The Calzone Power Hour: Q&A with Amanda Scriver

Amanda Scriver prepares for the Calzone Power Hour [Photo: Amanda Scriver]

The Calzone Power Hour has officially folded in on itself for another year. And we catch up with Amanda Scriver to ask a few questions about her day-long adventure running up and down Cheese Mountain.

You rated your calzones in units of greasy fingers. Would you list the most to least greasy?
Bitondo's (4.5 greasy fingers), Tony & Nick's (4), Vesuvio (3), and then Frank's Pizza (2). If I had time, I would have also tried Commisso Italian Bakery (open 24 hours a day), King Slice, Ciccio's Pizza, and Corrado's Authentic Italian Cuisine.

You included pictures for all the calzones/panzarotti but not from Vesuvio. What gives?
I gobbled that bad boy up before I could get a photo.

How does one prepare for the Calzone Power Hour?
Eat light that day: You're going to be ingesting a lot of dough, cheese, and sauce. You're probably going to want to be either really drunk or drink a lot of water. In my case, I drank a lot of water. Map out all of your locations and make a route. Find a friend who wants to join you on your quest. This way, if you want to try out several locations, you can split a calzone/panzarotti with a friend. Finally: Go forth and pizza on.

Which do you prefer, baked or fried?
I would have to prefer the fried versions that I had (which came in first and second). Something about the dough just seemed to be on-point which keeping all the innards juicy and delicious. And let's be real: The only way to enjoy something this delicious should be fried.

What did you do after you finished your epic day of eating?
I FELL INTO A CALZONE COMATOSE. I got home and went to bed. It was a glorious sleep.

Follow Scriver's calzone adventures in chronological order:
· Calzone Power Hour: Vesuvio Pizzeria & Spaghetti House
· Calzone Power Hour: Bitondo's Pizzeria
· Calzone Power Hour: Tony & Nick's Place
· Calzone Power Hour: Frank's Pizza House