A Slice of Reality

Prospect Dining Hall and on-campus cafes have a good variety of foods, but can't be enough to satisfy hungry students. The town of Plymouth offers a wide variety of restaurants; some of them do well and others don't. 174 Convenience was one of those places that didn't do well and was shut down last semester. One of the new owners on the block is Alan Quinney of College Town Pizza, opening its doors in June of the previous summer. Only four months old, the owner and managers decided to keep 174 Convenience in order to bring in the familiar customers of the previous establishment. Equipped with an on premise drinking license and a hot stove for hungry students, College Town Pizza is an acceptable common place. However, the main question is how does the food taste?

Utilizing their produce from US Food's, they import fresh products such as bread and convenient store snacks. Along with the cleanliness, College Town Pizza appeals to people with food allergies with items like gluten free pizzas. The menu was full- bottoms up with pasta dishes, appetizers, calzones, and subs. The restaurant not only offers a family friendly environment of an Italian Pizzeria, but doubles as a convenient store for students without transportation.

On the menu, it seemed to vary from dish to dish on my scale of good vs. bad. The fried mushroom is a good welcome mat on the appetizers, prepared to golden perfection at the price of $5.99. Next up was the garlic bread with cheese. However, the garlic bread was a bit overpowering, almost cancelling out the taste of the zesty cheese at $1.99. For the main course, it was a tin plate of chicken Alfredo. The Alfredo sauce was delicious with an excellent balance of broccoli that had a strong flavor. Unfortunately, the fried chicken was a bit bland. I was severely disappointed because the sauce was so good, but I couldn't help but ignore the chicken on my silver tray. The dinner items were all around good, but still need a little work. If none of the dinner items sound good, then the pizza certainly is. I was blown away by how good the pizza was here; even the buffalo chicken pizza gives Late Nite a run for their money. While the food is approved of, what does College Town Pizza have to offer in terms of service?

The staff is a mixture of locals and college students, not discriminating between the two. "They make it to order." Dan Petruzzella, a resident of the area noted. Petruzzella also com- mented on the service of College Town Pizza. "The service on the other hand was way too slow. In the time it took to make my dinner, which was 40 minutes, the sauce in my chicken alfredo solidified. The same goes for their pizza too, due to the juggling of deliveries and take out, but that's no excuse. Sometimes in the window, no matter who ordered first, the food comes out to whoever was the fastest to make."

What was best about the menu options was that it was open to feedback if some students happen to want a certain item that is not on the menu, the staff will be more than happy to meet your needs. "If people want something special I'll find a way to price it," said Don Huden, the general manager of the store. As good as it sounds, this is where the customer service shines.

College Town Pizza and 174 Convenience is an all around good place to stop by and have a bite to eat. If you're pressed for time, the selection in the store has a small variety of foods, cleaning supplies, and above all, beer and wine. It's a pleasant place for a quick visit that's not too hard on your wallet. For a restaurant that perfectly blends convenience with a homemade dinner menu, it's definitely worth a try.