As a Chicagoan, I have no use for Pizza Hut, Domino's, or Papa John's, but my husband, who before living here lived in Phoenix and Iowa City, has a soft spot in his heart for big chain pizzas and claims they're pretty good.

I'm not dead inside. I have fond memories of eating Pizza Hut and Domino's as a youngster (I have no fond memories of Papa John's whatsoever), so as a "special treat," the night before we moved out of our house I proposed we order some Pizza Hut.

Steve ordered some thin crust, which I think is insane, and I ordered a pan pizza, which he thought was insane. I guess we all have our pizza proclivities, but to me, pan pizza was what you got at Pizza Hut. I wasn't even aware there was anything else available.

It may not surprise you to learn that Steve was sorely disappointed in his pizza, which, perhaps due to its makeup, or perhaps due to it sitting warming in the oven while we put our kid to bed, was crackery and dry and withered when he got to it.

I, on the other hand, had a taste flashback. The Pizza Hut pan pizza tasted exactly the same to me as it did when I ate it as a youngster. It tasted like a Book It! victory or a day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Not good per se, but good for what it was. Cheesy. Spongy crust with a little bit of crispness that's been touched by some garlicky oil. I've definitely had worse (i.e., Papa John's.)

So in the end, I was the one who was happy (or at least, not sorely disappointed) with the fact that we ate Pizza Hut, not Steve.

The more you know.