Category Archives: Pizzeria

Pupatella Neopolitan Pizzeria and Friggitoria

On the recommendations of a friend and a few best pizza lists, My wife and  I checked out Pupatella in Arlington, VA.  Just outside DC, this authentic VPN (Verace Pizza Napoleta) and DOC certified casual restaurant has been said to pop out some of the best pies in town!  With humble beginnings as a pizza cart at a nearby metro station, Pupatella had made a lot of fans before its doors even opened in mid 2010.  

Going in I wasn’t sure what a Friggitoria was, but I now assume it’s because this food is “friggin” amazing.  This oak wood fired pizzeria has an oven made from the ashes of Mt Vesuvius.  At 1000 degrees, five pies at a time are cooked for one minute each until they reach a perfect char on each pliable delicious crust.  Ingredients are first rate with their heirloom San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella imported from Naples.  I must admit that I almost didn’t even have enough space to order some pies after filling my stomach with their amazing Arancini from their Friggitoria menu.   These fried risotto balls are stuffed with sausage or eggplant and absolutely blew away the “supply y telephono” risotto balls I’ve had at other great restaurants in the area.  Nonetheless, I had to try the pies and ordered a red and a white.

These 12 inch pizzas had the best crusts I’ve found in DC.  They were perfectly charred yet bendable without spilling.   The DOC and VPN certified Margherita pizza had delicious tomatoes and cheese and was topped with basil.  Unlike other top area pizzerias, the basil seemed to be cooked onto the pie rather than added after it came out of the oven which took a tiny bit of kick from it.  This is the only thing that keeps me from putting this in the same class with the areas 4 best Neopolitan pie sauces,  Seventh Hill, 2 Amys, Pizza CS, and Mia’s.  It was darned close though!  The incredible crust, however, was better than any of these places.  The white Spinach pizza was covered in an Italian cream, pine nuts, feta, and red pepper.  It was fresh and tasty but not quite as good as the tomato sauce based pie in my opinion. 

Pupatella is a casual dining experience.  Each diner grabs their own utensils, picks their own table, orders at a counter, drinks from a bottled soda, beer, or wine, and clears their own table.    No reservations are accepted so expect a wait if you come during peak hours.  Believe me though, it’s worth the wait!

RedRocks Pizza, Old Town Alexandria, VA

If you’re looking for a 93.3% chance of getting one of the best pizzas in the DC area without waiting in that long line at 2 Amys, then RedRocks is the perfect place to go!  Rumor has it that a few days a month their regular chefs actually take time off to be with their families (The nerve of them!) and leave mere mortals in charge of making their delicious pizzas.   Luckily, during my 2 visits to their location in Old Town Alexandria, I was blown away by the quality of their pies.

You can usually spot a great pizza place by taking a peak in their windows.  If the place is full and they don’t automatically provide cheese, oregano, or hot peppers on the tables, they are probably confident that their pizza flavoring is good enough to stand on its own.  This method of spotting authentic Italian food is much better than my second method of counting the # of vowels in the name of the restaurant.  RedRocks is one of these great Naples inspired restaurants despite only having 2 vowels. 

With wood floors, marble tops, and high ceilings, RedRocks is trendy with a phenomenal pizza aroma floating through its high backed booths.  The list of pizzas available range from traditional margheritas to fancy sounding daily pies made with their homemade sausage, meats cured in house, and locally grown produce.  There is a decent sounding list of appetizers and salads but the personal sized pizzas (no slices) are why you come to RedRocks.  On my two visits, the crusts were picture perfect with delicately placed basil, buffalo mozzarella, and toppings complimenting their delicious tomato sauce.  Pictured is a daily special Mushroom pie that had a slight barbeque flavor but I enjoyed the traditional Margherita pies more.  Friends have told me that a few days a month the crust can be soggy, but on my two visits, it was top notch with great service and no wait. 

 I give RedRocks 7 of 8 slices.

Trattoria Pizzeria at the Aviano Inn, Italy

Pizzeria_trattoria.jpgaviano_italy.jpg

I speak only for myself when talking about real pizza from Italy. I am no expert but I can surely describe how lightly the pizza is made there.

Right in the northeastern region of Italy, in the town of Aviano, lies Trattoria Pizza at the Aviano Inn.  It is situated not too far from The Aviano Airbase. Having never gone to Italy before, I was a bit clueless as to how the Italians made their pizza.

