As noted at www.lauralippman.com, I am giving away an advanced copy of I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE through a random drawing. If you’re reading this here, all you have to do is go to the comments section and complete this sentence:
“The best slice of pizza I ever had was . . .”
What, you may ask, does this have to do with a crime novel in which a serial killer reaches out to his only living victim weeks before his execution? Not much, actually, although I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE does celebrate quotidian happiness — cheeseburgers from Five Guys, homemade cupcakes, TCM movies, dog-walking and Rita’s custard, whose neon signs promise: ICE CUSTARD HAPPINESS.
But:
1) I like pizza. A lot.
2) A sentence like this prompts one to create a memory piece. Here’s mine.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at DiFara’s in Brooklyn. It was an unusually warm New Year’s Day and we left our cousins in Long Island intent on a pizza sampling mission en route to Baltimore. But the famous place in Coney Island was closed for the holiday, so we continued to DiFara’s in Brooklyn. (We chose the restaurant from Ed Levine’s seminal book, A SLICE OF HEAVEN.) It seemed to take forever to get our slices. DiFara’s is a one-man operation. But when they came — well, they were so wonderful we wolfed them down and went back for seconds.
Later, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and back, attempting to digest our pizza. But the ultimate puzzle is whether the pizza made the day or the day made the pizza? I was with two of my favorite people in the world, my SO and stepson. The weather was grand. We’ve yet to go back and I think that’s, in part, because we’re a little nervous about recreating the magic of the day.
But the main reason is that we just don’t get to the Midwood section of Brooklyn that often. We continue our pizza adventures, however, so I’m always on the look-out for the next great slice.
Note: If you DON’T like pizza — if you’re lactose intolerant, allergic to tomatoes or wheat, or simply indifferent to its charms — be good-humored. Substitute a food you do like, or simply write: “The best slice of pizza I had was — never.” Or: “The best slice of pizza I had was in the school #201 cafeteria. Also the last.” The winner will be drawn completely at random, so entries will not be judged on creativity. But grouches and trolls will be disqualified!
The best slice of pizza I ever had was with roasted eggplant and gobs of Fontina cheese, from a place I was dubious about but went to because they use whole wheat crust. (Would LOVE to eat it again with the book in tow!)
The best piece of pizza I ever had was during BEA last year, in New York. We were staying at the Grand Hyatt at Union Station, and walking back from Hells Kitchen, where we’d been enjoying adult beverages at a cool little wine bar. It was 2 in the morning, we were starving, and we took a wrong turn. (That was the hunger pangs, mind, not the wine.) We realized we were off course, and that we were standing next to an all-night bodega. We went in, got a slice of cheese, and started back the right way. It was spectacular, and darn if we can’t figure out exactly what street we were on so we can go back for seconds sometime. I think the best pizza is borne from an element of mystery, don’t you??? Pizza Perfect in Nashville is a good second place.
I already left my post at Facebook, and I’m really not trying to “double dip” in order to have two chances at the ARC. (Really, I’m not! :> ) But I had to chime in on this. I am loving all these stories and love pondering this “ultimate puzzle.” IS the pizza truly as delicious as we remember, or is it, in fact, a hodge podge of perfect things being in perfect alignment making it one of those rare, perfect days that makes us remember it as being so delish? I love this.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was in the ’50s from a Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza. It was the first time I had ever eaten pizza pie and it was wonderful. (Back then, it was always called pizza pie.) I know I’ve had many better pizzas since then, but there was something special about that first piece ever.
Had just decided what to write, when I started reading the comments…and I saw that B.G. had the same answer I did. Yes, for Fostoria, Ohio at the time, pizza was very exotic and we ate it a lot. Every one of us kids..except the two babies could make it. That was before we were overrun with pizza parlors. In college it was Inkies in Toledo eating pizza and the waiting for midnight to order a hamburger. (We went out on Friday night. I went to a Catholic college when meat was forbidden on Fridays)
But my strangest pizza was from that chain that has California in its name. We were in a mall restaurant in Bath, England. I got one with fruit…my first ever and loved it. Poor Jane Austen,
I’ll bet that shop wasn’t there when she visited.
The best slice of pizza I ever had is from La Pizzaria in Rockville, Maryland. It’s always hot, always consistent, thin, love the crust. I like the man who’s worked there forever.
