July, 2008

Rating: 8 out of 10

Tariff:  Dinner for 7

• 2 large pizzas
• 1 order cheesy bread
• tip (optional for take out)
• $28

Location & Service

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza franchise located in the Novato Fair Shopping Center (corner of Diablo and Delong) is a good spot for pizza for two reasons. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not that I don’t like fresh, hot pizza from the ovens of an Italian restaurant. But getting the pies ahead, custom made to your preferences, and cooking them later at your convenience can suit many situations. And special promotions and coupons often make Papa Murphy’s a really good value. This store is clean and the employees have always been helpful and efficient in my experience.

Food

This night a friend and I wanted to relax and socialize while enjoying pizza with our kids. We tried the cheesy bread appetizer, which is like seasoned bread sticks but in the shape of a small pizza with a spot in the center for a dipping sauce. The gourmet vegetarian pizza is great—fresh spinach, zucchini, and mushrooms, artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes and onion mix top this pie and it is a far cry from some of the soggy veggie pizzas I’ve tried. We also had pepperoni and a plain cheese pie, both of which were gobbled up happily. I got a special discount for trying their new honey wheat crust. At first I was skeptical but after a fellow customer told me he liked it better than the regular crust we gave it a whirl and found it to be very good. I really enjoy the variety of combos Papa Murphy’s offers, plus the fact that you can customize your order to please everyone in your group.

Papa Murphy’s Pizza
922 Diablo Ave.
Novato, CA 94947
892-6999