I’m new to the area. And by “the area”, I mean the West Coast in general–we just moved here from North Carolina this summer. Yes, you read that right: we moved to the DESERT in the SUMMER. I promise we are smart people…
That said, we’re still getting our bearings, making friends (I’d love to meet some of you at the SMB Mom’s Night Out tonight!!!), and forming our unofficial list of favorite places to eat, drink and be merry. The lovely folks at zpizza headquarters offered up gift cards to some of us here at the SMB, and I greedily grabbed one, you know, for research purposes. (I’m pregnant. It’s pizza. What’s a girl to do?)
A little over a week ago, we were trying to pack up our family of four to head to Palm Springs for the weekend on business. At 6pm, I still had no clue how on Earth I was going to get dinner on the table and still have everyone in bed at a reasonable hour in preparation for our 6am departure time. zpizza to the rescue!
Having a hectic evening and need to fill the tummies of your little ones? Here’s 5 fantastic reasons to head over to your nearest zpizza!
1. Counter service. Indecisive family? You can take all the time you need and approach the counter when you’re ready. This also makes for more economical tipping and much less guilt if you end up sitting at the table for what seems like 5 hours.
2. Great noise level. There’s nothing worse than taking your toddler to library-quiet restaurant, as this is the time they invariably decide to test their lung capacity and/or talk about poop. zpizza was loud enough to mask our conversations to neighboring tables, but quiet enough that we could hear each other very well. So important.
3. Clean highchairs, and lots of ‘em! After a few experiences in other establishments in which I had to practically pressure-wash the highchair before I could feel good about putting Sophie in it, this was a relief. And don’t get me started about “family friendly” restaurants that have NO HIGHCHAIRS. Huh?! Thank you, zpizza, for making my evening easier.
4. THAT CRUST!!! My husband is a New Yorker. I actually get nervous for the staff when we try a new pizza place. Can they possibly live up to his very high New York pizza expectations? I mean, anyone can throw some awesome ingredients onto a pie, but it’s the crust that’s the true test, right? Handsome husband after first bite: “Holy crap. This is good!” Whew!
5. The ingredients were, like, whoa. A big part of zpizza’s mantra revolves around using the highest quality ingredients, and they recently added hormone-free chicken to their roster. One of the best parts of our dining experience was knowing that I was feeding my family something that I would feed them at home. Oh, and the fact that our bill was right in line with what we’d pay at most any pizza joint, except that the ingredients were hormone free, MSG free, additive free and in some cases, organic. Better quality at a fantastic price? Yes, please.
(Hint: try the Santa Fe–MSG & hormone-free chicken sausage, serrano peppers, chipotle pesto, roasted corn, cumin and cilantro…the extra large was only $17.95!!)
BONUS POINTS: It didn’t hurt that they played 80s music the whole time we were there (our pizzas were delivered to the chorus of Mr. Roboto) or that, in a stroke of evil genius, the Thomas Road location in Phoenix adjoins Pink Spot ice cream cafe. And, yes, we did get ice cream after dinner. And, yes, my Fluffer Nutter waffle cone paired very well with my Santa Fe pizza. Don’t judge me. I’m pregnant.
What restaurants do you depend on to feed your family in a pinch?
What keeps you going back again and again?
Remember, I’m new here, so I’d love to hear about your experiences! And please come and find me tonight at Mom’s Night Out so we can meet face-to-face!
Where is there one in Scottsdale? We used to order from the zpizza in North Scottsdale every week but they recently closed :(.
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