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Pittsburgh Pizza Wars

I was reading this article by Chris Young at the Pittsburgh City Paper and found it amusing enough to republish in its entirety for you all to read.

Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince, was a cunning adviser, adept at counseling his patrons, the Medici family, in matters of political intrigue.

Luckily for him, though, the Medicis never owned a pizza joint. Because as a dispute between two local pizza owners shows, arguments in that business can get really tricky.

The dispute came into public view in the Nov. 13 Pennysaver, which featured advertisements for two Downtown pizza places: one for Pizza Milano, the other for Milano’s Pizza & Bar. The issue also contained an insert — a flier notifying readers that “Pizza Milano is not affiliated with a new restaurant operation known as Milano’s Pizza & Bar.” In fact, it added, Milano’s Pizza “is wrongfully seeking to infringe upon Pizza Milano’s good name and business reputation.”

On Dec. 2, sitting in his Market Street restaurant after the lunch rush, Milano’s Pizza & Bar co-owner Halil Atabey bemoaned the flier.

“Is this the pizza mafia?” he asked.

Atabey and two other co-owners — each of whom formerly worked for Pizza Milano (which has two locations, one on Fifth Avenue and one on Sixth Street) — opened their own pizzeria about two months ago. They purchased its name from Hermann Sciulli, who operated a pizza place for 35 years in Hampton Township, and later opened two other shops in Oakland and Downtown.

But Atabey’s former employer says the “Pizza Milano” name is protected by federal copyright. And his attorney, Bill Merchant, says Atabey and his co-owners are “causing confusion for customers.” That, Merchant says, is the reason his clients distributed the flier — and why they filed a motion to sue Atabey’s business unless it finds a new name.

Merchant suspects the competition of going even farther: Menus that Pizza Milano distributes around town have gone missing, and Merchant thinks that Atabey’s pizzeria may be snatching them — perhaps because his clients had inserted the fliers inside their menus.

“They stopped [stealing the menus] because we filed suit,” Merchant says.

Atabey denies ever having seized menus. “Seven days a week I am here,” he says. “Even if I wanted to [throw away their menus], I don’t have time for it.

“[Pizza Milano] thinks that whatever bad happens is coming from us. It’s paranoia.” His former employer “is treating us like we are doing something very wrong,” he says.

“Milano” is what Italians call Milan, the second-largest city in Italy. It’s less strongly associated with pizza than, say, Naples. So why the bitterness?

Sciulli, who sold the name to Atabey and his partners, suspects it’s personal. He points out that he opened a Downtown location three years ago … but although Pizza Milano was “pissed off” about the similar name, he says, “They never did anything.”

Atabey and his two fellow co-owners insist they parted on good terms with their former employers. “When I quit, I was very happy,” says co-owner Mahmut Yilmaz, who worked as a manager at Pizza Milano’s Sixth Street location for eight years.

Although a manager from Pizza Milano declined to comment for this story, Merchant maintains that the issue is all about the trademark infringement and nothing else. “My client has a federally protected name,” he says.

In any case, both sides say the dispute will be resolved outside of court.

“We are not going to keep the name,” says Atabey, who maintains he planned on renaming the store after establishing the business for a few months anyway. Atabey says he wanted to use the name for a few months to maintain Sciulli’s loyal customer base, not steal Pizza Milano’s customers.

Changing the restaurant’s name, it seems, may be best for both sides. According to Lou DePaul, a trademark lawyer and Duquesne University law professor, proving either restaurant’s case in the naming dispute is complicated.

On the one hand, he says, the first business to use a name — whether or not it has a federal trademark — “has the greater rights. … The first person to use a name in conjunction with goods and services has the upper hand.”

Then again, he says, one of the most important questions in trademark battles is: “Would people be confused that one [business] is related to the other?”

DePaul says trademark cases are typically “very complicated.” It’s in both parties’ interests to settle the matter out of court, he says.

Still, bad feelings may be harder to resolve.

“They got nasty with this,” Atabey says, holding up the flier. “They played with us, and they played with the people.”

Merchant says Atabey’s not the only one upset about the ordeal: “My client is angry, too.”

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Florida based NYPD Pizza Chain Gets To Keep Its Name

According to our friends at the guardian.co.uk, Florida-based NYPD Pizza chain gets to keep its name.

