Project Pie

[Signage of the MGM Grand Location; Las Vegas, NV]

I like pizza. Let’s get that out of the way. And, I’ve grown up eating all different kinds of pizza: Shakey’s, Pizza Hut, Straw Hat, Numero Uno, Domino’s …

Plus, new places: Sbarro, Villa Pizza, Grimaldi’s, and recently – Project Pie.

I can’t say I don’t have a favorite. I do. I haven’t had Shakey’s in 30 years. I left California in August 1985, and despite repeated returns – no Shakey’s. Maybe I should for nostalgia …

There are also no Straw Hat or Numero Uno locations where I am, so those are some I also haven’t had in 30+ years. 

Anyway …

I used to eat Pizza Hut and Domino’s quite a bit. But, lately, Pizza Hut has gone from the medium Pan to a personal one. It’s no longer a top favorite.

Domino’s … it’s a hit or miss. Depends on how I’m feeling to be honest. I love their Spinach and Feta Artisan (sans onions); and a Brooklyn with light sauce, double cheese (or mushrooms and beef) … that can hit the spot. 

Sbarro and Villa Pizza are two that I like, I enjoy – and if I get a good offer, I’ll go to. If not, I usually stay away. For some reason they’re both too spicy. And, since they’re usually pre-made, the quality is a bit iffy. I’m not saying they’re “bad”, but adding additional toppings or cheeses then re-heating them (even at the location) … it does something to the quality and taste.

Grimaldi’s – oh boy! I love it. Pricey, but I love it (base price, plus toppings). I love the old world (tiny) pepperoni. And, they use a coal fired oven. They only have one crust, so that makes it a plus. It’s not too thin and not too thick.

Then, the newest … Project Pie.

My mother and I discovered this on December 13, 2014. How do I know the EXACT date? We were Christmas shopping at the Coca-Cola store and parked in the MGM Grand’s parking garage. Heading in, we passed Project Pie and thought “that looks interesting”.

On the way back to the car … we decided to stop in. It was an “oh, why not try this and see what it’s about” kind of deal.

 .

[Photo collage of first visit. Was a picture of the day for Project: 365]

Am I glad we did! 

We got a pizza ($12+tax) and two Coca-Colas ($7 + tax) [FYI: drinks are only one size, but free refills, so … that equals out]. 

Now, let me warn you here: they are pricier than some of the other chains. You can order from one of the list or “BYO” (build your own). Out first pie? Pepperoni and extra cheese.

After having half of the pizza, we topped off the drinks and headed home. Whew! Was that a good pizza. I decided to follow them on Twitter and Facebook and I expressed my appreciation and admiration. They’re awesome people, just so you know.

My mom and I warmed up the leftovers later that evening, and this is where you know how good the pizza really is, well … in my opinion, how well does it re-heat?

I did the oven, my mom did the microwave. She likes her pizza a bit softer due to dental issues. Me? I like “as close as it can be to original”. Both ways worked for this pie! So, I definitely prefer microwave (faster the better).

The tip? DON’T NUKE IT. Depending on wattage (mine’s an 1100 watt), it takes only a few seconds on about 70% power. Yummy! For a ¼ slice I did 30 seconds on 70%. Warm, not hot or cold, structural integrity was close to original. Taste? Pretty good.

Now, this pizza isn’t very big. I’d say roughly 10”, but the good thing? The BYO is still only $12. Unlike some places that charge “per topping”, Project Pie wins here with that.

The crust is what I would call medium crispy, the bottom is soft (not soggy).

The reason I don’t go very often is finances (which I hope will soon improve) and the location. I don’t like the strip (Las Vegas Boulevard South), and parking isn’t too easy or accessible. But, the pizza is great.

I’ve gone back when I had a few promotions for a free pizza. One time I got a cheese (naked), and another time was a beef (meatball crumble), mushroom, and extra cheese.

With it being “Earth Day”, they had a great promotion: 50% of their proceeds to Earth related charities. How could I say no? And, I was feeling very hungry after doing a few things in the morning. So … I hit them up for lunch. 

[Earth Day 2015 promotion]

[My beautiful, charitable, and tasty lunch. Half of it came home with me though. This is a #2 (pepperoni, Italian sausage, meatball crumble), no garlic, extra cheese.]

