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Welcome to Haute-N-Ready, in which John Locanthi, Willamette Weekâs trencherman of leisure, tastes the hastily made, modestly priced food of the common man.
I could think of no finer accompaniment to last Sundayâs showdown between three-time Super Bowl-winning New England quarterback Tom Brady and Papa Johnâs spokesperson Peyton Manning than this corn chip-laden pizza.
Alas, NFL broadcast rules meant that I was forced to watch our local team, the Oakland Raiders, instead.
But how did the pizza handle? Anyone who has dipped bread into a bowl of chili knows that this would be nigh impossible to screw up.
Opening the pizza box brings out a strong smell of deep-fried corn product akin to opening up a bag of Fritos. These chips are poured over the pizza after it has been baked to preserve their crunchy texture. Quite a few Fritos fall off as you work your way through this hybrid, leaving a fitting mess behind.
The chili itself, while present in every bite, is secondary to the taste of the Fritos. It is there, it tastes like chili, but it is disappointingly bland chili.
But how did the pizza handle? Anyone who has dipped bread into a bowl of chili knows that this would be nigh impossible to screw up.
Opening the pizza box brings out a strong smell of deep-fried corn product akin to opening up a bag of Fritos. These chips are poured over the pizza after it has been baked to preserve their crunchy texture. Quite a few Fritos fall off as you work your way through this hybrid, leaving a fitting mess behind.
The chili itself, while present in every bite, is secondary to the taste of the Fritos. It is there, it tastes like chili, but it is disappointingly bland chili.
Call me a chili snob if you will, but I like mine spicy enough that you can see through time and space after a mouthful. To correct this glaring deficiency, I poured a healthy amount of Valentina Extra Hot over it to great effect. (Note: this is one of the few instances when hot sauce is permitted on pizza.)
The end product is spicy, hearty and crunchy, as any good frito pie should be. The pizza dough itself is forgettable; think of it as an edible spoon or plate. The cheese does its best to hold everything together while the meat and tomatoes are just along for the ride.
For some reason, Papa Johnâs does not list the nutritional information for this new product, but a single slice of a large pepperoni pizza contains 330 calories and a serving of Fritos has 160 caloriesânot that those figures mean much once youâve talked yourself into ordering pizza covered in corn chips.
âI would never order this, but it is far better than I thought it was going to beâ is the common sentiment from friends and family whoâve tasted this pizza. It isnât your conventional pizza, or even a bastardized hybrid like a Philly cheesesteak pizza. Papa Johnâs Fritos Chili Pizza is a bold new entry in a world where making taco shells out of Doritos was a billion dollar idea.
The end product is spicy, hearty and crunchy, as any good frito pie should be. The pizza dough itself is forgettable; think of it as an edible spoon or plate. The cheese does its best to hold everything together while the meat and tomatoes are just along for the ride.
For some reason, Papa Johnâs does not list the nutritional information for this new product, but a single slice of a large pepperoni pizza contains 330 calories and a serving of Fritos has 160 caloriesânot that those figures mean much once youâve talked yourself into ordering pizza covered in corn chips.
âI would never order this, but it is far better than I thought it was going to beâ is the common sentiment from friends and family whoâve tasted this pizza. It isnât your conventional pizza, or even a bastardized hybrid like a Philly cheesesteak pizza. Papa Johnâs Fritos Chili Pizza is a bold new entry in a world where making taco shells out of Doritos was a billion dollar idea.
WWeek 2015