Pizza Hut Melt? Melt Down is More Like It

One of the few times I watch television ads is when it's unavoidable, such as during a live broadcast of a Green Bay Packers game. One of the ads that showed up yesterday was for Pizza Hut's new Melts. If you've seen the ad, you know it looks really good - kind of like a combination pizza and calzone (which is kind of like a pizza anyway). Or it's kind of like a pizza without sauce, folded over with some seasoning on the outside and dipping sauce. 

I was still recovering from my recent bout with the flu or cold or whatever it was, and so nothing sounded that good to eat, but this actually looked appealing, so I thought I would give it a try. I ordered one pepperoni (Jonah's typical order) and one meat lovers. Then I headed down to our local Pizza Hut to pick up our treats (because I'm too cheap to order delivery unless there are very extenuating circumstances).

Our local Pizza Hut, like some other local restaurants, has not resumed in-store dining due to lack of staff following the pandemic, so I got in the line of about seven cars in the parking lot to pick up my order at the window. 

I finally received the order, checked quick to be sure that both were in the single box (as they looked too big on tv to fit in one box). They were there, so I headed home, only to discover that they had given me two pepperoni melts instead of one with meat lovers (maybe they thought I only loved pepperoni?) I get it - mistakes happen. Especially during a dinner rush when they are obviously understaffed, anyway. I would have preferred what I ordered, but I wasn't going to throw a fit over getting pepperoni over meat lovers. (If it had been veggies, we would have had to have a different conversation.)

The reality of what I received (see second picture) verses what was advertised was startling in the contrast. Really, it was just sad. A lot of the insides had melted out of it, and what was left was fairly tasteless. 

Now, I'm used to things not living up to the hype from an ad, but this was pretty bad. Unfortunately, this has become common with Pizza Hut for the past few years (or more?) I used to love Pizza Hut and have great memories of it as a kid, but it really has fallen on hard times, both in terms of product quality and overall service (or lack thereof). 

I still hope Pizza Hut can pull it together, but without a radical reinvention of their main products (and, trust me, the Melt is definitely not it), I fear for their long-term viability as a company. I should have gone with my first impulse and ordered a pizza from Casey's.

Melt grade: D

Pizza Hut grade: C- and dropping.

Pizza Deal Today

I'm all about the deals. I grew up in a household where we were always looking for the best price and the best deal on stuff. Part of that is because my dad was a teacher and my mom substitute taught, so we weren't rolling in the money. But part of it is because there was something about the search for the best deal. (People sometimes ask me if I hunt. I reply, "Yes. Bargain hunt!") 

We would go to garage sales and flea markets to find items for my dad's Coca-Cola collection, or my Star Trek collection, or used books, or... really anything that we could find a good deal on. 

All of that preamble is to let you know that if you are a T-Mobile customer and you aren't taking advantage of their T-Mobile Tuesday app, you are missing out on some great deals. Today, for instance, there is a great deal on Pizzas thorough Entertaiment (the people who used to publish those fundraising coupon books. I don't even know if that's still a thing or if they're all digital now). 

A lot of times T-Mobile Tuesday deals will be for restaurants that are not local to those of us in rural areas. For example, lots of deals in the past through Dunkin Donuts, or Annie's Pretzels. But today's deal actually has a local option with 50% off a pizza order (up to $12) at Pizza Pub in Pine City, which has some of the best pizza around. The deal is good for the next week, but you have to reserve it on Tuesday (today). 

So if you have T-Mobile and live around Pine City, it's a no-brainer. There are lots of other pizza places that honor this deal, as well, if you aren't around Pine City. 

I know what I'm doing for supper after our cross country meet today!

Pineapple on Pizza?

I grew up on pizza. We would go out to (the late, lamented) Demetrio's Pizzaria just about every Sunday after church and we'd always order the same thing: a large bacon and pepperoni pizza and a small cheese (for my sister who was kind of a picky eater as a kid). 

I've never been a big fan of any toppings other than meat on pizza, although I have recently begun to tolerate some black olives, peppers, etc. Not mushrooms, though. And certainly never pineapple. Who ever heard of pineapple on pizza? It's become a recurring joke on various TV shows where the nerdy person will want pizza with pineapple but the hip, cool people will always agree: pineapple doesn't belong on pizza. And I always agreed with them. 

Until recently. 

