The Freezer Case: Lean Cuisine Wood Fire Style BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza

One day, I was rooting around the refrigerator looking for something to eat at work that day. As happens from time to time, the wife had told me we were broke and I was not allowed to spend money on my usual exorbitant lunch. So I needed something to stick in my mouth around noon to ensure that my work day was not as long and painful as it usually is even when my hunger is fully satiated. Peering into the freezer, I saw this item from Lean Cuisine.

I threw it back in without even thinking about the possibility that I might be forced to consume the thing.

However, when further inspection brought me to the sad realization that there was nothing else to choose from - no leftover pizza, no three-day-old Chinese, no broccoli and mayonaisse sandwiches - I reluctantly tossed the box in my chic leather work attache and headed for the train station.

Fast-forward to lunch. After zapping the pie in the micro for two minutes or so, I set about to devour it. Since it is a decent-sized circle and I didn't want to take the time to cut it in fours, I grabbed a knife and fork and figured I'd cut it up.

The first warning sign I should have gotten out of this is that there was no smell whatsoever. Usually, when something is going to be good, it fires off a smell that makes people ask what you are having for lunch. After cooking, this thing had about as interesting an aroma as a lettuce leaf. When I went to cut it for consumption, it was like a rock. As I gnawed on the thing with my plastic knife for a seeming eternity, I felt like I might need a chainsaw to get the pizza to a place where I could take a manageable bite. When I finally got a piece onto the fork and inserted it into my mouth, the disappointment was palpable.

I can't really say that it tasted like much of anything. The barbecue sauce registered slightly and the chicken was basically nonexistent. The crust, of course, tasted like a flavorless piece of cardboard. I think there were onions on it as well, but I really can't tell you: before I could get a feel for the entire dish, it was sitting in my trash can. I tossed it after four bites since the taste of the pie wasn't worth the effort I was expending in cutting it. Dreadful crap.

I guess Lean Cuisine stuff is supposed to suck. After all, it is made for sadists who are too enveloped by the shape of their physiques to bring themselves to eat a real meal. However, even for something that purposely seeks to not be that great, this Lean Cuisine pie achieved an almost unprecedented level of "Ewwww!"
--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Chain Reaction: Pizza Hut

Going to make this a rather short post because, if I'm being honest, the pizza I am going to describe was downed at least three weeks ago. I would not be able to be very elaborate with my descriptions, especially since I was eating with family members and was too coy to take notes. So let's get right to the point: A lot of pizza aficianados are quick to rag on chains, such as Domino's Pizza or Papa John's. They say that their pizza is not authentic. That it is taken out of a freezer before it is placed into the oven. This is fair. Still, I believe that even the greatest of pizza snobs would have to admit that, when compared to Pizza Hut, eating a pie from Domino's or Papa's is like devouring an offering from an artisan straight off the boat from the Old Country.

We got this $10 meal deal from Pizza Hut the other day. It's a lot of food, and that's great. But, boy, is the concept ridiculous! You get a one-topping pie of the medium variety. A bunch of breadsticks. And just in case you feel like you have not gotten your optimum carb intake for the year in the first two courses, they give you...MORE BREADSTICKS! Only this time, they are smothered with cinnamon sauce and accompanied by a sugary dipping sauce. It's a pretty good bargain, sure. I'm just saying: Couldn't they have dreamed up something better than more bread for that dessert item? The site of all that bread chilling in one box is patently absurd.

Tale of the Pie: Vinnie's Pizza

A lot of people think that running a pizza blog is all glory because it means that you get to eat pizza all the time. And true, it is nice. This being said, there is a great deal of curse that comes along with that blessing.

For instance, trying new pies is a bit overrated. Don't you think I would rather just go to the incredibly reliable Charlie's Pizzeria every time I want pizza. I'd get delicious and abundant sauce! Melty, fresh cheese! A thick, foldable, ideally textured crust. Spicy, tangy pepperoni! It would be great! But no, the object of this blog is to search for the "perfect pie." That means, we can't just go to Charlie's every time. If there is something better out there, we want to find it. The quest has brought us many culinary rewards. And it has brought us many disappointments.