It may be just a cheesy way to capitalise on the New York police department’s reputation, but under terms of a recent settlement NYPD Pizza can keep its name as long as it makes clear it is not affiliated with New York’s Finest.

The legal tempest started in 2005, when the city accused the Florida-based chain of “intentionally and purposely” designing its logo to look like the NYPD’s uniform patch.

As part of the experience -“An Arresting Taste of New York in Every Bite” – diners are treated to restaurants that resemble police stations, and patrons’ bills look like summonses.

Officially, the restaurant’s acronym stands for New York Pizzeria Delicatessen. Paul Russo, who opened the first NYPD Pizza in Orlando in 1996 and now has 19 franchises in nine states, says his intent all along was to bring a little New York flavour down south and to demonstrate his feelings for his hometown and for the NYPD. But New York City says the pizzeria’s logo – a replica of the NYPD patch – was a trademark violation, and under terms of the agreement, the restaurant was forced to redesign its logo.

But the chain can keep its name, as long as it posts disclaimers explaining it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NYPD. The chain has also agreed not to open any of its restaurants in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, both sides say.

As NYPD deputy commissioner Paul Browne put it: “Any way you slice it, there’s only one NYPD – and it’s not on a menu.” “This is really about the fact we have a trademark to the NYPD logo and the way it looks,” said Connie Pankratz, spokeswoman for the city’s Corporation Counsel. “It’s a constant effort to preserve the NYPD brand.” Indeed, the city makes about 10 percent of the $11 million worth of NYPD merchandise sold by official licensees.

Russo says he’s glad the settlement was reached. “It was a bit wearisome coping with the fact that my company had to encounter legal distress with the city in which I am so proud to hail from,” he said. “I am very pleased with the conclusion for my franchise system and can now venture forward in making the franchising of NYPD Pizza the most successful in the world.”

How Pizza Works – Worst Pizza

I found this article published today on the web.  It is written by Alia Hoyt and is excellently done!  Enjoy

Pizza is one of the most popular foods on the planet. In fact, it’s so popular that you would think it has been around forever. But actually, it’s relatively new to the stomachs of the Americans who treasure it.

Despite its relatively short tenure in the United States, pizza has become a staple in the diets of many. In fact, it’s so beloved that each person in North America puts away an average of 23 pounds of it each year [source: Domino’s Pizza]. More than 3 billion pizzas a year are sold in the United States alone, resulting in about $37 billion in revenue, according to the National Association of Pizza Operators.

The beauty of pizza is that, no matter what your tastes, there are so many ways to make it and so many topping possibilities that virtually anyone can create a pizza to suit himself. Not too keen on cheese? Just sprinkle it on or leave it off entirely! Can’t decide between macaroni and cheese and pizza? That’s OK — some places actually serve the two kid-friendly dishes combined!

In its simplest form, pizza consists of three main ingredients: bread, tomato sauce and cheese, but the options are almost limitless from there. In this article you’ll learn more than you ever thought you could about pizza, including its history in Italy and the United States, how dough is made, and topping trends around the globe.

We’ll also describe in mouthwatering detail the different types of pizza and what makes each of them special. And you might want to keep a phone handy — in case you’re tempted to order one while reading this.

Italians are usually credited with the development and spread of pizza around the world. Much of that credit is accurate, but the concept of putting stuff on hot bread probably dates back to the days of cavemen. Actual pizza probably made its debut in ancient Greece. The Greeks baked round flatbreads (similar to what we know today as foccacia bread) that they decorated with a variety of spices, seasonings, oils and other toppings.

The word “pizza,” meaning “pie,” was coined sometime around A.D. 1000  near Rome and Naples, Italy. In the 18th century, flatbread pizza became a popular and cost-effective meal for the peasant population in Naples. People were just beginning to realize that tomatoes, which had been brought over from the New World in the 16th century, were actually not poisonous. By the end of the 18th century, the residents of Naples — and tourists — began to top the bread with tomatoes, essentially creating pizza as we know it. Street vendors sold the dish in the poor areas of Naples before the opening of the world’s first pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, in 1830. And pizza is sold today from the very same spot.

