Tag Archive for 'Pizza'

Domino’s New Pizza Recipe

Domino’s has received a great deal of criticism over the years about the quality of their pizza. And, with the new year, they have decided to unveil a new pizza recipe in response to the criticism. They now use 100% real mozzarella cheese, have added some spices to the sauce, and top the pizza off with a garlic Parmesan crust.

I gave the pizza a try, getting a pepperoni and onions, and pepperoni and green peppers pizzas. The sauce and cheese are a marked improvement. I could do without the newly flavored crust though. It doesn’t taste all that good, and seems like over processed and cheap garlic butter. The cheese is definitely a better quality, and the sauce has some flavor now. It is not the bland pizza it once was. It still isn’t gourmet pizza, but it’s not at a gourmet price either. I would say the improvements actually make the pizza worth the price now. Overall, the improvements are good, except for the garlic Parmesan crust.

They’re also running a special hoping you will give their new pizza try, 2 pizzas with 2 toppings each for $5.99 each. It’s a great deal, normally costing around $20, depending on location.

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Gino’s Pizza

Gino’s Pizza has 3 locations in downtown Orlando. The main location downtown is open 24 hours. This gives them some automatic bonus points because there are few places to eat late at night in Orlando, and even fewer where you would actually want to eat. At first glance, Gino’s might seem expensive, with a single slice of pizza ranging from $3-$4, but the slices are huge. For lunch, one slice will probably be enough for you. Each slice also comes with a free garlic knot. A slice of cheese pizza will cost $3, and a one topping slice is $3.50, while all other slices are $4. I had a slice of bacon and cheddar, and one with spinach, tomato slices, and ricotta cheese. Both tasted great, but I prefer the ladder because it has a wider spectrum of flavors.

Gino’s offers lunch specials Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm. These specials offer a ton of food, at a low price. You could easily split one of these lunch specials with someone else, there’s that much food. The service is fast and pleasant. If you are downtown, I would definitely recommend you give them a try. Even if you aren’t downtown, the food is worth the trip.

Gino’s menu is available on their website.

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Lil’ Anthony’s Pizza

Looking for a quick and cheap bite to eat? Lil’ Anthony’s has a great lunch special, 2 slices of cheese pizza and a soda for $4.95. The slices are huge and will be plenty for lunch. The pizza is good, but it might not be fresh from the oven when you get it. Depending on how long it has been sitting out (4 hours max), it can get a bit dry. The pizza still good, and you can’t beat the price for the amount of food you get.

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Pizzeria Valdiano

Pizzeria Valdiano has won several local awards for their food, but I cannot understand why. It is far from the best pizza in town. It is not cheap, and the staff has the “Soup Nazi” attitude. The pizza is nothing out of the ordinary, and expect to pay around $7-8 for a couple slices and a soda. Oh, and they charge $0.25 for refills. Nothing pisses me off more than places nickel and dime-ing you. If you are charging anything more than $1 for a cup of fountain soda, you better give free refills. I recommend passing on Pizzeria Valdiano and eating at Mellow Mushroom. Mellow Mushroom is better quality, better tasting, won’t charge for refills, the staff is always pleasant and helpful, and it’s about the same price.

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Mellow Mushroom

Mellow Mushroom is more than just a pizza place; it is an experience. From its variety of gourmet pizza recipes, to its large beer selection, and its delicious appetizers, Mellow Mushroom will leave you satisfied and coming back for more. Mellow Mushroom uses all fresh, organic ingredients, whole wheat flour and spring water to make the dough, and a parmesan covered crust. It’s has a hippie atmosphere, but not to much to get in the way of making amazing food.

The garlic bread, garlic cheese bread, and soft pretzels are all excellent choices for appetizers. Both breads come with marinara sauce for dipping. The pretzels come in three flavors, salt, garlic and parmesan, and honey and cinnamon sugar. All are excellent, but I would recommend the garlic and parmesan for an appetizer, and the honey and cinnamon sugar for dessert. Mellow Mushroom also has a large variety of craft beers on tap, and a full bar. The beer selection is ever changing so be sure not to wait until next time to try one. They make it very easy to try a bunch of different beers at once with their paddles, which are 3-4 4oz beers of your choice.

Let’s get to the main reason you go to Mellow Mushroom, the pizza. Even a plain cheese pizza is good, but the great stuff is the house recipes. You can view their menu online to see everything they offer. Most pizza places have their own recipes, but Mellow Mushroom’s are unlike any other. I haven’t had them all yet, but the ones that stand out that I have personally tried are, the “Caesar! Caesar!”, with in pesto chicken, provolone, mozzarella, and feta cheeses, and then topped with a Caesar salad and Roma tomatoes. It is quite out of the ordinary, but delicious and refreshing; a nice mix of hot pizza and cold salad. The “Funky Q Chicken”, which is a barbecue chicken pizza, with caramelized onions and bacon. Others may offer a barbecue chicken pizza, but not like this one. The “Magical Mystery Tour” is a must for mushroom lovers. Lastly, the “Buffalo Chicken” pizza is topped with buffalo chicken, caramelized onions, bacon, and mozzarella cheese, and the sauce is ranch dressing based, rather than tomato.

Mellow Mushroom overs several other house recipes that I’ll let you discover on your own. You can also make your own from their laundry list of ingredients. They also have calzones, salads, and deli and grilled subs. I haven’t been able to separate myself from the pizza to try any of these items, but I imagine they are excellent as well.

Overall, Mellow Mushroom is a pizza place unlike any other. Everything on their menu is fresh and delicious. Their beer selection will always have something different for you to try. Their service is always helpful and more than polite. Nothing there is cheap. It’s about $10/person, but it is worth it. You will leave satisfied, and probably with some leftovers.

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American Pie Pizza Company

American Pie Pizza Company is a Florida based pizza chain. It has a relatively unique flavor that is a nice change from the average pizza place. It offers a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It has video game systems hooked up to their televisions with wireless controllers so you can play at your table.

American Pie has an affordable lunch menu, including sandwiches, 2 slices of pizza, a variety of calzones, and more. Most of the lunch specials will cost about $8 with a fountain drink. It has a decent selection of beer that is also reasonably priced. Overall, American Pie Pizza Company will leave you satisfied, and won’t put a big dent in your wallet. It’s not the best pizza in town, but it is good, and affordable.

On a side note, American Pie offers a 29″ pizza, and if two people can finish it in 29 minutes or less, it’s free. Two of the bigger guys I worked with attempted it, and only had about 1/8 left, but ran out of time. It’s a lot more pizza than it sounds like it is.

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