Indulge In A Connecticut “Bar Pie” Pizza here in Tampa Bay

When you really think about it, there are more different kinds of pizza then you can "shake a stick" at.  New York Pizza, Chicago Thin Crust, Chicago Deep Dish and Detroit Style, just to name a few. Then when you multiply the different kinds of pizzas with the unlimited amount of toppings, the variety is truly astronomical.

Well, Let me introduce you to another pizza that you m probably have never tried. Then I  will tell you where to get it in Tampa Bay.   Colony Grill serves a pizza that is adored in Connecticut.  The crazy thing, outside of the New England state you may not find anything quite like it.  The whole thing dates back to when it was tarted in Stamford, CT in 1935.  Colony Grill serves what best be called a "Bar Pie".  It's is referred to that because the Colony Grill is a bar.  It is a very nice barl with a respectable full liquor selection.  But as far as food goes, they just sell pizzas.

What makes them different is..well... Everything.  No, edge crust, cheese wall to wall on this baby.  It has a super thin crust, that is also super chewy.  Its baked int a rack oven in a pan that is covered so the pizza cooks quickly and evenly and, according to our server, "Comes out perfect every.time".

Their signature topping is th "Hot Oil", it's an olive oil infused with red pepper flakes.  but they have a topping for every taste, or you can go wring getting the plain cheese.

In the last few years two locations of this Connecticut Classic have  popped up in Tampa Bay.  In St. Pete on the 600 Block of Central Ave. in Downtown and in Tampa in the Midtown entertainment area, located off of Dale Mabry south of Interstate 275.

If you're looking for something delicious and something you probably haven't had before, Check out the Colony Grill.

What are your favorite pizza shops in the Westchase area?

If I'm not in the mood to cook, it's easy to order a pizza for take-out or dine at one of the pizza places around Westchase.

Here is my list of four and what I love about each.

Westchase Pizza and Pasta Co. is a great place to go on a Friday night (or any time). It's on the corner of Countryway and Linebaugh. I like the booths and the people who run it are very friendly. They do specialty pies and made to order. I always get a pepperoni and mushroom, and then I ask for one that is not on the menu (you just select the items you want). It's pesto-based with white cheeses and fried eggplant. It's my favorite.

Off of Linebaugh in the plaza on the right as your headed out of Westchase toward Sheldon, you'll find Tampa Pizza Company. And I love this place because they have really original options with their pizza toppings. They offer a Brushetta pizza and a bacon, chicken and ranch pizza. Their wings are tasty. And the atmosphere is fun for kids.

Marina's Pizza has been around for ages, and it's next to the Publix on Linebaugh. They make great Sicilian pizza. And the prices are reasonable, and they don't skimp on the toppings. Try their sandwiches, too.

And finally, Atlas Gourmet Pizza makes the list. Cool name, right? They are the newest pizza shop on the list. They are up Racetrack Road in the Hampton Lakes Plaza. Sometimes on Friday nights, we'll go there and get pizza to go and take it to the wine bar in the same plaza and sit outside to sip and dine.

There are other places around Westchase to find pizza, but these happen to be my favorites.

Not only does this place have great pizza, they make some amazing home-made desserts to go with it!

Tampa Pizza Company also has dairy-free and gluten free options.

We can't tell what we love more, their pizza or their pasta.

Not only does Atlas have some amazing pizza (our favorite is the ORR), but they also have delicious sandwiches, flatbreads and deserts.

Our lives were changed when we tried Alfonso's Pizzeria in Tampa. This mom and pop restaurant has been a staple in the community since 1978. It's definitely one of the best kept secrets in Tampa Bay. They invited us out the other week to try their menu and see what the hype was about. Now, we're here to tell you why you need add Alfonso's to your go-to pizza spots in Tampa.

Nestled between Lake Magdalene and Carrollwood lives Alfonso's. They've been at the same location off Florida Ave since 1978. Fast forward to now and Alfonso's youngest son, Marco, has taken over the business. Marco and his wife Brittany do everything from making the pizza, to running their social media and everything in between.

One of our favorite parts about Alfonso's is the homey vibe you get when you're there. The restaurant is decked out in homemade art and plants hang everywhere! You can tell the staff works really well together and they strive to connect with every customer that comes in. We even noticed that when the phone was going off like crazy, Brittany already knew who she was talking to and what they wanted.

Marco strives to keep everything on the menu made in house with the highest quality ingredients. He keeps the recipes a family kept secret (seriously, he wouldn't even tell us what goes in their delicious sauce.) You can really tell a lot of love goes into each dish at Alfonso's. They make sure that the dough has plenty of time to set and rise to puffy clouds, they also make all of their salads and pasta dishes with freshly chopped veggies. Marco didn't tell us what's in his sauce and dough that makes it so good, but he DID tell us some menu items that you need to save room for on your visit.

The most popular menu item you'll get at Alfonso's is the pizza (obviously), but there's so much more on the menu to offer! Marco told us that the pepperoni/mushroom combo is their most popular pizza. The garlic knots are a MUST no matter what you're ordering. They're huge and loaded with fresh garlic, oil and cheese galore! Marco also told us that their Philly is a very popular menu item! First-timers definitely need to save room for Alfonso's homemade lasagna (one of our favorite things we tried), and their true Italian cannoli.

We seriously cannot talk about these enough.. We've been dreaming about them ever since we made our first visit last week! PRO TIP: Save that garlic oily goodness to dip your pizza crust in later!

The sauce? Delicious. The Pasta noodles? Perfectly al dente. The amount of cheese? Perfect!

We know you'll probably come for the pizza, but you'll be staying for the lasagna!

We understand salad isn't the first thing on your mind when you go to a pizzeria. But we tried their homemade Greek salad during our first visit and it did not disappoint! 10/10 would definitely order again.

We went with just a simple pizza for our first time. But hey, that's how you test a really good pizza, right? Alfonso's did not disappoint! The crust was perfectly crunchy and the quality of the sauce and cheese made everything melt perfectly in one bite.

For veggie lovers, we recommend trying the White Spinach Pizza! The ricotta and spinach combo is *chefs kiss* but feel free to add more veggies! We think tomatoes or mushrooms would've been a nice addition!

We didn't get to actually taste this bad boy, but look how HUGE this calzone is! It's definitely 2-3 meals by itself. It looks delicious, we just didn't have the room in our stomach for it! Next time we go, it'll be on our must try list.

Brownie +cannoli = Brownoli. The combo we all deserve to try. This was a late-night snack created by Marco and he had to keep it on the menu. Everything is homemade, including the sweet cannoli cream.

This adorable Bobs Burgers themed photo of Marco and Brittany is one of the many home made art pieces they have hanging up!

This view hole from the kitchen was made for THE Alfonso, so he could keep an eye out on the restaurant.

Marco and Brittany (the cutest couple ever) give the restaurant a homey vibe with all of their plant babies hanging around the place! They make sure you leave their place as family, not just another customer.