One of the better pizzas found in the Midwest is Valentino's based out of Lincoln, NE. They have a number of dine-in and carry-out locations all around Lincoln, Omaha and across the state of Nebraska. There are also one or two locations each in South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas.
Valentino's (or affectionately known as "Val's" to the locals) started back in the early 50's by Val and Zena Weiler. The Weiler's owned Campus Fruit Market, a small grocery store at 35th and Holdrege (see map) across from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus. Knowing that growing supermarkets would enventually stamp out their "mom and pop" operation, the Weilers decided to start selling pizzas made from an old family recipe from Zena's side. They soon had people lined up to get their pizzas, even drawing crowds of people who would stand on the sidewalk and watch their pizza makers make the pizzas in a big window.
The Weiler's sold Valentino's in 1968 and the new owner's decided to try for a second location in south Lincoln at 70th and Van Dorn (see map). Those two locations are still in existence today.
I was first exposed to Val's when my cousin, Sarah, was going to school at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in the mid to late 70's. She would even bring home some half-baked pizzas to me when she would come back for visits. I still love her for it to this day.
The Val's pizzas are not too doughy, but they aren't thick, either. The toppings are fresh and the sauce is light with a little bit of zip. Their sausage is the big chunks that I like so well.
Val's also makes pastas that are edible, but not much better than most fast food pasta places. One thing they do make that I crave from time to time is a cold Spinach noodle pasta salad with chunks of ham, parmesan and olive oil. I've tried to duplicate it at home, but there's something they're sticking in there that I can't figure out what it is.
Debates rage among Nebraska natives about Valentino's Pizza and whether the original location at 35th and Holdrege makes a better tasting pizza than the other Valentino's locations. Personally, I think they do. There were rumors for years that the owners of Valentino's, and who have franchised out the restaurant to others across Nebraska and the Midwest, have held back some part of the original recipe so their pizzas at the 35th and Holdrege location will taste the best of all of them.
There was a newspaper article in the Lincoln Journal-Star a few years ago that basically debunked those rumors. The newspaper article said the reason the pizzas tasted different at the original location was to do with the old ovens they were using in the place - the same ones they've been using since the 60's. I have to agree with that. I know that the older the oven and the more they're used they develop an aroma that permeates the pizzas that are made in there. Considering hundreds of thousands of pizzas have been made in those ovens over the years, it's no wonder they taste as good as they do.
Some of the Val's have buffets (including the original). I still go in and ask for my own pizza to be made, but go through the salad bar just to get the Spinach noodle pasta salad.
Val's isn't the best pizza I've ever tried, but it is certainly far from the worst. It's worth a stop if you ever get to Lincoln.
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