Pizzeria finds perfect fit in recipe, location
Almost a year ago, Tony Haji opened his Worthington-area pizzeria.
“There’s potential here,” Haji said of the Worthington Center Plaza, where Big Tony’s Pizza and Pasta is located.
It is the essence of a neighborhood pizza spot: independently owned, with casual seating inside and competitive prices.
The foundation of the pizza is based on house-made crust and house-mixed tomato sauce, the way Haji learned how to make it as a teenager in Rhode Island.
“It’s not too sweet — just the perfect amount,” he said of the sauce.
After ladling sauce onto the crust, Haji piles on the cheese.
“We’re not skimping on cheese,” he said. “A lot of pizza shops skimp on cheese.”
Pies, he said, are cut into triangles, not squares.
Big Tony’s gives a nod to Thomas Worthington High School by naming one of its signatures pies the Cardinals, the school’s mascot. The pie combines steak and buffalo chicken ($13.99 for a medium, $15.99 for large).
Each of the housemade calzones, including a buildyour-own option, is stuffed with a fivecheese blend. Those wanting to test their spice threshold can try the “extreme” buffalo chicken ($9.99) served with cooling ranch on the side.
On a scale of one to
10 — with 10 being the hottest — it’s a seven, he said.
For the brave, one sauce option for the chicken wings ($6.99 for six, $11.99 for 12) is the “Tony’s fire.”
“That’s even spicier than the extreme buffalo chicken,” Haji said.
Big Tony’s has some other classic dishes, such as the chicken Parmesan sandwich ($5.29 for 8 inches, $7.99 for 11 inches) ladled with a housemade marinara sauce.
There are several fresh salads from which to choose that start with a fresh spring mix or arugula. The house salad ($4.99 for a small, $9.99 for a large) uses fresh mozzarella and roasted tomatoes, which get a topping of basil-and-balsamic glaze.
Haji opened Golden Crust Pizzeria several years ago near John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
“Overall, it wasn’t the best area to grow my business,” he said.
He hired his brother, Mohammed, and moved into a nicer storefront that featured a pizza oven that could bake 16 pies at a time.
Big Tony’s officially opened Aug. 1, and Haji said he can see the potential for expansion.
“It was a great move,” he said.