On our first night in Baguio, my family and I were looking around for a place to eat at the Mile Hi Center, a retail-and-dining center within Camp John Hay, when we came across this Italian food place called Carlo's Pizza. Carlo's Pizza, which opened its first branch at Camp John Hay in 2002, has grown over the years and has opened up other branches in Baguio, Tagaytay, Metrowalk in Pasig City, Tomas Morato, and others.
Filippi Nouvelle Inc., the company that owns and operates Carlo's Pizza, also operates a number of other restaurant chains such as the Mile Hi Diner, with a branch right next to the Carlo's Pizza branch in Camp John Hay. Mile Hi Diner, as well as the other restaurant chains, now have a presence in places such as Bonifacio Global City and Eastwood City. Sounds impressive and very promising, don't you think?
The original Carlo's Pizza branch is located at the Mile Hi Center in Camp John Hay, a retail-and-dining strip close to The Manor and the Forest Lodge hotel. Parking may be a bit difficult here especially during the day but luckily for us, we just had to walk from our hotel to get to this place.
The overall set-up somewhat made me feel like I was dining at a restaurant in the Italian countryside with faux brick wall panels, wooden floors, and a laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant was also quite empty, just like many of the other restaurants in the area at night. The Mile Hi Diner next door is an exception, though--it always seems to be full of people no matter what time of the day it is.
The artwork on the walls reinforces the fact that you're in a restaurant that serves Italian food.
Service-wise, the staff were efficient and welcoming and they would attend to our needs immediately. Then again, the absence of customers could have contributed to this.
Just a glimpse of their menu. For a complete list of items on their menu, just check out their website.
First up: Classic Caesar Salad (Php185).
Calamari (Php255). Crispy coated squid rings served with aioli dip and Marinara sauce (that's what it says on the menu). The squid was fresh and wasn't too tough or chewy, which I really, really hate.
Of course, we didn't forget to order pizza. Why would we? This is Carlo's Pizza after all. We ordered a single serving of Capriccioso (large size; Php395). It is apparently one of their specialties. According to their menu, it is composed of pepperoni, salami, ham, bacon, italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, onion, and green pepper. This one was really good--I like my thin-crust pizzas crunchy (and not crumbly), and this one certainly lived up to my expectations. There was a generous amount of cheese which is very much appreciated by people like me who love cheese, and the toppings all go well together. I've also stumbled across a few blogs and the bloggers were all praises for their pizzas. Their pizzas are definitely underrated--too bad they're not as popular as I think they should be.
Overall, dining at Carlo's Pizza's Mile Hi Center branch was a pleasant experience with good food, a relaxed atmosphere, and pleasant staff, most probably fueled by the absence of too many customers. I wonder if it's the same thing with their other branches, though?
Carlo's Pizza
Mile HI Center, Camp John Hay, Baguio City
Store hours: 12:00 pm-8:00 pm (Monday to Thursday), 11:00 am-9:00 pm (Friday and Saturday)
Tel: 074-446-1387
Website: www.carlospizza.net
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