The Works
Brick-oven pizza and Pasghetti are highlights at Loveland eatery
JULIE FITZGERALD | CIN WEEKLY CONTRIBUTOR
If all it had was brick-oven pizza, that would be enough.
However, you can't call a restaurant "The Works" unless it offers a little bit of everything: rare microbrews, spinach salads, local art, family atmosphere ... a dish called Pasghetti.
And while all of this adds up to one loaded experience, to truly appreciate The Works (located in downtown Loveland), you have to know the behind-the-scenes details.
LABOR OF LOVELAND
Owners Scott and Jamie Gordon (high school sweethearts) moved away from Loveland in the early 1990s when he went to play for the Toronto Blue Jays. (Three seasons later he left baseball for the Marines.) However, he promised Jamie he would return to their hometown if she ever "missed it too much."
Eventually, they both did.
So they came home, opened a pizza place in 2003, and invited Scott's Loveland High School art teacher, Ginny Reynolds (vice president of Loveland Arts Council), to transform the walls of the old, railroad water station building into a mini-gallery.
Giving the place a "neighborhood" feel, the bohemian look of the dining room is a nice contrast to the custom-built sports bar. A friend and I sat down underneath an oil painting of a winter landscape on a recent Wednesday night, eager for our first meal at The Works.
BRICK OVEN BELIEVER
The Works' brick oven is the centerpiece of the open kitchen. Heating each pie to 600 degrees, the powerhouse is modeled after a similar one from Scott's favorite pizza joint in Washington, D.C. (Bertucci's).
Oven favorites range from BBQ Chicken ($8.99 small) to the popular Commish pizza with sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella ($8.99 small). And the namesake pizza? That's a Works blend of pepperoni, sausage, ham, grilled chicken and mushrooms for $9.99 (small).
CHICKEN OR BROCCOLI?
There's no shortage of meaty offerings: pizza, filet mignon ($16.99), Chicken Gordon Blue ($12.99), Mama Carovillano's meatballs ($9.99). Plus chicken can be added to any veggie dish for an additional $1.49-$2.79.
And the vegetarian selection is flat-out excellent. From Pasghetti with marinara ($6.49) to pesto pizza ($7.99), variety abounds without being overwhelming.
ENTREES THAT WORK
Tempted by the pies exiting the brick oven, my friend ordered the California Rose pizza ($8.99 small) at the suggestion of our friendly server. The layers of peppers, onions, pineapple and rose sauce (a blend of marinara and Alfredo) melt together in your mouth. The pizzas have a homemade taste, and the brick oven gives them a professional finish.
I felt torn between pizza and pasta. So I ordered the Vegetarian Wearing a Bowtie and added chicken for an extra $1.49. Tossed with the rose sauce, feta cheese, artichokes, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli, it balanced flavors and textures.
Both of us opted to add a salad for an extra $1.49. We tried the grilled veggie and the house salad with fresh greens (read: no iceberg), apples, sunflower seeds, raisins and mandarin oranges. Though the grilled was good - with portabella mushrooms, peppers and eggplant - we preferred the house salad.
WINE AND DESSERT
I would recommend the house Cabernet, Yellow Tail ($2.99 a glass) or a microbrew draft for $2.75. Staff is knowledgeable and can offer several honest suggestions.
Dessert is a take-it-or-leave it ordeal. We ordered the tiramisu ($3.99.) It's not homemade, so it has a from-the-box taste. It's good, not amazing. However, ask your server what is homemade. Because if it's one of the Gordon family recipes, it's a home run.