The local pizza restaurant in our town, Pizza Pub, used to have a buffet on Wednesday nights (pre-COVID). It was there that I sampled a number of different types of pizza. Their chicken alfredo pizza is excellent, and I've even learned to enjoy the Pub Special (pretty much every topping on the pizza) in small doses. 

But then I tried their Hawaiian pizza. Pineapple and Canadian Bacon on a pizza seems like an unlikely combination. I'm sure you could Google who first invented it and where (My guess is that neither Hawaii nor Canada had a hand in it, but that's just a hunch.) I tried it, not really realizing what it was, as Pizza Pub puts the cheese on last, often disguising the pizza toppings.

I have to say, it was amazing. More than that - it was pretty phenomenal and has become my go-to favorite at the Pub. Pizza Pub has a spicy pizza sauce anyway, and the sweetness of the pineapple really counterbalances it nicely. Plus they have a decent amount of pineapple, but they don't go overboard.

I'm certainly not saying all Hawaiian pizza is good. I tried a slice once at Pizza Hut. Uh, no. Just, no. It was gross. And I can't speak for any other pizza place. I think I did try a Brew Pub Lozza Mozza frozen Hawaiian pizza and it wasn't bad, but probably wouldn't be my first choice. 

My point is, if you're around Pine City and visit Pizza Pub, I'd suggest giving it a shot. Their Hawaiian pizza might just change your mind.

Cutting Down Pizza

I consider myself to be a bit of a pizza afficianado. I mean, you can't spend thirty-five years in youth ministry and not know a little about pizza. 

As I've gotten older, I've gotten a little more picky about pizza. It seems it's hard to find a good pizza anymore. So many are just mediocre

For example, when it comes to frozen pizzas, there are some that are edible, but I have yet to find a frozen pizza that I really enjoy (other than some deep dish restaurant pizzas that are occasionally available, but not widely marketed). Again, some are okay, but they hardly satisfy your craving for good pizza. 

As far as the chain restaurants go, some are okay and even pretty good. I enjoy Little Caesar's pan pizza quite a bit, and Papa John's is decent, and I enjoy Sbarro, and really like the pizza at Rocky Rococo, as well. Pizza Ranch is decent, but pricey. However none of these are anywhere near me. 

Casey's, which it turns out it the country's fifth largest pizza chain, has really good pizza most of the time, and fortunately we have one in Pine City now. We also have a Pizza Hut but either their quality has declined or I've just gotten burned out on their pizza over the years. It's not bad, but not a top choice. Don't even get me started on Domino's. 

I enjoy some of the local pizza places, as well. We have a pretty good one in Pine City, Pizza Pub, but they are a little pricier. I enjoy visiting other towns an finding good local joints there, too. (I could be like the Guy Fieri of pizza places and go town to town finding the best one!) One of my favorite is about an hour away, Donatelli Bros. in White Bear Lake (which, coincidentally enough, was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.) Their Heartstopper pizza is to die for (not literally... probably). And of course I can't help but mention the late, lamented Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton. I don't know if I'll ever find a pizza I enjoy more (but certainly not for a lack of trying).

But here's my big question for the day: when did cutting pizza into little squares become a thing? It seems like a lot of local places do this. (I'm looking at you, Pizza Pub.) It's sometimes called a party cut and I guess some people like it, but frankly, I'm not a fan.

So what's your vote: the traditional and beloved pie cut, or the stupid square cut?

Rob's Recommendations: Just Say No to This One

I like to post about things I enjoy and help people discover fun or tasty things. But today I have to post a warning. Rosalie and I tried the DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Five Cheese frozen pizza last night and if you're thinking about giving it a shot, let me just say, in the words of Nancy Reagan, "Just Say No!"

I'm not a huge fan of frozen pizza anyway, but once in a while it's okay, and occasionally you can find a decent brand. DiGiorno is usually okay, if a little overpriced, but I would never buy this one again. It wasn't inedible, but it was far from tasty. The sauce was skimpy and flavorless and the cheese fairly tasteless. I ended up dipping it in some ranch dressing to give it some flavor.

At a premium price I expected more. For a couple bucks more, I could have ordered out from Casey's or something. This tasted like something you get in the school cafeteria, except not as good.

As far as recommendations go, this is a no.

Do you have a favorite frozen pizza? Let me know in the comments.

