Bites Nearby: J's Pizza Market

Take that fresh ball of homemade dough and press it into crust.

Spread spoonfuls of tomato sauce, slice a pepperoni, then over it all generously sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese.

Dust with oregano and open your oven. Now stop.

This is where in Mentor would like to help you start with dinner.

Backed by the slogan “Take & Bake or Bake & Take!” J's offers pizza cooked on the restaurant's special wood stone hearth oven that can be eaten there, inside or outside — or made to order, taken home and cooked.

Jonathan Kelly, owner of the restaurant at 7404 Center Street, said this is a healthy alternative to traditional “cook and deliver” pizza.

“The process forces us to make a better-quality product because we cannot hide things under the cheese,” he said. “The real benefit to the customer is that you can pick it up at 4 p.m., put it in the refrigerator and cook it at 7 p.m.”

The take-and-bake concept started in the Pacific Northwest and is still very new east of the Mississippi. About half of J's patrons already got the hang of it, though, ordering to go and baking theirs at home.

“Put it in the oven, it comes out fresh and hot and you eat right away,” Kelley said. “Short of us taking our oven and putting it in your house and doing it there, there's nothing better.”

J's Pizza Market has been in its current location — a new complex with Lake National Bank, just north of Mentor Avenue — less than four years, but in business 13. A 1989 graduate, Kelley has always wanted to own a business, and pizza just seemed to click.

“It's fun. It's not that you just walk in with pepperoni and sausage and tomato sauce and that's it.”

Traditional options include the “Usual” of pepperoni, sausage, cheddar, mozzarella, black olives and mushrooms, as dreamed up in your cooking fantasy. Sizes run from $6.50 to $15.95.

But unusual pizzas are why pizza eaters usually branch out from the regular go-to — and J's has this market cornered, offering toppings of fruits, nuts and herbs: mandarin oranges, apples, pineapples, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, garlic, basil, cilantro and oregano.

The menu includes six traditional, eight gourmet, seven out-of-the-ordinary and 12 “underground” specialty pizzas in all.

“We have a very high-end oven that cooks a little differently than home or conventional pizza ovens,” he added. “It radiates heat throughout, so it does a nice job of pizzas and sandwiches.”

Gourmet pizzas include the “4 Cheese” featuring Parmesan, swiss, blue and mozzarella; the “Barbecue Chicken” featuring chicken, red onions, mozzarella and cheddar; and the “Popeye” featuring spinach, sausage and feta cheese.

Other oddities: the “Little Havana” featuring homemade black bean sauce, tomatoes, black olives, red onions, banana peppers, mozzarella and cheddar; and the “Apple Bacon” featuring grilled chicken, apples, bacon, barbecue sauce and mozzarella.

J's also offers any combination of fresh toppings on white or whole wheat dough, free slices for those unsure about what pizza to eat, 14 sandwiches on homemade bread ranging $4.95 to $8.95 and 16 salads ranging from $4.95 to $9.95 for every taste.

“If I were to go into a town I didn't know, you look at the traffic patterns and think it's good but it's not. Because I grew up here, I feel like I knew the area,” Kelley said. “We're very proud of what we have here, our employees.”

But make no mistake about it: “I knew it was going to be hard. This is designed to not be a mom-and-pop-run store. We really have aspirations of making it bigger, nailing the concept.” There's a link for franchising on the website.

A visit to www.jspizzamarket.com is easy to navigate, complete with photos of some of the pizzas and an offer to receive special offers via email.

“Our email program is like no other,” he said. “One is news and information and specials sent once a week; then we have our Deal of the Day, literally sent every single day. We get a lot of response from it, and if I'm late sending it out, I get phone calls all morning asking 'where is the Deal of the Day?'”

J's Pizza Market is open Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 7 p.m. Call 440-974-0919 to place an order. Menu and custom catering is also available within a day's notice for up to 75 people or as they can accommodate; for more, allow 48 hours.