Like the time with my mom, half of the pizza came home. Really, I think ¾ of it should have come home. One slice (it’s cut into ¼ slices) was more than enough. I got a bit greedy though. Had the original fill of the drink, got a refill, and left.

For a snack (some 4 hours later) I had another ¼ of the pizza and finished off the refill. I’m fine until dinner … much, much later on this evening. 

They also offer gluten-free, veggies, meats … almost everything to make the “perfect pie”. And the desserts? Pizza, of course! There’s a Nutella and Banana pie I’d like to try … some day.

I honestly wish there was a location a bit closer to me, but I’m happy there is one :)

Now, I need to go hide that last ¼ in the refrigerator. 

And, no ... I am not being paid for this. Though that would be nice. Get paid for eating and blogging :)

Strawberry/Brownie Kabobs

After getting a few replies about some “treats” I made … I thought I’d share them in this blog.

HISTORY:  Discovered around February 2010 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

RECIPE:     Variable (according to one’s own preference usually)

ITEMS:       WASHED/CUT strawberries, 1 box of brownie mix (prepared as directed on package), some Baker’s Milk Chocolate, Baker’s White Chocolate, kabob skewers, mini muffin pan (can be found at Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wilton-Bake-It-Better-24-Cavity-Mini-Muffin-Pan/32802018#)

[This is the EXACT pan I own. Mini-Muffin Pan for brownies. Photo is from Walmart's website]

YIELD:       Varies

It was in about 2010 that I tried these. They were being sold by the “Kabob Shack” at the racetrack. I believe the first time I tried these, they only had the strawberry/banana ones. Of course, I am not that wild about bananas. And, to be honest … I don’t know WHEN they started the strawberry/brownie ones.

Anyway …

In 2014, we were able to bring home some strawberry/brownie kabobs. And, I got this picture:

[Strawberry/brownie kabobs from the Kabob Shack; LVMS -- 2014]

This year (2015), while we want to have fun at the race, we decided that paying $6 for three (3) strawberries and two (2) brownies was a bit outrageous. And, also it was getting them home safe that was a concern. Then there was the fact that they didn’t wash (or cut) the strawberries. Having a few new health issues – I didn’t want to chance it.

What to do? Make our own.

Even in 2010, I scoured the internet for recipes. But, never got around to doing them. This year though? I decided to do them. Here’s the fun part: there is really no wrong way to do them. One-sided drizzling or two-sided. Placement of items? Totally up to one’s own preference.

We tried some strawberry/banana ones, but unless you immediately eat them … the bananas get a bit mushy and yucky. The brownies? They’re pretty solid.

The first few batches I had to “cut” the brownies into squares and I wasn’t able to use the entire brownie. Though the remainder did make one yummy brownie sundae treat (warmed it up, put some Blue Bell Homemade vanilla over it, and drizzled with Hershey’s … though I might try the Baker’s chocolate next time). 

[Baker's White Chocolate. You can melt this in a microwave safe container, use, refrigerator, re-use]

[Baker's Milk Chocolate. This microwave safe container is designed for use, refrigerator, and re-use. I got roughly 10 kabobs out of this container]

Even using only half of the brownie for the kabobs … I was still saving $3-$4 per kabob. That adds up (especially when you love these things). And, with summer coming up – what a great idea.

I decided to try a mini muffin pan for the brownies. And it worked. Though, yes … you have to use butter, shortening, or cooking spray with it so you can pop them out (or as I did … gently unscrew them out). And, the results? Not quite bad:

[Just before they went into the refrigerator. Roughly three (3) mini brownie muffins and three strawberries per skewer]

The chocolate is easy to do (so long as you follow the directions). I didn’t using a “piping bag” or anything fancy … I used a regular table spoon (the smaller one). And, the last batch? I shook the spoon over the kabobs to change up the drizzle effect.

Oh, and it’s best to use wax paper to assemble them on (make sure to also put them on a cookie sheet for easy transfer to the fridge). That way the residue chocolate? After it’s cooled you can pick it off and enjoy it:

[Interesting shaped residue -- still tasty]

I’ve been known to use the tip of the skewer to scrape off the residue.

So ...

There you have it. And, you can make as many as you like – however you like.

