There's another item on the menu in Marina.
The gradual expansion of Marina Dunes' food options—which we previewed late last year with "Blaze Pizza, Teriyaki Madness, Smashburger and more set to open in Marina Dunes"—continues with the recent opening of Deli Delicious Premium Deli Sandwiches (324-0010) on General Stilwell.
The Fresno-born chain enjoys 51 locations at the moment, many of them in the Central Valley.
True to the name, the emphasis is on stacked sandwiches of the build-your-own variety (with a choice of breads, meats, cheeses and condiments) or the hot and cold house specialties.
I tried the lone vegetarian specialty (#27) and found the pile of avocado, sprouts, cucumber, provolone and cream cheese on wheat sturdy but unspectacular.
Other specialities on the cold side include salami, avocado, sprouts and cream cheese (#25) and albacore white tuna and swiss (#22).
The hot jobs include a roast beef-mushroom-jack (#36) and a buffalo chicken (#43).
Prices range from the mini at $5.50 to the large ($12); hours are 10am-9pm daily.
A door down, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt readies to open its latest installment of the international chain as soon as next week.
The no-sugar, low-sugar, low-carb and regular offerings are seemingly endless, buttressed by still more tart and sorbet options.
Flavors sweep the spectrum from "live from NY cheesecake" to key-lime pie to rockin' salted caramel.
On the other side of Menchtown, Blaze continues to do some of the briskest business in the city.
For my virgin voyage I went with a variety of styles:
1) the White Top with cream sauce, mozzarella, applewood bacon, chopped garlic, oregano and arugula on standard crust ($8.25);
2) a garlic, Italian sausage, pepperoni, roasted garlic, mushroom, olive, red onion, mozzarella with a combo of pesto and red sauces on high-rise dough (+$2 for the special dough);
and
3) a gluten-free artichoke, onion, mushroom, red bell pepper and arugula (also +$2).
The verdict was positive, but not overwhelmingly so.
The fast-bake format is moving a little too quickly, it would seem, because each pizza emerged undercooked and benefited from additional roasting at home.
The gluten-free was the most egregious example, so floppy it needed to be rolled up to be edible.
That said, the freshness and flavors shone through.
And with 42 options—like crumbled meatballs, ovalini mozzarella and buffalo sauce—to plop on top, some glorious creations are not just possible, but almost unavoidable.