I love Pantera's Pizza more than my husband. Period. End of story.
Okay, so maybe this post is going to be full of me over exaggerating my love for the best pizza in Madison County. But can you blame me? I grew up on the stuff. My sister worked at the long forgotten (and now closed) Pantera's restaurant in East Alton, Illinois while putting herself through SIUE.
I loved when she worked nights because all the yumminess from the buffet or people that phoned in fake orders would be coming home. Yes, I'm old - in my day there was no caller id, so you could prank call pizza joints all you wanted.
I've lived in various parts of the country and I've also traveled to a lot of different places. Pizza is my favorite food. Not even the tasty deep dish pizza of Chicago, the funky ingredients of the west coast or the fold-able slices of the east coast can compare to Pantera's. The secret? It's totally in the sauce.
The sauce on a Pantera's pizza is applied liberally and is not sweet. You get all the tang of the tomatoes and your tastebuds will dance with delight when the various spices hit your tongue. Did I mention that the sausage is beyond compare as well? As Rachael Ray would say - Yum-o!
My 9th birthday party was at Pantera's in Edwardsville. The flooring, tables, plates and other restaurant decor had remained untouched since at least 1989. A lot of local Edwardsville citizens tended to shy away from my favorite pizza place due to the, well, shall I say drabby interior?
While stopping in for lunch a few months ago, my Mom and I overheard the owner making plans with a contractor for a complete interior overhaul. Little did I realize it was going to be happening so soon. In July my beloved Pantera's closed their doors for an interior re-design worthy of a show on HGTV.
After 30+ days of quitting Pantera's cold turkey, the date that the doors will re-open is quickly approaching. I called the restaurant a few days ago to see if they were open yet, but no such luck - the estimated completition date is September 1st.
I will make sure that Nancy and I stop by for lunch after our Tuesday morning sales meeting at the real estate office. Pictures of the new interior digs to come.
My favorite Pantera's pizza... Make sure to get it HUNK style (Loads of extra sauce, cheese, and toppings).
Thick crust
Pepperoni
Bacon Bits
Sausage
Cheddar Cheese
Calorie count - astronomical. Eat with caution. :)
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