Mellow Mushroom "The Caesar" of Pizza

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It was a late Sunday night journey to Mellow Mushroom in downtown Raleigh, that had my mouth watering this week! My Dad, my two friends, and I made dinner plans at Mellow, located off Glenwood Ave and Peace Street (601 West Peace Street, Raleigh 27605). It's always great when I get to start off the week with pizza.

The atmosphere engaged me at once. I was welcomed by giant, over-sized mushrooms, featured out on their patio and a friendly, easy-going staff. Before even entering the restaurant customers can enjoy the vibrant and groovy environment. Everything is colorful and all the artwork has a 70's, psychedelic feel to it. The lighting is dimmed to give off a relaxing, "chilled out", vibe to the customers who dine there. It's a very unique atmosphere, not one you would expect from an average pizza joint. It's a restaurant that not only welcomes the college crowd but also families and locals. Mellow proved from the moment I entered that it is far from average, because what makes it different is what makes it so charming. 

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I was instantly bombarded with choices while looking at the menu. With 15 specialty pies, signature hoagies, and calzones, I was overwhelmed by delicious-ness. So many tasty options with very unique qualities, nothing was boring or ordinary. We started with one of Mellow's popular appetizer's, the garlic cheese bread, with a side of the restaurants signature marinara sauce. I gobbled up the appetizer, with the help of my two friends. The warm stringy cheese and subtle garlic spice made for a yummy start to my meal. The sauce was so appetizing I couldn't get enough of it, gross or not I could have drank it like soup! Their marinara sauce was off the charts in comparison to the other pizza places, it was tangy as the sweetness and spicy ingredients blended together. The sauce was unique, a slightly spicy after-taste, which resulted in the perfect blend of sweet n' spicy to make it the most delectable sauce yet. 

I decided to branch out and try something different this time. I needed something other than cheese to give this place the critique it deserved. What it came down to was the Mellow Mushrooms specialty pizza, "The Caesar". This pizza had an olive oil and garlic base, layered with mozzarella and feta cheese, pesto marinated chicken, topped with caesar salad and Roma tomatoes. The caesar dressing was flawless and added just the right amount of flavor. The refreshingly cold temperature of the salad over the warm, array of cheeses, and pesto marinated chicken was an unbeatable combination! 

The crust on all of Mellow Mushroom's pies is another part of what makes their pizza stand out. The crust is not too thin, soft, with just the right amount of chewy-ness. It melts in your mouth as the warm dough and various toppings mesh together. The crust is also lightly dusted with parmesan cheese, making it a part of the pizza you'll never want to leave out. 

The price paid for the little 10 inch personal size caesar was completely worth it, although not exactly inexpensive. The small size caesar pizza cost $10.26, not horrible but not totally cheap either. Regardless, I had a great dining experience at Mellow Mushroom as many customers do. Mellow Mushroom customer and frequenter, Deric Travers, 20 told me he loves Mellow Mushroom. "It's my favorite place to chill and eat pizza in Raleigh," he said. 

The artwork display over the kitchen.