Infusino's

The sign for Infusino's on Washington Avenue.

I know that I live in the middle of nowhere, but I had managed to trick myself into thinking that this is a real place over the last week. I mean, come on, Racine has a Starbucks and a Chipotle. Well, more accurately, Sturtevant has those things. Racine really has a town of little shops with no recognizable names. It's a super cute town (I'll be sure to post pictures soon), but it definitely isn't a big city.

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I couldn't find saffron anywhere. I was planning to make a recipe I found in People magazine courtesy of the lovely and talented Mario Lopez, and it required that I spend an arm and a leg on saffron, so I went out to find it. I went to Piggly Wiggly on my way home from Target on Sunday, and I couldn't find it there. So I went to the Piggly Wiggly on Washington, and it wasn't there. (Why would I go to the same chain store? Apparently, I'm pretty stupid.)

I've been going to the Piggly Wiggly because that name seemed more legit to me than Pick'n Save (I know Piggly Wiggly sounds country, but doesn't Pick'n Save sound pretty janky?), but on Monday night, I decided to try the rival store. Alas, no saffron was to be found at the Pick'n Save either, but I did find out that it is a much nicer store than the Piggly Wiggly. If you were to compare these grocery stores to my Chicago favorites, Piggly Wiggly is to Jewel as Pick'n Save is to Dominick's. There's a good chance that the Pick'n Save is more expensive (you know I don't check prices), but I would rather spend a few more dollars for a better store.

But as nice as the Pick'n Save is, they still don't carry saffron! What is wrong with the grocery stores of Racine? Anyways, I called my mom to vent about my futile quest for saffron, and she remembered seeing a little spice shop on Washington Avenue that was sure to carry saffron. And right she was! I called Molbeck's on Tuesday morning to confirm, and I was super excited to get my saffron that night. Unfortunately, Molbeck's closes at 5:30, and I showed up about ten minutes late. 

Of course, I was on the phone with my mom when I discovered my tardiness, and the conversation went something like this:

Kelsey: I'm never going to get this stupid saffron. I'm tired. I don't feel like making the recipe that I picked out for tonight. It doesn't even sound that good to me anymore. Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine...

Roz: I'm so pleased that I know Racine so well that I could guide you to that spice shop! I can picture that street in my mind's eye. You know what else is on that street? Infusino's, the place that makes the best pizza in Racine. Why don't you go there and pick up some pizza and take a break from the cooking? And you can get some for Maya!

Kelsey: That's a great idea! What would I do without you?

You might think I'm joking, but that's a pretty accurate representation of our conversation. 

So I got off the phone with my mom and entered this sketchy looking pizza place to see what Racine really has to offer.

 This is the counter where you order the food. Isn't the box fan welcoming?

Lovely seating area if you choose to dine in. As you can see, take out is a popular option. 

I decided to overlook the sketchiness because I was feeling supremely lazy, and I really did want to see what the best pizza in Racine was all about. I ordered a large thin crust cheese pizza and handed the girl twenty dollars. She gave me eleven back in change. Did you read that correctly?! Yes! The best pizza in Racine costs $9. I didn't even really think about it until I got home and Maya pointed it out. Oh yah, $9 is really cheap, isn't it? (I clearly have no concept of money... I'm learning.)

 This is how they package their pizza. Looks pretty ghetto, but it is way easier to throw away than a pizza box.

Infusino's large cheese pizza

Infusino's pizza was pretty good. It wasn't the best pizza I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't the worst. Then again, I consider Papa John's a completely acceptable place for pizza, and we all know that their pizza is pretty much made of paper. Infusino's certainly doesn't compare to Lou Malnati's in Chicago or Geraci's in Cleveland, but it did the trick. I'd put it on par with Papa John's, but with the knowledge that Infusino's probably uses better ingredients. And for $9 a pizza, I think we will definitely get it again.

P.S. I finally got my saffron at Molbeck's last night. It cost me $16 for a tiny little jar of saffron, but I think the rice was worth it. Thank you, Mario Lopez!