38 eager Bite Club guests, more than half of whom were first-timers, were treated to a full menu at Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar in North Jacksonville near the airport. Boston’s pizza dough is made daily, and an emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients.

A trio of crispy flatbreads (Flat Iron steak and mushroom, Spicy Chicken Pesto and Margherita) greeted guests as they imbibed a complimentary glass of cold beer, house wine or a well-liquor beverage from the bar area to start. After the group migrated to the dining room, stomachs were about to be stretched to epic proportions with a packed menu: a trio of starters, salad, a variety of signature pizzas, three entrees and a quad of petite desserts. Host Caron Streibich welcomed everyone while Boston’s Nimesh Patel gave a brief history of the restaurant.

Grilled flat iron steak perfectly wrapped in smoked bacon and topped with a blue cheese cream sauce was the first starter — and an immediate group favorite. All plates were cleaned before the Southwest Ravioli (lightly breaded italian ravioli stuffed with ricotta, cheddar, monterey jack cheese, red peppers and jalapenos) arrived with ranch dressing for dipping, and platters of nachos (melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese, ground beef, refried beans, black olives, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and salsa) followed on the heels of the ravioli.

Each table shared a Santa Fe salad or Mediterranean salad, consisting of grilled chicken breast over mixed greens, Sante Fe dressing, black beans, tomatoes, black olives, sour cream, cheddar cheese and guacamole or mixed greens, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, roasted red peppers and a sweet lemon vinaigrette dressing atop a crunchy parmesan flatbread.

Ten of Boston’s gourmet pizzas were gobbled up by those eager to try the tempting selections: tuscan (pomodoro sauce with spicy chicken, roasted garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, cheddar and mozzarella), tropical chicken (creamy alfredo with smoked bacon, spicy chicken, pineapple, cheddar and mozzarella), florentine, barbeque chicken, mama meata, the flying buffalo (buffalo sauce, spicy chicken, mozzarella cheese and parmesan bread crumbs), double meat and peppers, spinach and artichoke, italian (spicy italian sausage, pepperoni, pomodoro sauce, roasted garlic, banana peppers, mozzarella cheese and spinach), and the sicilian. Two gluten-intolerant guests, including Jennifer Gornto of GlutenFreeJacksonville.com, were treated to an entire gluten-free meal but gluten-free pizza can be hard to find, and Boston’s eagerly prepares it on demand.

Sharing is caring could have been the evening’s motto, as large family-style dishes arrived next: shrimp tortellini, spicy chicken and broccoli alfredo and jambalaya fettuccine (huge chunks of spicy italian sausage and strips of grilled chicken were tossed with a spicy cajun pomodoro sauce and met with green peppers, onions, tomatoes and black olives). The garlic butter and rosemary chipotle sauce with the tortellini, shrimp and broccoli was a winning combo.

Quads of decadent miniature desserts taunted guests: which one to try first? Bread pudding, warm apple, brownie and strawberry cheesecake were among the offerings. Most everyone saved room, despite the overabundance of food served in the previous courses!