This is the 3rd time I have tried to write this blog! Either I am too stupid to remember to hit “save” or my computer is resetting to an earlier location when it services itself and reboots every Thursday morning. That being said…Sorry there was no blog last week. Being sick blows, but since no one pays me to write this, I figured I could take a week off to recuperate. Thanks for sticking with me.

Moment of Truth – sometimes I just have to admit I am a little jealous of Henderson. Counting Town Square (which is MUCH closer to H-son than to me), they have 2 Whole Foods, 3 shopping malls, 2 Trader Joe’s and countless Mom & Pop dining choices that are good, or at least decent. They even have a slew of chains (not that I am advocating eating at “big box” chain restaurants, but even Chili’s closed up by me…I live in a restaurant desert). Yet, I am not sure if it is jealousy or just simple pragmatism, I still won’t drive there just to eat or shop when there are closer options. Do I want to go to Bread & Butter? YES! Did I want to hit up Meat + Three before they shut their doors? YES! But they were in H-son dammit! I need a REASON (party with friends, visit with clients, spend time with my buds from Boulder City, etc.) to drive 45 minutes, and shopping and dining are not good enough reasons. John loves Khoury’s but won’t go there just to go there, he only visits on the days he works in H-son.

So let’s talk about Settebello. On Valentine’s Day I had the occasion to be in H-son. Darling Hubby bought me a gift that I had to pick out – a new Boston Terrorist puppy. Her name is Cannoli BTW, and the white marking on her forehead looks like a Chef’s knife. John suggested since we were going to be down there, we should go to Settebello and see what all the fuss is about.

It’s cute. The pizza was good (not NY style, but Italian style) and the service was great. If, and when, I am in Henderson I will go back there. Will I make a trip JUST to eat there? No. Why? Dollar for dollar and mile for mile, Due Forni makes better pizza. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the pizza at Settebello (oh and it’s a small chain BTW) and maybe I will like them more once the location in Summerlin is open, but I REALLY like the pizza at Due Forni. They both have their fancy schmancy ovens and they both make similar styles of pizza (like I said, not NY style, but authentic Italian style), but as I stated before, driving 45 minutes for a pizza seems ridiculous to me when I think of pizza as fast food. Would I go back to Settebello? Sure! In fact, I would have gone there this past weekend for a friend’s b-day party if John wasn’t exhausted from a cross country business trip, but there again – that’s a REASON to go. The pizza is not enough, for me the salted caramel budino was better than the pie.

So I am left wondering what all the fuss is about. Good pizza, not great pizza, is not enough to create all this stir. Did we get less than exemplary pies? Am I being a jealous bitch because once again H-son has some place decent to eat? Was I just crabby because I was too hungry when I walked in? If I was paid to be a food writer, I would go there at least three separate times before writing anything, but I am not paid. Still, what’s all the fuss about? Folks go on and on about Settebello, but Due Forni has better pizza. Why? Feel free to comment!

Next week, my thoughts on dining with Friend Al Mancini and Gordon Ramsay Burgr.