REVIEW: MOD Pizza, Brighton

Admittedly I had arrived with a premonition I wouldn't like MOD and typically I turn down any review requests I have a feeling I won't like (the majority of the new Marina restaurants, I'm looking at you). But for the sake of the Brighton pizza review post and more than a handful of people excitedly contacting me about it, I shook off my chain restaurant issues. But before I did, I had a dramatic arse over moment in front of a very busy, and very glass fronted Pizza Express who I swear must have cursed me for my words on their comedy pizzas. I'm now sporting a 6 inch rainbow bruise on my knee. But I stand firm on one thing - my opinion. Their pizzas are revolting.

So then, Brighton Marina, fast becoming the mecca for back-lit menus and wipe clean surfaces. I almost couldn't believe the expansion of chain restaurants down here under the new apartment blocks. There is so much choice and I'll be amazed if they all make it through to next year. Hailing from Seattle, this chain was "inspired by their love of authentic Italian street pizza and the UK Mod movement of the 60s and 70s." Er, ok then.

You walk in to a chorus of happy, smiley, flip board trained staff with a bewildering choice of pizza toppings. Think Subway in a pizza format and I am totally out of my comfort zone. You can concoct all sorts of beasts. How about one with pineapple, Canadian bacon, chickpeas, feta and a BBQ swirl? What do you mean, no? Some crazy cats have even asked for EVERYTHING. Not recommended, apparently. I opted for one if their set recipes, the Dominic, which sounded a little more sensible; a white base with asiago cheese, sausage, red onion, tomato and fresh basil. The only thing I pepped it up with is some chilli. Most of their set suggestions seem a good bet and the pricing is great. Despite the number of toppings you choose it's always the same price and a small cost at just £7.47 for an 11". You can get 6" mini ones (great for kids) too at £4.47. Pizza prices are going a bit cray cray of late (no pizza should be £10+) so nice to see sensible pricing.

They also do salads or even a salad pizza, but I'll leave that to someone else to discover.

The base is unlike anything from my Italian motherland. No pillow soft Neapolitan dough and forget leoparding. The doughball is pressed and speed heated, essentially fried, at 180 which activates the yeast. It's then placed on a stand to prove. But unlike the Pressed Base Disaster of 2015 this was actually quite nice. Crisp, thin and well cooked straight on the stone of the fancy electric oven, it's an American style pizza - far more New York than Chicago deep dish, thankfully. If I get over the fact that this is nothing to do with Italy and is essentially some sort of topped flat bread, it's delicious.

The toppings seemed really good in terms of quality and quantity. It wasn't overladen and the favour combination was well balanced and tasty. Choose simple and you generally win in terms of pizza.

They don't have desserts that I could see but we were offered a sweet cinnamon pizza with dips. This wasn't the sort of thing I would order and the dips were too sweet so I think I'll stick to the pizza itself.

For drinks you can choose floats, Modshakes, sodas and home-made iced tea. I lived dangerously with the wine as I don't do soft drinks really and again, it was gluggable stuff. 

But I ate my hat that night and would happily go back. My kids would love it along with all the pre cinema and bowling crew that the Marina attracts. And it's so different from anything in Brighton, or the style of pizza we currently have (a handful of really good Neapolitan style pizzerias and a lot of Anglo-Italian crap ones) it could do really well. 

Now let's not get crazy. Pizza like this will never be in the same category as real soughdough Neapolitan style pizza. That's the stuff of craft. But for a fun, family friendly meal or just fast food at the enjoyable end of the scale, then MOD is a really good shout. As chain pizza goes, this is one of the few I'd put in my mouth.

MOD Pizza Brighton
Brighton Marina
Brighton

I was invited to review MOD Pizza. Thoughts and words, as always, are my own. 

Posted in: Mixed