Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Perfect Food

Now I wouldn't call myself an authority on pizza, but then again, I have consumed an obscene amount of pizza. From Original Ray's near 6th Ave in NYC to Roman style pizza, in the eternal city itself, wherever I go pizza seems to find me...or I seem to find pizza. Pizza, dare I say, may be the perfect food. It's extremely versatile with imagination being the only limiting factor. Although I must admit, as I'm a bit of a purist, good ol' pepperoni still does it for me. On the other hand, I could just as well go for a deliciously fragrant pizza Margarita. Or perhaps a pie topped with prosciutto, super fresh Parmigiano Reggiano on a bed of peppery arugula.

From the days when I was a scrawny teen, some of my fondest memories always involved a slice of "za" and soda. Of course, it would be silly to suggest that I only drink pop with my pizza. Man-sodas, aka beer, and even the occasional chianti, are also choice beverages to imbibe with our cheesy friend.

Okay, this post is starting to make me hungry. Especially since tonight's dinner was far too healthy for a man of my considerable girth. In case you're curious, we threw down Baked Sole with lemon and fresh dill and side of asparagus. Not bad, but it sounds downright boring when compared to pizza. Sole is a very light fish and just doesn't cut it 3 hours after dinner. Not really helping that I'm posting about the quintessential comfort food.

Anyway, allow me to proceed.

One can find pizza just about anywhere: High end restaurants, bistros, wine bars, the traditional pizza parlor (boy, there's an old school term for ya), and even sporting events.

So I leave you with these poignant questions:

Will one day the mighty pizza eclipse the all American hot dog as the food of choice at baseball games? Can the old school pizzeria nudge the dainty sushi slop shops proliferating the Sacramento dining scene??

Only time will tell friends. But I am confident that "za" will continue toward ultimate gastronomic supremacy. For it is pizza, the perfect food.