The Pizza Industry
Although the product may not closely resemble the pizza that originated in Italy, pizza delivery and dine-in chains are wildly popular. Some quick facts:
Pizza Hut is the largest chain pizza restaurant in the world. The company has nearly 6,600 locations in the United States and more than 4,000 in 100 other countries.
Domino’s Pizza leads the market in delivery. The company boasts about 9,000 stores in more than 55 countries.
Papa John’s, despite being a relative newcomer to the industry, is the third-largest pizza company in the world.
[sources: Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Domino’s]

Sometime around 1889, Italy’s royal couple, Queen Margherita and King Umberto I, toured their kingdom. The Queen took note of the large, flat bread being consumed. She tried it and loved it. She called Chef Rafaelle Esposito to her palace, where he created a variety of pizzas for her. In honor of her, he designed a pizza with toppings in the colors of the Italian flag (red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil). This pizza became her favorite and is known to this day as the Margherita. Her love for pizza made her incredibly popular among her subjects — most royals would never have dined on peasant food, much less encourage its spread [source: A Full Belly].

Pizza appeared on the American scene quietly in the late 19th century with the mass arrival of Italian immigrants. It was mostly sold on the streets of large Italian neighborhoods in such cities as Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City. Pizza soon became available in cafes and grocery stores, but it pretty much remained exclusive to Italian neighborhoods until after World War II. At this time, soldiers returning from Italy increased demand for the dish. Pizza’s popularity spread like wildfire, and pizzerias began popping up all over the United States, followed quickly by chain restaurants like Shakey’s Pizza and Pizza Hut.

Everybody Loves Ray’s Pizza
Apparently, pizza tastes better when it’s made by a guy named Ray. At least that’s what New Yorkers seem to think — more than 30 pizzerias use the name “Ray” in New York City alone. Here is a brief timeline of the Ray trend:
Ralph Cuomo opened Ray’s in 1959 in Little Italy.
He opened another on 54th Street and Seventh Avenue in the early 1960s.
Rosolino Mangano bought the second Ray’s and changed the name to Famous Original Ray’s, even though it wasn’t technically the original.
Mangano, who now goes by “Ray” himself, opened up more Famous Original Ray’s across the city.
Mangano sold a store to a new owner, who began using other variations of the Ray name in his stores.
Cuomo decided to trademark the name (he had to have been in cahoots with the other two owners in order to make this happen, though).
The three Rays went after other people using the name, including Joe Bari, who had operated Ray Bari Pizza since 1973. It’s now called RayBari Pizza.

[source: A Full Belly]

The Dough
Accomplished pizza chefs consider the dough-making process an art form. The specifics of dough-making vary depending on whether the final goal is a thin, crispy crust or a thick, soft one. The mandatory ingredients in pizza dough are flour, water and yeast. Shortening, salt and sugar are also included in many basic recipes. These extras provide more taste and texture options.

Flour is the “meat” of the dough recipe. Chefs use high-gluten flour because gluten makes the crust tough enough to stand up to the water and other ingredients.
Water is vital to the recipe because it brings all the ingredients together. It encourages the production of gluten and works with starch in the flour to bind the gluten. This is what makes a pizza crust nice and firm. The amount of water used in a pizza dough recipe varies. The dough can be made to be pliable or stiff, as desired by the chef.
Without yeast, pizza crusts would lose pretty much all texture and softness. Yeast, a leavening agent, makes the dough rise. A living, single-celled plant from the fungi family, it ferments (digests) sugars and starches. Fermentation causes the dough to rise by trapping gas bubbles inside it. It also makes the dough more pliable and easy to maneuver.
Salt provides extra flavor. It also slows the fermentation process.
Shortening increases the pliability and moisture of the dough by providing lubrication. Some chefs use canola or olive oil to add a little extra flavor.
The amount of sugar changes the fermentation rate. More sugar equals quicker fermentation. Sugar also helps the crust to brown and keeps water inside the crust.

Mixing: Blend dry ingredients with a mixer. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and add to the mixture. Mix until dough “slaps” the sides of the mixing bowl. At this point, the dough should look nice and smooth, not wet and sticky.

Balling: Use your hands to roll balls of dough. The skin should be tight, not cracked. Place balls on an oiled sheet pan.

Proofing: Cover the dough with wax paper and let it sit at room temperature until it doubles in size.

Retarding: Place the dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to slow yeast activity.

