It's a tie between all things Little Ceasar's and this place here in Bloomington IL called Grady's, which also doubles as a "family fun park". The sauce on Grady's pizza is so cloyingly sweet, you'd think it was tomato candy. . . and I don't mean that in a good way.

Naturally, however, in this Town With No Tastebuds, some people just rave about it. It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of place, but I think you can guess into which camp I fall. :)

It's nice to have some vindication of what I said about this place way back in December:

We actually sought out Spike's Good Eatery when we were in DC over the summer, and I feel the need to be completely forthright here: it was the most disappointing meal I've had in a long, long time. Perhaps I expected more, considering the hype, but after trudging several long, rain-soaked blocks from the Metro station, what was served to us was borderline insulting.

The burgers were *exceptionally* greasy, to the point where the buns were mooshy and slimy. The fries were limp and sitting in a pool of oil, not to mention cold by the time they called our order up. Did you know that most of the seating there is upstairs, and that you have to slog up and down the stairs for your food, as well as your drinks, condiments & other paraphrenalia like straws, etc.?

Also, they really pimp their milkshakes, so you would think they would get at least ice cream, milk and flavors correct, right? Wrong. My kids' milkshakes were halfway - literally, halfway, as the top portion of the cup had already liquified! - melted when we picked our order up at the counter!

When we finally got to dig in to the food, the sense of disappointment was palpable and completely shared between the four of us. Couch that in the context of the crap conditions we had endured just to get there, and, well... needless to say, we won't ever be going back there, and I would not recommend this overpriced grease pit to anyone.

In further reflection, I'm still trying to figure out how our burgers turned out so greasy on the outside of the bun, but you've cleared up the "where'd that smoosh come from?" question, sir.

And let me also second (or is that 14th by now?) your point about the whole meal having the feel of it being prepared by someone who just really didn't give a rat's ass.

Won't. Go. Back.

Funny - the general reaction at the value-to-cost ratio was the exact reaction my family had when we trekked over DC's half-acre to his "Good Eatery": definitely not worth the time or the effort for what you get (which wasn't very good to begin with).

So, it appears that he's playing a familiar motif, here. Again - why is he famous...?

I'd throw my vote in here for Pappy's Smokehouse sauces from St. Louis. We make it a point to always stop there when we're down for a visit, and we load up on their various sauces - also available online, of course!

Fred. We call it Fred.

@ seriousb - Oh, come now, sir - you expect me to believe that someone as experienced as yourself has never heard of breakfast pizza? :) That said, I really don't want to go the Pillsbury route, because it always ends up tasting like Pillsbury in the end.

@ Donna - yes, I've been following your recent pizza laboratory stories with great relish and vigor, but I'd disagree with regard to the thickness of the dough. I've worked in several different pizza kitchens, and they each had their own specific recipes and hydration levels that led to very different types of crust. I'm thinking that a thin crust wouldn't be substantial enough to hold up the toppings, but I also don't want to go the full Sicilian-style route with a big, puffy base. I like your crust recipe, however, so I'd ask how it works used at a little higher thickness.

I'm thinking that since we're going to be at my folks house that a pizza stone won't be present. I really don't want to have to lug mine there, so I'm thinking my perforated pizza pan might make the trip instead. Have you tested one of those in your adventures, Donna...?

Where are you going to be in Indy? That will largely determine the recommendations for you - I'd hate to send you to our favorite Chinese restaurant in Greenwood if you're going to be up Carmel way. :)

All I'll say is this: the last time we went to a Fuddruckers, I ended up waking up next to my young daughter ralphing her aforementioned-Fuddruckers all over our hotel bed at 2 am.

That kind of did me in for them, as you might well imagine. :)

Ditto the redfish. :) Got it, love it. The best part is the way it acts like a mini-pressure cooker when you cook with the lid clamped on.

In fact, I'm using it right now to simmer away a vat of ham and beans, the perfect foil for a icy cold January day. Plus, there's the added benefit of not having to prepare a meal after we get home from the kids' taekwondo and gymnastics practices tonight!

We actually sought out Spike's Good Eatery when we were in DC over the summer, and I feel the need to be completely forthright here: it was the most disappointing meal I've had in a long, long time. Perhaps I expected more, considering the hype, but after trudging several long, rain-soaked blocks from the Metro station, what was served to us was borderline insulting.

The burgers were *exceptionally* greasy, to the point where the buns were mooshy and slimy. The fries were limp and sitting in a pool of oil, not to mention cold by the time they called our order up. Did you know that most of the seating there is upstairs, and that you have to slog up and down the stairs for your food, as well as your drinks, condiments & other paraphrenalia like straws, etc.?

Also, they really pimp their milkshakes, so you would think they would get at least ice cream, milk and flavors correct, right? Wrong. My kids' milkshakes were halfway - literally, halfway, as the top portion of the cup had already liquified! - melted when we picked our order up at the counter!

When we finally got to dig in to the food, the sense of disappointment was palpable and completely shared between the four of us. Couch that in the context of the crap conditions we had endured just to get there, and, well... needless to say, we won't ever be going back there, and I would not recommend this overpriced grease pit to anyone.

Cuisinart.

Pro Custom 11 Food Processor.

'Nuff Said.

My wife rocks. :)

Perhaps English isn't tamas' first language?

Nonetheless, it's pretty simple, really: if you don't like it, don't buy it, even if this is a bit late to the party.

Merry Birthday to a site for hungry eyes. How is Serious Eats like a fine wine...? :)