Delicious Grease (Saggios)

Having just admitted my dieting trend, I feel a little hypocritical to mention greasy deliciousness also referred to as pizza. Oh I've tried to ban it from my life, telling myself that all that cheese and grease and crust just wasn't good for me. I tried to rationalize that I would later thank myself for choosing the salad over a gooey piece of pizza. I even tried to convince myself that pizza was not, in fact, the most tasty thing ever. In short, I failed. Pizza is still high up on my list of cravings, and is one that I will happily give in to. That said, if I'm going to succumb, it better be worth it. For this reason, you can always find me at either Saggios or Dion's when a craving strikes.

Now, it is important that you recognize that I'm neither a New Yorker or an Italian, so my taste in pizza is not what you would call "authentic." But I think that Albuquerque has some good pizza to offer, and it's worth trying out. Today I'll stick with Saggios, but I'll hit Dion's (and NYPD and Scalo's) at a later time to give you a broad spectrum of choices.

What you will immediately appreciate about Saggios on Cornell and Central is the ambiance. Located in the hub of student activity and bustle, Saggios is your quintessential college pizza place with one unique distinction: this place has got CLASS. And by class I mean murals all over the walls, a fountain, and plants, pillars and strings of lights hanging from the ceiling. It's enough to induce a seizure, though I think it actually just induces pizza orders.

Step up to the counter (after waiting in a line flanked with tv's...in case you get bored) and order to your heart's content. I have found their specials to be amazing, but more often go for the pizza, drink and dessert combo for something like $5.50. With slices as big as my face (no joke), you're definitely getting a good deal. The crust is perfectly baked, and the end crust can double as a bread stick. You have all sorts of choices for toppings, so mix and match as you please. And if you are a purest like me, the cheese can stand on its own. They also make really awesome calzones (baked fresh, so be prepared to wait longer), pasta (try their pesto sauce, it's great), and focaccia sandwiches (which are huge and will easily feed two). All of the ingredients are fresh and flavorful...so if you order mushrooms on something, expect that they will actually taste like mushrooms, not canned white slices. Any of the above paired with a beer equals a perfect meal. You can even buy pitchers of beer (and we're talking the better stuff, not Bud) if you're out with a crowd or feeling inordinately thirsty.

If you're looking to be "healthy" amidst the pizza-snarfing crowd, salads are available...but they tend to be so-so. I've had their caesar salad twice and while it was edible, it certainly didn't deliver as much outstanding flavor as everything else on the menu. Side salads are similar- you would do better to go for the pasta salad than the lettuce salad. Lesson learned: if you're going to eat at a place that specializes in delicious grease, have something greasy.

And let's not forget dessert. I already mentioned that I get the combo that includes a treat. My choice is always the chocolate cannoli (because it's an Italian restaurant, for Pete's sake), but their cheesecake varieties rock too. I've had mixed feelings about their frozen desserts...sometimes they are great, and sometimes they taste like freezer and appear to have melted at least once already. Saggios also offers coffee drinks to complement dessert, but they're nothing special, so just go with another beer.

Once you are stuffed, you can attempt to roll your stomach back out the door, or you can sit and contemplate the murals until your meal settles. I vote for the latter...it rounds out the experience, and you'll leave full AND cultured. Who says it doesn't pay to give in to your cravings?!