Danny Dines: Dion’s

Like Santa Claus, I have a list, but my list is filled with all the wonderful places that you have suggested I try.

This week, I went through three names on that list and ran into three different speed bumps: The first was closed, the second restaurant put me on a waitlist, and the third one put me on an even longer wait list.

Whether it’s a restaurant, colleges or the love of my life, I hate being wait-listed.

Just kidding; it actually was not that big of a deal. Business is booming for these restaurants, and I will visit them another week.

But I was really in a pickle; I was running out of time! I only had 40 minutes to eat and report to my other job.

I saw the next restaurant on my list and smiled. It was Dion’s.

Dion’s is an easy layup and one of the top local chains in New Mexico serving pizza, salad, subs and some pretty underrated sweet tea and lemonade.

Every single one of us has been to Dion’s, and I think a lot of us take Dion’s for granted.

This might be the most controversial Danny Dines yet, but let’s go for it: The Dion’s slander is getting out of hand. So many of my friends say, “Their pizza is too greasy,” but when the in-laws come to town, they get Dion’s. I have heard co-workers say they don’t like their toppings but buy Dion’s for public events. Some people have told me that their ranch dressing “tastes like Hidden Valley,” which is just false.

Dion’s comes up clutch for everyone, and it’s time to give them the praise they deserve. I was in a time crunch, and I came to Dion’s because they never let me down.

I ordered a classic pepperoni pizza and another pizza with green chile, bacon and pineapple. Pineapple is amazing on pizza. (I told you this would be controversial.) Hear me out though: The pineapple is sweet, the green chile is hot and the bacon is savory. I also ordered a side of ranch and asked for both pizzas well done (I love the crunch).

And because it ’tis the season, I ordered Dion’s holiday cookies.

The employees working were merry and nice. The pizza came out quickly, and it was time to get to work.

The slices had a nice undercarriage and a photogenic cheese pull. If you don’t know, a cheese pull is when there is a stretchy chain of melted cheese that appears when slices are pulled apart.

First, I ate some of the pepperoni pizza. The cheese mix was wonderful, and the pepperoni combined with Dion’s Ranch is simply unmatched. The crust was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Next, I headed for the pineapple-bacon-green chile pizza; from now on, I will refer to this pizza as the PBG. It was sweet, savory, hot and a wonderful time for my taste buds.

I did not finish either pizza because they were both large, but also because I love Dion’s leftovers. One of my favorite pastimes is to cuddle up with my dogs, pop a slice into the toaster oven, then watch an episode of “The Office.” Try it sometime!

Before I left, I had to eat a couple of their holiday cookies. They are sweet, they are tender and they are amazing. The texture kind of reminds you of a Mexican wedding cookie/Russian tea cakes. If you want to try one of their holiday cookies, I suggest going to Dion’s early. They usually run out pretty quick.

I spent 30 minutes at Dion’s and made it to work on time with a full stomach … and $50 less . The total price for my two pizzas, ranch and holiday cookies was $51.

The Dion’s I went to is at 1502 Unser Blvd. , with hours of 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where should I go next? Email me zunigasauce@gmail.com