Pigging out at the Wig and Pen

Wig and Pen started in Coralville back in the 90s, and since expanded to Iowa City's east side and to Ankeny as well a few years back. Road Tips has written up a history of Wig and Pen in Coralville on his blog.

Taking advantage of an early out from work several weeks ago I took the DART Ankeny Express up to Wig and Pen on S. Ankeny Blvd. to sample their pizza.

For an appetizer I ordered a full order of onion rings, and what an impressive nest it was. Thin, crispy strands, lightly battered. Just a bit oily with a few chewy rings cut from the outermost layer of onion, but otherwise tasty and plenty to share among friends.

For the main course I had a medium stuffed crust with pepperoni and garlic. Right off the bright tomato sauce on top excited my palate! The crust is tender and easily cut with a fork. The baking pan is greased with butter which helps to crisp the bottom and sides as well impart flavor, noticeably so when I munched on the rind. I was impressed!

Wig and Pen also serves up two other styles of pizza: a thin-crust; and the Flying Tomato, a pan version of their thin-crust with extra cheese on top and slices of tomato. I returned a month later for the latter.

On a medium Flying Tomato I ordered up a Union Jack, featuring Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion and sweet Italian peppers. A gooey, cheesy shroud lay atop a mound of toppings. Thin strips of red bell pepper lend a sweetness to this savory pie. Overall, a hefty slice and just plain good.

And after reading Road Tips glowing review of the Wigatoni, Wig and Pen's signature pasta dish, I know what I'll be trying the next time I can snag an early ride outbound on the Ankeny Express.