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| - When I heard that Pasqual's reopened their Verona location, rebranded as Gallup Coffee and Bakehouse, I was initially excited. There aren't many (any?) fast-casual options in my neighborhood of far southwest Madison or Verona.
Gallup's no longer has the southwest/New Mexican focus of Pasqual's, but instead offers pastries, coffee, breakfast, and most recently, lunch options. It is the second Gallup to open - the first is attached to the Hilldale Pasqual's, and does not offer lunch. The Verona location is only open until 1:30, which is also worth noting if you're looking for a late lunch or dinner.
I tried the Balzac calzone ($9.50), and truly hope it is not an indicator of the rest of the menu. The menu said the ingredients were meatballs, artichokes, parmesan, and garlic, with a side of pizza dipping sauce.
What I got was a decent sized calzone stuffed with cheese and a soupy, watery marinara sauce, with solid, flavorless chunks of meatball. And no artichokes to speak of. I figured, that, for the price, there would be lots of artichokes mixed in, and saw nor tasted none at all. The artichokes made this item unique to me, and was the reason I ordered this item. In addition, large portions of the calzone were extremely salty, to the point of being disgusting. There were also chunks of onion, which I attributed to the marinara sauce - neither of which were discussed by the menu. The crust was decent, but the pizza sauce was ice cold, which could be a put off for some.
Overall, the calzone was a disappointment, which was too bad, because I would love to see this local business succeed. I'll probably give them another chance and come back to try breakfast or a different lunch option.
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