Over 70's: Do you remember your first pizza?

[MossRoad]

There's a family owned pizza joint in town, Paesello's, that makes really great pizza. They have been voted Best Pizza in Michiana a couple of times.
Jeez, makes me hungry just thinking about them.

We'll have to try that. My wife and I have been hiking your county parks lately and always end up hungry!

Barnaby's Pizza in South Bend by Howard Park was always our go-to pizza place since grade school. After ice skating at Howard Park or after a high school football game at School Field, get a large cheese pizza with extra cheese and some cold beer once we were legal(maybe a few years before that ). We still go there a few times a year when the kids are in town.

 

[BravoXray]

We'll have to try that. My wife and I have been hiking your county parks lately and always end up hungry!

Barnaby's Pizza in South Bend by Howard Park was always our go-to pizza place since grade school. After ice skating at Howard Park or after a high school football game at School Field, get a large cheese pizza with extra cheese and some cold beer once we were legal(maybe a few years before that ). We still go there a few times a year when the kids are in town.

We do have some nice parks in Elkhart County.
Paesello's is on US33 next to the Family Dollar on the north edge of town, east side of the road. 574-533-2200

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My favorite pizza is in western MD at a local restaurant, wood fired.

 

[bunyip]

I knew an Italian pizza shop owner quite well and he told me about the best pizza, came from naples and was just a dough topped with parm a ham, oil and a sprinkle of parmesan, he went back to Italy after 30 years and told me was going to this place.
When he got back he was disgusted, he said the place was still there and he asked for the most popular pizza, they brought out the 'Aussie', tomato, cheese, ham, pineapple with and egg in the middle, had to go back to get the original, I heard about this for the next two years.
My first pizza was in 1967 when I was in the Air Force, I was working overnight in a comms squadron and there was a pizza shop not far away, I didn't like it as I dislike olives and anchovies and not aware there were others, I now go to a local woodfired pizza shop when we don't make our own when I can't be bothered firing up the wood fired oven outside, at the moment it is winter and too cold.......... by our standards, 14C today.

 

[bunyip]

I might add I like traditional pizzas, not a lot of topping and definitely not a lot of cheese, I saw a youtube video of someoneone making a big party pizza, layer of sauce followed by lots of mozzarella then a layer of salami then repeated twice over, coronary on a crust, dripping grease everywhere, not my idea of a good pizza.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I might add I like traditional pizzas, not a lot of topping and definitely not a lot of cheese, I saw a youtube video of someoneone making a big party pizza, layer of sauce followed by lots of mozzarella then a layer of salami then repeated twice over, coronary on a crust, dripping grease everywhere, not my idea of a good pizza.

That sounds so good.

 

[stuckmotor]

I knew an Italian pizza shop owner quite well and he told me about the best pizza, came from naples and was just a dough topped with parm a ham, oil and a sprinkle of parmesan, he went back to Italy after 30 years and told me was going to this place.
When he got back he was disgusted, he said the place was still there and he asked for the most popular pizza, they brought out the 'Aussie', tomato, cheese, ham, pineapple with and egg in the middle, had to go back to get the original, I heard about this for the next two years.
My first pizza was in 1967 when I was in the Air Force, I was working overnight in a comms squadron and there was a pizza shop not far away, I didn't like it as I dislike olives and anchovies and not aware there were others, I now go to a local woodfired pizza shop when we don't make our own when I can't be bothered firing up the wood fired oven outside, at the moment it is winter and too cold.......... by our standards, 14C today.

Your mention of Naples reminds me of a thicker cheesier pizza that Pizza Hutt carried for several months possibly thirty years ago. The name might have been Napolo all I can remember is that it sounded like a place in Italy. If Pizza Hut ever brought them back, I missed it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I might add I like traditional pizzas, not a lot of topping and definitely not a lot of cheese, I saw a youtube video of someoneone making a big party pizza, layer of sauce followed by lots of mozzarella then a layer of salami then repeated twice over, coronary on a crust, dripping grease everywhere, not my idea of a good pizza.

One of my favorites is a tomato torte. Spread the crust with pesto, add sliced tomato and asiago. Bake.

I had a roasted garlic pizza in Amsterdam that had no tomato at all. It was delicious.

I ordered a pizza in Belgium called the "Four Seasons" that was served warm, not hot, and had a raw egg in one quarter. Not an experience I wanted to repeat.

The worst pizza I ever got in the US was at Godfather's. Lousy crust, thin toppings, no flavor.

One of the best pizzas I ever had was a little place in Winthrop, Wash. They used a pre-made crust, but the toppings were to die for. Smoked meats and cheeses at their best.

You can get pretty good pizza in Italy.

One of my pipe dreams is to build a wood fired pizza oven in the back yard. I would put the firebox under the oven, duct the smoke into the oven at the rear and out the stack in the front.

 

[bunyip]

We have pizza hut, I am not one of their customers, one I like at home is tomato base, thin sliced roast potato and topped with stilton and some bocconcini, once again the cheese is sparse, a friend does one similar but with broccoli rather than potato, also very nice, wife likes smoked salmon and brie, then just to be different we put it just the base in the pizza oven and it puffs up, take it out, cut it in half and stuff the pocket with rocket (aragula), proscuitto and thin sliced brie or camembert, magic but must be hot so the cheese melts over the rest of everyrhing.

