BIG KAT PIZZA IS MAKING BIG WAVES

Midland, known for its steel production during the 1900s and now for its nuclear power plant, has never been a particular hotspot in terms of the food industry. Will all of that change with the addition of one pizza parlor?

Midland’s newest pizza restaurant, Big Kat Pizza, was opened just this past year and is already making waves in its community. The eatery, dedicated to Philip C. “Big Kat” Tridico, is primarily a take-out restaurant, but they do own a small shop on Midland Ave. that seats about a dozen customers. While tiny, the shop certainly is mighty and truly embodies its Italian heritage.

Upon entering, the smell of homemade marinara sauce and melted cheese greets you like an old friend with a warm hug. The room is alive despite there being little to no customers sitting-in. The Italian flag is proudly displayed on the far wall, and a stage-like structure that could easily be used for live music sits behind the display window. My personal favorite decoration, though, is the full-sized pizza mural on the right hand wall. Along with colorful paintings of cartoon pizza is their mission statement and origin story/old photos. This was a very fun and creative way to get their message across and ensure their customers the best service.

In terms of the staff, there were only two visible men working: one acting as cashier and the other making the pizzas in the back. Both men were polite and even cracked a few jokes with my friends and me. The cashier shared old memories with us about his childhood and overall was a very kind, interesting man. On the negative side, it wasn’t necessarily a family-friendly, professional environment due to their frequent swearing. They also didn’t use gloves when making the food, which is common when making pizzas. They didn’t do anything wrong, but it was a bit gross to watch due to their visible kitchen. Because of these factors, the staff and atmosphere will receive 7/10.

Food wise, Big Kat knocked it out of the park. They had a variety of food and drinks from pizza and Coke to sandwiches and Mexican soda. I got a Dr. Pepper and two slices of their Sicilian thick pizza, which was simply a red sauce pizza in the shape of a square. They had triangular pizza, but my hot take is that square pizza is the superior shape. Now, I had no idea that the pizza slices were so big, so I honestly should have only gotten one, but the overall price was only about 10 dollars, which is cheap for two humongous pieces of pizza, a soft drink, and a tip.

The pizza was absolute fire (delicious for those of you who don’t know what “fire” means). The crust was crunchy, but the actual pizza was soft and chewy. You can tell that the sauce has a rich family history because the recipe was unlike any sauce I’ve ever tasted before. It was beautifully seasoned and tasted like it had been cooking all day, which, to my knowledge, it wasn’t, so it’s impressive how they made it taste that way. The cheese was also fresh and melty. If I measured it, it would probably stretch at least three inches. Overall, this pizza was amazing.

Now, you know my rule. Any time I do these reviews, I make sure to get some kind of dessert, for the purpose of the review, of course (insert wink). There were a few different pastries, but I chose to get the strawberry swirl cake, which was similar to a strawberry shortcake but with icing and white chocolate shavings. This was genuinely one of the best strawberry shortcakes I’ve ever eaten. The cake was spongy and the filling creamy. It tasted like butter cream, but I’m not sure if it was. Whatever it was, it was delicious. My only complaint is that the strawberry part tasted a bit too sweet and artificial. What can you expect, though? America’s known for its artificial foods. The dessert still tasted good, especially with the white chocolate shavings as a garnish. The dessert and food will receive an 8.5/10.

I went with an army of people for this interview so we could try as much of the menu as possible. Athena Tomsic, a sophomore media major from Moon, ordered Big Kat’s pepperoni roll.

“The pepperoni roll was good,” Tomsic said. “I felt like the cheese overpowered the pepperoni, though. I would also prefer a smaller size. It was huge for one person!”

Tomsic also ordered the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, which she said was “really good, and the peanut butter didn’t overpower the chocolate.”

Ambyr Clay, a sophomore writing and publishing major who is also a SIREN staff writer, ordered a spinach roll. “I liked it. I got the spinach wrap [roll] because I’m not a big pizza person, and it was definitely filling. I really liked how they had many other options you could get besides pizza. 

“The portion sizes were definitely good for the price. Although it’s not a big place, it was comfortable. I also got the Cheesecake, and it was definitely good. I’m not a fan of plain cheesecake, but it was really good.”

In my opinion, Big Kat Pizza is the perfect casual restaurant to go to if you’re staying after school for an event. It’s only a 10 minute walk, and it’s perfect for teenagers looking to grab a bite. Overall, the restaurant gets a whopping 8.5/10. I’m definitely going back!

If You Go:

Big Kat Pizza

628 Midland Ave.

Midland, PA

(724) 508-0501

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 12 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

IG: @bigkatpizzapa