Tomatoe Pie Cafe

Years ago, as I would make frequent treks to North Park to enjoy the summer sunshine and maybe an afternoon of swimming or picnicking, I was always curious about the Tomato Pie Cafe, which sits right as you enter the park. Since my first visit several years ago, I've made Tomato Pie one of my favorite summer lunch spots. A small restaurant consisting of an indoor dining room, a screened in porch, and a beautiful outdoor patio, Tomato Pie is a perfect location to enjoy a meal on a sunny day. The owner maintains a beautiful garden behind the restaurant, growing fresh herbs and vegetables to use in his recipes, and the patio is decorated with beautiful flowers and also pots of rosemary and fresh basil.

While I usually enjoy a pizza, the limited menu includes some very tasty dishes, with my favorite being penne pasta in pink leek sauce. Today though, we enjoyed a pizza and a pair of house salads. Standard pizzas are served, along with the signature Tomato Pie, and the DiPositano. The DiPositano is a wheat crust with sliced tomato, spinach and feta. We went for the Tomato Pie which has ripe tomato slices instead of sauce and fresh coarsely chopped basil topped with mozzarella on a crisp crust. Over the years, I've heard stories of poor service but I've never experienced that here. This is a very small space that can get very crowded on nice days. I'm sure those reasons could be contributing factors on occasion. I don't go to Tomato Pie when I'm in a hurry anyway! I go to enjoy the food and the outdoor patio, and the experience has always been enjoyable. If you go, keep in mind that they don't accept credit cards (although there is an ATM on premise), and due to their limited seating, I would recommend avoiding peak times. Tomatoe Pie is located on Ingomar Road just at the entrance of North Park.