Food Review: Papa John’s, Arnold, Nottingham

 

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The takeaway, the ‘go to’ option for when you’re tired, busy…or even perhaps drunk.
TANYA RAYBOULD takes a look at one of the nations favourite takeaways, the pizza and try’s one of Nottingham’s local delivery services.

 

We’ve had all em.  Big ones, small ones, deep pan ones, nice ones and ones that tasted nice after a few drinks but sampled sober could kill.  I am of course talking about the humble Pizza. 

Not so humble, the term ‘Pizza’  was first recorded in the 10th century, in a Latin manuscript from Gaeta in Central Italy. The ancient Greeks, as well as wearing nice robes, covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. The modern pizza as we know it was first invented in Naples, Italy and the rest, the dish and its variant, have since become popular in many areas of the world and is as they say history.

But it’s not all history, as recently as 2009, upon Italy’s request, Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed dish.  The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (the True Neapolitan Pizza Association) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples. It promotes and protects the “true Neapolitan pizza”

Modern pizza evolved from flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy in the 18th or early 19th century. Prior to that time, flatbread was often topped with ingredients such as garlic, salt, lard, cheese, and basil. It is uncertain when tomatoes were first added and there are many conflicting claims of tomato drama. Until about 1830, pizza was sold from open-air stands and out of pizza bakeries, and pizzerias keep this old tradition alive today, with mobile caterers such as the local Rustic Crust, preserving the tradition.

 

A popular contemporary legend holds that the archetypal pizza, pizza Margherita, was invented in 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honour of the visiting Queen Margherita. Of the three different pizzas he created, the Queen strongly preferred a pizza swathed in the colours of the Italian flag: red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). Supposedly, this kind of pizza was then named after the Queen as “Pizza Margherita”,although recent research casts doubt on this legend, maybe it was just coincidence from the ‘create your own’ section of Asda

Pizza was brought to the United States with Italian immigrants in the late nineteenth century;and first appeared in areas where Italian immigrants concentrated. The country’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s opened in 1905.Following World War II, veterans returning from the Italian Campaign after being introduced to Italy’s native cuisine proved a ready market for pizza in particular. Since then pizza consumption has exploded in the U.S.pizza chains such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s pizzas from take and bake pizzerias and chilled and frozen from supermarkets, make pizza readily available nationwide. It is so ubiquitous, thirteen percent of the U.S. population consumes pizza on any given day!!

 

Nottingham has it’s own fair share of a pizza the action. Along with the aforementioned Pizza chains, we can fill our face on any given day of the week from the likes of Inferno, Piccolino, Savai, Ugly Bread Bakery, Oscar and Rosies, Suede Bar, Ask, Zizi, Bella Italia, Prezzo…the dough goes on.  I’ve tried lots of them, I’m a bit of a when it comes to pizza, but you know what, I still keep coming back to Asda’s create your own.  There’s something about that Deep Pan goodness, made in store then baked at home, consumed in front of Holby City. Pizza and gore.  You can’t beat it, and all for £3.99!! Absolute bargain!  So stuck in my ways with this am I, that I was recently arm wrestled into trying the call out method, and so hands trembling, I dialled Papa Johns, so what did I think?

At 5.47 on a rainy Friday night, trembling fingers dial Papa Johns. Somebody answers within three rings, they’re called customer service reps now.  This must not be forgotten when referring to them apparently. Mine seems a little unsure. She gives the name of the company but not hers. Apparently they’re also meant to begin with offering promotions. Mine doesn’t. I’m not worthy of such offers it seems. She’s struggling, I keep being told to ‘hang on a minute’ my mind flicks to the ease of handing in that little sheet of badly photocopied paper at Asda. Sizes and toppings all slightly off centre, shopping for chocolate then going back to pick to pick up my circular treasure.


Finally my order is taken, 11.5 inch (if we’re being precise) original crust, Mexican. She repeats it back to me and says is that everything but does not try to up sell, nor does she say ‘only’ £14.99. They’re meant to. I think about sticking some of McCains finest Microchips in the, well the microwave obviously. Not the straight cut ones, only the finest crinkle cut. Malt vinegar washing over their lovely ridges. She, sorry, my customer service rep, breaks me from my trance, thanking me for my order. Hang on, I ask, how long will it be? 30 to 45 minutes she replies before hanging up. 


43 minutes later, there’s a knock at my door. A cheery, smiling driver, (sorry, customer service rep) suited and booted in full uniform with full logo shirt and jacket. I don’t think he could have been any more pleased to see me had I been Papa John myself.  I like this person. Not only does he had me my disc of pleasure, he also asks if I want any extra sauces or dips! Bargain.

Amusingly, my pizza box infers I am in for a night of passion. An excellent piece of marketing. But what am I in for? I open said box like I’ve unearthed long lost treasure, to be greeted by an average looking pizza, who has bought on its travels its own pot of mayonnaise. I reserve judgement. It’s pre-sliced and so saves me the task of rummaging for the Ikea pizza slicer but the benefits really end there. It’s OK, and that’s really as much as I can say, OK it’s nice, will that do? I’m not blown away by the flavours. It’s fresh and it’s still warm but ultimately, it’s unmemorable. I’m not converted or convinced by the trend of pizza delivery on this occasion.


Papa John were not aware I reviewing and I paid for my pizza in full. Any other pizza delivery restaurants out there? I’m happy to take on the challenge. 

By Tanya raybould

Editor

@tanyalouiseray

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