That brings me to Vinnie's Pizza in Oaks. We saw it one day when we were driving down into Phoenixville. Seemed like a place we should try. Situated in a slightly isolated spot on Egypt Road, it had a very nice little outdoor eating area. While we were not able to take advantage of that on this cold early spring evening, we were able to find a seat in their somewhat small dining area with tables bedecked with homey plastic picnic-style table clothes.

The Freezer Case: Safeway Select Five Cheese Pepperoni

I was a little worried by the freezer pie options the wife was presenting me with the other day. It was either this one, which came in a plain black box that made it look somewhat low-rent, or a version by Kashi. Well, when you give me the choice between [BLANK] and Kashi, you know I'm going with [BLANK]. In retrospect, this was a brilliant freaking decision.

I can honestly say that the Safeway Select frozen is the best freezer case pie I have ever had. Right out of the oven, it just looks good. While most pies look thin and fragile, this one had the width of a typical Domino's pie. Not like something you will get at a pizza store, but you don't feel like you are going to have to eat a half-hour later either. Plus, the cheese looks bubbly and the sauce is popping out from underneath.

Tale of the Pie: Vic & Dean's

Located as it is at the end of a seeming dead end at the edge of a park in Wayne, Pa., Vic & Dean’s is not the easiest pizza shop to find. However, once you get a taste of their pizza, you will discover that any effort you put into arriving at the establishment’s doors will be justly rewarded.

Vic & Dean’s is a rather small, quaint place. Décor is at a minimum, with decorations being limited to either Phillies memorabilia (a lot of pizza places like the Phillies, I guess) or kudos from various regional publications. There are maybe four or five tables inside, most of which were in constant use during our stay. The eight or so people behind the counter (it seemed like a little much, but it resulted in wonderful service) were busy answering phones for take-out and there was also a delivery man coming in and out on a regular basis. The place was obviously popular.

We started our meal with a salad, or, as Vic & Dean’s would call it, a Pizalad. To be honest, the name is a bit of a tease. When we ordered it, we thought we would be getting a salad on a pizza crust. Would that be way too much food? Probably. But it would also be unique and we just had to see what it would look like. When it emerged, it was nothing like we imagined. It was a sizeable salad in a plastic container, and it came with about four slices of warm pizza crust. While we were bummed that the presentation did not match our expectations, there is no doubting that the salad itself was tremendous. We ordered a Caesar, which came with romaine, croutons, sharp provolone, and Caesar dressing (truth be told, it also came with egg, but I asked for it off since I’m not a fan). The cheese was flavorful, the Romaine fresh and crunchy, and the dressing rich and spicy. While it was ample, we easily knocked back the entire thing.

For the pie, we ordered a large with red and green roasted peppers. The pie’s crust was perfect; its texture was crisp, but not too rigid. It also had a buttery garlic taste that popped tremendously. It should be said there were parts toward the middle that became a little soggy due to the weight of the cheese and the toppings. It made folding a little difficult at times and it did get a little sloppy in parts as well.

As for the cheese, it was very flavorful and gooey. You could taste the freshness. Spicy Hawaiian, who is a bit more of a cheese aficionado than I am, stated that she believed it was not just mozzarella; that it was a blend of cheeses. She also liked that it was a decent amount of cheese, but that it didn’t take over the pie. It still worked well with the other elements.

We had heard great things about the establishment’s toppings from a publication that we really have to stop naming until they decide to buy advertising or something. Well, although we were bound by religious contract to not eat meat on this day, the peppers were outstanding. They were roasted exquisitely . They were not overdone. There was the ideal amount of charring and they tasted of olive oil. Also, there was plenty of them. Not one bite was taken that did not include a delicious bit of vegetation.

If there is one element of the pie that I would take slight issue with, it would be the sauce. It was a thick sauce that was going for authentic tomato flavor. There seemed to be not much in the way of sugar or extra seasonings. I can respect that. This is not the case of a pizza establishment botching the number one element of the pie (in my view). They clearly have a philosophy about their sauce and they have most likely executed it to a tee. To me, it is simply that when you are boasting incredible toppings, zesty cheese, and an ideal crust, it is inevitable that a sauce this basic is going to fall into the background a bit. If I were to go back (and I hope to), I would probably order extra sauce. That way, the understated sauce would have a little bit more of a fighting chance against the other parts.

