Serious pizza

Mellow Mushroom is Peachtree City’s newest find

By KRISTINE LOUGHMAN
Special to The Citizen

Don’t be fooled by the bright colors, hippie theme or large mushroom in a golf hat greeting you at the door. Mellow Mushroom is serious about pizza.

Mellow Mushroom is Peachtree City’s newest, and grooviest, pizza joint. The restaurant makes its home on Ga. Highway 74 just north of the Ga. Highway 54 intersection, and has been packed from the minute it opened its doors. Everyone, from kids and parents to teens and fellow co-workers, have discovered what is so special about Mellow Mushroom.

Pizza is definitely the staple here. All the pies are hand-tossed and oven-baked. If you have kids, grab a table in view of the restaurant’s open kitchen. Your kids will love to watch the dough being thrown.

The restaurant offers a number of creative specialty pizzas that keep the locals coming back. The House Special, an original dating back to the first Mellow Mushroom in Atlanta, features a little something for everyone: pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, bacon, ham and extra cheese to hold it all together.

Looking for something a little veggie-friendly? Try the Kosmic Karma, with its sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta and “kosmic swirls” of pesto. For those even more daring, the Gourmet White includes olive oil sauce, minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone, mozzarella and feta cheeses, and onions and fresh tomatoes.

Customers wanting to build their own pies can choose from some 30 different ingredients. It is here that Mellow Mushroom distances itself from other pizza places, giving customers more topping choices than ever and not being afraid to offer some truly different ingredients. You’ll find the basic pepperoni and extra cheese, but you may be surprised to also see the more exotic jerk chicken, broccoli, or even tofu. Customers are urged to let their creativity out to make a truly unique dish.

Pizza prices start at $1.75 for a slice to $10.50 and up for a whole pie, depending on size and number of ingredients. But pizza isn’t the only item on the menu. Mellow Mushroom also features of host of sandwiches, salads and calzones.

Sandwiches are served hot and come overloaded with ingredients, with enough choices to satisfy vegetarians, meat-lovers and anyone in between. Try the Jerk Chicken, featuring a zesty piece of grilled chicken topped with grilled pineapple and all smothered in provolone cheese. Salads and calzones also come with numerous toppings and flavors.

While it may not seem that a pizza restaurant is a place with health in mind, Mellow Mushroom has taken great lengths to ensure their products are the best they can be, including using reduced fat mozzarella and baking crusts of vitamin E-enriched high-gluten flour with wheat germ and spring water. All meats are pre-cooked, drained and then trimmed of excess fat, and no refined white sugar is used in the dough or sauces. It is this commitment to health that has also led the restaurant to offer toppings like spinach, tofu, artichoke hearts and broccoli.

Mellow Mushroom might have a rather new history in Peachtree City, but the concept has been around since the 1970s, started in Atlanta by two Georgia Tech roommates and a fellow UGA student. Their goal was to serve the finest product possible in terms of health and taste, and loyal customers in 12 states have proved that quality lasts. Peachtree City owners Jim and Vickey Utting have made sure that their restaurant is living up to the same goal.

“We offer great food, great service and a fun environment,” Vickey said. “Our customers really like the casual family oriented atmosphere.”

The restaurant often features live entertainment and Wednesday night trivia for those seeking a little extra excitement. The restaurant features a covered patio and large party booths to accommodate groups of any size. Off-site delivery is also available for large orders. Vickey says the key to making this Mellow Mushroom a success lies with having a good staff. “We’re developing a kitchen staff who will work together as a team to provide our customers with an excellent dish,” she says. So if you are looking for excellent food made from quality ingredients by people who really believe in what they are doing, come on down to Mellow Mushroom.

Mellow Mushroom is at 275 Ga. Highway 74 North in Peachtree City. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. For more information, call 770-632-6018. A complete list of ingredients, menu items and locations can be found at www.mellowmushroom.com.