On our last night in Cape Town, we were thinking Italian and headed back to The Waterfront to find Meloncino. The restaurant might just have the greatest view of any pizza place in the world, but I must admit I have not seen every pizza view in existence. While great views are available all over Cape Town, I was more curious if great pizza existed as well.

Of the various options, which included some unique, although not overly creative options, I ordered the Provolina. Part of the reason for this was that most of the pizzas had “rocket,” which sounds like an awesome topping until you realize it is what we call arugula in the USA. The Provolina was free of rocket and instead was a sauceless pie topped with mozzarella, a nameless smoked cheese, speck and smoked beef.

It took a long time to prepare, and when it did, it was unlike any pizza I had seen before. The crust was thin, the cheese was melty, but the toppings were another thing entirely. They were gigantic, which ordinarily wouldn’t be a bad thing, except that they had been placed on the pizza after it had been sliced. This meant I had to do extra slicing on my end, which I am never a fan of. They were probably better-suited for a sandwich, but alas they were meat and that alone was a good thing.

Overall, though, the pizza wasn’t really anything special. There wasn’t a ton of flavor and while Meloncino itself didn’t give off a gimmicky vibe, it seemed as though the pizza existed solely to please the touristy crowd that craved pizza while on vacation. Perhaps it wasn’t the best meal to close out our time in Cape Town, but it could have been a lot worse.

The transition from eating in LA to eating in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Minnesota is pretty darn easy, especially for my tastes. While visiting the area recently, I found plenty of food (and beer) to make my tastebuds happy, while forking over a fraction of what I’ve been used to paying.

My first meal up there was at the Waterfront Bar & Grill in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin. After ordering two pitchers of Leinenkugel’s (the best beer in the world) for $6 each, I took a look at their food menu. What stood out to me the most on their menu was the double bacon cheeseburger. At $6, it appeared to be the most expensive burger on the menu. Not too shabby.

I ordered it and kept on drinking my Leinie’s. When it did come out, it was just as I had hoped, save for the glowing pickles. I offered them up to a friend, who quickly removed them from my sight and devoured them. The burger itself was really good. This could have been because I hadn’t eaten a real meal in ten hours and had already drank a few beers, but I think it just happened to be a good bar burger. Despite the trouble with the pickles, I was pretty content with my first meal in the Northwoods.