Maggiore 1 Brandon Maggiore Mrs. Melissa Trosclair English 1001.98 Profile Essay A Luscious Sprout Are you tired of eating at those lame pizzerias on the other side of town? Are you looking to get away from the whining birthday party crowd in normal parlors? Then Mellow Mushroom is the place to be. It is located in the University View mini-mall at 4250 Burbank Drive, where East Boyd meets Burbank. Mellow Mushroom brings fun for the entire family and drunken friends. In retrospect, I consider it a Chucky Cheese for adults, except without the mechanical bears on stage and the pit of plastic balls. This hole in the wall pizza storefront serves the finest products in terms of taste and health. In addition, Mellow Mushroom serves its infamous Shroom Tea along with many other delightful beverages. The relaxing dine-in atmosphere keeps customers stampeding back for the great food and good times. Upon entering the front door is an outside dining area to the right hand side. It is sheltered by a canapé and barricaded with a black, iron fence and brick columns for the comfort of customers. Directly inside, and to the right, is a four-foot wooden statue of Mellow Mushroom’s mascot, Mel. He offers customers a charming smile as they walk in. Approximately three steps inward on the left is a small stairway. The three stairs lead to a raised platform that accommodates those who enjoy the luxury of a booth. There are a total of four booths along the left wall. They are enclosed in a framework of studs and plywood. The framework for the booths is painted a bright, lime green that compliments the shimmering, yellow tabletops enclosed within them. This area, however, is not the only inside sitting vicinity. One can enjoy a
Maggiore 2 gourmet dish while sitting in, what I like to call, “the pit.” The pit is the normal dining area of open floor that spreads from the candle-lit bar on the far right to the booths on top of the raised platform. This space is occupied by a dozen yellow, square tables that are almost four to five feet tall. In addition, the violet chairs that accompany these towering tables are just as elevated in height. A few more wooden booths stretch along the wall adjacent to the outside dining section, but more customers seem to linger towards “the pit” or the bar. After being seated, one can admire the multiple decorations upon Mellow Mushroom’s dark purple walls. They have somewhat of a hippy theme to them. This focus symbolizes the first Mellow Mushroom that was brought forth in midtown Atlanta during the early 70’s. The one adornment that catches most customers’ eyes is the enormous sun illustrated above the bar. It is painted in vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges along with its three-dimensional effect. There are additional psychedelic paintings throughout the pizza salon that have hidden meanings. The one above the kitchen is a prime example. The sign reads, “ALWAYS BAKED ON THE STONE,” which hints where the name Mellow Mushroom came from (if you know what I mean). Towards the back, next to the restrooms, is a gigantic scene of Woodstock, except in a different perspective. The painting contains animated mushrooms relaxing on the hilltops and listening to music. In the background, it also includes the sketch of a stage with a banner nailed to it that reads, “Welcome to Mellow Mushroomstock.” Along the main wall, abutting the outside dining area, are a multitude of local band posters. The wall also attains signed black and white drawings of famous musicians such as Jimmy Hendrix, Aaron Neville, and Carlos Santana. When asked for the purpose of the 70’s theme, a waitress by the name of Kelly replied, “The posters and prints just set the ambience for the restaurant. They make Mellow Mushroom unique from other pizza places.” Posted on the wall behind the bar are indicating signs of Mellow
Maggiore 3 Mushroom’s various drink specials for each day and night. Contributing to these signs are special events listed such as “Open Mic Tuesdays” and “After All Home Games: Michael Foster Project Brass Band.” “Tonight is usually the most crowded. A lot of students just come to drink and listen to our local talents on stage,” commented a doorman, pertaining to Open Mic Tuesdays. To enable the local talents and other bands to perform, a homemade wooden stage is set up in front of the raised platform of the lime green booths. One can also enjoy the entertainment of five dispersed televisions inside and three additional televisions outside. These eight TVs air all sorts of sporting events and sitcoms such as “Malcolm in the Middle.” There is a gigantic projector screen above the kitchen that displays “big games” such as division series games and all televised LSU games. Other forms of amusement exist at Mellow Mushroom as well. Two arcade games called Golden Tee 2004 stand next to the bar with a convenient ATM machine set up directly between them. When asked about the atmosphere while working, Kelly replied, “I like it during the day because it’s a normal restaurant, but at night it gets loud. There’s rarely any food sold because everyone’s buying drinks. Plus, it’s always too smokey in here at night.” I soon found out that there are no non-smoking areas in Mellow Mushroom. Besides the great entertainment and colorful décor, Mellow Mushroom is most proclaimed for its delicious food and wicked specialty drinks. Mellow Mushroom’s pizzas and calzones are made with a special recipe of spring-water dough and the freshest possible ingredients. One may choose from an assortment of specialty pizzas such as the Mega-Veggie, the Mighty Meaty, or the Jerk Chicken. One of the pizzerias most unique offerings is their notorious Gourmet White pizza. It is made with an olive oil sauce, minced garlic, sun dried tomatoes, provolone, mozzarella, feta, fresh onions, and sprinkles of Parmesan when baked. One can also be creative and design a pizza, enjoy an appetizing salad, or order a monumental hoagie (sandwich). There
Maggiore 4 are 30 possible ingredients to choose from, ranging from anchovies and onions to meatballs and banana peppers. When asked if she liked the pizza at Mellow Mushroom, Kelly replied, “I love the pizza here because you can get anything you want. The crust is unbelievable and … it just tastes good!” Mellow Mushroom believes in eating healthy and uses only reduced fat real mozzarella cheese. All meats are precooked, drained, and trimmed of excess fat. The crust is prepared using vitamin-E enriched, high-gluten flour with wheat germ and spring water. No refined white sugar is used in Mellow Mushroom’s dough or sauce. Among the delicious choice of toppings are specialty health items such as alfalfa sprouts, tofu, artichoke hearts, broccoli, and spinach, which are all high in protein and low in calories. Garlic bread and “baked on the stone” pretzels are also available. A tempting variety of beverages are offered to compliment the menu. Behind the bar, Mellow Mushroom has 25 different beers on tap and over 100 bottled beers. Martinis, specialty drinks, and wines are also offered. The parlor is home of the Shroom Tea, Shroomsicle, Kosmic Lemonade, and Pink Cadillac. These featured drinks are mainly mixed with vodka and fruit juices, such as citrus, cranberry, strawberry, and lemonade. The Mellow Mushroom name is synonymous with quality. It is recognized throughout the Southeast in such states as Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, and of course Louisiana. Mellow Mushroom brings enjoyment for people of all ages. The friendly environment and variety of entertainment salute the scrumptious food served here. For an exciting new atmosphere that differentiates from typical pizzerias, come to Mellow Mushroom, where value, health, and fun is top priority.