OU Grad Builds on Pizza Love

by Rachel Nebozuk

It was Spring Quarter of 1989 when John Moore, an Ohio University business major, decided he was going to open his own pizza shop. By November of that year, he was a recent graduate, a small business owner and pizza connoisseur. There aren’t many early twenty-somethings who are able to find this kind of success at such a young age, which sets John, and his popular pizza shop, Cardo’s, apart from the rest.

John spent nearly six years throughout his high school and college days working at another Cardo’s location in Waverly.

“I thought owning my own pizza business would be a dream come true,” John said.

After catching wind of his potential plans, John’s Cardo’s boss, Lloyd Harmon, suggested he consider opening a Jackson location. And without another pizza shop quite like it in the area, John’s restaurant quickly became a local favorite.

Cardo’s was originally located in a small shop on Broadway Street in Jackson County, offering only pickup and delivery. By 1997, however, the business was booming and John knew it was time to expand. Cardo’s relocated to its current location on W. South Street, near the historic Henry’s Grocery Store. The bigger restaurant allowed Cardo’s to offer a 100-seat dining area with an all-you-can-eat buffet and a private party and conference room.

In 2004, in the ultimate love story, John married one of his former Cardo’s employees, Jenny Armstrong. The pair has been living together happily ever since and despite the struggling economy, Cardo’s has been thriving as well. Last year, Cardo’s celebrated 20 years in business.

As Cardo’s became more and more popular amongst residents of Jackson, the facility wasn’t the only thing to expand; so was the menu. Today, Cardo’s offers nearly endless pizza possibilities, including 13 signature combos. One of the newest additions is the Fiesta Veggie, with green and hot peppers, green and black olives, red onion and tomato. Customer favorites include the Chicken Bacon Ranch and the Buffalo Chicken Pizza, which is complete with diced chicken drenched in Frank’s hot sauce (one of John’s favorites.)

Cardo’s also offers a slew of mouthwatering appetizers, 22 kinds of burgers and subs, eight different salads, spaghetti, lasagna and chicken parmesan. Cardo’s food, however, isn’t the only thing John prides himself on. He believes he has some of the friendliest employees who are dedicated to giving top of the line customer service.

“Sometimes I say I love my employees so much, I married one,” John said of his wife, Jenny, with a chuckle.

Cardo's Pizza

by Rachel Godward

In 1989, Ohio University alumnus John Moore opened Cardo’s Pizza in a cramped 500-square-foot building on Broadway Street in downtown Jackson, Ohio. Today Cardo’s hosts parties and serves buffet-style pizza in a roomy, refurbished Henry’s grocery store decorated with movie posters, Ohio paraphernalia, awards and a spunky, old jukebox that surprisingly still works. An antique Cardo’s delivery car door even hangs from the ceiling above the condiments. Upon entering the restaurant, smells of fresh dough and spices fill the nostrils, and the tender smell of pepperoni surrounds the place like a solid brick wall.

As an Italian myself, with an Italian roommate, father and grandparents that spend hours slaving over traditional dishes in the kitchen, I feel fully qualified to answer the following question: Sure, this pizza shop’s atmosphere is superb, but are the pies just as nice?

Meh, I could do without this. = ©

Hmm, that’s not too bad, but I’ve had better. = ©©

Mmm, that’s pretty tasty. = ©©©

Woah! Can I have 20 of this? Or at least the recipe? Please?! = ©©©©

Let’s start with the sides:

Garlic Bread — ©

As with every buffet, food can get cold pretty quickly. However, this garlic bread could not afford to lose its heat. This generic-looking bread was cold and hard. It was yellow with something that definitely was not butter and sprinkled lightly with basic spices. In summary, the garlic bread looked and tasted store bought.

Cheesy Bread — ©©©

Is soft, doughy and super cheesy your thing? If so, this bread is a necessary addition to your buffet plate. It’s simple, but classic. The edges are lightly baked to a brown crisp, but the middle retains its chewy, “melt in your mouth” appeal. Just make sure to grab this special side when it comes right out of the oven.

