When it comes to food, there are no right or wrong takes – just personal preferences. You might have a palate for coffee, but the bean makes me wince.
Even so, I’d wager that most people would agree on one thing: Mellow Mushroom makes great pizza.
We could dive into the science of it – how the use of malted barley flour, molasses and Appalachian spring water results in an elevated crust. Or we could gush about how incredible those loving strokes of garlic butter and generous sprinkles of Parmesan taste.
I don’t know about you, but I start with a bite of the crust, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that an uneaten bit of stone-baked dough has never been found on a Mellow Mushroom plate.
We could also rave about the toppings, which the restaurant claims are the best and freshest it can find. To be sure, Mellow Mushroom’s blend of aged mozzarella and other cheeses are as cheer-worthy as (deep breath) a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in game seven of the World Series. I’m sure we’d all be in agreement.
And once we get started on Mellow Mushroom’s line of sweet and salty munchies – who’s up for pretzel bites? – we might as well call our loved ones and tell them we’ll be home late.
But – to use another baseball parallel – even the best batters can have an off day. Maybe their stance at the plate is less confident.
Perhaps they’re swinging at the wrong pitches. Whatever is going on, they didn’t bring their ‘A’ game.
And that brings me to Mellow Mushroom’s newest offerings.
To spruce up its spring and summer fare, Mellow Mushroom has launched a limited-time menu called Taco Nirvana. Featuring the Taco Nirvana Pizza, Loaded Queso and Spiked Mango Margaritas, the mashup of two beloved tastes – tacos and pizza – sounds like a guaranteed bullseye. Toss in a housemade spicy ranch dressing and bottles of icy cold Modelo beer, and how could Mellow Mushroom miss?
Before I answer my own question, here’s a little about each item.
When prepping a Taco Nirvana Pizza, Mellow Mushroom starts with an enchilada sauce base and then adds chicken or beef, mozzarella, green peppers, onions and tomatoes. Chopped cilantro and a swirl of spicy ranch finish the pizza.
Sound good? Then let’s move on to the Loaded Queso, a creamy dip loaded with chicken, enchilada sauce, mozzarella, diced green peppers and tomatoes. Mellow Mushroom completes this cheesy creation with cilantro and shredded sharp cheddar and serves it with crispy toast points.
One of your options for washing down this taco-inspired meal is swallows of Mellow Mushroom’s Spiked Mango Margarita, which features Milagro Silver Tequila, mango, jalapeños, triple sec syrup and housemade sour.
Mellow Mushroom developed its Taco Nirvana menu at its Atlanta test kitchen, where its culinary team experimented with various ingredients. I taste-tested the results with a friend at Mellow Mushroom’s Broad Street spot in downtown Chattanooga.
Starting with the pizza, we both had the same impression after consuming pieces with chicken and pieces with beef: it’s ... OK. Neither the beef nor the chicken are flavored with taco seasoning, which leaves the spicy ranch to do the heavy lifting. And – in my opinion – the ranch overwhelms the other flavors. Like a mariachi band with only guitars, the Taco Nirvana pizza has one note, and that’s all I tasted.
The Loaded Queso fared no better. Like the pizza, it’s not bad, but I was expecting greatness. Perhaps the dip was too sharp, or maybe the toast points needed more seasoning, but it left a middling impression.
Since I don’t have a palate for alcohol, I cajoled my lunch companion into trying a Spiked Mango Margarita. But even I could tell it fell short of reasonable expectations.
The glass came filled to the top with ice, while the cocktail stopped about an inch short of the rim. Consequently, my tablemate was slurping the bottom of the glass after seven or eight sips. For $10, Mellow Mushroom needs to double that, she said.
In the end, Mellow Mushroom still knows how to make an exceptional pizza. Its classic offerings continue to shine. But with the Taco Nirvana menu, it feels like they stepped up to the plate with a big swing and came up short. The concept is fun, but the execution lacks balance and punch.
Here’s hoping Mellow Mushroom’s next seasonal swing connects more solidly with the crowd.