Are we “townies?” Well, if a townie is a person who appreciates that quirky pizza place in the center of Amelia Island, then I sure am. My family has watched as Townies has become more colorful through the years. First, it upgraded its pick-up lane, and then a garden grew up next to it! We’ve always thought of Townies as a great option for pick-up or delivery, but recently, I’ve learned it is so much more.
My daughter, Sophia, and I jumped inside to watch a gathering storm and grab lunch. Pluviophile that I am, sitting there with full glass windows felt like I was inside of a dome or waterfall. We watched surfers on TV and enjoyed our favorites: The Travolta is the basic white pizza, to which I like to add more garlic, while Dirty Dina brings unusual flavors together, like blue cheese crumbles and sliced meatballs on a Sri Racha sauce base. For a gluten-free option, ask for the cauliflower crust that is crisp, tasty, and keto-friendly.
But Townies has more than pizza. Wings of several flavors are available at Townies. My hair stylist’s children ask for flavorful Garlic Knots and sweet Monkey Knots. She says her friends love calzones – a kind of folded pizza—and the meatball sandwich. Tasty’s fans, try Townies’ Bacon Cheeseburger pizza (and Townies fans, try Tasty’s Townies Melt.) Are you among those who prefer the Mexico version of Coke and Sprite made with pure cane sugar over the U.S. version with high-fructose corn syrup? Get it at Townies, where it is quite popular.
Townies’ owner, who goes by Farmer Matt, met with my husband, Ken, and me one Saturday morning. He tells us about his technology passion, which he channels into writing software to make Townies run more smoothly. For example, when you go inside to pick up your order, just check the digital order tracker to see when your order will be ready. It’s as easy as the flight boards in airports where you check your flight status. He likes this feature, and you will, too.
Especially soothing to me about Townies are the colors. They make me feel like this is a happy place where I want to be. How many colors do you see in David Nackashi’s mural? Look for 250 colors, they are there. And inside, enjoy Aaron Whitehouse’s art. These are serious artists for whom Townies is their canvas. And there’s the painted Townies delivery vehicle, the giant rocking chair with its mini-me beside it. Inside, see the cute diorama of the garden that Farmer Matt made of his dream garden.
Surrounding Townies is Farmer Matt’s gigantic garden he calls the Pizza Farm. Are pizzas plants? Ingredients are. At certain times of the year, drivers-by can see plants sprouting pizza ingredients and even UF groups meeting to talk about soil composting. School classes tour there. If you, too, want to grow a pizza farm, Farmer Matt would love to consult or sign you up for a UF soil class.
Are you a townie? If townies are those who live in town or who keep up with the goings-on in town, then we are townies. Those who are reading or writing this feature are townies indeed.