… was from the pizza we made from scratch with the help of my son and his friends, all gathered to celebrate his eleventh birthday. From what I hear, they remember it as the best pizza they ever had, too.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Lombardi’s Pizza on the lower east side in NY. I wanted to try the Clam Pizza but the traditionalists with me voted for the plain cheese. Thin crust, spicy sauce, the right amount and kind of cheese.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was from a pizzaria on Shattuck Ave in Berkeley, CA in January 2004. Before the taste of that first slice, the ingredients long since forgotten, I thought all pizza except Dominos was good. I mean, the only difference between Papa Johns and Pizza Bolis was, well, nothing. They both have red and green signs, right? I was in Berkeley getting my son and his girlfriend situated for an exchange semester when we ventured out for food and saw this long line of people outside a small pizza place, not even a chain (so I’m naive OK). I wondered who would stand in a line like that, sit eating in the median strip like that, for pizza that was only available a few days a week and only for a few hours at that. I not only joined that line, but went back a few days later, ignoring the folly of paying $18 for a whole pizza. Oh, but how I will never forget that place and if ever I am in Berkeley again in my lifetime, I will run over there and wait patiently in line.
The best pizza I never had is from Aurelio’s Pizza in Homewood, Illinois. For a brief while during my childhood my dad would actually be home on Friday nights and would go pick up a pizza from Aurelio’s for my mom, my brother, and me. As a child I hated pizza so I never ate it. My favorite thing about it was the ritual (even if it was short-lived). Also, I knew I’d be allowed to eat a PB&J sandwich without argument. Sometimes, my Dad would even make us milkshakes for dessert.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was from Anthony’s #2 in Ashland, Va. Usually extra cheese, pepperoni and dripping with grease, it was the pizza of my college days and it is associated with old friends, good times and bright futures. I’ve been back since and it still tastes good but not quite as good as I remember it. Actually a native Marylander, the local Ledo’s is my current favorite as that is the one I share with my husband and daughters. My husband was also in on the Anthony’s as well so it’s a rich tradition!
The best pizza I ever had was on the Lido in Venice, with a crust so thin it was almost a shard, with extraordinarily (yet minimal) tomatoey sauce, an elegant sufficiency of buffalo mozzarella, and arugala.
The best pizza I ever had was in bagel form. From Sams on York Rd (across from Watson’s). Not because it tasted all that great – but because it was the first “meal” with my husband. We had been a wedding together the night before, drank heavily, never slept and he was still in his tux. Nothing like eating a pizza bagel with a cute boy at 7:00am.
The best pizza I ever had was in a small mining town in Colorado. We were on a long weekend trip and decided to visit this charming and quaint town in the mountains. It was amazing and overwhelming since it felt like we were still in the 1900′s. But the best pizza ever was in this adorable and unique pizza joint that we discovered. The pizza was ideal. Thin crust, vegetarian with delectable veggies and baked perfectly. Memorable and delightful time.
The best piece of pizza I ever ate was made by Johnny who lives downstairs. He’s from Brooklyn and learned how to make pizza from a paesano from Italy so it’s the real deal. Johnny also has great biceps, a cute butt and really blue eyes and he looks really good tossing that pizza dough.
This particular pizza was made with his special sauce, oven roasted red and yellow bell peppers that had grown sweet in my garden, caramelized onions and dollops of creamy Gioia burrata.
The pie was pulled from the oven and drizzled with 100 year old balsamic vinegar and when you bit into slice you got a crispy crunch of crust with the sweet peppers and onions swimming in the creamy cheese – like a dance to “Sway” in your mouth.
The best pizza I ever had was at a little place in Florence, Italy when my husband and I were visiting my daughter during her semester abroad. The crust was very thin and just barely crispy, and the topping was freshly roasted eggplant. Yum!
And a pizza from Pizza Perfect in Nashville with fresh roasted garlic as one of the toppings is also excellent,
Valentinos in Lincoln NE has the best pizza in town…the veggie pizza is excellent. But I have to say, one of the tastiest pizzas I’ve had was cream cheese, pineapple, and shrimp, on thin crust, from a little restaurant called Piezanos, also in Lincoln.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Cafe Chez Nous.
That’s the nickname for our little table in the eat-in-kitchen.
The best slice of pizza I had might actually have been at Una Pizza Napoleatana in the Lower East Side in New York, but that closed
and my husband has been on a pizza-making mission ever since.
