Pizza with pizzaz
By Patricia Nugent
The family cooks at Danny Boys have always been masters at classic Italian fare, and their new menu celebrates all of the nuances of their award-winning pizzas and pastas, along with some fun new twists on American cuisine, too.
“We don’t necessarily follow food trends, but we always listen to our customers’ tastes,” says Rob Grendow, who, along with his wife, Renee, owns Danny Boys in Rocky River, North Olmsted and Sandusky.
The Hottest Dish(es) in the CLE
There are new sections within the Danny Boys menu that are in touch with what Clevelanders want now, starting with versions of the famous Clevelander Pizza.
“People love the difference when you switch up the order and put the sauce on top of the cheese and double the pepperoni,” Rob says. “It changes everything.”
For an Old World bent, try the Native Clevelander with Polish Kielbasa, onions and peppers; the bold-faced Social Clevelander with fresh mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and yellow peppers; or the classic West Side Clevelander, topped with grilled chicken, spinach, basil and red peppers.
Pizza lovers looking for a lighter option will dig right in to the new Artisan Margherita Pizzas, which range from the classic with olive oil, cheese, basil, tomatoes and garlic to the Cajun Garlic Shrimp, Pesto Veggie and Italian.
Tasty versions of classic mac and cheese also find their own section on the menu, starting with the Old Blue Eyes, which amasses a holy trinity of mozzarella, provolone and cheddar cheeses with penne pasta, grilled chicken, broccoli and bacon in a rich rosemary-garlic cream sauce.
But sorry, Frank, Rob reports the Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese is their #1 seller, with the Garlic Shrimp nosing in at a photo-finish #2.
The menu also caters to gluten-free diners. Rob and Renee travelled to the national pizza convention in Las Vegas a few years ago and discovered an amazing gluten-free pizza dough that they say can easily pass for regular.
(While there is no separate gluten-free kitchen, their cooks have been trained to handle all gluten-free ingredients with care, keeping the presence of gluten as low as possible.)
Where’s the Party?
When it comes to catering, Danny Boys has earned a reputation for generous portions of crowd-pleasing dishes. And while there is a catering menu, the team routinely caters events with selections of anything off the regular menu.
“Working with people to create a meal that’s perfectly suited to their event is a specialty of ours,” says Renee. “We can do anything from dishes of pierogies for a church function, to pasta trays for pharmaceutical reps treating their doctors, or ribs and wings for March Madness watch parties.”
They also work within your budget, usually around $8-12 per person.
Order Online
Move over Uber Eats. Last month the restaurants debuted their online ordering and delivery service. Tired after a long day of work? Just go to DannyBoysPizza.com, order up whatever strikes you and it’ll be delivered to your door.
“Staffed by our own delivery people, this service is already very popular,” says Rob.
Don’t want delivery? Online orders are also available to be picked up at all seven Danny Boys locations.
Danny Boys is located at 20251 Lake Road in Rocky River. Call them at 440-333-9595.The North Olmsted Location is located at 24129 Lorain Road. Call them at 440-360-7800. Other Danny Boys Locations include Sandusky, Chesterland, Broadview Heights, Tallmadge and North Canton. Visit DannyBoysPizza.com for more information. Hours vary by location.