Now, on to the crispy, thin-crusted pizzas:

BBQ Chicken — ©©©©

This pie is covered edge-to-edge with chicken bits and crispy bacon crumbles, smothered in a deep brown sauce. The flavor is subtly smoky, just like it was cooked on the grill. It’s super tasty and not too filling, so you could afford to grab seconds. And trust me, after trying this divine pie, you’ll want more.

Cheeseburger — ©

This pizza is covered in a generic red sauce with a blend of cheeses on top. Sounds pretty normal, right? But instead of using ground beef, this pizza substitutes with sausage. It looks the same, but it doesn’t taste the same. It’s definitely a let down for cheeseburger lovers everywhere.

BLT —©©©©

This one took me by surprise. As a BLT lover, I had high expectations and the pie didn’t look all that impressive, but once I took a bite I realized my first impression was wrong. This pizza is, in fact, a BLT. It’s covered in crispy bacon pieces with a mayonnaise base, and topped with heaping amounts of lettuce and tomato. And no one flavor is overpowering; they all work together to recreate that classic sandwich taste.

So, are the pies just as nice as Cardo’s refurbished location? I’d vote yes. Sure, the place has a couple taste bud downfalls, but as long as you stick to the Cheesy Bread, BBQ Chicken and BLT pizzas, you’ll probably be so enveloped in delicious flavors that you’ll forget all about the mediocre pies. Just remember: It’s an all-you-can eat buffet for one flat price, so be sure to grab seconds, thirds and fourths of all your favorites!

A Century of Scoops: Michael's Ice Cream

BY Samantha Kinhan

Driving down Route 93 through Jackson, Ohio, strip malls and chain restaurants slowly give way to the historic, downtown center. Instead of a Wal-Mart, there is Lewis Drug Store, operating since 1891. And instead of a Dairy Queen or Wendy’s, there’s Michael’s Ice Cream.

Michael’s is one of the longest-standing staples in Jackson, currently enjoying its 100^th year as a family-owned business. Tom Michael is a third generation owner of the store. Today, his wife Joan, is manning the front counter. While she takes care of customers, I take a look around.

The interior decor modestly resembles a traditional ice cream parlor, complete with old-fashioned glassware. However, certain aspects such as the marble counter tops give the store a modern flair. Historic photographs of Jackson from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s line the walls, almost as an ode to Michael’s longevity.

Michael’s history dates back to 1903, when 16-year-old Joe Michael came to the United States from Lebanon. For a time, he worked as a pack peddler, selling his wares throughout various counties in southeastern Ohio. When that fell through, he took a job building up car shops in Jackson, but he still had financial concerns. So, he began a second job working for his friend, Joe Abraham, who owned an ice cream store in Ironton. It was there that he learned the art of ice-cream making. Joe brought his skills back to Jackson, and opened Michael’s Ice Cream in 1909.

Joe eventually passed the business on to his two sons, Ed and Moses. The store continued to make its own ice cream until 1966, when the owners opted to buy from a local distributor. Michael’s currently sells 16 flavors of ice cream, accompanied by 14 homemade toppings including hot fudge, pineapple, black raspberry and peanut butter.

From its inception, Michael’s has been best known for two items: “the bubble” and home-roasted nuts. The bubble is a delicious concoction of French vanilla ice cream draped with hot chocolate sauce and marshmallow sauce, then generously topped with fresh roasted peanuts. After trying one for myself, I can see why it is the most popular item at Michael’s—the homemade sauces and crushed peanuts make the bubble completely authentic.

The home roasted peanuts have their own unique story. Originally, Joe ordered a popcorn-making machine for the store; instead, he received a peanut roaster. He decided to keep the roaster and Michael’s still roasts a variety of peanuts today, ranging from Spanish to redskin. In fact, former Ohio governor James Rhodes’ first job was at Michael’s working the hand-crank peanut roaster. As a tribute to his first employer, governor Rhodes gave Michael’s a framed photograph from his inauguration.

Two teenage boys sit down and order bubbles; one of them is definitely a first-timer. As they slurp down their treats, the bubble veteran says, “Now it’s your obligation to show another person.” With such dedicated patronage, it’s no wonder that Michael’s continues to operate as one of the most popular businesses in Jackson.