My mom is in town from L.A. this week. As we debated where to go for my birthday lunch last Friday, she was saying something along the lines of "Straw Hat Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese! Those were the only places we went to when you guys were little." Which is funny because that is exactly the opposite of how I remember it. I'm sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle and our opposing memories are pretty easy to understand when you visit the neighborhood pizza joint as an adult. That place is awful.
As we approached Johnny's Pizza House, a small child was quickly scaling the pole out front, no doubt high on corn syrup and bleached flour. Entering the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a preteen dressed as some kind of slightly thread-bare giant stuffed animal strutting her stuff and working the tables. Somehow undaunted, I made my way to the counter and placed our order for a medium bell pepper and onion pizza, no cheese. I was impressed, both by the counter guy's nonplussed acceptance of my order and the fact that it actually came without cheese.
The pizza was fine, not bad even. The crust was not too thick, kind of pleasantly puffy with a crisp exterior. The sauce was slightly over seasoned, but not terribly so, a bit on the sweet and pasty side, but not bad. The peppers and onions worked - as my only non-canned vegetable option, they provided a bit of crunchy freshness to contrast with that pillowy dough and sweet sauce.
I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but in the company of the sticky-fingered, tends-to-wail set - which I generally am - I could see (shudder) coming back. Desmond was so in awe of all the running around that he mostly just sat and chilled, which was a fabulous novelty. And as I scooped my little dining companion out of the booth and did my best to clean up the smattering of cracker crumbs left behind on the seat, the floor, the table, I realized just how well we fit in here. It seems that, for at least the next decade or so, this is my kind of place.
Thanks for all you've put up with Mom.
