The Delights of Pizza. Delight.

Peter Rukavina

In a dramatic attempt to combine father and sonliness with a thorough defrosting of the car, Oliver and I drove over the causeway to Cornwall tonight and had dinner at the new Pizza Delight.

My experiences with Pizza Delight until today had been limited to (a) the insanity of the Pizza Delight at the Cavendish Boardwalk on a rainy midsummer day, (b) the ghoulish experience of eating pizza in the Pizza Delight in the old 1911 jail in Charlottetown (I’ve never understood how “last state execution on PEI” and “tasty food” go together) and (c) the lukewarm cardboard pizza from the Confederation Court Mall location.

In other words “not good.”

I was pleasantly surprised.

Outside of Mcdonalds, restaurants that cater to families with kids are few and far between. And Mcdonalds exacts the heavy dual price of sappy character addiction and moribund food.

Pizza Delight in Cornwall, I’m happy to report, is an exception to this rule. And they pull it off without the use of magic characters named Pizzi and Roni.

Pizza Delight’s kid goodness starts with a kid menu that has more than chicken fingers and french fries: they make pizza shaped like dogs and cats. That was enough to rope in Oliver for life. Then there’s the bread bar — choose bread, spread gloop, grill. It’s a clone of the Piazza Joes one, but they serve better bread.

They’ve got crayons and colouring paper at the ready, juice served in spill-proof cups, and really friendly staff. To top it off, they bring around a “treasure chest” at the end of the meal from which kids are allowed to extract a lovely parting gift — and the gifts run the gamut from books to bouncy balls.

None of these things is revolutionary or unique. But weaving them all together as they do in Cornwall, and in a clean, well-lit, colourful room, well that’s rare indeed.

We’ll be back.

Comments

Submitted by Kelly on

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…and, every Tuesday, kids under 12 eat for free as long as the adult with them orders something over $6. It’s a tad insane if you aren’t accustomed to dining with the 2 to 10 set. No one is trying too hard to “Shuusshh!” their children because everyone there is in the same boat so there is a collective relaxed atmosphere, and I think that actually contributes to the children (any time I have taken my daughter anyway) generally behaving well. I often heard parents state to their child “See, look at that little girl, she is eating AND sitting, how about you trying that?” or the best yet “Look, that little boy is eating his veggies, how about YOU trying some?” Nothing like a little peer pressure ;)

Submitted by Mandy on

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Kelly… I love the peer pressure ideas..it’s great, cause it’s true

I hope that the location has gotten better since the last time I was there, was I found the service to be horrible and the food cold when I finally got it. I was not impressed at all. And most of the time, I’m too involved in getting some sort of cheese smeared food, to even care about service. So that’s saying something.

I have always found the jail location to be good in most cases I have been there. but like any place like that, there will be your good days and your bad days I suppose.

Think I’m took old for a kitty cat pizza? I’ve seen it on the jail menu and have always wanted to get it.

Submitted by DerekMac on

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A clone of the Cornwall restaurant is opening soon in the Home Hardware parking lot in Stratford. From Peter’s description and my son’s love of pizza, we’ll be frequent visitors!

Submitted by Rob MacD on

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For those who care, the other Pizza Delights on the Island are DP Murphy establishments, whereas the Cornwall location is a Irwin Dawson (I believe the last name is Dawson), who runs the PEI Subway franchises.
My experiences with the Cornwall Pizza Delight: 1) we went shortly after they opened. We were fairly impressed. The food was good, the service was tolerable and the bread-bar was a big hit with our son. Your review, Peter, was pretty much our review (although we weren’t quite so excited as you about the kid-centric items, since we’ve frequented enough ‘family’ restaurants where this is common). 2) food was good, service was not tolerable. Seems there are two wait-staff for the entire room, and they are responsible for the cash register as well. They could really use a host/hostess to alleviate that pressure from the wait-staff. We’ll give it another try, we said. 3) Food was okay, service was not acceptable. To the point where we vowed we would never return. And we haven’t.

Submitted by Diana on

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I am an employee at Pizza Delight Express, the only location not mentioned in your blog of the delights of the Pizza Delight in Cornwall. I, on the other hand have only heard bad things about the place. Slow service, not answering phones and crappy pizza. I can understand the disgust with the Confed Mall, not sure about the Jail (what’s so bad about eating in a former jailhouse?:), but I can promise you, even though we aren’t a full serve restaurant like Cornwall, we have the best made pizza and friendliest service out of them all.
And no, PD Corp did not put me up to this:)

Submitted by DerekMac on

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Went to the new Stratford Pizza Delight Friday evening. It is not a Murphy enterprise, and is owned/managed by Leigh Jenkins. It was very busy, but after a 20 minute wait for a table, we were served within a reasonable timeframe. My son enjoyed the playroom with toys, a blackboard and a TV, and constructed a small Megablok city while waiting for his kitty-cat pizza and Pepsi (we had trouble getting him away from the construction site and back to the table!). I had the ribs, which were huge, but a tad dry for my liking, (but that might have been the style of ribs they were). Nancy had a pasta dish which was quite good. The pizza, complete with licorice whiskers and Smartie eyes, received rave reviews. They gave us a free apple crisp and icecream dessert because of the wait. We will return once the opening rush subsides, and the lineups shorten somewhat.

