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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v01n14)
Pizza Scene - Donatos - by Mark Rumreich
posted: Nov. 12, 2004

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Donatos Pizzeria - 2357 E. 62nd Street

Pizza Scene - Donatos - by Mark Rumreich
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While a sophomore at Ohio State University, Donatos founder Jim Grote borrowed $1,300 to open his own neighborhood pizzeria. His goal was simple - to make the best pizza. Grote took Donatos from a family business in 1963, to a formidable pizza chain.
In 1999, McDonald's Corporation purchased Donatos. At that time there were 146 restaurants. Four years and fifty restaurants later, the Grote family reacquired the chain from McDonald's. While the Grote family remained active in the business following the acquisition, they reassumed full ownership in 2003. Currently, there are 200 stores, mostly in the Midwest, but with some restaurants in Orlando, Nashville and Philadelphia.
Donatos' atmosphere is simple and efficient. There are some booths along the windows and half a dozen tables. There's also a small party room if you've got a group. The walls are covered with Donatorabilia to fill you in on the restaurant's history.
Donatos' staples are pizzas, oven-baked subs, breadsticks and salads. Fresh salads come in side, entree and party sizes. Donatos has three crust sizes: 7, 12 and 14 inches. There's the original thin crust, a thicker "traditional style" crust and a "no dough" option. For toppings, there are the usual favorites plus bacon, sliced chicken, green olives, jalapenos, anchovies and almonds. You can choose one of the ten or so Signature pizzas or create your own. For cheese, Donatos uses provolone instead of the usual mozzarella. Some of the Donatos serve beer, the Broad Ripple location does not.
We ordered a thin-crust pepperoni & sausage pizza and a Chicken Vegy Medley Signature pizza with traditional crust. The latter had sliced chicken breast, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, provolone and cheddar cheese and a white pizza sauce.
One of the things that distinguishes Donatos' pizzas is the edge-to-edge toppings. Our pizzas were no exception. The pepperoni and sausage pizza was exceptionally good. The homemade crust was thin and crispy and had great flavor. The sauce was tangy and the provolone really added to the taste. The pepperoni was spicy and abundant, covering the entire top of the pie. The only mild disappointment was the sausage. The chunks were hefty and had texture, but the flavor was that of spiced-up breakfast sausage, with no hint of fennel, just sharpness.
The thicker crust of the Chicken Vegy pizza seemed to lack the great flavor of the thin crust, and had too much dough for the toppings. In spite of the abundance of fresh vegetables and chicken, this pizza suffered from "flavor underload." The menu described the white sauce as delicate. That somewhat described the whole pizza - the flavors were a bit too delicate for my tastes.
Donatos tries to bring the feel and quality of a small family pizzeria to a chain - and they largely succeed. If you stick to what Donatos does best - thin crusts, tomato sauce, pepperoni and fresh toppings, you'll be in for a treat.


rumreich@broadripplegazette.com
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