There is no doubt: Vic & Dean’s is a bit of a chore to get to. But do what it takes to get there. This is definitely an occasion where good things come to those who program their GPSs.
--

Pros: Tasty, perfectly prepared toppings, flavorful, fresh cheese; crust has great texture and olive oil taste
Cons: Sauce has tendency to fall into the background a little bit; really need to get some truth in advertising going for that salad
--

Vic & Dean’s

409 N. Wayne Ave.
Wayne, PA 19087

--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Tale of the Pie: Pizza Palace

The people at Bryn Mawr's Pizza Palace were really nice. The girl at the counter could not stop fawning over our kid. She asked him how old he was. She couldn't stop saying how cute he looked. If we wouldn‘t have thought it was vaguely psychotic, she probably would have pinched his cheeks a little. Generally, she was just an all-around sweetheart. It's people like this that make it really enjoyable to go out to eat.

It's also people like this who make it hard to tell you about a really mediocre pie.

Deal Alert: $10 for $20 worth of Grub at South Philly's Pizzeria Pesto

This guy looks like he's pretty serious about his pies.

With today's LivingSocial deal, pay $10 for $20 to spend on Italian eats like calzone, eggplant parm, caprese salad, and a selection of red and white pizzas at Pizzeria Pesto, located at 1925 South Broad Street in South Philly. Valid for dine-in/take-out; not valid on delivery.

Get the deal >>
Check out their website >>

--


The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Deal Alert: $5 for $10 of Food at West Chester's Saucey

No connection to our Saucy, but today's AmazonLocal/LivingSocial deal lets you pay $5 for $10 to spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks at Saucey, located on East Market Street in West Chester. Saucey offers homemade pizza loaded with toppings, like honey mustard chicken or Philly cheese steak. And if you're craving something of a different variety -- choose from a long list of hoagies, stromboli or apps, such as buffalo wings, broccoli bites, or cheese fries. Valid for dine-in or take-out.

Get the deal >>
Visit Saucey's website >>

--


The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

The Freezer Case: Whole Foods Fresh from Our Kitchen (Homemade)

Are you someone who loves cheese on your pizza? If so, this pizza from Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting is for you. I, on the other hand, am a person who likes sauce on my pizza. This isn't the pizza for me.

Let me get some positives out of the way early: The crust has a very nice texture. It's firm and floury with a crunchy cornmeal feel. They do something interesting with the pepperoni as well. Rather than cut it up into a bunch of pieces, they layer about five or six large pieces on the pie. I'm sure people can go either way with this, but I preferred it to the Wegman's school of pepperoni application, which is to cover every inch of the pie with the thin meat circles. It should also be said that the pepperoni's taste really stood out. It was both smoky and spicy. Finally, the wife liked the taste of the cheese. And that's a good thing for her because there was a ton of it.

The cheese layer was so thick, I could not see a hint of tomato sauce. When I turned the pizza sideways, the cheese layer was actually thicker than the crust. There were moments when it was actually difficult to swallow. What sauce was there was very ordinary. In other words, this is not the pizza for me. However, if you are down with mozzarella overload, run, don't walk, to get this pizza.

--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

The Freezer Case: American Flatbread Tomato Sauce & Three Cheese

Sometimes you can just look at a frozen pizza box and know you are not going to like the pizza. Such was the case with the American Flatbread Tomato Sauce & Three Cheese pizza. I think we may have purchased and devoured three frozen pizzas before we decided to take this one out of the box. When we finally did decide to eat it, my suspicions of inferiority were confirmed.

First off, there was practically no red sauce on the pie. Odd for a pizza that puts such an important ingredient in its name. In order to be able to eat it, the wife had to get me some marinara. Not good.

It was a thin crust and a floppy one at that. The perimeter crust had a nice texture to it, but all in all it was just too slight to satisfy. It should be said that the cheese was one of the best elements of this pie. It was definitely above the average frozen. If they would be a little less stingy with the red, maybe they would have something here. But maybe not because what I did taste was not very distinctive.

