NEW DOWNTOWN PIZZA JOINT

Grown-up Trick or Treat: Wine and candy pairings

BYLINE: JESSICA GOLDBOURN, TDS DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP

Maybe you think, I just drink what I like. No problem, you can absolutely do that. But take a minute to think about how much better mashed potatoes are with butter, or grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup. Grilled cheese with broccoli cheese soup is fine, but it’s just too much cheese. I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth but it’s true. Some things are just better together.

Since tiny Halloween candy is just about as unpretentious as you can get, and you’re likely about to have a lot of it in front of you soon, here are a few suggestions to keep the wincing away while you have your drinks, passing out candy and sneaking a few, or more pieces than you’d like to admit, along the way.

I know the situation. You like sweet and I’m not going to change your mind. Good news for you. Sweet goes with sweet. Give Dots, Smarties, or yes, I’m saying it, candy corn a try with your riesling or sweet wine.

Drinking bubbly is just fun. It lends itself to celebrating and for some Halloween is the ONLY holiday worth mentioning. Try Nerds, Pixie Sticks or Fun Dip and toast the trick or treaters who are clearly over 21 coming to your door.

Sauvignon Blanc can be hard to pair, but I had it just last week with Mike and Ike’s and found it difficult to control myself. Note to self, eating straight out of the HUGE bag is bad. I thought, “good thing I don’t have Skittles in the house or those would be gone too.”

Let’s not mince words here. Merlot is made for chocolate, dark preferably but milk will do in a pinch. And if you are feeling special and happen upon an adult Halloween party with truffles then all the better. Or, treat yourself and just buy the truffles. I like Lindt for such occasions.

Red Zinfandel is commonly known as a fruit bomb in the wine industry. That makes it perfect for anything with nuts. Drink it with Reese Cups, Payday or Snickers and it’ll be like the best PB&J you’ve ever had.

Like spice? I say double up. Shiraz and Red Hots or Hot Tamales are where it’s at. Shiraz is a powerhouse and can take it. Trust me on this one, it’s the way to go, especially if it snows on Trick or Treat.

Of course, friends, the theme here is have a good time. Drink what you like, eat what you like and maybe along the way you’ll find what you love. Cheers!

Jessica is TDS’ Director of Membership and resident wine expert.

Totally Baked Pizza opens on High Street

BY DEREK KREIDER, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER

Akron can officially welcome a new addition to its thriving pizza infrastructure.

Located at 18 North High Street, Totally Baked Pizza held a grand opening business shower and ribbon cutting on Monday, October 4. Councilwoman Tara Samples and Mayor Dan Horrigan wielded the scissors for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

John Taylor, co-owner of Totally Baked Pizza, says the event is all about community. He says, “We are inviting our whole block,” not just to introduce his new business, but to also showcase other local shops on the block. “We’re tying it in with High Street Hop House, Baxter’s Speakeasy, Akronym, The Botanist, Akron [Coffee] Roasters, the Nightlight,” Taylor says. “It’s about bringing people together and showing them who and what we are.”

The event began at 4 pm with a ticketed pre-party for sponsors. At 4:45 doors opened to the public, followed by the ribbon cutting at roughly 5:15 that evening.

In December 2020, Taylor, and fellow Totally Baked co-owner Ari Vandendriessche built a menu of Argentine cuisine for NoHi featuring something called a Fugazzetta, a stuffed crust Argentinian pizza, says Taylor. “That’s how the ball got rolling. We were like, yeah, man, maybe we could do a pizza shop.”

Lock 15 Brewing Company, where Taylor is the head chef, features Totally Baked’s creations.

To distinguish themselves from the pack, Taylor says they’ve taken a number of steps, including using homemade ingredients, aside from their imported four-cheese blend. “We make our pizza sauce in-house, we make our pesto sauce, we make our gorgonzola cream, we make our tomato-oregano oil, we make our meatballs in-house,” Taylor says.

However, due to the size of the shop, Totally Baked is getting their dough from Feddersen’s Bakery in Huron. Feddersen’s, Taylor says, was chosen because it “represents who we [Taylor and Vandendriessche] are as chefs, and what we would do as chefs with pizza dough.”

The vibe, according to Taylor, will also set Totally Baked apart from other pizza joints.

“We are completely focused not just on the product, but we are focused on our people—the guests,” says Taylor. That means cultivating an atmosphere where people can feel at home. “You’re allowed to chill. You can sit in here from the time we open to the time we close; we’re not going to ask you to move,” Taylor says. “It’s all about community here.” Tom Eaton, owner and president of Rafter Equipment Corporation and co-owner of Lock 15, put his weight behind Totally Baked Pizza because of his experience with Taylor at the brewery. “I’ve worked with him over the last several years on Lock 15; he’s a huge reason for our success,” says Eaton. “I would back anything that John’s a part of.”

Summit County Judge Alison Breaux is sponsoring Totally Baked because of a sense of community similar to Taylor’s.

“I just want to support local businesses,” says Breaux, “especially those that are downtown, because I think it’s a really thriving area, and I want to do anything I can to promote that.”

Totally Baked Pizza is coming for your expectations, Taylor says. “This is a different pizza shop,” he says. “It has that mom-and-pop feel, we’re using recipes that are tried and true and we’re challenging the palates of everyone. We’re not your regular pizza shop; we’re totally different and we feast on that.”

\\Derek Kreider is distribution manager and a general assignment reporter for The Devil Strip.