My family and I ordered pizzas from the Punch Pizza on Grand Avenue Dec. 4. I have eaten at the restaurant pre-covid and some signatures than were how quick the food was because the wood-burning stove only takes one minute to make a pizza, the aroma of all the dough, toppings, and olive oil inside the restaurant, the ambiance of the dimmed lights, the art on the walls and close seating for the group of people you are with, and of course the pizza itself which lives up to the fragrance of the restaurant and the lightness of the pizza that doesn’t feel as fattening as fast-food pizzas.

Since this was not my first time ordering takeout in the pandemic, my family and I ordered at 5:15 because they are very busy with orders on Fridays and weekends. The online order was smooth, just call say the pizzas you want and they give an estimate as to when they will be ready and that’s when you show up at the restaurant. Somebody hands us the food outside when we confirm the order. I had the classic margarita pizza and the Greco salad. Our pick up time was at 6:30 which was expected.

One of my favorite things about the restaurant was the balsamic vinegar and olive oil that you could grab to throw on your pizza and salad. The sour taste of the balsamic vinegar mixing with the savory pizza always made me puddle it on before I started eating. When I had the pizza on the 4th, mostly out of laziness but it also didn’t feel the same to take it out and put balsamic and olive oil on it. The cardboard box did a surprisingly good job of keeping the aroma of the dough, sauce, olive oil, and basil in the box, and when I opened it I was hit with a wave of all these smells that stayed throughout the meal. The margarita pizza has tomato sauce, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, and basil on it. All the ingredients still tasted fresh and warm from the oven and holding the pizza makes you feel like you have winter gloves on because of the warm dough falling through your hand. The salad came in a plastic box and it didn’t have as much of the toppings(cheese, olives, banana peppers, cucumber) as it did when I wast their pre-covid.

Overall the food was great and being at home is what made it not as great as the restaurant itself. The pizza is more expensive than a Domino’s or other quick pizzas places but tastes better and doesn’t leave you feeling overly stuffed. Since my family knew to order well before we wanted to eat the wait was expected and didn’t make us starved before we ate. For someone who didn’t know that it would definitely affect their experience. I would go again because it is close to my house and great food in the restaurant and takeout.

Rating: ★★★★