I wuold put french fries further down the list, not to mention most desserts

I'm sure the Red Baron would be happy to do a strafing run and DiGiorno and Totino families would pay for the Tombstone.

Tempted as I am to throw some eggs your way right now for that comment, I think I'll just leave a few outside for a week and throw them from closer proximity next week at their "peak of freshness."

Meanwhile, I was pondering what the last time I might have been inebriated enough to actually want to eat the pizza described in the OP. As I sit here today, I'd say "never" but I'm sure there would have been at least one time in the past 30 years.

I used to think that too, and if everything were equal i still might. For example, I remember when Round Table used regular brick hearth pizza ovens, and when they changed to conveyors. Their pizzas suffered pretty bad for a year or so. After that, they perfected it and their pizzas are as good as ever. As for mom and pop places, I've had extremely varying experiences. Overall, no more than 1 in 5 has been equal or better than Round Table IMO. Mountain Mikes is a close second. Add to this, when I have had a really good pie at small independent place, the next time it's very likely to be terrible. Round Table is ALWAYS great. I still try new places looking for that really special pizza, but am disappointed far more often than not.

I really like Round Table pizza, especially at the original Menlo Park location, just a short walk from my office. I think they're comparable to an In-N-Out burger. An awesome burger, but a totally different product compared to a hand made pub burger. The wood fired pizzas at our local Italian restaurants are like the hand made pub burger, if that makes any sense.

It actually is a very good analogy. I prefer In-N-Out to 95% of hand made pub burgers. :)

This makes perfect sense. I can't imagine what the analogy is to a Papa John's pizza. But I'm sure someone here will have a good one.

In N Out is a basic burger. Nothing special about the burger to warrant the hype.

Agreed. And I am unanimous in that! It isn't bad, but I've never craved one. On the other hand, I grew up in So Cal, and have lived in California my entire life, so maybe I've never suffered the "dreaming for that burger I had years ago" syndrome. On the other other hand, White Castle existed out west for a minute and a half ... and maybe if that had been my standard of burgers, I'd be craving an In N Out.

All that said, I think I'd rather eat a White Castle burger again before I eat another slice of Papa John's.

White Castles are a delicacy only loosely related to hamburgers. If you expect it to taste like any other hamburger you've ever had, you'll be sorely disappointed. They're best eaten while sitting on the hood of the car at 8 mile and Woodward at 3 am on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Comparing them in any way to that papa john's pizza dreck is sacrilege.

I have had MANY better burgers than In-N-Out, but virtually none of them have been "hand pressed pub style steakburgers", or whatever. I only use In-N-Out for an example because it's the only major chain that most here are are familiar with that makes burgers in the general style of what I consider a great burger. Now back to Papa John's, which I agree sucks.

I like how this thread has morphed into talking about burgers.

I went to one of my favorite pizza places for lunch Saturday as I had some extra time. I pulled into the parking lot and I didn't see the Neon light I usually see. They had closed on June 30th after being in business for closely 20 years. This is a free standing building on the corner of a major intersection, so hopefully something will take it over shortly. I went to another place in the area I will sometimes go to, but the quality has changed and the sauce was just tomato sauce it seemed like, so I don't think I will return.

Oh, I think I know where that came from... Pizzeria Caruso in the Laudinella?

Ah you mean the Domenico at Pizzeria Caruso. Close, and I must try that one next time I’m there.

The one I had was the Engadina at Acla in the Schweizerhof Hotel.

https://schweizerhofstmoritz.ch/speisekarten/acla.pdf

But the other one I love when I ate there a few weeks ago was the Dana Bianca from Chess Veglia.

https://badruttspalace.com/wp-conten...erMenu2021.pdf

Papa Johns is among the better of the fast food pizzas. It’s way less greasy than Pizza Hut. One exception though, Papa Johns stuffed crust sucks, that dry dough doesn’t work for stuffed crust.