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    Restaurant Review: Viiza

    Honestly, Who doesn’t want pizza in a cone? Pizza was already a finger food (unless you’re Gov. John Kasich), so the cone angle doesn’t necessarily make it more accessible. However, pizza in itself is pretty lovable, so a new vehicle for consuming it is most welcome.

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    Hence we have Viiza. It’s cute, in the sense of kawaii-cuteness. The walls are bright neon green with silhouettes of unidentifiable adorables. Beverages are served in lightbulbs, and there are no normal sliced pies at Vizza. If you want pizza, you’re going to get it in a cone.

    The promo photos have made the cone mechanics a little uncertain. It’s not a familiar waffle cone from the ice cream scene; the cone created here is made from the crust of the pizza. That means it’s sturdy, but not overly thick and doughy. Your Viiza, whatever flavor you order, will have toppings from the top to the bottom of the cone.

    A Classic Cone (Pepperoni, $3.75) seems like an obvious start. There’s not a great deal of marinara in the cone, which keeps things tidy. What there is a great deal of is melted cheese. If you ever wanted a vehicle just for eating melted cheese, this is it. Traditional cheese stick appetizers can’t compare with the circumference and diameter of the melted cheesiness of the pizza cone.

    There are many other flavors outside traditional pizza flavors. The Sautéed Beef Fillet Cone is an “Asian Style” option. The expectation was for something reminiscent of a beef with green peppers entree. That expectation would be wrong, which actually turns out to be a good thing. The offering is more like a philly cheese steak. The meat won’t be as much as you’d get in a sandwich, maybe three lean and tender chunks. At $4.25, the price isn’t as steep either, though. It’s balanced with peppers and mushrooms, and of course, more cheese.

    Venturing into the more gourmet cone options, there is a Spicy Lobster Cone ($5.50). It seems to be real lobster, though it’s chewier than the sweetest, tenderest sort. Being shoved into a pizza and baked takes its toll on the pricey meat. Regardless, the combo delivers on the spiciness and offers mushrooms and onions to round things out.

    Creative types can design their own cone. The topping choices include the ones mentioned above and extend into items such as pineapple, peking duck, and squid. You can take some serious culinary risks here. On the safer side, a combo that works nicely is bacon, avocado and corn ($4.25). Of course, bacon tends to make everything work.

    The menu also offers a handful of salads and a serious array of beverages served in lightbulbs. They are painfully cute: fruit teas, milk teas, things with bubbles or strawberry jelly. Both Strawberry Lemon ($3.95) and Peach Green Tea ($3.95) provide nice palate-cleansing breaks from the heavy cones.

    Guests order at the counter. It takes a minute (or 10) to make your order. It’s not really fast food, even with counter service, but you won’t wait alone. Lots of other diners will be sitting there with vacant looks in their eyes, patiently waiting for their pizza cones. You’ll find it at 4 E. Broad St.

    For more information, visit viizausa.com.

     

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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