You’re not seeing things. The girl who doesn’t eat pizza too often had Papa John’s.
I am a study-group-leader. Each semester, I look at my schedule and determine which class is going to give me trouble, before class even starts, and I decide I am going to form a study group. This tactic has worked well for me: I have yet to receive anything less than an A for classes in which I’ve formed study groups. And this summer session was no different: history 111 (Fall of Rome to Enlightenment) clearly was going to be difficult for me, a self-confessed history-non-nerd, along with a professor who, on the first day, bragged about how many students drop the class when they find out she’s the one teaching it.
What’s my point in telling you this? Easy: I formed a study group, and after many study sessions, we gathered at Mimz’ house on a balmy summer day to watch movies. Historical fiction type movies, for the final project in this class… and since I’m a bit of a taskmaster apparently, Jones rushed over without eating but was really hungry. So I suggested ordering food, and Papa John’s was the chosen one.
So I ate a slice.
And I took pictures, much to their amusement. Well, they kind of seemed to want me to, and who am I to deny people the goofy pleasure of watching me photograph food? As you can see: no char on the upskirt. The crust was thick and doughy.
The random pickled jalapeno pepper in the box confused me, as did this small container of what appeared to be dressing. But I was told it was good, so I indulged them and ripped open a pack, dipping my thick, doughy crust – the heel – into the garlic/butter/what is this? holy-friggin’-badoodies-that-is-liquid-crack. It made the thick, doughy, BAD crust taste good. I think it would even make stale crusts taste good. I think it would make… almost… anything… mmm. Of course, it’s not good for you, and I stopped at my one (I could easily have reached over and taken all of their heels and eaten them, too, that’s how good it was – except I also don’t eat other people’s scraps, that’s a lil weird for me…). Mmm.
Yvo says: Sure there’s some liquid crack with every pie, but honestly? I’d rather just eat good pizza and avoid the liquid crack. The pizza was pretty bad – as I said, thick, doughy crust, flavorless sauce, cheese bland… where is the taste here? Blargh. The wings were OK, but chicken covered in BBQ sauce dipped in blue cheese… not really gonna hate on that.
not recommended
Various locations – click here for one
TT says
REALLY YVO? REALLY?
i am tendering my resignation ASAP.
Witzel says
Bah. If the people speak and outnumber you, go along and be honest. Life isn’t always $3 banh mi.
Feisty Foodie says
Accepted. Thanks for writing for FeistyFoodie, see you around.
-The point of my site and what I write is an accurate reflection of what which I eat: First, if it tastes good, I’ll eat it [with the caveat that sometimes I eat things that aren’t tasty, but wouldn’t know until I try it); second, if I’ve eaten it, it will, in all likelihood, make an appearance on this site. Therefore, I ate Papa John’s, it will appear here.
AFL says
Poor sheltered new yorker.
That’s not a jalapeno, it’s a pepperoncini
http://lbjsbrownbag.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pepperoncini-pepper.jpg
Feisty Foodie says
Actually, I think what you mean is “poor sheltered girl who doesn’t eat many spicy things, so she doesn’t recognize pepperoncinis when she sees them” – thanks for the correction 🙂
bianca says
I agree but, should you find yourself in that situation again, I’ve found that if you order the thin crust it’s at lest a little more edible. Still nothing great though.
Nicholas says
You’re not a real college student until you order Papa John’s time and time again, even though you know how awful it is, because it’s soooo cheap. Trust me, it’ll happen again 😉
Apikoros says
I find the Pizza Places in Forest Hills so unsatisfying for Delivery, (Nick’s of course is awesome) that occasionally I will go the Papa John’s Thin Crust route… It is also one of the places that does whole wheat crust, though again, lousy. That little thing of melted butter and/or opium is excellent though
Goats says
Dominos actually has good thin crust, and better sauce than PJs, at least to me. Nothing wrong with a little fast food pizza once in a blue moon…and I keep the PJ’s sauce–for later. I have several in my fridge if anyone wants….
T.C. says
I’m fine with indulging in chain pizza. It doesn’t always have to be local joint or fancy pies.
Papa John’s is WAY BETTER than Pizza Hut these days IMO.
I do like Dominos more because they improved their crust and have a good thin crust pizza I enjoy. Papa John’s has a thin crust too though.
The pepperoncini usually comes with each pie. Not a real Papa John’s pie without it. Not that I enjoy eating them though.
Their garlic sauce is really just mostly butter (which would probably go nicely drenched with lobster – How about a lobster pizza? Come ON!!!!!). I usually don’t use it since I’m eating a lot of slices and wings anyway. This fat-ass doesn’t need the extra cals.
BlindBakerNYC says
I almost fainted when I saw the subject of this post. 😛
That liquid crack sounds pretty tasty! I don’t think I’ve had Papa John’s since I left California six years ago. I don’t miss PJ (or any chain pizza, for that matter) because as you said, the crust is thick and doughy, sauce is flavorless, and meager toppings. I’ll eat national chain pizza if that’s all that’s available, but I wouldn’t choose to order it for myself, not while my local pizzerias are still around.
n! says
The Papa John’s garlic/butter sauce is affectionately known as “The Clot” down here in the dirty south.
Hungry says
Ugh, reminds me of my bad pizza college days. The horror!
skippymom says
I am glad you got to experience what us poor suburban Moms get to eat on an occasional basis [in our house anyway] – it had to happen once in your life 🙂 – but if I lived in the oasis of heavenly NY pizza I could not stomach these chain pizzas, ever. Out of the three tho’ – I go with Domino’s Pizza because they are the only ones that never screw up our on line order.
And we have a few places around our town that claim to be NY pizza, but they’re not and aren’t worth driving to [as they don’t deliver].
My kids always want me to make the butter/garlic/crack sauce whenever we make homemade pizza – they love the stuff.
[Glad to hear your classes are going so great :)]
BlindBakerNYC says
Haha! Crack sauce- I love it!
meemz says
i grew up in nyc.. with an AMAZING pizzeria about 1.5 blocks away (another one at 2 blocks – but that was only good straight out of the train station, steaming hot.. somehow when they deliver, it gets soggy and tastes disgusting.. but i love their garlic knots and slices in shop)
anyway i know a great pizza when i see it.. ahh my mouth is watering.. i wish i was in ny right this very moment for a piping hot slice of heaven.. but no.. i’v moved. 🙁
anyway i think papa johns is amazing. i’m always 2 afraid to open or use that garlic sauce (my fridge is piled with them.. always had the assumption that they would taste horrible)
but yeah.. i hate pizza hut.. their pan is too oily and their thin crust tastes crappy. i was looking for reviews on papa johns thin crust and i stumbled on your site..
i would never compare dominos or papa johns to a nyc pizza.. ever.. its just not fair lol.. but in the realm of non-nyc pizzas i think papa johns rocks! (i don’t know about dominos though haven’t had that for years! i heard they’ve changed their recipe)
you should have ordered the breadsticks.. those are amazing.. i dont even use sauce with them!!! i’ll even eat them cold. yum yum. fun stuff.