Update 2/8/24: Oh Mel's, you beautiful beautiful restaurant. How could I ever have doubted you? Well, I'll make this official with an 'I do' and everything because I absolutely love Mel's. Perfect pizzas, spot-on starters, and an eggplant parm so crispy you'll think "I didn't know eggplants could be this crispy!?" I do.
However, do NOT get dessert here. I don't why, but they're just terrible. Like, I may have spit some back out of my mouth bad. I guess genius for savory does not equal brilliance for sweets. Luckily I'm mature enough to accept my partner's flaws and love them anyway.
Loved It
TLDR: Mel’s is the perfect choice when you’re feeling pizza and something else. Take your friend, take your lover, take your family, whoever, and order something you normally wouldn’t, because I bet you it’s better than you’d think.
Image credit: guestofaguest.com
When I first walked into Mel’s, I’m pretty sure I audibly oohed and aahed. It’s basically the millennial pink kitchen of my dreams. The silverware is nice. The plates are pretty. Everything is a dusky pink or brick color. There’s a literal archway to get to the bathrooms (always a sucker for an archway). You could say it was love at first sight.
Fortunately, I don’t have to stop there. With a place like Mel’s, it’s easy to assume they spent more time and effort making sure you’d post about them on your Insta than curating a quality menu. But #getyouamanwhocandoboth amiright? 💁♀️
The pizza is definitely delicious (I really loved the eggplant parm pizza) but the starters are the more impressive part of the menu if you ask me. While “giant clam” doesn’t exactly have my name on it, I was glad to have taken up the waiter’s recommendation; it was garlicky and spicy and so much better than “giant clam” could ever sound. The salads are all fresh and tasty (though beware the bibb if you hate anything that resembles, but is not, sand in your food. The breadcrumbs are extra… crumby).
You simply cannot forgo “The Oil”, as it is aptly named. You can put it on literally any of the dishes you order and it will be good, but it’s especially handy for the pizza crusts which are good enough to eat on their own. And let me tell you, we put that sh*t on everything. However, I would skip the other sauces, especially the pesto and tomato as they were both a bit bitter and added little to the meal.
There’s something special about Mel’s that makes it a definite “Loved It” candidate. Even though it’s pizza, it feels adventurous and fun. Like a sparkling red wine. So go with literally anyone who likes the sound of “upscale pizza” and order something you normally wouldn’t.
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