The best pizza I ever had was at a little pizza place in Naples, Italy. It was a quatro staggione, baked (?) in a very hot, wood oven, in a very cold room mid-winter. I have always wondered if it was, indeed, the best ever or it was the warmth
The best of slice of pizza I ever had was from Lynwood Grill in Raleigh. I was there for dinner with my SO and our daughter. While our toddler munched on her pasta, we split a small vegetarian pizza. On a whim, I dashed Texas Pete on the onions, black olives and green peppers. (I now know to do this to all pizza, though I prefer Tabasco). The cheese wasn’t too hot, the sauce wasn’t overpowering and the crust was just right. And of course the beer was cold.
The best pizza ever is served up at Sally’s Apizza in New Haven. It’s the sauce that does it, a little tangy and a little sweet. Thin crust. They don’t give you a plate, just serve it on a big cookie sheet with a pile of little napkins and cutlery. A big portrait of Frank Sinatra dominates the dining room. I’ve been going there ever since I was a kid, because my dad has been going there since he was a kid, too. One summer when my dad was 16, my grandmother went to Sweden to visit her family. She had hired a woman to come in and clean and cook while she was gone. My grandfather managed to irritate her enough the first few days so she left and never came back. So my grandfather and dad went to Sally’s every night for pizza. Bacon pizza. To this day, he can’t have bacon on his pie.
The best slice of pizza I have ever enjoyed is from Al Pacino’s Cafe. The moment you walk in, you are enveloped by the warmth of the brick oven. There are so many options on the menu, but I always create my own. Pesto, eggplant, peppers, onions and feta. But the best part – the grilled cloves of garlic. They add a sweetness to the bite of the feta. I have to warn you up front though, it’s never just a slice……
The best slice of pizza I ever had was from Sabatini’s Pizza in Exeter, PA. We are translpanted here in Maryland and when we travel home to the Norhteast region of PA, we always try to squeeze in our favorite foods that we can’t get here in Carroll County. Foods like Abe’s hot dogs, Mom & Pop’s pierogies, Goldstein’s Deli’s pastrami club. My mouth is watering now. But at the top of the heap of our food chain of desire is Sabatini’s Pizza. One night several years ago as we were about to embark on our long journey back to Maryland, we decided to get some Sabatini’s to “take back home with us.” Well, we never made it out of the parking lot. My husband, son and I sat there devouring this pizza like we had been stranded on an island somewhere deprived of food for too long. We laughed as we ate realizing how glutonous we were being and prayed no one peered into our vehicle and saw what must have looked disgusting to an outside observer. I still laugh when I think of that event and we still get Sabatini’s every time we visit PA, but that night it tasted better than ever. I don’t know what they put in the sauce, but it is addictive.
The best pizza I ever had was cooked at home with my husband. Thin, crispy crust, covered with capers, onions, peppers, fresh basil and whole milk mozzarella. Accompanied by a great Chianti and enjoyed in the best company ever.
The best slice of pizza I’ve ever had was actually a couple weekends ago. It was my 30th birthday, and I had an apartment full of people to celebrate. It was a pepperoni thin crust from Pizza Boli’s, and we didn’t eat very much (I think one piece each) because we were going to have dinner at Edo Sushi. But the pizza was fantastic and the company was better. (And also there was Smith Island cake for dessert ’cause it was my birthday.)
The best slice of pizza I ever had was twice. Once (actually many times) from Springdale Pizza in Stamford, CT. This is the pizza from my JR. High and High School days, so it qualifies as the pizza of my youth. Sweet Italian Sausage and Onions and mushrooms.
The other was the 1st time I tasted a real Pizza Margherita made at Taurosos in Frederick, MD (now long closed).
Someday I will get to Italy and New Haven for the real thing! An 800 degree oven is the only way to go!
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Tomas’s in the Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo in the summer of 2004. It was a calamari pizza, with crunchy little bits of fried calamari on it, giving it this salty zing.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was the last slice of pizza I had from Tower Pizza here in Missoula, MT. I go there every couple of weeks, as it is within just about a half mile of my home. They know me by name when I walk in, and generally what I’m going to order. I like to walk in, order it take out, and sit in a booth and read while they make it; meanwhile they ply me with frosty mugs of beer on the house. So the busier they are and the longer it takes, the better. It’s especially good on a Friday or Saturday evening after I’ve spent the day in some kind of labor or something — it provides the perfect unwinding.
