Christmas tree, and new pizzeria.....

Last Tuesday Slate and I shopped for a tree, found one we liked (and could afford), ate at Allicats in Asheboro (see below), and have since strung our tree with lights and decorated with ornaments. I think this is my all-time favorite Christmas tree ornament, a gift from my girlfriend’s daughter. Cowabunga Santa!!!
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Slate and I have been keeping an eye on the remodeling, and looking forward to the grand opening, of Randolph County’s latest pizzeria, Allicats. The restaurant building was a Friendly’s at one time, part of a chain that didn’t do too well around here, then became Backyard Bob’s Barbecue, another failure, before it underwent months of remodeling to become a pizzeria. Slate ate there before I did, but brought home a couple of slices for me to try. I was disappointed, but chalked it up to opening week. The night we went tree shopping and ate there, the pizza was much better, but still not what I would expect from a place that goes to the trouble and expense of having a WoodStone oven installed on their premises. The most adventurous ingredients on their menu were roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Everything else was generic - hamburger, ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, etc. So far, the only thing that sets them apart from maybe 12 other pizzerias around here is their oven, and I don’t think they take advantage of what it can do, with the right dough that is. A good crust in a mediocre oven is better than a mediocre crust in a great oven. It’s too bad. We were hoping for a pizzeria that was different, and had more to offer than other pizzerias around here. Ho-hum.