Whenever I get asked the question, "Why'd you go to school in Nebraska?" with that incredulous voice, like he/she is really asking, Did you know that there is factually nothing there but air and corn? I answer, "Yia Yia's pizza, of course."
Okay, I don't do that. But I should start. It's a far better response than the typical one I give - which is something along the lines of, "Well, in late 1985 I was born in Miami, Florida..." and continues on for a millennium. Exaggeration suits me. But I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that Yia Yia's Pizza and Beer is an incredible restaurant and bar in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It's so much of a gem that it'd be a gem even if it were in Washington, DC. I'm envisioning that scene now - the place would be beyond-fire-code packed every day of the week. It's hipster with 375 bottled beers, rotating drafts, and unpretentious billiards in the back. It's hip with vegan and whole wheat pizza crust options. Its space is community building with a narrow, deep bar and limited seating, encouraging you to chat and sip at the bar. And it's so very summer in DC with its outdoor patio seating. It would be an immediate hit in Washington. But let me back up and tell you what it's like where it is - in my college town.
Yia Yia's lives at 14th and O on the main "O Street" strip. When I was at UNL, it sat next to Bricktop, my favorite bar and nightclub. Bricktop hosted an '80s night every Friday; it was the best night of the week. On several occasions, my girlfriends and I grabbed a slice at Yia Yia's before moving next door to Bricktop to dance our feelings and shake off the pizza calories. (Obviously, my hair was in a high side ponytail, my shirt was off the shoulder, and my tights were mad neon pink.)
Yia Yia's does pizza a little differently. You can purchase it by the slice or pie. A slice is $4.50, and you can choose up to 5 toppings, including a wide array of cheeses, vegetables, and meats from around the world. Their whole pies come in set prices, including $15 for a medium, and it's the same deal - you can choose up to 5 toppings. I love that kind of freedom. When I order from most pizza spots, I'm always stuck, taking forever to narrow down the options - wanting both onions and tomatoes but also what about this kind of cheese? Yia Yia's way makes it easy, or maybe I'm just nostalgic?
I remember one time in college ("this one time, at band camp...") -- I went to grab a slice, okay two slices, with my writing mentor. We picked up our slices at the counter and took them to the back. The front half of of the bar has a few tables with parmasan cheese and crushed red pepper shakers on them; it's incognito as a regular old pizza place. Walk into the back, and the place gets darker, and a few pool tables dot the room. There were other nights like that: pool and pizza, beer and pizza, wine and pizza, vodka and cranberry and pizza - but always, good company and pizza.
Yia Yia's uses the best ingredients and makes their dough from scratch. I love their chunky marinara, and the slightly charred crusts. But the real reason Yia Yia's is a gem in Lincoln and would be anywhere in the country, including snobby DC, is because of the stories and memories created every day inside its walls. Going back there with my college girlfriend Pam this weekend reversed time, erased a few gray hairs, and made me feel like the world was huge and a little piece of it is mine and that anything is possible and friendships are forever.
And that's the real reason why I went to college in Nebraska.
Okay, I don't do that. But I should start. It's a far better response than the typical one I give - which is something along the lines of, "Well, in late 1985 I was born in Miami, Florida..." and continues on for a millennium. Exaggeration suits me. But I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that Yia Yia's Pizza and Beer is an incredible restaurant and bar in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It's so much of a gem that it'd be a gem even if it were in Washington, DC. I'm envisioning that scene now - the place would be beyond-fire-code packed every day of the week. It's hipster with 375 bottled beers, rotating drafts, and unpretentious billiards in the back. It's hip with vegan and whole wheat pizza crust options. Its space is community building with a narrow, deep bar and limited seating, encouraging you to chat and sip at the bar. And it's so very summer in DC with its outdoor patio seating. It would be an immediate hit in Washington. But let me back up and tell you what it's like where it is - in my college town.
Yia Yia's lives at 14th and O on the main "O Street" strip. When I was at UNL, it sat next to Bricktop, my favorite bar and nightclub. Bricktop hosted an '80s night every Friday; it was the best night of the week. On several occasions, my girlfriends and I grabbed a slice at Yia Yia's before moving next door to Bricktop to dance our feelings and shake off the pizza calories. (Obviously, my hair was in a high side ponytail, my shirt was off the shoulder, and my tights were mad neon pink.)
Yia Yia's does pizza a little differently. You can purchase it by the slice or pie. A slice is $4.50, and you can choose up to 5 toppings, including a wide array of cheeses, vegetables, and meats from around the world. Their whole pies come in set prices, including $15 for a medium, and it's the same deal - you can choose up to 5 toppings. I love that kind of freedom. When I order from most pizza spots, I'm always stuck, taking forever to narrow down the options - wanting both onions and tomatoes but also what about this kind of cheese? Yia Yia's way makes it easy, or maybe I'm just nostalgic?
I remember one time in college ("this one time, at band camp...") -- I went to grab a slice, okay two slices, with my writing mentor. We picked up our slices at the counter and took them to the back. The front half of of the bar has a few tables with parmasan cheese and crushed red pepper shakers on them; it's incognito as a regular old pizza place. Walk into the back, and the place gets darker, and a few pool tables dot the room. There were other nights like that: pool and pizza, beer and pizza, wine and pizza, vodka and cranberry and pizza - but always, good company and pizza.
Yia Yia's uses the best ingredients and makes their dough from scratch. I love their chunky marinara, and the slightly charred crusts. But the real reason Yia Yia's is a gem in Lincoln and would be anywhere in the country, including snobby DC, is because of the stories and memories created every day inside its walls. Going back there with my college girlfriend Pam this weekend reversed time, erased a few gray hairs, and made me feel like the world was huge and a little piece of it is mine and that anything is possible and friendships are forever.
And that's the real reason why I went to college in Nebraska.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to comment (and read)! If you would like to shoot me a longer note, feel free to email me at travelhikeeat@gmail.com.