All in all, this is definitely not one that I would recommend and I have already put it on the "No Fly" list in my household.

--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Tale of the Pie: Tony's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant

This blog is not called The Calamari Project. When we typically decide to try a restaurant's pizza, we will usually complete the order with a side to keep things interesting. Usually it is something like wings, mozzarella sticks, or, yes, calamari. If the appetizer should be particularly good, we, of course, mention it. Same with if it should be bad. But the grade that we present at the bottom pertains to the pizza. The pizza in other words is the main attraction and what every restaurant we go to is ultimately judged upon.

Except for this review. In this one, we will adjust our rules and downgrade this restaurant based on the taste of the worst calamari (nay, DISH) I have ever had in my time on the planet we call Earth. But let's get to the pizza.

Tony's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant is a fairly nondescript strip-mall pizza joint next to a Wawa on Egypt Road in Norristown. I saw it one day when I stopped into said Wawa to see if they had a bathroom in which my toddler could urinate. They didn't, but one positive of the attempt was that I determined that we would try Tony's Pizzeria some time in the near future. When we did decide to try it, I was a little concerned when I showed up to pick it up. The place was very empty. It was just the dudes making the pizzas, me, and a couple sitting at a table. I believe that one of the individuals dining there was certifiably insane, but that is neither here nor there. There was a little bit of a problem with the service as it took the two college-aged fellows behind the counter at least five minutes to ask if I, like, wanted my pizza or something. However, if this place could say that the biggest problem they had were a couple of workers being slow on customer service, they would be very lucky. It was not until I returned home with the pie that I realized the bigger issue.

Tale of the Pie: SliCE (Rittenhouse Square)

When we went to Rittenhouse Square's economically named SliCEthe other day, we forgot our notepad. So I took notes via texts to my wife's phone. I figured I would then just look at the sent messages and I could recount the experience that way. One problem: I then proceeded to lose my phone that night. Being that I did not want to monopolize my wife's phone for a significant stretch, I was kind of stuck. Five days after the experience, the memory is starting to fade slightly so I had to snatch Spicy's mobile. I will now write a review of the pie, only rather than using the notes as the backbone of the review, I will type the texts in their entirety and then try to translate them as best as possible as extinguished memories hopefully return.

Victory Brewing Company Winter Haiku Contest

Looking for a quick diversion during the workday? Write a haiku that mentions Victory or any of its beers and submit it for a chance to win $50 and assorted Victory goodies.

Just send your poem, along with your name, age, phone number, mailing address and T-shirt size to inspired@victorybeer.com by Monday, Jan. 23.

Find more details about the contest at http://victorybeer.com/inspired/.

How do you write a haiku?  With only 17 syllables, in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 respectively. Here's a sample:

Required reading
for pizza and beer lovers
The Pizza Project

You get the point. Good luck!

--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Frazzled, flustered, but quite a fine pie: Bake 425

Have you ever called a restaurant/eatery to place an order and been asked to call back because they were too busy? I certainly had not ... until we called Bake 425 last week to order a pie. Frazzled, frenzied, flustered ... I'm not sure which one best describes the employee we encountered there. After putting me on hold, he returned to the line with a million huffs and puffs and abruptly asked if I could call back in five minutes because he was just too busy at the moment. Normally, I would have been put off and selected a different establishment for my business, but I had been wanting to try Bake 425 for a while and on this day, we actually had the time to stop there (as it's a bit out of our way) on the way home from an outing to Strasburg with the nibble.

Bake 425 is an interesting concept from the owners of local Peace-A-Pizza chain: similar to a Mom's Bake at Home, but with completely organic, seasonal ingredients. After my five-minute wait, I called back and ordered a large Pepperoni. The guy was still quite flustered and quoted me a time of 35 minutes, which is a bit shocking for a pie that isn't even getting baked. But we headed over and decided to go inside after about 20 minutes.

