Here at the Bay Area Telegraph, we love trying the new and creative items rolled our each season by Mendocino Farms. A new kids’ meal item, though, had us a bit bewildered.
Mendocino Farm’s seasonal kids meal for the Winter is their Pepperoni Pizza Melt. That might suggest an actual pizza, or perhaps a flatbread.
The real dish, though, is different. It’s essentially two slices of sandwich bread cut in half, topped with cheese, and then covered in little slices of pepperoni.
Why this exists–and why it costs $6.75–may initially elude you, as a jaded Big Person. We certainly didn’t understand this dish–until we gave it to a six-year-old.
They didn’t share our confusion at all. In fact, they wolfed the Pepperoni Pizza Melt down in a few minutes, and asked for another one, please. It’s become one of our most-ordered dishes on frequent trips to Mendo.
Ultimately, that makes sense. Mendocino’s kids’ meals used to be a bit too complex for the littlest kids. A turkey sandwich on artisan brioche bread isn’t what most 2-7 year olds want for lunch.
Lately, Mencodino seems to be recognizing that, and offering more traditional kids’ menu items. Their chicken tenders, another recent addition, were also a step in that “actually made for kids” direction.
So while you may not get the Pepperino Pizza Melt, your kids certainly will. If you want a quiet meal where you can enjoy your Not So Fried Chicken in peace, get your kids one of these new melts, and thank us later.
We try all of Mendo’s new items and report on them here. No, Mendo doesn’t pay us to do that. Subscribe to us to follow along and read our reviews–good and bad–of all the Bay Area’s new food items (and kids’ meals).