Submitted by Jimbo on

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I have to say that Diana, sorry The Express has sucked since 2 years ago, and from my experiance the jail has had its ups and downs but seems to be on thje right track lately. Anways. DP Murphy does not own any Pizza Delight. Danny Murphy ownes All Tims And Wendys and The Holiday Inn. visit www.dpminc.com, Kevin Murphy owns the 3 Pizza Delights in town Murphy Investments Ltd. visit www.peimenu.com, and Dawson and Linkletter own Cornwall, Jenkins owns Stratford, Barry Wood owns Montague and Neil MacDonald owns Summerside. Tyson Mcinnis and Linkletter and Dawson together own Cavendish. Thats the facts call PD Corp. I’ve eaten at them all and the Jail consistently has the best service, best product.

Submitted by j porteous on

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Until the company removes from television the ad with the obnoxious kid and his “father” toasting a piece of bread , I will never buy another pizza or set foot in one of their restaurants again.

What has the ad to do with the your pizza business to start with?

It really is annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by Took on

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What about the songs ….. who actually sings that bad anyway ! I heard that the songs for their jingles were actually performed by an employees husband. Tough to find talent in NB I guess ?

Submitted by Mitch on

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Can someone please tell me what the hell is an Oven Fresh Kitchen ? It’s pizza delight new design ….. but I thought all pizza comes from an oven. Ah the pains of growing beyond you britched I guess ?

Submitted by Took on

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Oven Fresh Kitchen is PD’s new design. I heard from a friend of mine that works there, the company spent a million bucks to have a Toronto consultant company to suggest the future of the company. I’ve been to an oven fresh location and it’s a bad copy of a open kitchen restaurant …. like that has never been done before. Apparently the company has even gone back to offering buffet after so many hungry patrons rebelled. Pizze Delight has changed in so many ways but being the pizza place that offered good value and pleasant memories …… those days are long gone.

Submitted by Vivian on

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Yeah …. what is their new layout all about ? Food is the same. Maybe a few new salads but my gosh it would be nice to get something that would be out of this world. Even the new deserts taste like plastic.

Submitted by Brian L. on

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Please for the love of god, do not eat at pizza delight! I work in the kitchen and it’s absolutely revolting the way they make the food you eat. Please, do not eat there. It’s revolted me so much that I’m quitting.

Submitted by Jim on

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Pizza Delight is really bad …. like eating flavoured cardboard. and why the hell do I want to cook my own bread ? Shouldn’t it come to our table as toast maybe ? What a lame restaurant …. not worth the price that’s for sure.

Submitted by Jim on

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Can not describe the many times that I have disappointed after a visit to PD. What a shame …… used to be a great place to go but they really franchised out their humble beginnings. And please can someone tell me what an over fresh kitchen is ???? I thought all pizza can out of a oven ….. and shouldn’t it always be fresh ? PD is actualy making it easier to pick somethings else for lunch or dinner. What a shame ….

Submitted by Betsy on

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How true ! Pizza Delight has changed for the worse. Even the service is bad. It seems that the most angry people work there. I hate going to the Dieppe store. They are so rude there and look at you as if you’re stealing. A friend of mine actually saw a mouse in that restaurant ! Can you imagine ???? When he mentioned it to the manager, she was all defensive and practically called him a liar. And what is an oven fresh kitchen. That is soooo stupid. It’s pizza, made in the kitchen and it HAS to come out of an oven duh !!!!

Submitted by ex-Employee on

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As a previous employee of the Pizza Delight Montague location owned by the same owner as the Stratford Pizza Delight. I have to say that that there is NOTHING FRESH about this place! If it isn’t dried goods, it was previously frozen , refrozen etc. etc. All of the noodles are in pre portioned FROZEN bags that they throw in the microwave (IN THE PLASTIC BAG) for a few minutes to warm them up. The hamburger comes in a cardboard box and looks terrible… since working there i have sworn everyone I know off that Hamburger (actually, calling it Hamburger is a far cry) The kitchen is barely acceptable and “cooks” are worse! The sauces are frozen, the soups are frozen , the dough is made the day or two before hand, the meat is all frozen, you name it it’s frozen… all pizza delight is … is a glorified MacDonalds. Needless to say, after my short time working there, I no longer make Pizza Delight my dining experience of choice. Chemicals, Plastics, Processed… They shouldn’t even be allowed to use the word “FRESH”.

Submitted by employee of a … on

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Every location has there ups and downs! Stratford is by far the worst that i have seen,( ex.by NOT cutting 6”inch pizzas for customers,from wait staff not knowing that lettuce & TOMATOES go on a sandwich!! come on people…
Montague is another location owned by the same guy, hence another bad experience from this place,( ex. poor service , cold food and not putting an ingredient and a listed menu item and substituting it with another ingredient trying to pass it off as the same thing!!
PD Express …..Well they wont sell 15” square pizzas , but yet they make dough for 15” square pizzas…sound weird to you…it sure does to me??? Well a friend of mine went to the PD Express and had ordered a 15”square BBQ chicken pizza and they had said that they couldn’t do that for him so he order a regular 3 topping 15”square pizza, and they said they dont make them…They must be lazy or something..come on!
PD 1911 Jail is by far the better ones of the bunch but still lacking in poor to ok service,their Buffet is getting a better selection FINALLY! and besides the cold atmosphere in the dead of winter months because of a broken furnace…
Cornwall location is the only PD that i havent been at yet…god help them when i walk in there to check them out…ill keep ya posted!!

Submitted by NEW GUY on

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I just want to say that I’m a regular at the Pizza Delight 1911 Jail in Charlottetown and I’ve had nothing but the best service and food. The prices are reasonible and the place is clean. I’ve ha d tour of the kitchen and I have to say it’s probably one of the cleanest places I’ve ever stepped foot in.

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Photo of Peter RukavinaI am . I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.

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