That’s PizzAmore!

In the heart of Mt. Dora, Florida rests one of - if not THE - cutest restaurants I have ever been to!

Join me for a little story time won’t you?

Leigh Love moved to Mt. Dora over a decade ago (by the way, how awesome is that name). Wanting to share her love of food and wine with others, she opened a place in town called the 5th Avenue Cafe Kitchen. During the time the cafe was open, Jesse Thomas, a Mt. Dora native joined her team as the Executive Chef.

A favorite spot among the locals, they made freshly baked bread for their guests, and in the process, Jesse would make personal pizzas for the employees…(anyone else jealous they didn’t get to work there…I mean, free pizza almost everyday?!)

- Sorry, getting distracted…back to our regularly scheduled program -

After six years of wonderful service, the 5th Avenue Cafe Kitchen sadly had to close its doors, but not all hope was lost. Something else was created, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes (a little drama for you) came PizzAmore, and I must admit, I’m glad it did!

Located at 722 East 5th Avenue in Mt. Dora, Florida, PizzAmore has to be one of my favorite places I have visited to review. They operate 7 days a week from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm (Sun - Thurs) and 11:30 am to 10:00 pm (Fri & Sat). You can try them out by dining in, taking out, or delivery…they also cater, so you can share the love with your family, friends, and the people you kind of like at the office.

If you are like me, you prefer to order online, so check them out at HERE for that option.

Offering a very wide selection of items that all looked and sounded absolutely amazing. From pizza (obviously) to appetizers, flatbreads, subs, baked entrees, pasta YOUR way, and desserts - including an award winning Creme Brulee that I will definitely be back to try, I was too stuffed to try it out this time, but it is on my list - literally!

They also offer a variety of craft beer, wine, and Pepsi products which I won’t hold this against them, they do offer Dr. Pepper!
(I know some of you were wondering how I survived).

Let’s talk about the building a little bit, so I can build up some suspense on the pizza…and don’t scroll down just to get to that part!

I love the house so much, that I wish I could have found out more about its history, but I do know it was built in 1929, starting out as a privately owned home, it has changed hands quite a few times over the years.
At one point in time, it was a thrift store, a boutique, and even a psychiatric center…you know this perked my ears up.

Definitely need to visit again and see if it is haunted, because what would be more perfect for me than a haunted pizza restaurant?!

I know, I know, you’re all like shut up and tell us more about the food! Which has been my plan all along.

PizzAmore offers Specialty Pizzas at pleasant prices, all of their food is awesomely priced, which is also another check mark on my list.

Ranging at just $9 for a 10” to $23 for a 16” (varying on the specialty you choose).

You can also Create Your Own - which you guys know is my thing - starting at $6.50 for a 10” base cheese, $13.50 for the 16”.
Typical toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, olives start at $1.00, and your Premium toppings such as chicken, meatballs, specialty veggies start at $1.25.

Also, for my health conscious friends, they offer Wheat or Gluten-Free crust, they for a small upcharge.

Another thing I love is they use LOCAL sources for their ingredients.

The most important part about visiting a restaurant is the quality and taste of the food, and PizzAmore has surpassed just about every pizza restaurant I have visited. You can definitely taste the care that goes into making their food. I loved everything about each and every bite.

The thickness of the crust - which we all know I can get a little picky on…it was perfect, not too thick, not too thin, didn’t overpower the toppings.

The flavor of the sauce - not too sweet, not too salty, right amount of seasoning to keep it engaged, but not the star of the show.

The toppings - we ordered the Deluxe so that we could get the full experience - were fresh, equally distributed, cut at just the right sizing, and covered the entire pizza.

The cheese…MY FAVORITE PART! I always say the cheese is what makes or breaks a pizza for me. It has just the right mount of stringy melty goodness when we pulled the slices apart, it was fresh, there were no sparse areas on the pizza where it separated, it didn’t clump like cheap cheese does. I can’t explain how amazing it is!

You’ll just have to stop in and try it out for yourself!

I wanted to mention in my review, also, thank you for reading them. I know reviewing pizza restaurants seems silly to some, but I enjoy going out and finding new places I haven’t been before, and I love sharing my experiences with all of you who take the time out of your day to read them. I only hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them, I’d ask that you please share so we can help support local business and that others can possibly find their new favorite spot!

The last thing is the staff at PizzAmore was top notch. You can tell they are a family, everyone checked on us, asked us how our experience was going, how our food was, one guy even accidentally hit another girl with the swinging door because he didn’t realize she was behind him…you know, typical family stuff. Conversations about how the restaurant is doing could be heard between employees, ideas on how to progress and keep things going smoothly, how to improve…stuff like that is important with establishments, and I like that they are inclusive to everyone. It was a great way to place to enjoy my birthday dinner, I definitely recommend, and will be back in the future. My only complaint is I wish I lived closer!

PizzAmore’s objective: To create a warm, inviting, fun, casual place to bring the entire family.

Mission Accomplished.
8/8 slices!