[This Location Closed] March tends to be a slow eating month for Dianderthal, what with Lent and the absence of a carefree three-day weekend and weekdays jam-packed with my kid’s practices and rehearsals. And there’s half-marathon training for me. So I was psyched that I had no plans when asked by my OG homie Jeannine if I was available to join her for some grub to celebrate her fourth 39th birthday. And I was even more psyched when she named her restaurant of choice as Spin! Neopolitan Pizza in Los Alamitos, as I’d driven by it several times over the past several weeks, my taste buds curious about what was going on inside.
I was a bit overwhelmed when I arrived, not having checked out the menu online first (as I typically do); not realizing it was an order-and-sit kind of place – the pressure was on as Jeannine was already near the register in line when I got there (late). I still might have been overwhelmed (although pleasantly) had I looked at the menu ahead of time as it was plentiful, full of salads, flatbreads, soups, pizzas, and sandwiches. Jeannine was set on the Mini Mia, a combo that included a personal pizza and salad for $9.75. Me: psyched. And psyched once more when I learned they offer the option of a whole wheat crust (in addition to gluten-free).
I also took her lead and ordered a sangria (even though I’m supposed to be abstaining on weekdays during March per my fitness goals – oh well) – the Blood Orange Sangria, to be specific. Next time in, I’ll order a pitcher of it as my little glass was gone way too soon, even when I tried to pace myself. It was tangy, punchy, and went down easy – a perfect accompaniment to my meal.
A meal I very much enjoyed. Like my sangria, my salad went much too fast. I ordered the Sonoma, with glazed pecans, apples, raisins, goat cheese, and a sweet, thick vinaigrette. My perfectly-sized Margherita was also quite delicious. My only issue with it was that my whole wheat crust clashed some (as might be expected) with the white flour used to roll the dough out. With a regular crust, the rolling flour blends in more subtly. But I’ll get the whole wheat crust again on my next visit because it’s my aim to be as healthy as possible while being unhealthy.
I ended my dinner with a small serving of gelato – vanilla because I’m boring like that. But this vanilla was anything but boring – rich, creamy, and bold. A great way to end the evening.
Next time in, I plan to be a little more daring with my selection of pie – perhaps the BBQ di pollo & pineapple or the goat cheese & arugula. Maybe even the cipolla e chèvre (caramelized onions & goat cheese) or the pesto e pollo.
Looks like I have a lot of reasons to return to Spin! Anyone got a birthday coming up? Give me a call – the pitcher of sangria will be on me.
Spin! Neapolitan Pizza CLOSED
11122 Los Alamitos (and other locations)
Los Alamitos, CA
562.684.7746