This post was originally published on October 28, 2015.

I love having a good pizza place down the street from my house. In Denver, this place is Tony P’s for me. I am sure most of you (if not all!) have your neighborhood pizza joint. Then again, I am from the Chicago suburbs and had upwards of 10 neighborhood pizza spots to make “mine,” but you get the picture. Tony P’s has your classic Italian fare (pizza, pasta, calzones), along with a bar and small venue upstairs. My friends’ band, Cycles, has actually had somewhat of a residency there over the past two months, so I have spent my fair share of time in the warm and delicious-smelling locale.

Until this past Saturday, I had yet to dine inside Tony P’s. I’ve gotten pizza delivered, slammed back drinks at the bar during Cycles shows, and have taken a slice to go. M and I ventured over to Tony P’s around 8 PM and had a great meal. You get an unlimited number of yummy garlic bread sticks. We ordered the wood-fired wings to start. They were The. Best. Wings. Ever. Seriously, though. They aren’t coated in sauce, but may be some of the most succulent chicken wings I have ever had. Highly recommended. For my main dish, I had the walnut pear salad (hello, Paleo diet), which was also tasty. For my drink… A Bloody Mary of course! You can read the review of Tony P’s Bloody below. FYI I just found out Tony P’s has Sunday brunch… So you can grab a Bloody at brunch time as well… When you really need to nurse that hangover!

AT A GLANCE 15/20

Tony P’s Bloody Mary looked very light coloured when it was delivered to our table. Oftentimes, light coloured Bloodys tend to scare me, as they are usually watered down and flavorless. Spices were dispersed throughout, though, meaning there could be potential! The drink was clean, the rim was salted, and it was garnished with two big olives and a lime wedge.

GARNISH 15/20

The garnish was attractive, while not too unique. Both of the olives were flavorful and I loved the heavy salt on the rim.

SPICE 20/20

As mentioned in the “At A Glance” category, I am wary of light coloured Bloodys, as I sometimes judge and think they may be flavorless… But Tony P’s was anything but! Their Bloody was spicy with just the perfect kick of heat and a nice “bite.” The spices were complex, yet complimentary to each other. There were also some salty touches (not including the rim!).

TEXTURE & ACIDITY 20/20

The texture of Tony P’s Bloody Mary was light and refreshing, similar to a cold juice you would have in the summertime. The lightness of the Bloody was perfect, as a big meal was ahead! This is the perfect Bloody Mary for an Italian place like Tony P’s– you don’t want to fill up before you gorge yourself on breadsticks, pizza, and pasta! The Bloody was not acidic at all. Score!

UNIQUENESS 18/20

I thought Tony P’s Bloody was unique because of its full flavor, yet light texture. This is a hard thing to come by– as Bloodys are usually flavorful and thicker, or lighter and watered down. Tony P’s hit the right spot and really executed the cocktail’s taste and depth of spices. This was my first Bloody at Tony P’s and it surely will not be the last!

FINAL SCORE 88/100

Head to my favorite neighborhood pizza spot aka Tony P’s (17th Ave.), which is located at:

777 East 17th Ave., Denver, CO, 80203