in your heart. It might sound cheesy, but we want to be your favorite pizzeria. We love to provide our fans with the best pizza deals that Domino’s has to offer. Next time you’re thinking of food places near me, don’t forget about Domino’s. With over 5,000 pizza places to choose from, you’re only a few clicks away from a delicious pizza.

Fazoli’s 400 Harvey Road, College Station, TX • 979-694-5199

Fazoli’s fast, fresh, Italian restaurant is a favorite in College Station, TX. The Pasta and Sauces, Breadsticks and Salads are FRESHLY prepared throughout the day. Oven-Baked Dishes and Submarinos® are never baked ‘til you order them! Made with 100% Real Mozzarella and Provolone, vine-ripened Tomatoes in their Authentic Marinara Sauce, plus Garden Vegetables. Fast, fresh, Italian! They also offer catering Anytime. Anywhere. Any Occasion. Call 888-FAZOLIS to place your order!

Gumby’s Pizza 107 Dominik Dr. 979-764-8629

Extra Large Pizza from Gumby’s Pizza on Dominik

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “The Buffalo Wings were juicy and moist. There was a decent amount of meat on the bone. The sauce wasn’t too hot, but was perfectwhen cooled by the ranch dressing they come with. The wings aren’t breaded so they aren’t too heavy. Overall, they’re pretty good for pizza shop wings.”

Hungry Howie’s Pizza 105 Southwest Pkwy. & 4501 S. Texas Ave. 979-693-6666

Hungry Howie’s flavored crust pizza.

The original home of flavored crust pizza. Ranch, Garlic Butter, Butter Cheese, Cajun…whatever flavor you want, they bake it into the crust at Hungry Howie’s. 2 locations and delivering all over Bryan-College Station.

Little Caesars Pizza 4 Bryan-College Station Locations • 979-696-0191

Little Caesars Pizza uses only the finest ingredients, including a blend of 100%, never-frozen Mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, sauce made from vine-ripened crushed tomatoes and dough made in-house, every day, at every location.

Marco’s Pizza 1842 Graham Rd. 979-690-7770

The Pepperoni Magnifico is a very popular specialty pie at Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza is relatively new on the Bryan-College Station pizza scene, but their authentic Italian sauce has been successful since it was perfected by their founder in 1978. They make all dough fresh in store. They use three fresh cheeses that melt into one amazing taste.

Mighty Slice Pizza 303 University Drive. 979-846-8806

HUGE Slices at Mighty Slice in the Backyard on Northgate

Get Texas size pizza by the slice at Mighty Slice Pizza on Northgate. 28 inch pies and 14 inch slices. Size does matter and still some of the best pizza in town.

Mr. G’s Pizzeria 201 W. 26th Street 979-822-6747

Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan

Recent EatBCS.com Review: “I tried the White Pizza, which the menu proclaims is “A favorite of Mr G himself!” The pie is basically their original pizza without the red sauce and sprinkled with basil. It was good stuff! The crust was fluffy and thin at the same time, stone oven perfect!”

Papa John’s Pizza 1741 University 979-846-3600  1740 Rock Prairie 979-680-0508

Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza at the All American Favorite Papa John’s. They have two locations in College Station. The University Drive location has a nice dining room.

RX Pizza 200 W. 26th St.Downtown Bryan 979-721-9158

Pizza of the Month at RX Pizza and Bar in Downtown Bryan.

Recent RX Pizza Review on EatBCS.com: “Tried a take out pie from Downtown Bryan’s RX Pizza today and it was great. The crust tasted as if the dough is made from scratch and it reminded me of the two wood fired pizza places in College Station, Napa Flats, West End and the two in Bryan – Amico Nave and Cafe Eccell. This should be a hit in Downtown Bryan which did in fact lack the combination of a well mixed adult beverage and and adult pizza. Easy parking and located in what used to be a drug store for decades. Great prescription for a successful eating & drinking establishment.”

Urban Bricks 1512 Texas Ave S. Ste. 100, College Station, TX • 979-431-3833

At Urban Bricks, they bring an authentic Neapolitan pizza at a reasonable price to your table. We live in a world full of options, we want choices, we want things fast, and want our customers to have it too.  Urban Bricks embraces the pizza eating culture by providing a customized experience for every taste without compromising our quality for speed.

The Village and Art979 Gallery 210 W 26th St, Downtown Bryan, TX • 979-703-8514

The Village and Art979 Gallery has many specialties, brunch, healthy coffee-house fare, pasta bowls, dinner entrees, all incredibly tasty, as are their handmade pizzas. Out of this world! Many locally sourced, fresh ingredients too.

Vote for Your Favorite Pizza in Bryan-College Station Bryan-College Station Restaurants : Pizza Go on a quest for the best pizza in Bryan-College Station with our ultimate guide to pizza pie in the 979.