If these steps are completed properly, the dough stays usable for approximately three to five days.

Unconventional Pizzas — Creative or Just Silly?
We know that taste buds vary. Otherwise, there would be no place for the minced mutton on pizzas in India. Other than the Italian law governing the purity of Neopolitan pizza, there don’t seem to be any rules in the pizza industry. But do so-called “unconventional” pizzas even qualify as pizza? Probably not, if you want to be strict about the “bread, cheese and sauce” rule. However, if you don’t mind messing with tradition, you might enjoy some of these concoctions:
dessert pizzas with Oreos and chocolate-chip cookie dough
tiny bagel bites topped with minuscule amounts of cheese and toppings
macaroni-and-cheese pizzas
Mexican pizzas — thin tortilla crusts topped with re-fried beans, cheese and olives
Baking
You can bake pizza in a variety of ovens. Chefs use a peel, a long, paddle-like utensil, to slide pizzas into electric deck ovens. The pizza is baked directly on a screen or hot bricks. Conveyor belt ovens are used primarily in large chain restaurants. Gas canister ovens position stone bricks directly above the heat source. “Brick-oven pizzerias” use coal or wood-fired brick ovens, which often lend a smokier taste.

Sauce and Cheese
Pizza sauce is usually tomato-based. However, the list of unconventional pizza sauces includes pesto, Alfredo, ketchup and barbecue. “White pizza” recipes often eliminate the sauce entirely, replacing it with garlic butter.

Traditional pizza is made with mozzarella cheese sprinkled on tomato sauce. Many chefs like to experiment with blends of cheeses, herbs and seasonings like oregano and basil.

Pizza Styles
Americans eat almost
252 million pounds of pepperoni a year.
People have strong opinions about pizza — in terms of passion, it seems to rank right up there with politics and religion. Some pizza lovers treasure the taste of true Chicago-style pizza so much that they have it shipped across the country. Neapolitan pizza purists in Italy lobbied recently to pass a bill protecting the style and restricting pizza vendors from using the Neapolitan name unless they meet specific guidelines (see sidebar). But those of us who enjoy variety certainly have plenty of pizza styles to choose from, including:

Neapolitan: Features a very thin, bubbly crust. Basil and mozzarella do not cover the sauce, as is common in many American pizzas. Instead, they accent it. It is usually cooked in a brick or wood-fired oven.
New York: Also thin-crusted, an authentic New York pizza features sweet tomato sauce topped with a layer of cheese. New York pizza enthusiasts don’t ruin the purity of the slice by asking for a lot of toppings.
Chicago: The opposite of New York and Neapolitan pizzas in many ways, Chicago-style pizza boasts a thick crust that is baked in a pan, rather than directly on the bricks or on a sheet. The application of cheese and sauce is also reversed. Cheese goes on the bottom, followed by toppings. Sauce finishes off the creation, which is so thick that a fork and knife are necessary. Greek: Greek pizza is also baked in a pan. One trademark characteristic is an oily crust. It is often topped with traditional Greek toppings like spinach, feta cheese and olives.
California: Superthin crusts and seasonal toppings are trademark components of California-style pizzas. They’re typically topped with whatever veggies are in season in the Golden State.
thick square or rectangular crust. Toppings are placed on top of the dough. The version made in Sicily actually places the toppings, such as pecorino cheese and anchovies, inside the crust, rather than on top.
Topping Trends
It probably won’t come as much of a shock that pepperoni is the No. 1 pizza topping in America. According to the National Association of Pizza Operators (NAPO), Americans consume almost 252 million pounds of pepperoni every year. Other perennial favorites are extra cheese, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. Americans also enjoy ham, bacon, ground beef, chicken, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, eggplant, olives, spinach, tomatoes and broccoli.

On the flip side, NAPO reports that anchovies consistently maintain their place as the least popular pizza topping, although they are very popular in some countries. In fact, the world has decidedly eclectic taste in toppings.

