Slice
Domino's Doublemelt
Editor's note: This is the debut entry of our new New Jersey correspondent, "Steve, the Englishman Who Likes Pizza Hut." As his nom de blog suggests, Steve hails from the UK. He now lives in New Jersey with his wife, Amanda G., who happens to be our New Jersey bureau chief. And yes, he likes Pizza Hut. (Hey, it was the best deal going in Portsmouth!)
MELTDOWN: Our New Jersey correspondent, Steve, the Englishman Who Likes Pizza Hut, prepares to enter Domino's (top left) on a mission to try the new Doublemelt pie. The concoction was on special recently (top right), and Steve and wife Amanda G., who is Slice's New Jersey bureau chief, braved Domino's ultracolorful interior (above) to bring you this report. Amanda was even able to get photos of a Doublemelt under construction (right).
Oh So Cheesy: The New York Times takes a look at the origin of the Doublemelt.
Adam K. Chimes In: "I had a Doublemelt shortly after Amanda and Steve pitched this story idea. I found it to be utterly grody. The whole cheese–ranch dressing 'melt' layer? Eeww. Sorry, Steve: I'm giving this one a thumbs down."
This particular Domino’s has been open for about 18 months, but its interior was still absolutely pristine. Of course, there was no discernible atmosphere, but I doubt if anyone has ever visited Domino’s for its Old World charm. I placed an order for a pepperoni Doublemelt for the introductory price of $9.99. Explaining we were writing a review for this site, Amanda G. asked if she could take some pictures of the pizza preparation process. I actually expected to be told that there was some policy from up high that forbid pictures, but was pleasantly surprised when Amanda was welcomed behind the counter and allowed to watch as a wafer-thin crust was covered with a cheesy ranch spread, topped with another wafer-thin crust, and topped with the rest of the pizza fixins per the strict guidelines illustrated on a poster above the preparation station.
The pizza was then fed into the usual conveyer belt so popular with pizza chains, and in about two minutes I was ready to experience the pizza called Doublemelt. I picked up a slice, which separated from the pie leaving stringy strands of the "melt" hanging down. There was no familiar bend in the crust, which was just a rigid, almost crackerlike substrate that simply supported, but did not absorb, the flavors of sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Biting into the slice, it felt like Passover revisited, like biting into another piece of Matzo but this time with a tangy ranch-flavored cheese sauce seeping out of the middle. To the Doublemelt’s credit, the toppings were pretty flavorful.
Now personally, I'm not a fan of Domino’s regular crust pizza (which rates only slightly above frozen varieties), so this was actually a pleasant surprise. I ate several more slices and felt full without the ball-of-dough-sinking-in-my-gut sensation I've endured in the past. In fact, an hour or so later it didn't feel like I'd eaten anything, which may be a good thing if you have a pizza marathon ahead of you. In conclusion, the Doublemelt is a tasty addition to Domino’s menu—and is probably the only thing I might ever want to eat there—but it is definitely not real pizza.