When I first walked into The Couch Tomato on Rector St., I thought to myself “Holy smokes, this place is small!” But I quickly found out that just because a place is tiny, doesn’t mean it’s not big on taste. And despite its size, The Couch Tomato was very clean and tastefully decorated with yellow paint and tomatoes adorning the walls and counters as well as a red couch as the focal point of the dining area. And the good news is…they’re expanding! Yup, that’s right, this trendy little BYO is opening a bistro on the second floor of their building. That means more room to enjoy their delicious and extensive menu.
While their specialty salads may be what they are best known for, I decided on a slice of their gourmet pizza. Walking up to the counter to order, the barbecue chicken pizza caught my eye. It proved to be a great choice with large slices of chicken, red and yellow onions (I’m a sucker for red onions), peppers, and barbecue sauce. Perfection, full of melted mozzarella (I’m also a sucker for tons of melty cheese) and flavor, just the way I like it. Be warned, if you’re a chic, or a tiny man, one slice is plenty, they’re huge.
I also ordered the breadsticks, and while I was disappointed when the counter person informed me they’d take 20 minutes to make, they were so worth the wait. The “breadsticks” were actually served as a small white pizza (with a fluffy, doughy crust) and cut into slices (sticks). Served with a garlic parmesan dip and marinara sauce, I recommend them for sharing.
With all this cheese and dough, I felt like I would need someone to roll me out the door by the time lunch was finished. And although my meal was pizza perfection, I think next time I’ll try a salad. I hear that ‘Strawberry Fields’ is one of a kind.