India: pickled ginger, tofu and minced mutton
Russia: “mockba” (a blend of tuna, mackerel, sardines, onions and salmon)
Japan: squid and a combination topping called “mayo jaga” (mayonnaise, bacon and potato)
Brazil: green peas
Costa Rica: coconut [source: Domino’s Pizza]
Neapolitans Mean Business
Few foods have their own personal watchdog agency, so Neapolitan pizza must be pretty tasty! The True Neapolitan Pizza Association holds very strict pizza standards, recognizing only the Marinara (topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and sometimes basil) and the Margherita as authentic pizzas.
The Italian Ministry of Agricultural Politics recently passed a law governing how the pizzas must be made if they want to bear either of these names:

Must be round and no more than 13 ¾ inches in diameter
Center must be less than one-tenth of an inch tall
Crust must be three-quarters of an inch thick or less
Dough has to be kneaded entirely by hand
Must use very specific and traditional types of salt, flour, tomatoes and yeast
[source: MSNBC]

Most expensive: Scottish chef Domenico Crolla created the “Pizza Royale 007” (in honor of James Bond) for a fundraiser. It cost 3,000 euros ($4,437) and featured high-end toppings like edible gold, lobster marinated in cognac, champagne-soaked caviar, venison medallions and smoked salmon [source: BBC].

Most extravagant: Though it is hard to top Crolla’s creation, the “Luxury Pizza” at Nino’s Bellissima restaurant in New York City is covered with fresh lobster, crème fraiche, chives and six types of caviar. At $125 per slice and $1,000 per 12-inch pizza, this entree is certainly a delicacy [source: Reuters].

Largest ever made: According to Guinness World Records, this feat was accomplished on Dec. 8, 1990, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pizza measured 122.7 feet (37.4 meters) in diameter and required 1,102 pounds (500 kilograms) of flour, 1,764 pounds (800 kg) of cheese and 1,984 pounds (900 kg) of tomato puree.

Largest ever made and eaten: Guinness World Records credits the city of Havana, Fla., with hosting this accomplishment on Oct. 11, 1987. The pizza tipped the scales at 44,457 pounds (20,165 kg). The pie was divided into 94,248 slices and devoured by 30,000-plus spectators.

Longest pizza delivery: Lucy Clough of Domino’s Pizza is arguably the world’s most dedicated pizza delivery person. On Nov. 19, 2004, she traveled 10,532 miles (16,950 kilometers) from London to Melbourne, Australia, to set the record for longest pizza delivery, as recognized by Guinness World Records.

To learn more about pizza, check out the links on the next page.

Domino’s Pizza Legends
If you visit urban legend Web site Snopes.com and type in “pizza,” you’ll notice that most of the results are related to Domino’s Pizza. Here is a rundown:
Legend: The “30 minutes or less and it’s free” promise was discontinued because a rushing delivery driver fatally hit a child with his car.
Truth: Domino’s reportedly settled out of court in a few cases involving automobile accidents with drivers, one of which killed a woman. Domino’s never said that the time limit was a factor and instead blamed weather and road conditions. The chain now emphasizes quality with the “Made Fresh, Arrives Fresh” guarantee.

Legend: Domino’s Pizza provides financial assistance to anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.
Truth: Domino’s does not contribute financially, but founder Tom Monaghan is a champion of pro-life causes. Monaghan doesn’t even own Domino’s anymore — he sold it in 1998 for $1 billion. Which brings us to our next legend…

Legend: The founder of Domino’s is building an all-Catholic town in Florida.
Truth: This one is actually right. Monaghan is currently heading up the development of Ave Maria, Fla., which is about 90 miles from Miami. The city will ban practices frowned upon by Catholicism, such as pornography, birth control and abortions. Eventually, the city will be home to more than 30,000 residents, including 5,000 students at a new Catholic university.

“Cheese” Pizza

I need to step outside reviewing for one moment here:

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When did it become acceptable to ask someone if they wanted a cheese slice of pizza? Maybe it is my fault for growing up in a civilized pizza region of the world, but when you walked into a pizza place and said “give me a slice”, the guy/girl behind the counter never said “what kind, a cheese slice”? Cause I guess they anticipated the NO I JUST WANT DOUGH AND SAUCE answer that would follow. Let’s get something straight people of Florida and anywhere else that is as clueless when it comes to pizza, when I walk into a pizzeria and ask for a slice, it is naturally a slice with cheese. If I said I want a slice with meatballs then it would be a slice with meatballs. If pizza places want to call baked dough and sauce PIZZA, then I will rightfully agree to say I would like a Cheese Slice. But until then when I ask for a slice of pizza… I no longer want to hear some moronic response like, a cheese slice?