 

[/pine]

...The worst pizza I ever got in the US was at Godfather's. Lousy crust, thin toppings, no flavor....

The building where Godfather's Pizza was in my old stomping grounds...just happened to be bought out by several enterprising gents (mostly with restaurant industry backgrounds)...the establishment they opened is the original Hooters...The rest is history...

BTW...if you visit Clearwater FL (just across the causeway from TIA)...be sure to check it out...outside in one of the flower beds is a tombstone that says "RIP Godfather's Pizza"...!

 

[Jstpssng]

One pizza I accidently tried had ranch dressing instead of tomato sauce.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I like BBQ pizza with jalapeños.

 

[Ken]

I like BBQ pizza with jalapeños.

Back in an earlier post a comment that didn't like Biscuits and Gravy. My memories were that a biscuit would be placed on the plate the soft( inside) biscuit up so could soak as much of the gravy as possible. The red-eye gravy from grease-cooked when frying bacon. This became popular during the Depression when there was very little food to be had. it was filling and didn't need experience in cooking.

Also, remember when a cattleman who was tighter than a bowstring was hiring to help the branding of his cattle.
Needing to go to town and took a helper to get some supplies. the cook requested loaves of light bread to help with the meal a upon returning the helper realized the rancher had not bought the loaves of bread requested by the cook. Rancher stopped at the store and bought a sack of flour. and then commented the cook could make the bread as light as he wanted.

Also in the mid-'50s Microwave towers were being installed on top of buildings. Downtown St. Louis at lunchtime took the elevator to the street level and walked 1/2 block to a small food place went in. The waitress was mopping the floor and asked what we wanted for our meal. Holding the mop wet hands and looked disheveled in appearance. the person with me requested she wash her hands and sell a can of soup .he would open it outside. she did think it was a Cream of chicken.
ken

 

[Buggs67]

My new favorite topping is bacon and extra provolone cheese......

I could eat a pizza like that every day!

Some people say a White Pie is not pizza, but I like a White Pie with sliced tomatoes and bacon.

 

[dmccarty]

...

Just out of curiosity, what do you consider "Crazy ingredients?"

I like anchovies but I don't consider them "Crazy ingredients."

There is/was a pizza place near where we lived in the city. Forgot the name, but they had a huge list of ingredients you could put on a pizza, both for dinner and desert pizza.

A group of us from work went to this pizza place for dinner. One of the guys was from India and he ordered a pizza with Rattlesnake, yes, that was not a typeo, and chocolate chips. We did ask if he was SURE he wanted Rattlesnake and chocolate chips. He said yes. The waitress ask if he was SURE if he wanted Rattlesnake and chocolate chips. He said yes.

We all were given our pizzas but it took forever for him to get his Rattlesnake and Chocolate Pizza Pie. I swear they went out in the woods to catch, kill and clean the rattlesnake.

I would have tried it except of the chocolate chips...

For the record, he did not like his Rattlesnake and Chocolate Pizza Pie. I know everyone is shocked and surprised that Rattlesnake and chocolate does not go together.

There used to be a good, family pizza place I used to visit. The owner was a woman who was a bit out there. She kept garlic hanging around the doors to keep away the vampires and I kid ye not. She kept something really weird in the freezer to keep away werewolves but I can't remember what it was. She was different that is for sure but she had great pizza. I really miss the taco pizza she would make. It had ground hamburger, onions, spices and sauce to which she added lettuce and tomatoes when the pizza was cooked. I don't think I have ever found another place with a taco pizza.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Your mention of Naples reminds me of a thicker cheesier pizza that Pizza Hutt carried for several months possibly thirty years ago. The name might have been Napolo all I can remember is that it sounded like a place in Italy. If Pizza Hut ever brought them back, I missed it.

Too many decades ago, I worked with a young, thin guy, well, we were all young back then and maybe thinner.

Anyway, this guy would eat at Pizza Hut almost every day. Sometimes for dinner and lunch. I like pizza, and I suppose I could eat pizza every day if the pizza was different, but he would eat the Meat Lovers Pizza every, single trip to Pizza Hut. No way could I eat a Meat Lovers Pizza every day.

Lost touch with him decades ago. I can't imagine he is still alive if he kept up that diet.

Later,
Dan

 

[Jstpssng]

I know everyone is shocked and surprised that Rattlesnake and chocolate does not go together.

Chocolate chips go good on a lot of things. Two things they shouldn’t be on though, are pizza and pancakes.

Rattlesnake might be ok… if there was enough sauce, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and Hamburg so that I didn’t know I was eating rattlesnake.

And thank you for answering my question.

Not pizza, but a place we used to stop at on the way to Bar Harbor used to make a great pepperoni sub. It was sliced pepperoni built with tomato sauce and cheese, just as you would a meatball sandwich. I’ve tried many times since then to get somebody to make one, but nobody has been able to match it.
Rather odd, considering that I won’t generally eat pizza if it has pepperoni on it. I’ve had too much over the years.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My wife has eaten rattlesnake.

 

[stuckmotor]

My wife has eaten rattlesnake.

Sometimes my wife is as mean as a rattlesnake.

 

[stuckmotor]

<Snip>

Lost touch with him decades ago. I can't imagine he is still alive if he kept up that diet.

Later,
Dan

I was thinking the same thing.