What’s amusing is there is a picture of Lee Marvin above the fireplace. I asked them why they have Lee on their wall, and learned it’s not Lee, it’s the owner of the place, who works in the back. If you saw him on the street you may think so, but the portrait on the wall would make ANYONE think it’s Lee Marvin. The resemblance is uncanny.
That’s one of those little details that I love so much about local Mom & Pop joints like Tower. Those are the ones I look for when I travel.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was unfortunately one stolen from a bunch of 12 year olds. It was my daughters Batchayal, and we had invited family and friends, for all the adults we had laid on a lovely spread of fresh salmon, fish balls with boiled baby potatoes and salad with all the trimmings, no expense spared. For the children we had ordered pizza’s from the local takeaway, wow, the smell, well all it took was one child helping herself to our fish, and all us grown ups dived in on the pizza, the confusion that followed was quite amusing, the children all assumed the fish was for them, whilst all the adults were raving about the pizza.
I personally like to think that we had done the kids a huge favour, after all, they were use to eating pizza, so they had a lovely healthy buffet, and us adults, who of course, were all dieting at the time, had never tasted anything better, I mean, after all, we were expecting a boring salmon salad, rabbit food, mmm, i can still taste that pizza 8 years on, hey, who say’s thieves never prosper??????
THe best slice of pizza I ever had was during a snowstorm. Everything was closed, and we had cabin fever, so my husband, boys and I trekked by foot with our pup down our hill into town. No traffic, no pedestrians, not even the sound of shovels yet, because the snow was still falling. Just us and an occasional x-country skier in the middle of the road. Somehow the local joint was open. Pizza never tasted so perfect.
“The best slice of pizza I ever had was (without a doubt) at the original Uno’s Pizza in Chicago.” A true deep dish pizza with fresh tomatoes. Cheese so filling that a slice would be enough for a meal, two slices almost too much to finish. I had this almost 40 years ago with a fellow college student who would eventually become my brother-in-law. Note: this should not be confused by the Uno’s franchise locations which are frozen pizzas and not related (except by name) to the original.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was spread all over the counter long before it dangled from my hand like a hot cheesy tongue. My aunt and uncle built a brick oven at their cabin at Lake Jordan (pronounced jurdan) in central Alabama. We mix the ingredients for the crust, mold it, and stretch it across the counter until the corners become fatigued and quit sneaking toward the center. We blend our own tomato sauce and use the best toppings and seasonings. The pizza on this special day, which was in fact an idle Saturday in early June, was riddled with pepperoni, slivers of mozzarella, olives, onions, a pinch of fennel and oregano, and the special ingredients-only afforded to those cooking with a real brick oven with the capabilities of reaching the desired temperatures: 700 to 900 degrees- a few eggs cracked on one side of the pizza (Be sure to crack the eggs on the side of the pizza that will be closest to the handle of the peel so that the egg slides/rolls over the center of the pizza and not onto the bricks when you slide it off the peel). In less than 2 minutes, the pizza was sizzling on my tin plate before I lifted each drooping slice to my mouth. The first bite is going to burn, relish it.
The best slice of pizza I’ve had was one a friend suggested we grab on our way to a bead show. I’m not a huge fan of pizza, but I am a huge fan of bead shows so I agreed thinking this would probably be the fastest way to take care of lunch and get on to things I really enjoy. The pizza, a single slice of pepperoni, was surprisingly delicious! I thought about it during the day, and several days later when I was still thinking of that pizza I went back to get a pie to go. My husband is from NYC and always talking about how wonderful the pizza is there, but we have always been too busy getting fed by his mother or going to Katz’ when we visit to ever try pizza in the city. He said the pizza I brought home was very similar to what he was used to from New York. So if you’re ever in Houston around Highway 6 and I-10 West go to Brother’s Pizza and try a slice. It’s delicious.
The best pizza I ever had was the homemade pizza I made using a pizza stone. Nothing beats homemade pizza!
The best pizza I ever had was the veggie pizza (with blue cheese!) from the fancy little pizza place in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It’s my most favorite place, and eating there with my now husband early in our relationship is a very sweet memory.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at the end of a long workday and the company I was working for ordered in. It was spinach with feta and sunflower seeds! Major yum.
The best pizza I ever had was at Louise’s in Randallstown. It had steamed shrimp on it. It was around 1969. My brother was in the Navy and home on leave. There is 5 years between our ages and we were growing up and becoming best friends. We double dated that night. Since then I haven’t had pizza that delicious.
