Pizza Review - Mellow Mushroom in Winter Park, FL

2015 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792

Retro Dad rating..

5 out of 5 Slices!

I finally got around to dining at Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Winter Park Florida, and I've got to say, I'm sorry I didn't give this place a try sooner. My entire dining experience was incredible and I can't wait to visit again.

All you need is love.. (and pizza)

From the moment you walk into this restaurant, you're hit with a whole vibe that just oozes from every nook and cranny. Whether you look up, down, left or right, there is something stimulating for the eye to see. 

The murals, decoration, light fixtures, booth upholstery etc. give life to a laid-back atmosphere where one can relax and unwind. 

Even the menus are full of great art. Music rounded out the ambience, and the staff was incredibly attentive and friendly. I already knew this was going to be a great experience before our drinks even hit the table.

I started out with some incredible cheese bread that was smothered in melted garlic butter, covered in mozzarella, and sprinkled with Italian seasoning. It came with a side of tasty 'Mellow Sauce' to dip with. 

I also ordered up a Bell's Oberon American Wheat Ale, which always pairs perfect with bread and pizza.

I'm an avid glassware collector and enthusiast, and while drinking my beer out of the way cool Mellow Mushroom pint glass, I noticed something interesting. 

The embossed Mellow Mushroom logo was actually pressed onto the inside of the glass, creating a very unique appearance as it hung onto the suds from the beer! 

I had never seen such a thing before on a pint glass and instantly fell in love with it. I asked our server if they by any chance sold the pint glasses, and she affirmed they indeed did! I of course bought one for my collection, and I admire it every time I drink from it.

This was the pizza we ordered in all of its glory. Mellow Mushroom's 'Mighty Meaty' Pizza. It sported pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Ground Beef, Honey Ham, and some of the most delicious Applewood-Smoked Bacon I've ever had on a pizza. 

The ridiculously beautiful crust is a result of a couple different things. First, it's cooked on a stone surface which helps to achieve a perfectly crispy crust due to uniform heat.

Second, Mellow Mushroom's pizza dough is truly a work of art, made from high quality, high protein, unbromated unbleached wheat flour. They mix in spring water and never use any refined white sugar. This is also the case for their pretzels and Calzones.

This definitely was not wasted on me. It takes some real effort and care to produce pizza dough like this, and the results are evident. It made for a more rustic, flavorful, beautiful crust.

Every meat topping was divine. Mellow Mushroom prides themselves on using top of the line high quality meats, and it really shows. It was a flavor explosion, with the sauce tasting fresh and not overpowering. 

The never frozen, preservative free mozzarella pulled everything together with its creaminess. It mellowed the acidity of the sauce, curbed the saltiness of the meats, and added richness to the crust.

Every ingredient played off of the other perfectly. I can't wait to try more varieties of Mellow Mushroom pies, to see what other flavor profiles they've honed to perfection.

The outdoor patio

I really do need to come back and dine alfresco when the Florida nights cool down this fall.

Mellow Mushroom really did exceed all of my expectations in every way. I love it when businesses refuse to cut corners and end up perfecting their craft as a result.

Mellow Mushroom Winter Park, is the place I am going to take friends and family to dine on pizza when they visit me in Florida. I will be back for sure, as I need to dine on the patio, complete my set of Mellow Mushroom pint glasses, and try SO many more of their menu items.

Awesome food, great staff, and an enjoyable relaxing atmosphere to create memories. I'm more than proud to spread the word about this great pizza place.

Visit Mellow Mushroom Online or in person

Casey's Gas Station Pizza Review

I've heard great things about Casey's Pizza over the years and have always wanted to try it out. While in Arkansas recently, I finally got my chance. I'm happy to say that the pizza exceeded my expectations in almost every way.

Right out of the pizza warmers, the slices smelled and looked wonderful. I opted for a slice of BBQ Brisket pizza and a sausage slice on this particular day.

The BBQ Brisket Pizza
BBQ sauce, smoked chopped brisket, jalapenos, red onions, real mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, finished with a ranch drizzle. 

This pizza was great! Super tasty, with a nice little spicy bite. The brisket was incredible and added a beautiful smoky depth to the slice. 

The ranch drizzle really was the icing on the pie, tamping down the spiciness of the jalapenos and helping the cheese and barbecue sauce jive together nicely .

Sausage Pizza
This slice had a classic marinara sauce and was topped with Casey's signature mild sausage and real mozzarella cheese. All ingredients were great, and the sauce had a nice snappy flavor, seasoned nicely with herbs.

I can't say enough nice things about Casey's pizza. They pride themselves on offering freshly made pizzas, with crust that is made from scratch.

That being said, I could tell the crust on both pies were pre made, which is understandable. I don't rightly expect any convenience store to have a dedicated baker or pizza chef that makes the dough in-house everyday. Maybe they do this somewhere, although I can't imagine where. 

Mind you, the crust was decent. It was way better than your run of the mill convenience store pizza crust. It did have some real pull to it, but wasn't tough. 

