The Best Pizza In Wyoming and Plan B

We stopped for lunch in Lusk, Wyoming on the way to Rapid City. This picture represents a portion of their charming downtown area. I know it’s a bar but I liked the bike and all the colorful signs. More importantly, there was a promise made that the best pizza in Wyoming is made at a local joint here in Lusk.

Alas, that best pizza isn’t available over Labor Day weekend.

They were closed. Yup. Just my luck.

Since we had eaten a light breakfast, we were starving with few food options in the neighborhood. So we ended up at a gas station across the street where we found gas station snacks and “fresh personal pizzas.”

It seemed pretty impersonal pulling it out from under a warming light and it wasn’t especially fresh either. But it kept us from starving until we could get a real meal.

The moral of this story is that sometimes you have to adapt and come up with a plan b.

First though, we stood on the sidewalk outside the pizza place staring at the closed sign and debating what to do. It was reminiscent of the Griswold Family outside Wallyworld when they found it closed. It probably appeared we were willing the place to open just for us and for pizza to magically appear! After some initial whining, we eventually decided that we just needed to not starve and to move forward.

Things don’t always go as planned when you travel and that’s ok. Into everyone’s travel life some gas station food may come. It’ll make you appreciate the next meal even more!!!

Some Advice

Look around. You never know where you’ll find some good advice and great pizza. The above sign hangs on the wall at C&J’s Pizza in Wytheville, Virginia. It’s a little off the beaten path and populated mainly with locals so you know it has to be good. The walls are lined with great memorabilia including this cool vintage sign from the New Orleans Police Department.

“Beware Pickpockets and Loose Women.”

Sounds like timeless advice to me!

The food here was fantastic. I had a delicious side salad and the veggie pizza was amazing. The service here was good too despite the fact the place was packed the entire time we were there. My only regret is that there’s no photographic evidence of this tasty meal.

I try to avoid chain restaurants when traveling. I didn’t drive all the way to Wytheville to eat at Applebees and was thrilled to find this local joint was as good as internet reviewers and  locals claimed. I don’t eat meat but I hear their hamburger pizza is a local favorite and something you don’t find on a menu at a chain restaurant.

Whether it’s your own town or a vacation destination, my best advice is to head off the beaten path and pay no mind to how ugly the front door is. If the parking lot is full and it is clean inside, you’re probably in the right place.

Wherever you go – just beware those pickpockets and loose women!

The Riviera

If you ever find yourself in Stockport, Ohio at meal time and have a hankering for pizza, stop by the Riviera. It’s sort of a hole-in-the-wall (my kind of place, you know) but the food is great. Sit by the window and you’ll have a nice view too since the restaurant is on the banks of the Muskingum River.

Everyone always wants to eat at the Stockport Mill, which is a very nice restaurant and inn, but this is a tasty experience too!

Old Chicago at the Old Moon Theater

I was talking to someone yesterday about some of the roaming I did in Indiana last year. It reminded me of an evening in Vincennes where there was a fun little street fair underway. There were old cars, great architecture and lots of fun to be had that night. I wandered around with my camera and talked to strangers for a bit.

When the light began to fade and my stomach started to growl, I found my way into Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom. This is a chain but there is something very special about the building. It’s an old movie theater!

The New Moon Theater was built in downtown Vincennes in 1939 and quickly became a landmark where people lined up around the block to purchase tickets. Like so many old buildings, it was repurposed a few times over the years before being shuttered and at risk of loss.

Some investors sunk a lot of money into this property, transforming it into restaurant space that employs about a hundred people. Craft pizza and beers are the specialty and the atmosphere is welcoming.

They did a nice job with the remodel. You really wouldn’t know that it was once a theater but there’s exposed brick so I’ll forgive them. The decor is mostly timeless and very comfortable so I was glad to hang here for a while.

The service was fantastic too, not for perfection but for how my server handled a problem. I had ordered a veggie calzone and they accidentally put sausage in it. I’m not a picky eater but am pescaterian so I wasn’t thrilled to find meat in my food.

I was nice when I pointed out the error because it was just a simple mistake.  She was absolutely appalled, brought me new food straightaway and got the manager to comp my meal without my asking. I didn’t expect anything for free and she was so sweet I tipped her the price of my meal.

You really find out what people are made of when you see how they react to a problem and that young lady was made to work in customer service. In case your’re wondering, the calzone was excellent too.

So, if you’re ever in Vincennes, Indiana and have a hankering for some great food in a fun environment, check out the Old Chicago!

There’s a good bit of history in Vincennes, including a number of stories that I haven’t told here yet. They’re on the list but I haven’t gotten to them. I did, however, write about the Red Skelton Museum which I loved, as well as about this road trip in general. 

This was the trip where I swore I would see more sunrises in my daily life. 

I’ve failed miserably at this goal but at least I try, right?