Pizza . . . The tasty frontier . . .
These are the voyages of the Blogship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission:
To explore delicious new restaurants . . .
To seek out new crusts; new toppings . . .
To boldly go where no Pizza Season Blog has gone before! (cue theme music)
After a brief holiday hiatus, we are back - and hungry for more pizza! We decided to kick off the new year right with a January visit to Monical's Pizza Restaurant in Bourbonnais. Here's the dish:
Monical's has two locations in the area: one in Bourbonnais and another in Kankakee. The Bourbonnais store, which we visited, was the first pizza place of the Pizza Season Blog that was off the main 45/52 drag. This means that it is not as visible but also that there is ample parking for once. The exterior of the building (brick facade with vines) is decorated with a giant tomato and the restaurant's color scheme of red, purple, and green (and yellow??).
As we entered, we were greeted by the hostess and sat at a booth in the main dining area (the same booth, btw, that Amber has sat in three of the four times she's visited). The restaurant has an eclectic style, much like a TGIF or a Red Robin, with framed posters and French horns and other random objects scattered about. It's a fun place to play a game of Eye Spy (or is it I Spy?). Note, though, that the feel is less busy and brighter than in Chicago Dough. The ceiling is fun - black with large fan light thingies - and the crown molding around the room matches the outside with red and purple accents.
The atmosphere is warm, comfortable, and VERY family-friendly. We felt relaxed (relaxed enough to spend two and a half hours there without noticing). The trade-off for the family vibe, though, is that Monical's is lacking in cleanliness and class. As in, take your kids out for lunch, not your girlfriend for your anniversary. There are minuses and pluses here. Table settings were average/whatever: plastic yellow plates, Pizza Hut-esque plastic red glasses, and cheap forks. But we were delighted by the activity placemats that everyone gets - even adults! Andrew beat the word search in two and a half minutes. Amber won at tic-tac-toe. There was also a geometric mushroom (as opposed to an algebraic one). The floor needed swept, and the bathroom needed some cleaning. But even the men's bathroom had a baby changing table and really thick, quality paper towels.
The menu at Monical's is varied, much more varied than at other pizza places we have visited. Among their offerings are specialty pizzas, family deals, take-home oven-ready meals, gluten-free crusts, and The Point! (see website for details). The menu was also well-organized with labeled tabs and a handy price chart. The costs are pretty standard compared to other eateries. Monical's also delivers . . . in stylin', road-ready pizza-powered vehicles of fun that always make our mouths water whenever we see one cruising around the Bourb!
We ordered a ten-inch stuffed pizza with steak, green peppers, and onions ($11.99), an iced tea, and a Mountain Dew ($1.69 each). Stuffed pizza is a specialty pizza with two crusts, sweet sauce, and up to three toppings. That's right - three lip-smacking toppings included in the cost. Toppings are the real value at Monical's. We have eaten at pizza joints where one or even no toppings cost $12; but at Monical's, we got three toppings for that price. Even if ordering a standard pizza, you can increase the number of toppings from none to four (OR MORE!) for as little as $1.25. That's impressive. We even got a good deal on our beverages, considering we are camels and downed a combined total of seven full glasses by the time we left.
The pizza came pretty quickly and was pretty good! Pretty. We particularly liked the crust and the green peppers. Yeah, get the green peppers. They are fresh and crisp and tasty. And pretty. Our biggest disappointment was that the pizza did not have a lot of cheese. And we like cheese. Also, the steak and onions, though good, were a little sparse and just blended in with the flavor of the dough. One more thing: if you go to Monical's, chances are your server will offer you French dressing. Whoa, what? Yeah, you heard us! Part of the Monical's experience is eating your pizza with their special French dressing. Neither of us especially enjoy French dressing, but Amber was willing to take a risk for the sake of our readers. Her advice: "Don't be deceived by its bright red color. It looks scary, but a few drops of it on the crust adds a nice tangy flavor..if you like that sort of thing."
A special shout-out goes to our main Nard-Dog Andy B., who was our server at Monical's. Nothing was a problem for Andy B. We know because he told us. Many times. With a smile. Andy B. and the rest of the Monical's gang gets high marks for friendliness, efficiency, and helpfulness. We even saw the manager getting in on the act. He walked around the restaurant a couple of times to check on customers and once helped his coworkers set up for a large party. Good job, team!
And now, the question you've all been asking: how did Monical's Pizza Restaurant hold up to our incredibly accurate and well-thought-out rating system? Kind of like this:
Atmosphere (location, theme, vibe): 5/5
Cleanliness (bathrooms, table settings, furnishings): 3/5
Menu (variety, dining options, cost): 5/5
Food (taste, quality, value): 4/5
Service (friendliness, efficiency, helpfulness): 5/5
Total: 22/25 - Recommended!
We had a really enjoyable meal at Monical's. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into making the dining experience here comfortable and truly family friendly. Again, there are tradeoffs, such as cleanliness and class, and the food is just short of exceptional. But, from the placemats to the helpful wait staff, from spacious booths to casual decor, you can expect this restaurant to serve quality and fun for you and your pizza party. That's all for this month. Remember: YOEPOAM!
If you'd like more information about Monical's Pizza Restaurant in Bourbonnais or want to write your own review, check out the following details:
Monical's Pizza Restaurant
597 William R Latham Drive
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
815-932-9100
Website: Monica's Pizza Restaurant
Extra Cheese: We want to share with our readers the following mind-fathoming query our Monical's activity placemat posed: If today were a pizza, what toppings would it have? Post your insights in the comment section! And thanks to pizza enthusiast and rabid blog-follower Caleb Carr for funding our in-space blog mascot: the Blogship Enterprise (see pic above)!
