Here’s mine:
Macaroni and cheese pizza, CiCi’s Pizza Buffet, Downers Grove. (Photo by Leah A. Zeldes.)
Yes, that’s a pizza with macaroni on it.
I’m not a snob about chain restaurants. I’ve been known to defend McDonald’s — for more than just its clean restrooms. I have eaten happily at mid-priced national chains, like the Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano’s.
But I wouldn’t have been tempted by CiCi’s Pizza Buffet if I weren’t booked to speak about things to do in Chicago at a meeting at a nearby venue. I know there’ll be questions about where to eat, and I also know this audience’s tastes run to big portions and low prices. So when I ran across this Texas-based chain offering all-you-can-eat pizza, I had to try it.
I admit to a certain puzzlement about the economics of chain restaurants, which appear to make it more feasible to pay franchise fees to open a chain shop serving tasteless sandwiches rather than an independent devoting those funds to better ingredients. But I understand what’s behind CiCi’s Pizza Buffet. The chain, which has a handful of outlets around Chicagoland — including a new one in Niles — is targeting the cheap and the broke. At $4.99 for all the pizza, pasta, salad and dessert you can stuff in, they’ll attract customers no matter what they put on the pizza.
On the other hand, locations in Carpentersville, Des Plaines and Wheaton have closed. Which says encouraging things about local taste.
why are Americans so obsessed with enormous portions? smaller portions with more robust flavors are so much more appetizing.
I’m confused, Mr. Seaman…while your site makes the claim that you are “Chicago-based”, your comment indicates that you are not American, and are making your judgment based on an outside perspective. Or that you are making a smug, pretentious, generalized blanket statement. I’m torn as to which is the case (though both are equally insufferable).
Furthermore, I was wondering if you had any references, scientific studies, or educated statistics to support your very authoritative-sounding statement “smaller portions with more robust flavors are so much more appetizing”? Just wondering if I missed some ground-breaking discovery that found that the entire American population is supposed to share your tastes and opinions…I would have assumed something of that magnitude would have at least made the news.
A “Texas-based chain” selling pizza?
Sounds unpromissing.
I happen to like Cicis Pizza. It is a great value for a family budget in these trying times.
Hey Lance…
Good to see you here! WE LOVE CICI’S pizza.
The guy that thinks small and bold is better? Big and Bold is best.
Get thee to a CICI’S.
Leah…
See if you can get them to bring CICI to Chicago. Then we have a winner.
There’s one in Niles. I think that might be as close to the city as they get.