Cincinnati Enquirer - The concept of spaghetti pizza isn’t entirely new. Look no further than the ubiquitous Betty Crocker cookbook to find a recipe for one.

And so when I saw the special at Catch-a-Fire Pizza for a Cincinnati-style pizza, with toppings that included house-made chili, cheddar, onions and, yes, spaghetti, I didn’t think it was that preposterous.

What I didn’t realize was how delicious it could be.

Served as a special in the week leading up to the Super Bowl – at a time when the collective spirit of Cincinnati was at an all-time high, black and orange filled the streets, and people were literally chugging cans of Skyline (or was it cream of chicken soup?) in the streets – it was a perfect pregame meal for what would turn out to be an exciting game until the final minutes when the entire city became as deflated as a Patriots football.

While I arrived in Cincinnati two years ago as a New York City pizza snob, the pizzas at Catch-a-Fire have definitely grown on me. Their cracker-y thin crust, licked with just the right amount of char from their wood-fired oven is now a welcome companion during the regular happy hours I spend at their location at Oakley’s MadTree brewery (there's a second, free-standing spot in Blue Ash).

This particular pizza worked almost like a lasagna, with the heartiness of the pasta, the Macedonian Bolognese sauce and the sharp bites of cheddar. Did I mention there were oyster crackers on top? Oh, there were, and this pizza wouldn't be the same without them. Here's hoping this Super Bowl special makes it onto Catch-a-Fire's regular menu by the time next season rolls around. No matter how things go, it will always be a winner.

Cincinnati Enquirer
Keith Pandolfi