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    Pics from our wedding on November 11, 2006. The ceremony was held at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace in downtown St. Pete with the reception at The Columbia restaurant at The Pier.

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« Blue Water Bay, 43rd Street, Campbell's and Sushi Matsuri | Main | Cochon De Lait, Bunny Bread, Mojo Bar-B-Que and S.O.B.'s »

April 19, 2008

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Danny

I live down the street from the pizza palace, I just got to say the atmosphere at the place is amazing, the staff seems to still be working out the kinks, but that can be expected from a new restaurant. Definitely worth a night out

matt

Danny,

Thanks for the note about the Pizza Palace. Last week I received a cautionary note from someone saying they were a server there that been fired, and complained about the food, the owner, etc.

I did like the atmosphere on both visits, but after mediocre food and service on our second visit it will be some time before when/if we go back. Thanks again for reading and sharing.

Arlene

Vegetarians Beware the Original Pizza Palace

Being from South Florida, I’m accustomed to rude waiters, poor service, and even having food and drinks spilled on me while dining out. But I have never been more disrespected and mistreated at a restaurant than I was at the Original Pizza Palace, right here in Gainesville. Not only did management show complete disregard for the fact that I’m a vegetarian, it made no attempt to rectify the situation and expressed no regret for its oversight.

After taking a few bites of the “vegetarian” lasagna that I ordered and realizing it contained meat, I notified the waitress. She took the dish away and upon return was very apologetic, although the owner, Duane Olsen, cowardly hid behind a column while this unfolded. She offered to let us speak to the owner, whom sat himself at our table without being invited. His demeanor was extremely condescending and disdainful. We informed Duane of what had occurred and he said to us, “What do you want me to do, kill the cook?” His attitude was basically, “you already ate it, so there’s nothing I can do about it.” No apologies, no offer to make amends, just “too bad.”

One of the probable reasons for the poor customer service we received at the Original Pizza Palace is that Duane doesn’t know what he’s doing as a restaurant owner. A recent food-licensing inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation found that the manager lacked proof of obtaining Food Manager Certification, which ensures that proper food protection practices are employed in restaurants, as required by law. In addition, the wait staff had not undergone the necessary food service employee training. In all, 5 critical violations were found at the Original Pizza Palace.

One of the great things about Gainesville is how vegetarian-friendly most restaurants are. The Original Pizza Palace is not one of those establishments, though. Don’t let the vegetarian menu choices fool you into believing so. Duane Olsen and the Original Pizza Palace have little consideration for anyone’s personal or religious food preferences.

Big Sue

Who the hell keeps posting the same exact text about vegetarians beware in reference to the O.P.P.?? I've seen it 4 times in the last 8 minutes!

The service is good but can be slow...the food is good.

The place has only been open (again) for a few months....Its awesome.

Go there. Eat, Drink and be merry :) :)

Over-Exaggerated

In regards to the "vegetarian" poster, I must say that as an employee at the OPP(working in the kitchen) that we take serious care that we give vegetarians vegetarian food choices as well as PLENTLY of vegan options. How can you not tell it's meat? Give me a break.

Gruntled

I know for a fact that the Pizza Palace uses raw (not pasteurized) eggs in several of their desserts. The owner, Duane Olsen, has been aware of this since the restaurant's opening, yet has refused to take steps to make these desserts safe for consumption despite the fact that he has been informed of this problem by staff several times.

As for the owner's personality, I can vouch for the fact that he has a habit of throwing temper tantrums in the kitchen and ogling female customers in a pretty disgusting way. With so many excellent restaurants in Gainesville, you can afford to skip this one.

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