Around Charleston: Toffino's
As much as I like living a healthy lifestyle and eating fruits and veggies, I just can't help myself around pizza. It's one of my favorite foods and my go-to for pre-half marathon carb loading, as well as post-long run or race refills. My husband and son share my affinity. My son is such a pizza fiend that he asks for pizza for almost every meal and he thinks every time I use the oven that I'm baking a pizza (which may or may not be true - I don't use the oven that much).
But we've had issues finding really good pizza here - either the crust isn't that right mix of doughy and crispy or there's not enough sauce (seriously, what is with the sauce skimping?) or it just tastes like cardboard. Our usual standby is Mellow Mushroom, and it's delicious, but it's not what I would call good, old-fashion pizza shop pizza. So we're now on a mission to find the perfect pizza. Someone suggested Toffino's so this past weekend, we gave it a shot.
We went to the Mount Pleasant location (there's also one up in Myrtle Beach), which is tucked in a tiny shopping center out Route 41 and fairly out of the way for most Mount Pleasant residents. But it is worth the drive (they also deliver). The inside is small and nondescript, but we weren't there for the atmosphere. We were there for the pizza.
We ordered a plain cheese pizza. No frills. I think that's usually the best way to judge if the pizza is good and it's always what I try first when trying a new place. When it's not hiding under layers of toppings, you get the purest pizza. Once I decide I like the pizza, I'll add toppings.
And this pizza was delicious. There was plenty of gooey cheese, lots of sauce (yes!), and just the right amount of seasonings, including a little spicy kick of red pepper. The crust was thin, but not flimsy and doughy but not mushy. Perfect. Probably one of the best pizzas we've had in Mount Pleasant. Approved by the entire family.
We also tried the Caprese salad. I'm a sucker for caprese salads and this one was definitely tasty. Although next time, I'll probably skip it and save the extra room for the pizza.
I think this one will make it into regular rotation for us and I know who's number I'll be dialing after my next Sunday long run!
This post is part of my Around Charleston series. There are so many fun things to do and see here, and that makes for some good blog posts. Stay on the lookout for more!
