From the Inside Out

Few things are more exciting than a football game in overtime. Both teams have battled heartily until the end of the designated time period, yet the score remains tied. The players are tired, but remarkably, they still have fight left. Each team wants to be the first to score a touchdown and win the game. It’s exhilarating. It’s exciting. And, it has never happened during the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl.

The popular pizza chain, Papa John’s, has decided to up the ante this year and make things even more exciting. If the Super Bowl goes into overtime for the first time in history, they will give a free large pizza to everyone in America who has registered on their website as a preferred customer. It’s easy and free. All you have to do is register for their PapaPoints program at PapaJohns.com. As a side note, once you register, you can order your pizzas online and earn points toward additional free pizzas. I am a frequent user and a big fan of their online ordering. I wish more pizza joints and restaurants used a similar take out/delivery ordering system.

Now if the Cowboys were playing in the Super Bowl, I wouldn’t be as interested in the offer. In that case, I would be cheering for a definitive win, not a tie. Since the Cowboys’ performance this year was so measly that we didn’t even make it into the playoffs, I don’t have to worry. I don’t care who wins the game on February 6, so this year, I’ll be cheering for a tie — and hopefully a free pizza.

Domino’s Pizza has recently been advertising a complete overhaul of its 50-year old pizza recipe. In a 2009 Brand Keys survey of taste preference among national pizza chains, Domino’s came in last — tied with Chuck E. Cheese. No wonder they are making a change!

I have to admit, Domino’s appears last on my list too. The only time I ever order Domino’s Pizza is when all other pizza places are closed, and I honestly can’t even remember the last time I did that. But now their ads have intrigued me. Domino’s is responding to critics and consumers alike by completely changing the core elements of their pizza — new crust, sauce, and cheeses.

Curious, I decided to test it tonight. I started out by placing my order online. They have a great online ordering system, which is something I really like. I hate calling pizza places and being put on hold forever. It’s much more convenient to peruse your options online and order immediately. Once your order is placed, you can watch the online “order tracker” to keep tabs on the status of your pizza. You can see when it’s being prepped, put in the oven, going through a quality check, and ready for pick-up/delivery. It’s pretty cool.

The big test, however, would be the taste. Instantly, you notice that the pizza looks different. It also tastes different, very different. Gone is the cardboard crust. The new crust is hand-tossed, and it includes garlic and parsley seasonings which are quite tasty. The new sauce, according to Domino’s, has a bolder, sweeter taste with a kick of red pepper. I didn’t taste the red pepper, but I enjoyed the sauce. It wasn’t too heavy or overbearing — a nice mix. The new cheese is a mix of shredded mozzarella and provolone. I would have preferred a little more cheese on my pizza, but other than that, I had no complaints.

While I don’t think the new recipe will be winning any awards soon (do they even give out awards for great pizza?), it is a dramatic improvement over the old Domino’s pizza recipe. Both Gary and I liked it, and I think it stands up well to the other pizza delivery chains now. Mr Gatti’s and Papa Johns still rank as my No. 1 and No. 2 choices respectively, but I won’t completely rule out Domino’s as an alternative option in the future.

If you haven’t tried it out yet, give it a shot. You just might like what you see — and taste!