Funny enough, I experienced some of this in action last week when I was in OC. My dad and I were at the beach, and all of a sudden he got hungry. And since he didn't want to walk too far for dinner, we settled for a quick bite at Papa Joe's Pizza, just across PCH from The Pier. It's had a long and storied history in Surf City (how often do you hear THAT in Las Vegas??!!), at one point even facing possible extinction, but it's survived and still stands at its prime location near The Pier.
OK, so this place has plenty of history. How about the food, dammit?! Well, don't expect Settebello.
The top layer of mozzarella did taste a bit too "industrial processed" for my liking. However, the cheese layer underneath was OK and the sauce was actually nice. Oh, and I actually liked the crust. Perhaps I've been spoiled by so many fine, artisan Vegas "pizzazz" to enjoy some old OC flavor. Whatever. I'm a proud picky eater! ;-)
But even considering my proud picky eater sensibilities, I just can't diss this OC classic. At the very least, go and enjoy the "old school surf city" experience while you can.
