Have you already filled out your basketball bracket? Not into sports? Join us to determine the best restaurant in New Carlisle history! We begin with the Pizza Regional, a bracket of pizza restaurants past and present!

A few notes before we begin (skip to below the graphic if you don’t care about the rules):

The seeds were set by a survey of a few trusted people with decades long ties to New Carlisle and the surrounding area. These people know their food, but more importantly, they know their local history.

There will be three more regionals released shortly: Historical Restaurants, New Carlisle Restaurants, and Surrounding Areas. Each bracket will produce a winner, and those four restaurants will compete for the title of New Carlisle’s Best Restaurant EVER.

Some restaurants fit in more than one category; when this happened we did our best to split them up by what they are most known for.

You may vote once per day per matchup. Voting for the Pizza Regional closes Tuesday, March 22 at midnight! Please share this article so that we can get as many votes as possible!

Here’s the Pizza Regional Bracket (click bracket to enlarge). Vote for each matchup below!

(1) Tom’s Deli vs. (16) Scottie’s Pizza & Co.

This is about as one-sided as it can get. Tom’s was an icon of New Carlisle, featuring some of the greatest slices ever run through a pizza oven and a full menu of delectable delights.

Pizza & Co. is an entirely respectable pizza place, but they suffer from being located in Enon, a place that can’t hold a candle to New Carlisle. The zip code alone is the difference between being a 16 seed and an 8 seed.

(8) Carmela’s Pizzeria vs. (9) Fox’s Pizza

This matchup is about as close as it gets.

Carmela’s is a staple of Park Layne, taking over the former location of Park Layne Sports Bar (more on that later). A great atmosphere and an even greater pie will make your visit everything you dreamed of.

Fox’s was located in the Howard’s IGA shopping center, and it was a hot spot in the 1990s, especially among local baseball teams who would frequent the pizza place after games at historic Haddix Field. Fox’s was also notable for having a logo that looked like it belonged on a dirt bike. Sadly, like many great businesses, Fox’s didn’t stick around.

(5) Cassano’s Pizza King vs. (12) Karen’s Pizzaria

Cassano’s is known throughout the Dayton area for their salty, thin crust and their wall-to-wall toppings. They also offer a giant, 30″ Party Pizza, which is perfect for parties and some of the more rotund New Carlisle citizens. Though the closest location is in Park Layne, you need only call the central Cassano’s call center at 294-KING to order!

Karen’s is actually located in Christiansburg, and it’s a happening spot, especially after football games on Friday nights. Is that enough to topple the self-anointed “Pizza King?” Let us know by voting!

(4) Park Layne Pizza & Sports Grill vs. (13) Hampton Grill

Before Carmela’s, that location was called Park Layne Pizza & Sports Grill, but it was mostly known to locals as the Park Layne Sports Bar. Pizza with scrumptious crust and bountiful toppings and pitchers of American beer were the main draws, and you could catch the Reds, Buckeyes, Bengals, Browns, and more on the plethora of screens.

Hampton Grill is a spot in North Hampton, and I have to tell you, this place is a dark horse to win this matchup. We almost added this to the Surrounding Areas regional, because to call it a pizza place wouldn’t give their full menu its just due. This place is so good I could close my eyes, point to a spot on the menu, eat whatever surprise they bring me, and walk out a satisfied customer.

(6) Papa John’s vs (11) Century Lanes

Here we have the first of a couple national chains to make the list. Papa John’s, the Lousiville-based behemoth, has occupied the old Lawson’s building for about two decades. They are known for their slogan “Better ingredients, better pizza,” but we’ll let you folks be the judge of that. It will be interesting to see if Peyton Manning’s considerable local fanbase propels Papa John’s to victory.

Century Lanes is a sneaky entry here, as they are mostly known for their top-notch bowling lanes. What you may not realize is they serve up a darn tasty pie, and they have cool beverages – adult and otherwise – to wash it down. By far one of the best atmospheres in this entire region, Century Lanes is recommended for anyone who likes fun, food, throwing heavy objects, loud noises, and food.

(3) Willie’s vs. Speedway (New Carlisle)

Willie’s is a local legend. They started off in the famous “Dillinger” bank building on the corner of Main and Jefferson, and experienced great success. Unfortunately, a move to what is now Studebaker’s proved a poor decision, and Willie’s went the way of so many other great N.C. businesses. Their absence has only made our hearts grow fonder, however, as their high seeding here demonstrates.

Speedway has been selling pizza by the slice for years, but only recently has it come to New Carlisle. This is because New Carlisle has hit the big time with the brand new state-of-the-art Speedway building at the Main and Lake intersection. Here’s a tip: save your Speedy Rewards points and spend them on pizza. They frequently offer bargains on individual slices, and if you fill up at Speedway regularly you will feast on great pie until the cows come home.

(7) Hilltop vs. Domino’s

Hilltop was the original Tom’s Deli/571 Draft House location, and its reputation locally is that of a legend. Belly up to any restaurant in town and you’ll hear people tell tales of their days at Hilltop. Almost every local pizza place today owes a bit of their success to Hilltop, which got its name because it sat on the top of a hill.

Domino’s is our other national chain. They have possibly the most awkward parking lot in the city and a door that is strangely heavy and difficult to open. Those things are of minor concern, however, because they have a bangin’ menu that features affordable pizzas and all manner of other delicacies, from chocolate cake to hot wings to sandwiches to a lot of different types of bread dipped in garlic butter.

(2) Pizza Plus vs. (15) Speedway (Park Layne)

Pizza Plus has as much staying power as any local business in town. They’ve remained at their Galewood location for decades, serving up piping hot pizza pies that are oh so delicious! Combine their fabulous eats with cool treats from the attached drive-thru and you’ve got a restaurant that deserves its lofty seeding.

The Park Layne Speedway has similar pizza to the New Carlisle Speedway, but they fall slightly lower in the seeding because they aren’t quite as state-of-the-art as the new N.C. location. Nonetheless, Speedy Rewards work here too, and you can snatch up some pepperoni pizzas slices for a great bargain just by filling up your tank every day!

Which pizza place deserves to be named the best in New Carlisle history? Only YOU can decide!

Make sure to vote by Tuesday at midnight! The results of this poll will be revealed next week, and the other regionals will be rolling out soon, so stay tuned!

Please share with your friends so they can get their votes in as well!