At first glance, the crust really has a bit of an artisan look to it, more so than your traditional convenience store pizza crusts. It was cooked well, had a nice crispy consistency, but lacked some depth in the flavor department. 

The end crust was a wee bit dense, with little alveolation to it. It worked well for the bottom crust, especially with the saucier BBQ slice, but I really would have liked to see a bit more airy spring to the end crust.

Retro Dad Pizza Rating..
as far as gas station pizza goes

5 out of 5 Slices

This is without a doubt, the best convenience store pizza I've eaten in my travels. While Casey's currently has over 2,147 stores in 17 states, Florida is sadly not one of them.

During this trip. I did not get to try Casey's Limited time offering The Ultimate Beer Cheese Breakfast Pizza, and I am going to be haunted by this for some time.

Casey's stores are spread mostly across the Midwest and plains states, both of which I travel across yearly. Therefore, I look forward to doing more of these reviews during future road trips.

If you have any Casey's pizza varieties you are crazy about, I'd love to hear about them. Feel free to drop your recommendations and thoughts in the comment section below. If there happens to be a gas station pizza you are a fan of, let me know as I'm always on the lookout for great pizza on the go.

Pizza Review - Capone's Coal Fired Pizza. Margaritaville Kissimmee, Florida

3216 Margaritaville Blvd, Kissimmee, FL

Retro Dad rating..

5 out of 5 Slices

Not too long ago I decided to treat myself and my bride to Capone's Coal Fired Pizza, a place I had been wanting to try for quite some time. I shamelessly proclaim that I LOVE themed restaurants, and being a sucker for Gangster and Mafia history, Capone's did not disappoint.

The first thing that grabs your attention when you walk into the joint, is a thick piece of glass set into the floor which you can not only look down into, but stand upon. It gives you a peek at a gangster hideout beneath the establishment. 

I apologize for the quality of the pictures. They were taken at a time of day when there was an incredible amount of glare from outside.

The scene reveals some old timey artifacts, and curiously.. lots of cash strung about as if someone left in a big hurry.

If you look closely, you can see a skeleton decked out in a Gangster era suit. Obviously there was some kind of ruckus and this poor unfortunate soul met his demise. He's now doomed to an eternity of guarding Al Capone's vault as an endless barrage of tourists peer down at him in pity.

Beautiful bar I'd love to sit down at to drink an 'Old Fashioned' someday soon.

The theming has a real old school feel to it. Ceiling tiles, light fixtures, props and pictures that feature the company's namesake, really suck you into that prohibition era vibe.

Great looking menu that looks 

like a prohibition era newspaper.

We ordered a wonderful antipasto appetizer platter and it really was as good as it looks.

The Pizza..

We kept it simple and ordered a pepperoni pie. The sauce and cheese was great, as was the coal fired crust that had a nice amount of char to it, without being overdone. A tasty and rustic looking pie that makes me hungry every time I think about it.

There was even theming that carried over to the pizza box we took our leftovers home in. This might mean absolutely nothing to most, but it's a touch I truly appreciate. I was raised in an era where product branding was everything. Companies loved getting their image in front of your face and on your mind any way they could. 

When I go to a pizza place and notice that their pizza box is one I've seen countless other pizzerias use, it just puts me off a bit. I understand about keeping costs down etc., so the extra effort it takes to create and use a pizza box unique unto your own business, is definitely not wasted on me. It makes me feel like the company is a cut above the rest. 

To me, it's kind of like going to a nice sit down coffee shop and ordering a handcrafted cappuccino, only to have it served in a cheap Styrofoam cup. The little extra touch of class that is a ceramic coffee mug, indeed makes the whole experience more pleasant and possibly makes you feel a bit better about spending four or five bucks on a coffee. 

Of course, I'm a sucker for great commercial art, especially when it's for a company I'm a fan of like Capone's.

On the way out, I decided to make a pit stop at the washroom. While I don't make a habit out of snapping pictures in restrooms, I felt I needed to capture the following images for the sake of posterity. 

The hallway leading to the restrooms was covered in wallpaper that consisted of old newspaper headlines from the 1920's. At the end of the hallway, it changes to drab colors and prison bars, themed to Alcatraz prison where Capone served most of his prison sentence.

As soon as you entered the bathroom, you instantly feel like you're in a prison cell! From the sinks, to the insanely drab color scheme, they did an incredible job theming the commode! 

There were tv screens on the wall playing a documentary about Capone and the prohibition era, and there were even various documents framed on the wall such Al Capone's arrest affidavit and mugshot, and death certificate. 

A wee bit morbid maybe, but they snookered me into standing there for a few minutes to closely examine them.

So all in all, we had a wonderful time at Capone's. It's all about the details when it comes to restaurant theming, and Capone's did not disappoint. The next time I treat myself to dining out for pizza, this will be the place I visit. 

I may even branch out a bit and try some of their other menu items. Although, I will definitely be ordering another one of their delicious pizzas no matter what.

Visit Capone's Online