The best pizza ever is the pizza I make by hand and grill outdoors. Toppings are what we have on hand, but I loved grilled pizza. When we get around to building our wood-fired bread/pizza oven in the yard, then I suspect that pizza will be even better. Our most common toppings: red onion and black olive.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was, oddly enough, at a little German/Italian restaurant in a suburb of Heidelburg, Germany. It had prosciutto, lots of garlic, and artichoke hearts, and just the right amount of tomato. They were nice enough to honor my then 13 year old daughter’s request for “kine tomaten, bitte” (what the heck is a pizza without tomatoes? unless it’s meant to be a white pizza, of course), and she to this day holds our their efforts as her alltime favorite pizza, too.
The best pizza I ever had? Bite into a slice of heaven at Marra’s in South Philadelphia. Eat while you listen to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Yum!
I love pizza, but have never had any fancy stand out dish that still makes my mouth water. However, when I was pregnant with my daughter I craved bbq pizza from Pizza Hut. Oddly enough anything else greasy made me ill, and I rarely had any other cravings. Having a friend whose college job was delivering pizza was awesome. I had bbq pizza frequently. I haven’t had it since she was born.
Having strictly followed the South Beach Diet for 4 months and exercising every day, it didn’t seem perverse at all for a diet buddy and I to celebrate reaching goal weight with pizza. We chose Pizza Rustica in South Beach to bring us a divine, full of fresh ingredients (basil, carmelized onion, bacon) pizza. The pie was piping hot, the crust was light and delicate, the pie was simply perfect. Ate it on the balcony watching the boats in the Biscayne Bay, which had absolutely no impact on the experience. We chose frosty Amstel Light in honor of Robert Parker (he was still living). It was the best pizza i ever had.
There was a little bit of danger in choosing because Rustica can be uneven in quality, but not that day. It was perfection, delivered by an Italian, no less. I can’t imagine that any pizza could taste better.
I’m beginning to understand why I had to go on the South Beach diet in the first place, since i have had pizza at three of the places mentioned. What – no North End, no Providence? Guess I better check out Facebook too?
The best slice of pizza I’ve had was my fist slice of Margerita Pizza. With Motzerrella Cheese, fresh tomato slices, basil and garlic. It came after walking precincts, all day, for an Asembly candidate. It was in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. The pizza shop loved our campaign and fixed very good pizza. We ended up winning the election by thirty five votes.
The best pizza in the world is at Bilbo’s Pizza in Kalamazoo. I’ve been eating it for 30 years now and it’s just as good today as when they first opened in 1976. In fact, I’ll fly in to Chicago and drive 4 hours across Michigan, timing my trip so that I can stop in K-zoo for lunch rather then fly into Detroit and drive 45 minutes when I go to visit family. I was worried the first time I stopped there, that it just wouldn’t be the same, but it is. For my money, the best pizza in Denver is at either Pasquini’s or at Gaetano’s.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was � when I was eleven years old, visiting Hawaii for the second time (lucky me!). A joint called Zorro�s New York Pizza (sadly I don�t think it still exists) and a taste sensation, *supreme*, with Canadian ham, of course. The marker of a good pizza is if a remaining slice can be enjoyed cold the next morning (breakfast please) and Zorro�s offering provided an insight into the possibility of life as it could be, blowing my previous experiences into touch and, sadly, setting me up for future disappointments (like, wow, and sigh: nothing has ever since matched Zorro�s � grease and cardboard are two words that come to mind). CNN was fresh then, and I, a boy from the lush south-west of WA, Australia felt as if in heaven: Hawaii, cable TV, the fall of the (Berlin) Wall imminent, my mum (flu-sick, alas) asleep, donuts from the �patisserie�, followed by cold Zorro�s pizza glory. Bliss!
The best slice of pizza I’ve ever had, came from a tiny little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Hollywood. It was run by two sisters and called Pizza Bozos. No kidding. They had THE BEST pizza. Huge pies, spicy sweet sauce and that thin, crispy crust that’s a littl sandy on the bottom. You know what I mean.
I went there for years when I was a kid but sadly, they closed up shop one day and we never did find out what happened.
The best slice of pizza I’ve ever had was at a wood-fired oven joint in central Austin, TX. I can’t say why, exactly, but that particular pie is stuck in my memory. I don’t remember any details, including who I was with, except that 30 years ago that large pie for two of us cost more than $30.
