### A Late-Night Adventure in Detroit Metro Airport: The Pizza Cat Vending Machine Experience

Last week heralded an exhilarating journey to New York City, where I had the opportunity to visit the Kotaku office and engage with both current and ex-staff members. The experience in the city was wonderful, but my return to Kansas City took an unexpected turn, resulting in a seven-hour layover at the Detroit Metro Airport. While the wait was less than favorable, it led me to uncover a rather peculiar and fascinating vending machine—the Pizza Cat.

Upon arriving in Detroit around midnight, my wife and I swiftly sorted our new tickets for Kansas City and nestled into a comfy corner of our terminal. With time to spare before our flight, I took off to explore the airport. I wandered through a largely abandoned area filled with various vending machines, where I came across the Pizza Cat—a vending machine that promised hot personal pizzas in merely five minutes.

My stomach rumbled in anticipation. Faced with the option of more chips and jerky, the thought of hot pizza was alluring. As I approached the machine, I found I was not alone; a man with a large suitcase had bravely ordered his cheese pizza before me. I watched with interest as the machine sprang to life, producing a freshly crafted pizza soon after. Our brief interaction ended with the man offering a bemused shrug as I assisted him in balancing his belongings and hot pizza before he hurried off to savor his meal.

Encouraged, I decided to give the machine a try, selecting a pepperoni pizza. After a brief wait, I retrieved my long-awaited meal, only to notice a younger man who had just finished his own pizza, declaring that it was “pretty good, actually!” His praise was intriguing but left me feeling uncertain.

Returning to our corner, I opened the pizza box to unveil a thin, slightly greasy personal pizza. While the crispy crust appeared promising, the texture of the slices was somewhat soft and rubbery. The bland dough and minimal sauce left much to be desired, though the cheese was satisfactory and the pepperoni provided a welcome boost of flavor. Compared to the delicious pizzas from NYC I had relished just a day before, this airport offering was lackluster.

However, the convenience of a $13 personal pizza at such an hour was not lost on me. For those who find themselves stuck at the Detroit Metro Airport in the middle of the night, the Pizza Cat vending machine offers a quirky option. Though it may not achieve accolades for culinary excellence, it does fulfill the promise of a hot pizza pie—and for that, it merits a nod. So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, lower your expectations, seek out the Pizza Cat, and enjoy a slice of convenience amid the travel mayhem.