Johnny's Pizza

Last week, my daughter and I went to visit another of Mike Ford's eateries, Johnny's New York Style Pizza, which sits west of US 41 on the south side of Barrett Parkway at 1615 Ridenour Blvd in Kennesaw.

Mike and his partners had wowed us with Johnny's next door neighbor, Keegan's, a few weeks ago. They did a good job this time, as well.

The dining room is wide open, with the kitchen all the way to the back, which is very different from most Johnny's locations. So if you are looking for the loud, hear every cook and server conversation spot, try someplace else. Here, one can actually sit down, eat a pie and watch a game.

We were met by Rachel, the manager, and our server Lauren. They both seemed happy to be there. If you've read any of my posts, you know how important I believe that to be. If the staff is treated well, they will be happy, and in turn will make sure you are happy.

Before I say anything else, let me say that there is usually more to a good pizza place than pizza. Such is true of Johnny's at Ridenour. Johnny's serves a pretty decent array of Italian dishes at a very good price. The starters here range from $2.50 to $6, the salads from $3.50 to $8, and the entrees start at less than $10.

Garlic Knots

The first plate brought to our table was a serving of Garlic Knots, which comes with a cup of marinara sauce. Be careful. That particular appetizer is very good, and very addictive, and very filling. Remember to share, or you will be the only one not able to eat any of your entree.

Johnny's @ Ridenour offers a variety of salads, some of which are a meal in itself.

There is the Garden Salad, an Iceberg & Romaine mix with tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, cucumber slices and pepperoncini peppers. Also offered, a Greek Salad, which is an Iceberg and Romaine mix with tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, pepperoncini & Greek olives. There are more. Check the menu here to see a complete list. Beth and I enjoyed the Greek salad with oil and vinegar dressing. The serving size was just the right complement to a pasta or pizza meal.

Lasagna

Our entree of choice tonight was lasagna. It was delicious! A hefty amount of meat (sausage and meatballs) layered in with a very good marinara sauce made for a tasty entree. Couple that with the garlic bread and the meal is complete.

The Gourmet

I did say this is a pizza place, right? Well, tonight, we tried two pies. The first was the Gourmet, made with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese, this is the pie for a gourmet veggie lover!

Italian Special

The second was Johnny's Italian Special - the house specialty. Now, this is my kind of pie. The sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and pepperoni all blend to make a pie fit for a man's man.

The bottom line to this review is this: whether you are looking for a slice, or a full meal, if you want a comfortable neighborhood place to eat a decent Italian dish, come visit Rachel and Lauren at Johnny's. You just might see me there.