My daughter and I decided to try a Papa Dino’s pizza late this afternoon. She drove me to Papa Dino’s. Papa Dino’s looked the same as it did when I visited many years ago. The smell when I went inside did have the good smell of cheese.
My daughter stayed behind in the car to wait for me, because she knew I would be asking questions, and I embarrass her with all of my questions.
I went up to the counter to be waited on and it was like it has always been at Papa Dino’s. I forgot what size pizzas they sold, but noted they were 12” and 14” pizzas. I asked the man that waited on me if he was the owner and he said his parents were, but he ran Papa Dino’s. I then asked him if he was a Groff and he said no that Groff’s doesn’t have any part in the Papa Dino’s business anymore. I told the man I had visited the Papa Dino’s on Lititz Pike many times years ago, but didn’t tell him that I also had visited the Papa Dino’s on Lincoln Highway before. I ordered a 14” cheese pizza and asked if I could take pictures. He said yes I could take pictures.
I took pictures of the pieman that was opening the dough balls and the other pictures posted below. It can be seen what kind of sauce they used on their pizzas. I wasn’t close enough, so I am not exactly sure if there are different kind of products in that brand, or what they are. The big block of cheese is also in the pictures.
After I watched, asked some questions and while the pieman was making my pizza, I asked the man if I could purchase any dough balls. He said yes. I then purchased two dough balls for 12” pizzas. Right after my pizza was finished and my number was called I asked the man if I could purchase some of their cheese for the dough balls I wanted to try at home. He just looked at me and at first couldn't decide, but after a moment, then added he would also sell me the sauce for 2 pizzas at the same price as the cheese would be. I thought man am I lucky today to be able to purchase the dough balls, sauce and cheese for two pizzas.
I then asked what temperature I should set my home oven at to bake the pizzas and he said 400 degrees F. I didn’t time the bakes of the pizzas, but they sure didn’t seem like they took really long. I didn’t want to do too many things the first time I visited.
After bringing the pizza, dough balls, sauce and cheese home, I tasted the cheese and it sure tastes all cheddar to me. The pizzas also tasted like I had remembered years ago.
It was almost like a Mack’s pizza, except for the sauce is a little sweeter and there isn’t the oregano that Mack’s uses.
I told the one lady behind the counter that my brother that lives in Colorado also remembers Papa Dino’s and really liked their pies when he lived here. The lady said they have many customers (that have lived in this area) from all over the country, and they do come back to Papa Dino’s when they are in the area because Papa Dino‘s pizza is so unique.
I thought it was interesting that they were making some parbaked pizzas for customers. There parbaked pizzas sure looked better than Mack’s. When they put pepperoni on a pie they first bake the pie with cheese and sauce, then it is taken out of the oven and the pieman applies the pepperoni with more cheese. The sauce looks thin when it is applied with a spoon and although Papa Dino’s doesn’t apply the sauce in a whole spiral pattern all over the pizza, it still turns out almost the same as a Mack’s pizza.
Now all I want to know is what I should do with the dough balls, sauce and cheese. Should I freeze them all and then proceed more on another thread, before I try to bake one of the dough balls on Tuesday? I also have to weight the dough balls for the 12” pizzas. I haven’t done that yet. The dough balls almost look like a Mack’s dough balls. I am not sure if I want to try and clone Papa Dino’s pizza, but it would be interesting, but don't think I could because there are no Nutrition Facts. The Baker Pride oven looked to me to be running at about 425 degrees F to bake the pizzas.
Video of pieman opening the dough ball. As can be seen the pieman does press on the dough ball a lot before he opens it, just like Mack’s.
| <![CDATA[<a href="http://youtu.be/SLZEBg7qvvg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtu.be/SLZEBg7qvvg</a>]]> |
I can resize this pictures bigger if need be.
Norma