In all fairness, Frazzled Freddy was the only employee there, and I do remember, from my many years is restaurant/food service, that being short-staffed really sucks, especially if you are trying to do a good job. But there was only one other customer in the store and the phone didn't seem to be ringing off the hook, so I'm not exactly sure why he was so overwhelmed. He did apologize for the delay and offered us extra pepperoni to compensate. Saucy naturally asked him to throw some extra sauce on there as well. After a few more minutes in the bright, modern store, Fred managed to get us our pie before the nibble re-colored the waiting bench with the crayons they luckily had out for customers.

After only two minutes in the oven, there was an unbelievable aroma emanating from the pie. I do believe the baking instructions need a bit of a tweak though, because the center of the pie was still not fully cooked after 15 minutes (the max time on the instructions). Perhaps this was partly due to the extra sauce. But since the sauce was highlight of the pie, I sure am glad we had extra.

It was of the thick, savory variety, with a strong tomato taste and just the right amount of sweetness (not as sweet as the Peace-A-Pizza sauce, for those of you familiar with it). The cheese was flavorful enough to stand out from the other ingredients, and just the right amount. The pepperoni was good, but nothing to write home about and paled in comparison to your typical uncured pepperoni flavor (Newman's and Whole Foods' come to mind).

Now the crust. The texture was decent - crispy yet still foldable. But the taste, eh. A bit Ritz cracker-esque when tasted solo. Luckily, the pie was so jammed with toppings that there wasn't even much of a naked edge.

All-in-all, we thoroughly enjoyed the pie and will probably try Bake 425 again. The nibble even asked for seconds, which is a rarity these days, since there are so many more important things to do than sitting at a dinner table.

If you decide to give it a go, be sure to look for a Groupon Now deal - we saved $5, bringing our total to a little over $8.

Bake 425
1012 West Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA  19010
610-525-6425

--


The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Looking Back at 2011: The Ten Best Pizzas We Ate

10. Paradise Pizza
This place might want to think about delivering. If they did, I'm sure we would be eating it a lot more often than we do.

9. Tacconelli's Pizzeria
These guys make a terrific pie for sure. But it is simply impossible to avoid knocking off points for their pretentious "reserve your dough" bullshizz and service that often acts like they are doing you a favor by taking your order.

8. Perrotto's Pizza
We only ordered this pie so we could write jokes about how they share a space with The Valley Forge Beef & Ale, a sort of last bastion for reprobates that still allows smoking within its walls. We expected the pizza to taste like a carton of Marlboro's, in other words. It is actually legit. Just walk in the back entrance if you don't want to smell like a smoke stack on the way out.

7. Mack & Manco Pizza Too
The Jersey Shore (region, not show) staple knows a good sauce-to-mozzarella ratio when they see it. The fact that you can down a slice under the summer sun while listening to the seagulls squawk? That helps too. Providing the birds don't organize a sudden divebomb in search of nourishment.

6. Marzano's Pizza and Steaks
How good was this pizza? We drove out to Exton only to realize that the place had no seats. No matter. We sat at a counter and ate the whole pie with a toddler balancing tenuously in our laps. Well worth it.

5. Olce Pizza Grille
We braved a thunderstorm to head out to this Skippack spot that's nestled into an area that looks like a collection of country stores. The pizza was flavorful, foldable, and expertly prepared. Served by one of the friendliest waitresses in the history of the food service industry.

4. Mack's Pizza
To think: We were blowing out of Wildwood after a wonderful family vacation when we decided on a lark to delay our departure and grab a pie at this Boardwalk standout. Always a wonderful idea. The slices were huge, greasy, saucy, and oozing with cheese. Everything you want in a Jersey shore slice.

3. Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar
On a rare date night, the wife and I decided to go to this place in Conshohocken. We only went because we had some sort of coupon. Being that it was slightly fancy inside, I didn't even know they served pizza. They did. We bought it. And didn't regret the choice.

2. Rubirosa
An absolutely splendid version of New York pizza! Second-best sauce I had all year. Tomatoes tasted like they were just plucked off the vine. Thing was so good Saucy Jr. sat still for longer than he has in the last six months. That is about three minutes and 22 seconds, but still.