The best slice of pizza (pepperoni and mushroom – simple and delicious) I ever had was at the Omni in Atlanta in 1978. However, my enjoyment was somewhat tempered later, as I walked by the place where I bought the pizza and saw a worker cleaning one of the pizza ovens with a long-handled brush he picked up off the dirty floor, then immediately tossing a new pizza to be baked into that same oven. However, even after processing the implications of what I had just seen, I did manage to keep the pizza down and not throw up on my date.
Unlike Kaye, I’m double dipping with pride here!
Best pizza is Squires in Dundalk (yes it’s already been mentioned above but that just goes to show that it is the best pizza, so I’m not losing any originality points!).
Reading the FB posts made me remember some runners up that I had forgotten, like Dominick’s on Harford Road in NE Baltimore.
I would love to know what pizza place in what mining town in Colorado because I am still searching for good pizza out here!
The best slice of pizza I ever had was from a pizza place in Pikesville, MD at the corner of Reisterstown Road and Old Court Road. It has been so long, that I can’t even remember what it was called. They served this yummy Sicilian style (square) pizza covered in melted cheese. Lordy, I spend too much time in my youth in that place. Thanks for the memory!
I would feel remiss if I did not mention Squires in Dundalk, the pizza of my formative years – the Romati brother’s do a fine pie; or our discovery of margarita pizza, which defined and fueled a trip through dingy napoli during our youthful, poverty stricken past.
But if I had to pick a slice – then I’m going with our discovery of the pepperoni and pinenut pizza at Last Dog Pizza in North Arlington, Virginia. Correctly referred to as the “Jandy,” get your piemaker to do you one – and remember, the pinenuts must go under the cheese.
Krisopher, that was Mike’s Pizza! It changed hands many years ago and didn’t do the same amount of business. Then a few months ago there was a fire. They are back open, but I don’t know if the pizza is as good as Mike’s.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was from a street vendor in Naples. There’s also an awful lot of good pizza in Providence, RI, including that made by my ex father-in-law. That pizza is very simple. How can a little tomato dough with hardly any seasoning, maybe a little oregano, or cheese taste so delicious? The oil? The yeast? To me it’s a mystery. Both of those pizzas are eaten room temperature, and you can never have enough. When I was little I did eat greasy triangles that I believe would taste like cardboard to me now, sold at the front of one of the original discount/mill stores in RI called Ann & Hope, but at the time I couldn’t get enough of that either.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was a slice of meat lovers from the Pizza Hut in Elkins, WV. Three students and I were doing contract field work (read: slogging up and down mountains a lot) in the summer of 1989, working in shifts of 7-10 days, each including a one-day break to move camp, head to town to shower and pick up ice and groceries, and to stuff ourselves on carbs, fat, and beer. The first slice, slathered heavily with parmesan and hot pepper flakes and washed down with a cold draft, was simple heaven. Definitely a case of hunger (and good companions) making the best seasoning.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was in Italy. I learned ahead of time that pepperoncini on menus in Italy was actually peppers, not the processed red meat circles that I love to put on my pizza. So when I read the menu, I recognized the word salami and figured that must be what they call Pepperoni in Italian. That’s what I ordered, and to my surprise it really was salami! I know they’re not very different from each other, but it was a wildly different taste. For the rest of my trip I ordered salami pizza, but at no other restaurant was it really salami. Just plain ole pepperoni. So now all I have to remember is that one perfect pizza!
The best slice of pizza was had the night I told my parents I was getting married the following Saturday. My fiancee and I were in the Army, stationed at Ft. Meade, Md. We had been engaged for all of a month and they had met him. He was scheduled to leave for an eighteen month assignment to Okinawa, Japan; the original plan was for me to finish my military duty and we would get married when he returned. The closer we got to him leaving, the less I liked that plan. So we changed it. Our jobs were compatable, so we decided to get married before he left. We calculated dates, he reserved a place for the honeymoon & paid for it and we drove to MASS. We thought my parent knew. OH boy! My father blew up at me and then at him. To me -”You wanted to marry every boy you dated!” My response-”I haven’t been living at home for the past year and a half, you don’t know about all the boys I dated-only the ones I THOUGHT I was serious about!. My husband had stayed out of the conversation letting my father and I talk until my sister’s fiancee said something. Then my husband let them all have it. First the fiancee was told that the conversation was none of his business; when my sister got a little upset, she was told to shut up and mind her own business also. When my father questioned if my husband could possibly love me since we didn’t know each that long, my husband said-”and you asked your wife to marry you on your first date?” That shut my father up. With that my mother finally said something, “What do you like on your Pizza?” That pizza was the best tasting. (no my sister still doesn’t like my husband all that much; but I think that my father, before he died, finally came to see that my husband was the best match for me. I know my mom did before she died.
