Local Flavor: Samosky's Homestyle Pizzeria cooks up a killer Philly cheese steak pizza

It's not often that I look at the family sports schedule and get excited for an away game.

But any baseball or basketball game that sends me west into Lorain County brings a silly grin and has me scrambling to see just how close I will be to Valley City. I know that — no matter the final score of the game — there will be a delicious outcome.

The trickiest part is timing.

Sure, watching my boys Ethan and Luke compete is swell, but the real treat is a visit afterward to Samosky's Homestyle Pizzeria.

Since it is only open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, I find myself wishing for quick innings or blow-out final minutes in basketball.

Full disclosure for you pizza purists: I have absolutely no idea whether Samosky's serves up a delicious traditional pie.

I have never ordered one.

And I probably never will.

For those of you who have read my previous musings about restaurants, you know I tend to be a creature of habit. And by habit, that usually means ordering a Reuben, a patty melt or an Italian sub.

Local Flavor:Wadsworth's Sub Station and Ann's Pastry Shop are perfect culinary pairing

I'm sure Samosky's has a fine Italian sub.

Like I've said before, once I find something on a menu that I love, it's hard for me to try something new, particularly when it is not right in my backyard.

The family has been serving up food in Northeast Ohio since 1910 when August Samosky opened a bakery on Fleet Avenue and East 61st Street in Cleveland. August's brother Fred opened a second bakery in Cleveland. This grew into a grocery store on Turney Road in Garfield.

Eventually Jason Samosky decided in 2003 to open a pizza place in Valley City using the family's old-style dough.

Jason began experimenting beyond your typical pizza toppings and thus the Philly cheese steak pie was born.

It is pure heaven.

It starts off with a great dough, to which they add house-made alfredo sauce, topped with Swiss-American cheese, Philly steak meat, onions, mushrooms and green peppers.

They say it takes a little longer to prepare and cook, so that's where the tricky timing comes in.

I have become a baseball analyst studying a batting order and pitcher statistics or a basketball prognosticator to figure out when it is just the right time to place an order so it will be ready for pickup right after a game.

Local Flavor:DeVitis Italian Market in Akron has a perfect Italian sub and food for dinner

I'm usually off by 20 minutes — give or take a half-hour — but this pizza ages well even under a heating element and on a long car ride home.

The Philly Cheese Steak pizza runs $12.99 for a small, $16.99 for a medium and $21.99 for a large. 

Don't bother ordering the small. Trust me, you will want more than a couple of slices. And you're going to want a slice or two for a late-night snack.

This pizza is that addicting.

My lovely wife, Jennifer, humors me with my crazy out-of-the way detour just to pick up a pizza.

As a peace offering, I always grab a house salad.

Salads are healthy, right?

Don't tell her, but truth be told the salad at Samosky's is just as delicious as the Philly pizza. It comes with a generous portion of mixed greens, crumbled bleu cheese, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and house-made raspberry vinaigrette for $8.99.

I'm not going to lie. Usually you lose me after mixed greens. But the combination of what I affectionally call stinky cheese and shriveled berries is worth the trip too.

Samosky's has a full menu that offers everything from pulled pork to a mean-looking carbonara and even burgers. You can dine in or take it to go.

And if you are still hungry, there's a large display case full of Italian desserts.

From personal experience, I can say the cannoli pairs nicely with the Philly cheese steak pizza and a house salad.

Craig Webb, who has no qualms about eating cold pizza for breakfast, can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.