There were several specials the day we went, including a salad with salmon and, my favorite, a blue cheese burger — but we skipped those for the wings and pizza instead.
The chicken wings came out in a sweet chili sauce, with just enough crunch on the skin before you hit the juicy meat underneath — the kind of detail that shows it was cooked fresh, not just reheated. The pizza was a 16-inch pepperoni and jalapeño, with a crust that held just enough moisture to keep it from going dry, without turning soggy under the toppings. Prices were good and the food was outstanding.
Worth knowing for next time: the wings come in four other sauces besides the sweet chili we got — French’s sweet hot, buffalo, BBQ, and garlic parmesan — fried or stone-fire grilled, ordered by the 10 or 20. The pizza goes up to an 18-inch past the 16 we split, and there’s a deep dish option and a handful of specialty pies — a Meat Lover, a Veggie Lover, a Margherita, a white pie — if pepperoni and jalapeño isn’t the move.
We barely scratched the surface, honestly. I went back and looked at the full menu after, and this place is a real tavern kitchen underneath the pizza counter — cod florentine, fish and chips, a 12-ounce hand-cut NY strip or ribeye, grilled salmon, pork chops, a full pasta list with shrimp scampi and chicken done four different ways, sandwiches, even a kids’ menu for the 12-and-under crowd. Next visit I’m trying the Stromboli or the shrimp scampi — both keep coming up as favorites from other regulars, so I’m not just guessing.
Three different football games were running on three different TVs at once — the Bucs on one, the Saints on another, the Panthers on a third. Weeknights bring trivia and karaoke, weekends bring live music, and there’s outdoor seating too if you don’t want to be inside. It’s got that regulars-know-the-bartender feel — a real neighborhood tavern, not just a pizza counter. Heard a little grumbling about prices creeping up lately, but that’s everywhere right now, not just here.
We didn’t make it to dessert, but the case up front had a cannoli, a tiramisu, and a seven-layer chocolate cake sitting in it — I know there’s also a limoncello cake and cheesecake on the menu, just didn’t see them out that day. Next time.
Good to know: A.R. French Pizzeria & Tavern, 3104 Town Avenue, Trinity. Open Sunday–Wednesday 11am–9pm, Thursday 11am–10pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–11pm. (727) 494-7615. See the full menu.
— Robert
Photo: Robert.