Hawthornes New York Pizza & Bar

Hawthornes had an excellent selection of pizza, and food.  We really enjoyed our experience here for lunch.  This the closest we have found to true "NY style" pizza crust.

My sweetheart and I drove down to get some specialty meat next door and decided to try this pizza place for a late lunch.  We love to try new things.  I found a compact car parking spot in the shade.  (you always have to walk a little further when shade is a priority)  
There was the option to sit out in a covered patio, but we chose the air conditioned inside.  We were seated immediately.  I had noticed a sticker on the door saying that they are reviewed on Yelp and we had just started using the program.  So I pulled up the app as soon as we sat down, checked in, and rattled off reviews to the hubs.  The waitresses were great.  We got waters and a 9" pesto pizza to share.  I do not presume to know how a NY pizza should be, as do some more experienced pizza critics.  Ours came out very hot and the waitress was checking if it was good even before it was cooled enough to eat. I thought the thin crust was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  I liked the pesto, cheese and fresh tomatoes combination.  I thought it had the perfect amount of toppings for such a pizza, but can see how some other reviews think it would be skimpy. I would get this again...or probably try something new.  
As a mother, I noticed the family-oriented atmosphere.  It intrigued me that the kids got crayons and a color sheet as well as a small ball of pizza dough.  One kids nibbled on the raw dough another used it like clay and was poking holes in it with her crayons.  Then they went to the game room hidden in a corner. I asked our waitress about the balls of dough and she sighed and said they make quite a mess.  I noticed how well they were cleaning the tables though, and did NOT notice any dried dough remnants on my particular table.

I have loved everything that I have eaten at Hawthorne's - until tonight.  Everything that hit the table was a hot mess that I am sure I will be paying for well into tomorrow.

In the past, I have LOVED their reuben pizza that was a special on St. Paddy's Day, and the white pizza is delicious.  Tonight's order of the spinach artichoke dip and the special white pizza were so not good... not good at all.  

Spinach Artichoke Dip ($8) - overpriced even if it is outstanding, which it is NOT.  Served boiling hot with a layer of cheese on top, I had high hopes.  Under the layer of cheese, which turns into a blob that cannot be portioned once you stir the dip, is more of a soup than a dip.  Thin, under-flavored.  Bad.  The tortilla chips were good though.  

9" Special White Pizza ($9) - Ricotta cream sauce topped with mozzarella, pesto sauce & sundried tomatoes.  As stated before, I love their white pizza, but this was an oil slick of bleh.  Since pesto is made with olive oil, I guess when it is hot on top of a pizza, the oil starts to run for freedom, drenching the top of the pizza in olive oil and making the crust a soggy mess.   I tried to get as much off of it as possible, but it just got all over the bottom crust.  So bad.  This could be a well flavored pizza, but the oil ruined it.  

The manager, who I recognized from our Yelp Elite event, noticed my consternation with the pizza and brought more napkins and some handiwipes for my hands, but the entire meal was a disaster (olive oil doesn't come out of knit tops, btw).   I will return to Hawthorne's eventually, but will never order either of these items again - horrible!