I’ve wondered for a long time now whether the sausage pizza and breadsticks served at children’s mecca restaurant Chuck E. Cheese’s is really as good as I remembered from childhood, or whether the food was just delicious relative to my immature taste buds and enjoyment of myself in a play environment. For years, I’d been wanting to go back to check. I suspected that my adult tastebuds, more attuned to quality, natural foods and freshness rather than processed foods, would revolt. I was excited to finally put Chuck E. Cheese’s to the test on Sunday for lunch with Mr. W and Allie when Mr. W spontaneously offered to go there for lunch. Turns out, I would never find out.

The children’s restaurant chain has completely evolved. The menu has a variety of gourmet sandwiches on ciabatta bread, vegetable platters, buffalo wings, an all-you-can-eat salad bar, and was advertising a “new” quality pizza with lots of deluxe ingredients as opposed to the cheese, pepperoni and sausage options in the days of my childhood. Gone was the giant vat of colorful balls that kids used to leap into despite rumors we all heard of hidden rats, vomit, and syringes in its depths. So much for nostalgia. This Chuck E. Cheese’s was clean, advanced, had carousels and arcade machines, even a toddler section fenced off from the regular kids section. Upon entry, Allie was stamped with an invisible-to-the-naked-eye number and Mr. W and I were stamped with the same hidden number so personnel can be sure we leave with the same child we brought in. The prizes that can be redeemed for game tickets, however, were as cheesy and cheap as ever. We ordered a deluxe combination pizza with a salad bar and I can tell you, everything was delicious to my more sophisticated tastes. =P

Even though Allie is on solids, she was denied the pizza she kept trying to grab. She wasn’t happy about that.

Allie: “I don’t accept your explanation of why I can’t eat the food at a place that’s designed more for me than for you.”
Don’t feel too bad for her; she got a yummy zucchini and rice puree when we got home. She enjoyed THAT. Plus, she got to make new friends with giant painted rodents and drive and ride new things, like horses.
“Hey Chuck, maybe you should drive. I can’t seem to reach the steering wheel with my feet, even.”

“This pony is kinda small, even for me, daddy. I feel silly.”

“Okay, now THIS pony is too big! I’m not sure I like this.”

“I’ll drive you to school, daddy.”

“All abooooooard!”

“So this is a schoolhouse? Nooooo! Let me out of here!”

Breaking out of the school.

“Don’t worry, mouse, I’ll break us out of this joint. Just sit back, relax, and leave it to me.”

“I’ll just start the ignition…”

“…check the mirrors and look over my shoulder as I back out…”

“…and we are on our way!”

“Awwww, pulled over by Daddy! What are the chances?!”

Back to school. Hard labor in the schoolyard.

What does the “E” stand for in “Chuck E. Cheese,” anyway? What’s this rat’s full name, Charles Edward Cheese?