Here’s a hint: bake the brownies the night before. I’ve even put them in the refrigerator to cool (covered) to harden so they don’t fall apart when going on the skewers.

Last batch? I put the muffins in a Ziploc bag on the counter.

Now, if y’all will excuse me … one of these treats has my name on it …

[My well deserved treat. Was an odd one anyway]

The Art of Pizza – Delivery Times

As a hungry person, the last thing you want to hear from a pizza place is:  2 hour wait, heck even a 30-45 minute wait is almost intolerable. Does it really take 30 minutes to BAKE a pizza?  

That’s enough to make anyone vicious. And, I’ve been that hungry customer. I mean sometimes you’re close enough to walk and they are telling you 2 hours!

How dare they?!

[INSERT NASTY EXPLETIVES]

Here’s the catch:

Me, you, anyone – are not their only customer – not during rush hours. I know, it’s almost a tragedy. I hated admitted it and saying it, but it does need to be said.

Years ago, heck almost a decade ago – I worked for a major pizza chain. One of the top complaints was the delivery time (along with delivery zones, that’s another blog for another time). What would I hear?

“It doesn’t take 30 minutes to get across the street; I can walk over there in 10 minutes”

“What do you mean 2 hours? It doesn’t take that long – you obviously don’t know what you’re doing …”

Or things along that line … main thing – people had no idea why we had such long delivery times. Even as a customer, I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t fathom it.  

In February 2005, I got a job at one of the top #3 pizza chains in the nation. I was thrust from being the customer to be the one the customer yells at.

As of note, I NEVER threatened the life of or ABUSED any of the personnel at the pizza store. NEVER. That is above and beyond stupid.

Anyway …

As I said … most of the complaints centered on those who couldn’t understand the quoting of delivery times and length. And, I truly understood the problem, having been a problem for me. But, working there I soon understood.  

So what is THE PROBLEM?

The pizzas that are delivered are usually made scratch – from the dough ball/patty (shaping it), to saucing, cheesing, topping, and putting it into the oven. The goal is 1-2 minutes per item for “making it” – this even includes bread sides, desserts, and chicken items.  

Pizza crusts at the places I worked at started as a dough ball. It had to be stretched out to make the “skin” – then it was sauced, cheesed, topped, put in the oven, put it in a box, cut, and given to the driver. Then the driver has to take it to the residence (traffic time).

Now here’s the timetable:

2 minutes make

8 minutes bake

2 minutes cut/box

18 minutes route/transport (driver assigned delivery/ has to look up route on map/    in car/drives to location/parks/locates apartment or          house/ has to wait for    customer to open door)

Total time: 30 minutes

That’s the “ideal” situation. But, not everything is ideal. Not at all. Yes, if you live closer to the store – your delivery could be 20 minutes. But, it depends on the traffic – oh and for those in gated communities … if the driver doesn’t have the code, they have to wait for someone to let them in or follow another resident in. I’ve tried calling the customer (no response – either in bedroom or elsewhere) and had to wait 5-10 minutes for someone to enter and let me follow in. That adds to the delivery time.

So, why does it take 2 hours?

I worked at one store where EVERY SINGLE NIGHT during the “rush” (heavy, non-stop order period) was 100+ items down – in other words, we had over 100 items to make.

The customer ordering items 101-102 (pizza, bread side, chicken side) – saying the items took 1 minute to make – it wouldn’t be made for almost two hours! That’s right. 1 hour and 41-42 minutes – that’s with a fully staffed store.

Now, add in the bake time for items (7-8 minutes) and you’ve got one heck of a wait. Box, cut, and route the driver (meaning they have to be assigned the delivery and then “plan the route” to your residence) – it adds up.

When the driver finally leaves and finally arrives to the door – nearly 2 hours.  

Carry-out on those nights was just as bad – 30-45 minutes, sometimes an hour.

There was no end of requests of “hey can you please expedite it, how much does that cost …” other things like that. And, sadly we couldn’t do that.  

So, to answer  “does it really take 30 minutes to BAKE a pizza?” Yes ... and sometimes longer depending on if there are “timed” orders in the middle of the rush.

It was definitely a learning experience, and it wasn’t a job I’d EVER want to do again … however, I am extremely grateful for the experience and knowledge – so, I do try to share it.