My hometown of Hollister is not known for its culinary diversity. We have pizza places, Chinese food places, Mexican food places, fast food places and a few sandwich places. There is no real family dining, sit-down-type place like Applebee's or Olive Garden or even Denny's -- though we do have a Jerry's. If we're in the mood for Italian food, we've got to head outside the county. If we are tired of burritos and pepperoni pizza and chow mein, we've got to get in the car and drive for at least 20 minutes to find a different type of restaurant. This afternoon, I noticed that our limited local menu expanded a bit with the opening of a buffet restaurant. Now, if we're lucky, we can get pizza, Chinese, Mexican, fast food and sandwiches all in one, convenient location. Plus, we can eat as much of it as we want. When I was in college, the idea of all-I-could-eat was enticing. Going to Sizzler for the steak and all-you-can-eat shrimp meal was like winning the lottery. The all-you-can-eat salad bar at Wendy's was a Friday tradition for my cash-poor friends and me. Now that I am older and the calories don't burn away like they used to, the idea of refilling my plate repeatedly has lost most of its appeal. I get just as hungry, but I feel twice as full after a big meal. Being the reporter that I am, I do plan to visit the local buffet, at least once, and investigate its offerings. I may regret the decision, because I love to eat more than I should. Fortunately, Pinnacle Urgent Care shares a parking lot with the new buffet, so if I go into a food coma from over-stuffing, my family won't need to call an ambulance. (photo courtesy of Abulic Monkey's Photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/abulic_monkey/2742905884/)

A cheesy promotion

The word first came down in a text from my wife at around 10 a.m. today: "Round Table Pizza 2day 11 a.m.-11 p.m. ... $2.26 lg pep or cheese pizza ... Should get one for boys dinner." Her friend had seen the ad in Friday's Pinnacle newspaper and mentioned it to my wife, who mentioned it to me, knowing that dinner was my responsibility tonight. By 11 a.m., the newspaper's advertising rep and a couple of callers to the newsroom were talking about a line snaking from Round Table's door, around the sidewalk and over toward the Hi Outlet -- maybe 100 people deep. At 2 o'clock I interviewed Round Table owner Mike Sicoli about the promotion, which, it turns out, was originally a company-wide plan to celebrate the chain's 50th anniversary. No all of the restaurants decided to take the financial hit and participate, but Mike and his wife, Allison, thought it would be a great way to spread a little Christmas cheer -- and some tomato sauce -- to thank the community for their support over the past 32 years. In those first three hours, 600 pizzas had been sold. At 8 p.m., I was still getting reports of a huge line outside of Round Table. Check out Friday's Pinnacle for the full story on the clever promotion. It was an expensive one, it seems, but it's nice to see a local business give thanks to a loyal customer base by giving them a crazy discount on a really good product. (photo courtesy of The Pizza Review's Photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepizzareview/2481188831/)

Lunch steals a pizza my heart

An easy way to get me to open an e-mail is to include the words "best pizza" in the subject line. That's what happened last week when a Pinnacle newspaper reader sent me a message with the title "Best pizza in San Benito County." Since I live in San Benito County and I love pizza, the e-mailer had me at "best..." The messenger may have a financial or familial interest in getting me to visit La Pizza Bella/Mama Cass's Kitchen in the tiny hamlet of Tres Pinos, south of Hollister on Highway 25. I didn't ask; and frankly, I didn't care. He took a gamble by recommending it to me, knowing that I could "pan" the thin crust pizza or give a "thin" criticism of the pan crust pizza in the newspaper or on this blog. Well, after bringing my parents, wife and oldest son to the joint on Friday, the e-mailer's gamble paid off. It was a unanimous five-for-five endorsement of the hole-in-the-wall joint, which I actually passed up on my first time through town because I missed the A-frame sandwich board that announces its presence. Owner Cass Spencer's menu features the standard pizza options -- Hawaiian, combination, vegetarian -- along with some unique varieties: Pinwheel (made-to-order with a choice of three specialty combinations on one pie); and taco, which features three cheeses, refried beans, seasoned ground beef, red and green onions, olives, red and green bell peppers, grated cheddar cheese, and diced Roma tomatoes. The menu also features sandwiches and hamburgers and create-your-own combos. Our choice on this day was the Pizza Lunch Special, which at a mere $5.99 included a very large side salad, unlimited beverage and a one-topping pizza that was closer to a medium than the standard personal size. After we finished our salads at our outdoor table (it was a little too warm inside), we sampled the deep-fried chicken raviolis, which, along with the marinara dipping sauce, were a crispy, warm, tasty treat. My wife, who often eschews garlic in her meals, loved the flavor the garlic bits gave to the raviolis. Then, when our pizzas arrived, we were surprised to see that each pie was encircled my more garlic bits. The hot pizza with the melting cheese and the aromatic garlic combined to a create a taste sensation that if it is not the best in the county, is right near the top. Mama Cass's Kitchen is located at 6851 Airline Hwy., Unit D in Tres Pinos (it's on the left side of the road just past the gas station). For details, call 628-3900. For another review of the menu, check out the Melissa Good Taste blog at http://melissagoodtaste.blogspot.com/. (photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/people/techfun/)