1440 Oneida St.
Appleton, WI 54915
920-830-8336
http://www.wiseguysappleton.com
When I’m in Appleton, WI I mainly like to do three things. First on my list is leave. My second favorite time killer is seeing how drunk I can get before getting my ass kicked or ending up in the Appleton Police Department’s holding cell. This has provided me many years of entertainment. My other favorite thing to do is eat pizza. With gems such as Stuc’s and Frank’s (plus Cranky Pat’s just a little bit south) you really can’t go wrong. When I visited Appleton most recently my friend and Appleton local, David Joseph Kiley, got me hip to a new joint. Wiseguys Pizzeria & Pub.
Dave, his girlfriend Toni, and myself visited Wiseguys the day after Thanksgiving. I had woken Dave up at 1 PM by busting through his front door and demanding beer (which I got). Dave has a real knack for having girlfriends who complain so almost immediately Toni started whining about how hungry she was. After a good thirty minutes of them bickering about which place to eat I decided for us.
Wiseguy’s Pizzeria is located in a newly built strip mall on the south side of Appleton. I, actually, consider this part of town Menasha but I’m not 100% clear on town borders. There are a few options for seating areas at Wiseguys: the bar area, the dining room, and out front. The dining room is pretty large with booths and tables. The bar area has a few hightop tables and, of course, seating at the bar. We sat on the bar side. Our waitress came with the menus, took our orders (Sam Adams Winter Lager for me), and gave us some time to peruse the menu. They have sandwiches, burgers, appetizers, and even grilled cheese for kids. They call the salad section “Leaves” and the soup section “Liquid.” Kind of weird.
I flipped my menu over and saw one of the most impressive specialty pizza sections I’ve ever seen. Sure, it has some of your regulars. The Mexican pizza, the BBQ Chicken, the Hawaiian, etc. Then you see things such as The Kuester (mild sauce, mozzarella, monterey jack, provolone, crumbled blue cheese, crumbled bacon, fresh basil, parmesan, and roasted garlic). Are you kidding me? Amazing. The Italian Beef pizza piqued my curiosity but the Pak’r Bak’r really did it for me. I mean, what would Aaron Rodgers think if I didn’t order this pizza?
The Pak’r Bak’r has Wiseguy’s special mustard sauce, mozzarella, sauerkraut, and bratwurst. Not being the biggest fan of mustard I asked about the special mustard sauce. It’s a mix of yellow mustard and a spicy brown and was told it’s better enjoyed with extra sauce. I was hesitant but sold. Order placed.
The hand tossed crust was thicker than your typical hand tossed. The mustard sauce was really subtle except near the edge of the crust where it became very prevalent. The bratwurst and sauerkraut were delicious. I’ve had sauerkraut on pizza before and I highly suggest trying it.
The Good: The pizza selection. There is a large spread of “Gourmet Pizzas” and, just like the Adam & Eve catalog (not linking that one…), there is bound to be something for everyone’s taste. Wiseguy’s also offers a fantastic tap and bottled beer selection.
I almost forgot to mention my favorite part of Wiseguy’s. The game room. Wanna talk about some adult shit with your friends but one of them was duped into having a kid? Send that kid to the game room. Pizza taking forever and your friends suck? GAME ROOM. There’s pinball, one of those “win every time” candy prize machines, I believe some sort of shooter type game, and my personal favorite, the old school arcade machine that gives you your choice of 30 some games for a quarter. You know who isn’t as good at Mappy Land as they remember being? This guy.
The Bad: Not much. Overall, it was a really good experience. Wiseguy’s menu looks great, the pizza was good, and the waitress extremely friendly. They ran out of Sam Adams while I was there. My bad, though, not theirs.
Try: I suggest trying the Pak’r Bak’r. it’s different but goddamn delicious. I really think you can’t go wrong with any of the gourmet pizzas. Even if you don’t get the Pak’r Bak’r try sauerkraut on your pizza.
Rating: Like having firecrackers at a college basement party
March 10th, 2010 at 11:38 am
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