Lanny!! It WAS good pizza! Were you ever there by chance when the pizza guy would do his “Mr. Bill” skits? omg. Hysterical. It always ended with a Mr. Bill “oooohhhhh noooooooo” and a Mr. Bill made from pizza dough would go SPLAT on the floor. Applause all around and a bow from the pizza guy. There are some terrific memories from the Atlanta Omni back then. mm mm mm.
The best piece of pizza I’ve ever had was likely in Rome, in the Trastevere district – though I have to give a shout out to what I think of as my natal pizza, from Louie + Ernies in the East Bronx where I grew up. You can’t be objective about that, but I was still glad when the NY Times named L&E’s among their top 10 pizzas in the city.
The best pizza I ever had was at Two Amy’s in DC. Crusty, thin, great cheese, fresh basil.
The best pizza I ever had was … in Maryland. I didn’t eat cheese as a child, but discovered that melted cheese could be OK when I was about twelve, after classmates made me eat what I’d made in 7th grade home-ec.
There were two pizza shops I liked, one (Columbo’s?) at Kahler Square in Columbia, the other just a bar on Hwy 108 near the intersection with Rt 29. Not really deep dish, but a thick and fluffy crust, pepperoni not quite crispy, and salty, gooey cheese, with root beer to wash it down.
Or maybe it was Pecora’s in Charles Village, where I went in college, meager moneys in hand, nearly every Friday with my girlfriend after seeing a film together: thin crust, somewhat oily, gooey cheese, sometimes with mushrooms, usually with a shared pitcher of cola.
I am funny about pizza and don’t like any pizza which has meat on it. I hope I have not had my best pizza yet but if I was to think about all the pizza I have had in my life I would probably say that the best pizza I ever had was when I was on holidays in America. It was a slice of pizza I had when travelling through somewhere in Georgia, I am not sure but I think it was Augusta. We just stopped off for something to eat, it was a plain margherita. I am surprised I even remembered it as it was about 10 years ago.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was one made by m then boyfriend and now husband in my mom’s house in Poland. It was about 8 years ago. He just found his new recipe on internet and wanted to try it out. He made a lot of sauce and we had it with beer. Everyone loved it. I’ve never eaten pizza as good as that one.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at a small, funky pizza shop in Grand Junction, Colorado. I was visiting my college roommate in 2000, and she had been raving about this pizza joint all winter. Being a traditionalist, I selected a slice that began with the basics of cheese and tomato, but she insisted I try a potato/bacon instead. I was a skeptic, but 10 years later, I can still taste the thin crunchiness of the potatoes, the absolute perfection of the crust, and the bacon, oh my god, the bacon.
I’ve spent the last decade trying to recapture that perfect combination here in the DC/Baltimore area, to no avail.
Of course I’d find this on a night I was craving pizza. All I want is a slice not a pie which is not always easy to get in Atlanta, GA. And a good slice with thick crust.
The best slice of pizza, I’ve ever had was at Nick’s in the Bronx. Growing up it was the only spot to get pizza. I remember going there right after seeing Do the Right Thing. Man the pizza tasted very good that day.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Apizza Scholls in Portland. We waited for an hour for a table, then another 20 minutes for our pizza. When it came, I dove into the sausage and peppers pie. They use an unusual red pepper, not a ripe or roasted bell pepper, that is normally too hot (spicy) for pizza, but their pizza oven is so hot, it breaks it down a bit, and mellows the pepper.
In any event, that first slice was so good, so perfect that it literally brought tears to my eyes. And not from the spice.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Angelo’s in Louisville, KY. July 1977. First date with a girl named Jane. We drove there in my ’67 Cutlass, Nazareth rocking on the 8-track. After pizza we went to a drive-in and even watched some of the movie.
The best slice of pizza I ever had was NOT gluten-free! Gluten-free pizza sucks. You just can’t find good gluten-free pizza anywhere!
The best slice of pizza I ever had was at Lenny’s in Brooklyn, New York when I was a little girl many years ago.
Last night – as always, Sunday night is pizza night – from Mannny’s pizza in Bel Air, MD. I can get others to attest to this, if need be.