Dom's Pizza: A Great Place to Lunch in Orlando

Well, I'm not going to start reviewing restaurants here as a regular practice, but all week long I've been taking a training class a few doors down from Dom's Pizza. This little lunch spot is in Northgate Plaza, which is at the corner of Lee Road and Edgewater Drive. The shopping center itself is classic nondescript Florida strip-sprawl and has seen better days: there is a gravel lot on the south side that serves as tractor trailer parking; to the north is a large building that once housed an infomercial hustler's telemarketing operation, but is now home to a revivalist church; and other tenants including a "dollar" store, a laundromat, and an Asian video outlet. There are some signs of hope, however, such as a post office and a branch library, and of course, Dom's. A banner hanging over the storefront thanks our local newspaper's food critic, who gave Dom's a great review. My dad always advised me to "eat where the truckers eat" if I wanted to eat well, and grandpop's corollary to that was "you can't eat atmosphere", so despite the dubious surroundings, I decided to give the place a try. As I entered the shop, the first thing I noticed is that - like most small eateries - Dom's bonds with the community. There are colored-in-by-kids cartoons tacked along the walls (the pizza-flipping guy is their image, so I hope the owner doesn't mind me posting it here) and several plaques from the Fraternal Order of Police and other groups thanking Dom's for helping out with various causes. The TV in the corner showed David Brenner doing standup (David Brenner?! that must have been a tape). Handwritten signs on the wall noted "first refill of soda free, additional refills 50 cents" and the specials: ""meat-filled pizza, $2.95". Dom's sells pizza by the slice and offers a unique treasure, "hippie rolls" (rolled up pizza-sandwiches), so-called because they were popular with hippies in the '60s, cheap and tasty. There was a line, but no truckers, mostly just students from my class. The restaurant had posted a sign in our classroom lobby offering to take pre-orders so customers could save time. Sure enough, a couple of hungry guys bypassed the line and walked up to the counter. The cook handed them meals that had been warming on top of the pizza oven. I didn't have to wait long, though, and when my turn came, I chose a meatball sub. The girl at the register took my name and gave me a styrofoam cup for a drink. When the guy behind the counter called out my order, I grabbed my sandwich and took a seat at a window table. I had a great view of the vast asphalt parking lot. Not much happening out there, so I looked down at my sub and sucked in some wonderful aroma. I sprinkled some red pepper and parmesan cheese over the sandwich, blew off a little steam, and then bit in. OUTSTANDING! !The bread was fresh and toasty, the sauce just spicy enough, and the meatballs were plump. I wish I had a picture to post here, it was that good!! In summary, there is nothing fancy at Dom's, just quick, friendly service, a clean table, and delicious food. I'll definitely be back.