1. Charlie's Pizzeria
This place does not look like it is going to make you the best pizza you will taste all year. It's hot as hell in there. Ambience is equivalent to your average truck stop bathroom. There are fridges lining the walls and most of the space is taken up with Miller Lite, Coors Light, MGD 40s, Budweiser, etc. One would think a place selling beer for people with no taste would offer up a pie with the same qualities. Um...no. This pie was astounding. A tremendous tomato sauce is applied in abundant amounts whether you are ordering the red-top or the conventional. The cheese tastes spectacular with just the right amount of ooze. A complexly textured crust serves as the perfect base. If you should choose to get a topping (and you should), the pepperoni is spicy and distinct, supplying the customer with a taste that contrasts wonderfully with the other main ingredients. Let's be honest: The folks behind the counter? Yeah, they look like some serious characters. But when it comes to making pizza, they might as well be celebrity chefs.
--

The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Perry's Pizza and Pasta Proffers Pathetic, Pitiful Pie

Only a fool would go to a mall food court looking for culinary satisfaction. However, even with that accepted, the product offered up by Perry’s Pizza & Pasta at the King of Prussia Mall was a flagrant fail.

We went to the collection of shopping emporiums one night to get some final Christmas shopping done when the entire family seemed to get tremendously hungry at the same time. After studying our options, we narrowed it down to some burgers from Five Guys or a few slices from the aforementioned pizza shop. I am still kicking myself for not going for ground beef on a bun.

Chain Reaction: Peace A Pizza

It's been a while since we tried a pie from area staple Peace A Pizza. I used to get it quite frequently around work until the one in Liberty Place shut down. Couple this with the fact that Spicy said the location near the King of Prussia Mall was fairly empty on a holiday-shopping Saturday and it had me a little worried for the business's financial security. At the end of the day, of course, it is not my job to worry about how much cash is rolling in for the establishment. I am only here to review their pizza.

We ordered two pies, one a plain pie (which was free with a coupon) and the other a Brooklyn Bridge style pizza, which came with pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. Normally, it would also come with black olives, but we requested that they be left off. While we asked for no extra sauce on the cheese pie, it was still ample and I must say that I do have a weakness for the sweet brand of sauce they use on their pizza. The cheese provided on the pie I found to be the perfect amount, although I would not say that it was incredibly flavorful. Meanwhile, I have always found their dough to be a tad thick, almost to the point where you get a bit of a moist feel as if it can sometimes not be cooked all the way through.

New York Edition: Pinche Taqueria Merits Both a Rave and a Word of Warning

Let me quickly knock out a review of Pinche Taqueria because the lag time between food consumption during our New York trip and actual discussion of said mastication is getting absolutely ridiculous. It has been like 18 days since I sampled the grub at this Mott St. eatery – one of two New York locations – and what follows is what I remember about our excursion.

Being that our blog is entitled The Pizza Project, it was our intention to sample as much New York City pizza as possible during our trip. To this end, we entered Lombardi’s Pizza with our sights on a circular, flour-and-dough-based delicacy with oozing cheese and delicious red tomato sauce. We spied an offering that someone was eating at an adjacent table and we immediately commenced salivation, Pavlov’s Dog-style. However, this is where everything began to go awry.

The Freezer Case: Open Nature Uncured Pepperoni Pizza

Wednesdays are a rough day for me. I go to work, put in a hard day's labor, and, when I return to the homefront, I am handed a kid and Spicy sets off to gallivanting about town (actually, it's just a pilates class). Since I am inept in the culinary department, this means that I do not get to eat until at least 8 p.m. Factor in the time for a Saucy Jr. bath if the need happens to fall on one of these days, and by the time I am set to dine on Hump Day, I can eat just about anything.

However, if given the option, I would prefer that I not be asked to eat an "Open Nature" frozen pizza.

Aruba Edition: Tale of the Pie - Casa Tua Pizzeria

On our last night in Aruba, Spicy and I decided to take Saucy Jr. and our friend Veggie Barcelona (she has not approved this name, but we want to protect her identity so I am taking a bit of a liberty here) over to Casa Tua Pizzeria for a bite to eat. Hilariously enough, this was the same day that we ate at Tomato Charlie's. So we had two meals consisting of pizza in one day.

But in case you have not noticed, we really like pizza. This was not a problem. Only thing is, we almost did not make it to our meal.