The End of An Era

I am very sad as I found out today that my favorite pizza place in the world, Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton, Florida, is going to be closing down in a few weeks as the owners are retiring after 35 years in the business. 

Not only has Demetrio's been a landmark in Bradenton - an award-winning one, at that - but it has been my family's favorite since it opened. We routinely went to Demetrio's on Sundays after church and the staff there knew us all well. We celebrated many birthdays and other special events there and we have a ton of great memories. I am going to miss it very much.

It's truly the end of an era. I'm so glad that we are currently in Florida and will be able to enjoy their pizza one last time tomorrow (our second visit on this trip). I've literally never had any other pizza like it - and trust me, I've searched! Now if only I could somehow convince them to share their recipes with me...!

Rob's Recommendations: Pizza

Bacon & Pepperoni Pizza from Demetrio's

I was subbing at school today and the students and I got into a discussion on the best pizza around. Everyone agreed that Pine City Pizza Pub has some top-notch pizza, but it tends to be a little more expensive. The other excellent local alternative is Casey's which typically has very good pizza at a reasonable price. There's also a Pizza Hut in town, but personally I haven't been impressed with their pizza for the last several years. I wish there was a Little Caesar's nearby as their deep dish pizza is quite good as is their Crazy Bread.

A little further out one student recommended Proctor Pizza & Sub Shop up near Duluth, so I'm adding that to my list of places to try. 

Donatelli Brothers in White Bear Lake has a wonderful pizza called the "heart-stopper" with pretty much every meat. Guy Fieri featured it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but I used to go there frequently in seminary when I was working nearby at what was then Lakewood Evangelical Free Church. Donatelli's also has a great concoction called the "super-suicide" which includes all the different sodas (a "suicide") plus flavoring syrups (cherry, lemon-lime, chocolate...) I'm not sure of the exact recipe, but it's really good and every sip is different. 

Giordano's is excellent for Chicago-style deep dish, and there is one in Richfield, Minnesota, so you don't have to travel as far to enjoy it!

The best all-time pizza I've ever had is at Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton, Florida. We used to go there weekly after church on Sundays when I was growing up. My favorite is their pizza with bacon and pepperoni (pictured here). I've never had another pizza that has a crust similar to Demetrio's and their sauce is a perfect blend to complement to toppings.

If you are anywhere near Bradenton - or even if you're not - it's worth a trip to Demetrio's for their pizza. (The rest of their food is excellent, as well.) Note that it is the original Demetrio's in Bradenton on Cortez Road, as I believe there are others with similar names. Looking forward to heading down for a visit at the end of March and we usually end up at Demetrio's a few times!

Great Pizza

Had a great time worshiping together as Journey North met at the Pizza Pub in Pine City today (due to the gun show being held at our regular location in Pine Tech). We packed out the place!

In honor of our Pizza today I decided to update my top ten pizza list that I had posted on my previous web site. Not much has changed although Casey's hadn't made my previous list as I had not tried their pizza when that list was created. Here is my newly modified list:

Top 10 Best Pizza Dining Places (in order of preference)

1. Demetrio's Pizza, Bradenton, Florida. By far my favorite pizza in the world! Well worth a trip to Florida and one of the things I miss most about living in Bradenton. As I was growing up we went out to Demetrio's almost every Sunday after church. My favorite toppings: bacon & pepperoni - the best!
   

2. Giordano's world famous stuffed pizza, Chicagoland area and some central Florida locations. (Runner up as far as stuffed pizza goes, Gino's Italian Restaurant in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Also excellent.)

3. Casey's Pizza at Casey's General Stores (multiple locations around the midwest). I worked for Casey's for a summer and learned to make pizzas there. They have wonderful crust and a tasty sauce. You can often find discount coupons on their web site or via their mailing list.
   

4. Rocky Rococo's - superb pan style pizza
   

5. Donatelli's, White Bear Lake, Minnesota - pizza's pretty good, but the best thing to go there for is their super-suicide sodas! They're awesome.
   

6. Little Caesar's Pizza - pan style, although their regular is not bad and often only $5! You can often get coupons online at their website, usually for their excellent Crazy Bread.
   

7. Sam's Club pizza (from their snack bar) - Really very good at a decent price.
   

8. Pizza Hut

9. Papa Johns

10. Pizza Pub, Pine City

11. Sabarro's - expensive but tasty