As we wind down the food tour of Macon, my friend Jen came to town this past week to see Macon one last time and also to help pack. (Anyone else who wants to help me pack, please email me ASAP!) When Jen got to town we started to discuss the "must see one last time" places. Since I am, for the most part, the last person left in Macon she ever visits, my moving also means a possible end to her visits to Macon. Since I live in Macon, it is easy to forget the true Macon highlights, but Jen remembered enough to track a few down. Yesterday we picked off two of them.
No one should be allowed to live in Macon without going to Ingleside Village Pizza. 
It can be a bit tricky to find. It is well known among the locals and Mercer student and faculty tend to flock to it. They have, by far, the best pizza in Macon and the best pizza I personally have ever eaten. I didnt start eating there until grad school. My girlfriend, Jennifer, (not to be confused with Jen who came up to visit) and I would eat there on Thursday nights. Yes at one time there was a second Thursday tradition. Jennifer did not participate in Krystal Thursdays, and only vaguely acknowledged them. So the Thursday night pizza was our tradition. Eventually Jennifer and I parted ways, and at the same time, so did Ingleside pizza and I. I guess the pizza never really tasted quite the same? The menu is short and sweet and to the point. The prices are very very reasonable and the quality of the food cannot be matched. I always went for two slices of Pepperoni and mushroom. Jennifer loved the white pizza (with ricotta and spinach and garlic). Perhaps her favorite item on the menu was the back side. In addition to IVP's fantastic pizza they also have the largest selection of beer in Macon. The menu lists almost 80. In addition to the ones on the menu, there's a constant rotation of new beers to keep it interesting. Jennifer was attempting to go "around the world" and have one of each beer on the menu. At one or two beers each Thursday that was a monumental task. Not unlike 17 years of Thursday Krytals. You start to get a grasp on the size of the undertaking when you see their beer fridge: Since I don't drink beer I could focus my attention on the food. Everyone's favorite way to start off dinner is the famous Garlic Knots. It's extra pizza dough, twisted around itself, allowed to rise slightly, then baked. When someone places an order the knots are thrown back into the oven to heat up, then tossed in a basket. Garlic butter is then heavily applied with a paint brush, and a hearty handfull of parmesan cheese is tossed on top. A side of pizza sauce for dipping completes the picture. As Jen said, don't let your cardiologist see this!
And of course we cannot overlook the pizza itself. I'll tell you like I tell all first timers to IVP. Order 1 slice. If you are still hungry go back for another slice. They cut their pizzas into 6 slices so each slice is huge. Splitting a side of garlic knots and 2 slices of pizza is plenty for me. If you ever find yourself in Macon and have to get off the interstate, it's worth asking the locals how to get to IVP. While the beer selection might give the impression that this is an adult oriented place, the owners have always kept it kid friendly. So the whole family can come and enjoy the best pizza Macon has to offer. And nother of those things that, looking back, I realize I took for granted here in Macon. |
Labels: Cheese, Macon, Mercer
# posted by JasonJ1052 @ 2:14 PM
