… Mother’s Pizza?

This may be strange coming from someone who lives in Essex County where we have the very best pizza in Canada. If I didn’t live here and know it, I’d be sceptical too. But, it really is true.

But, I didn’t always have the good fortune to live here.

At university, a real treat was going to Mother’s Pizza. Sometimes even for the pizza but the other dishes like spaghetti and their subs were spectacular. What really made it stand out was that you could get a great root beer float. And, cheesy bread. I think there probably was salad to go along with it too. But, who goes to a pizza place to eat salad?

Most importantly, you could sit down and dine in. Growing up, we had pizza from Frank and Gus in Goderich but you either had to eat it in your car (typically on the beach or a gravel run) or take it home and reheat it. Let’s face it; reheated pizza just isn’t the same.

When Mom and Dad would come to visit when I was at university, we would inevitably go to Mother’s to sit down and dine in. It was a real treat for a poor university student.

There was one in Windsor, but like all the other ones, it has closed and is just a little old building now on Ouellette Avenue. I also remember one in Hamilton where I went for lunch after a job interview. In fact, it was part of the directions to get where I was going.

Every now and again, you hear about someone wanting to open a new one but the entire original franchise was purchased by another so it’s probably unlikely that the same ambiance would be difficult to replicate.

It’s funny how some places are known for their specific regional type of pizza. I’m think particularly of Chicago style pizza and Detroit style pizza.

For a Sunday, put on your bib and think about pizza. As always, I’d like to read your responses in the comments to this post.

• do you remember the chain of Mother’s Pizza?
• where have you enjoyed their pizza and menu?
• do you like root beer? I know that it doesn’t appeal to everyone
• do you think Mother’s got their rootbeer from A&W?
• what type of toppings do you like to have on pizza?
• have you ever enjoyed Essex County pizza?
• what pizza franchise bought up Mother’s when iit filed for bankruptcy?
• do you have any fond memories of a meal at Mother’s?
• what was Mother’s Pizza “style” that made it unique in the market?

This is a regular Sunday morning feature around here. Check them all out here.