State Sen. Ron Alting likens the Midtowne Oven Restaurant in his hometown of Lafayette to an evening in the Big Easy — even though this highly rated hangout is in Purdue Boilermaker country. “The ambience reminds me of a New Orleans setting with large windows so you may dine while looking outside,” Alting said.
Though the atmosphere is unbeatable, the pizza is actually the claim to fame at the restaurant, just one of several owned by Doug Cooper. “They are famous for their pizzas baked in a real wood-burning oven,” Alting said. Patrons can choose from Executive Chef/General Manager (and Carroll White REMC member) Dennis Raney’s homemade specialties incuding the Ravine, a sausage and fresh sage concoction finished with a drizzle of homemade apple butter, that was named one of Central Indiana’s Top Five Pizzas by the Indianapolis Star in February. Pizza lovers can also create their own masterpieces from a wide array of toppings, including the restaurant’s homemade mozzarella. Those who are following a gluten-free diet can select a cauliflower crust as the base for their pizza.
In the mood for something besides a slice? Midtowne Oven offers appeitizers including meatballs and Brussel Sprout Skewers; soups and salads; chicken, pork and pasta entrees; and three equally tempting choices on its dessert menu (Beer Bread, Creme Brulee and Midtowne S’more, a multi-layered masterpiece of a buttery chocolate cookie crust, bourbon fudge, homemade marshmallow and pecan cream).
Hoosier foodies who appreciate their “cuisine d’Italia” have discovered Midtowne Oven because the Indiana Foodways Alliance included it on its 19-restaurant Italian Trail. If you’re a fan of Italian food, you’ll want to head to Lafayette to try Midtowne Oven yourself.
If you go
Midtowne Oven Restaurant
625 Columbia St.
Lafayette, Indiana
765-423-7739
Hours: 4 to 11 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday
midtowneoven.com
ABOUT STATE SEN. RON ALTING: Indiana State Sen. Ron Alting represents Senate District 22 in Tippecanoe County. He chairs the Senate Public Policy Committee and serves on the Civil Law Committee.
