Day #5 of the challenge and after a long week at work I felt like dinner should be something more carb-heavy, so I opted for "Prop Shop Pizzeria" for some much needed Italian delicacies. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw they opened up this spot a couple of years ago because I never thought the food at "Sutter's Pizza" looked too appetizing. All the reviews I read online also spoke very highly of the food at Prop Shop as well, so I thought I would give it a try.
The park was much more full today, but that should be expected on a Friday night when Knott's stays open until 10pm instead of the usual 6pm on weeknights. As soon as I walked through the door I was punched in the face by the smell of fresh garlic, cheese, and tomato sauces wafting into the air. It reminded me of the smell of a gourmet Italian restaurant I like to frequent in Beverly Hills, so it made me even more excited to try the food. I looked around and noticed that Prop Shop has three different sections: one is for people who want pasta dishes, the next section was for a variety of pizza flavors to choose from, and the last section had an assortment of side salads and desserts.
As I was making my decision I noticed a young man come out of the kitchen carrying a large bowl of fresh beef bolognese sauce and he dumped it into the hot dish next to the marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, and vegetarian bolognese. Seeing the freshness of the sauces made me decide to opt in for a build-your-own pasta for the night.
I asked the young man wearing a chef's hat (a la ratatouille) for the spaghetti pasta noodles with a serving of beef bolognese and meatballs. I made a mental note to come back for the chicken alfredo in the future because it looked just as delicious, but since the bolognese just came out of the kitchen I wanted something super fresh to end my night. Unlike the pizza, which comes with an option of a side salad or two sticks of garlic bread, the pasta comes on its own. So I walked to the Caesar Salad section and asked the girl serving if she would pour me some fresh parmesan on top, swiped my meal pass card, and poured myself some sugar-free Boysenberry Punch, and went outside to enjoy my dinner. I noticed that the portion size was more than fair.
The meat sauce was perfectly seasoned, nice and thick with big chunks of meat just like I like it. Not only did I have hunks of beef in the sauce, but I had five perfectly round meatballs added as my topping. I felt like the spaghetti pasta itself was a little watery, but I will take that any day over it being too dry. Adding the fresh parmesan cheese on top was a brilliant decision because it reminded me of the Mizithra cheese pasta they have at The Old Spaghetti Factory, and it made it even more delicious, I wish I could say I sat and savored my meal, but I saw that the Snoopy ice skating show they put on for Christmas was about to start in 20 minutes. I scarfed my food down and drank my beverage as quickly as I could so I could get in line (I was surprised to find out my friend from back in high school is one of the lead ice skaters for the show!). After such a delicious meal and a wonderful holiday ice skating show, I was satisfied with how I spent part of my Friday night.
I would rate the dish a 9.5/10. I am definitely excited to go back and try more of the food. It would have been a perfect 10/10 if the pasta hadn't been a little too watery. The dish would have cost $18.50 without the meal pass and another $5.50 for my drink, so in total I saved $24.
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