House of Pizza: Good food, hope they make it

I was a little dubious about this place. Reviews from previous customers led me to believe that there may be slow service and slow food turnout. It was relieving to note that even thought these claims may be true, they were justified when I visited House of Pizza.

I ordered 10 buffalo wings ($7.99) in the ‘extreme hot’ flavor, a large calzone ($12.99) with broccoli and mozzarella, and a large-size vegetarian specialty pizza ($16.95)

Freshly sliced peppers, sweet red onions, sliced black olives, fresh mushrooms and cubed plum tomatoes festooned the pizza in generous quantities. None of the ingredients overshadowed the other and although I would’ve preferred a fancier olive rather than the standard from-a-can variety, it was pretty tasty. The crust was neither too doughy nor too thin- something that I particularly liked. I thought that this would probably appeal to the masses by striking that delicate doughy line that almost everyone would find little objection towards. The pizza as a whole was not salty or overly seasoned- another bonus. It let the vegetables do all the talking. All in all, a pretty decent pie.

I was equally enamored with the calzone- especially when it arrived lightly glistening with olive oil, oregano, parmesan, and minced garlic that made for a very tantalizing picture (see blog post). The filling (any two toppings of your choice) again was simple and to-the-point where the ingredients talked the talk, and walked the walk.  A side portion of marinara sauce was good for the crusty crescent corners but otherwise unnecessary.

The only thing that I was not happy with was the hot sauce the wings were covered in. Rather than being supremely spicy (as advertized), it was somewhat spicy. The crushed black pepper used in the dish was SO much that it gave the entire dish a granular texture. I’m not sure if they were aiming for spiciness or pepperyness- but those two words are exactly the same. The side cup of ‘bleu cheese dressing’ was in fact more ranch than anything. The wings were cooked well and otherwise fair. On another note, I’m beginning to believe that many establishments in Orlando should discontinue the usage of ‘extreme’ or ‘hell’ or ‘death-wish’ when their spice levels are nowhere near that.

IN A NUTSHELL: It is important to note that you order at the counter, pay, and then sit down and wait for your food to be delivered. Not exactly smart for the waitress to earn her tips when no service has been given prior when paying for the bill with a credit card. They have a soda fountain accessible to guests so you can help yourself to whatever you want (note,  water and lemonade run from the same beverage line so let it run for a little bit before you grab water). The artwork on the walls indicate that the proprietors have some connection to New York City- yet I won’t go as far as claiming that this is a truly New York-style eatery by any means. The dough is made in-house and each ticket is made to order- therefore, it’s no wonder that it takes a little time to make each item! I like this establishment because it’s non-pretentious and what you see is what you taste. Located across from Gatorland, it’s my hope that this joint grows over time to improve on some shortcomings while retaining its overall food philosophy.