There’s an infatuation and obsession (wait, isn’t that the same thing), with this need to always achieve five stars, or as close to it as possible.  For those in the service industry, it’s five stars or bust.   Anything else is viewed as a failure.  And even if the folks doing the ratings think a four out of five is good, we often times misconstrue that as a failure.  We can let that ruin our days, and sometimes longer.

If you’re sensitive like me, it might take a little while to recover.  But recover I do, recover we do, and life goes on.  But we still want the highest ratings possible.  And as a someone who does reviewing, I don’t like to give less than five, unless the experience is truly catastrophic.  There’s that thing about the Golden Rule, which I agree with; and then there’s a little thing called seeing the good in everything.

Where am I going with all this?  Well my thing with the star ratings actually dates back 25 plus years (yes I’m a little older now), and for those that know me, they know I love professional wrestling.  And for those of us who like to be in the know, the star ratings for matches are a thing we can get carried away with, argue over, and be obsessed with. It’s to the point that we’re now ratings things six stars and above.  And it’s nice to be acknowledged for going above and beyond.  Many of us just want to give the proper respect and love that’s due, and we like to receive some of that ourselves.

We don’t ask for much in life, except to give good and to receive good.

With that being said, I find it charming that a couple of visits to Pie Five, that one of their pizzas is called the Five Star. This is their supreme pizza, which like all of their pies, is now the wave of the present.  They prepare everything in front of you, and make it real quick.  That’s all there is to it.

Now some find this the antithesis of pizza, and defeats the art of making a pie from start to finish.  Those concerns are more than warranted.   And this has become the new and ever growing pizza chain concept; quick, easy, get in and get out.

For most people, who are on a time crunch, this will be just fine, and for others they can’t ever be won over.  But before I completely lose track, how was the Five Star?  I had it on a traditional crust, and while it’s not memorable, it’s just fine.  I didn’t expect this to be this mesmerizing pizza.  That’s not what I was looking for, nor should anybody, but that’s all up to you.  This is a solid pie, solid toppings, and with a simple crust.  If you’re expecting world class and that artisanal business, this is not it.  If you want a decent pie, at $8, and a satisfactory meal, that’s what you’re going to get.

This is more than a pizza, that’s ‘just there’, it has value to so many, and that’s all that matters, or else there wouldn’t be an assembly line of people, especially during the lunch hours.

Another visit means another order, and this most recent time I went with the Pesto Chicken Alfredo on their thin crust.   The Basil Drizzle was a nice touch, to an otherwise satisfactory pie, which is what I expected. The pesto lover in me set the bar and expectations a little lower, so I wasn’t pleasantly surprised nor disappointed.  This crust is thin alright and noticeably smaller than their traditional, so that’s a plus.

I noticed recently they’ve now introduced the cauliflower crust.  I haven’t had the opportunity to have their pizzas with said crust, but personally I’ve tried it and loved it, so I look forward to either having that crust here, or somewhere else.  Like the quick and easy pizzas, the cauliflower crust is another growing phenomenon.   I know….

I’m not opposed to doing chains, and because I focus so heavily on Maryland, DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, this blog may not resonate with everyone at all times.  So I’m happy and grateful to expand to do a growing chain that seems to mean well.

Their signage  (and there’s more than just the two above) shows that good intention and sense of humor.

For more on Pie Five, here is their menu, a location nearest you, and more about them.

Thanks so much, peace be with you, and keep being your five star self.

Ideen