Why has pizza been called the world’s most perfect food? Because it includes every taste and texture we crave, all in one dish: sweet, savory, chewy, crunchy. Oh yeah, and cheese, tons of cheese. What’s not to love? And yet, when I first tried pizza I didn’t like it. My primitive kid-buds preferred squishy-sweet canned spaghetti.
But I rediscovered the world’s most perfect food a million new taste receptors later. By the time I was a teenager, 19th century beer-hall-themed “pizza parlors” had become a thing (go figure). People sang along to tack-pianos, while crunching their way through big, crispy communal pizzas. Pizza parlors were tailor-made for groups. And in my case, that meant high school drama geeks.
We’d just finished opening night of the anti-racist musical Finian’s Rainbow. In it, I played Og the leprechaun, and my buddy Mike played the leader of a black gospel group. Just for fun, we decided to go to the cast party at our local Shakey’s Pizza Parlor–in full costume and make-up.
Our little suburb had no Black people. But Mike’s Greek complexion and nearly-African-American hair-itage (along with some subtle make-up) made him a believable and rather dapper black man.
There were no openly gay people where we lived either. So, when a black dude and his white, cross-dressing “boyfriend”—decked out in green eye-shadow and cute, pointy little shoes—walked in arm-in-arm, well…let’s just say the music stopped.
We sat down amid the after-football crowd, who began to rumble. Loudly. But then we got up and moved to the theatre crowd table. Our fellow actors roared with delight. Our drama teacher Mr. Baker, whispered, “Gutsy, boys, very gutsy.” And then he grinned. Loudly.
As a young adult, I discovered a wide world full of chewy-thick, crunchy-thin, chunky tomato-y, smooth Alfredo-y, garlicy pesto-y, profoundly cheesified pizzas to love, and began eating it every Friday night.
I eventually found a woman who was equally passionate about pizza, and took it as a sign from heaven (or maybe Italy). So I married her. A few years further on, each of our toddler daughters tried their first solid food–pizza–on a Friday night. And each, having inherited their mother’s superior taste-buds, fell instantly in love with it. And why shouldn’t they? After all…
It’s the world’s most perfect food.
P.S. I’m on a brief hiatus from the My Real Memoir series normally posted on Tuesdays. It will return soon.
I agree. I too think pizza is the world’s most perfect food. 🙂
And this is from a bonafide chef, folks!
Pizza is a great party food.
Agreed.
I like that you can change the toppings as per your likes. I like paneer and corn in my pizza.
Indian style!
I ate my first pizza in Sicily in Palermo
Wow! That’s a long way to go just to order a pizza, Sheree. ;>P
This was before Pizzas were a thing in UK. I still remember eating with my Dad in the first Italian restaurant to open in Birmingham. It was called Gino’s.
I visited England in the late 70’s, and couldn’t find a decent pizza place–not even in London! But I’m sure that’s changed since then.
The whole UK dining scene has radically changed – thank goodness.
Yes it is, the world’s greatest
I think wood-fired pizza just might be the very best of the best!
I have to agree!
Opened my email while waiting at a place called Gianni’s on a just placed Pizza with a side salad… 🍕😺
Divine approval! ;>)
I agree, most perfect
Whoa–Shakey’s Pizza Parlor is definitely a blast from the past.
Yep. There was another California-style pizza parlor I liked even better back then called Me ‘n’ Eds.
Our Shakey’s had two sides: one for the grownups and the other for the kiddos. Each side played age appropriate movies. I enjoyed the cartoons and chaos on our side. I always wondered what my parents were watching that I couldn’t watch until I was “much older.”🤨
;>)
Most favored, unless you’re lactose intolerant. 😂 It does taste good though.
Have you ever tries pizza made with non-dairy cheese?
If it’s anything like non-dairy ice cream, I can do without it.
my girls would agree with you, Mitch…pizza it is…( 🥴 lol …)
Smart girls!
bless Napoli–and your good experience
Please no pineapple on a pizza, it’s just wrong. My mom liked it that way then one day I told her pineapple on pizza was illegal in some states – and she believed me hahaha
I like “Hawaiian” pizza. but I’m the only one in my family who does, so I don’t get it very often.
Pizza sure is tasty if done well.
It’s surprising they haven’t yet figured out how to put pizza in a can. 🙂
Please, God, no!
Oh Mitch, you are killing me with laughter, I could just image those two. 🙂 :-). Thanks for Tuesday’s laughter. Sending blessings to you and your entire family.
I got very lucky and found a woman who also likes pizza as much as I…well ok, she couldn’t eat it every day like I could.🍕
Just had some pizza for dinner so this is very timely Mitch 😊
Some good laughs, Mitch. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pizza. The best we ever had, and I’m going back to about 1969, was just a little hole in the wall pizza place in The Bronx called Villa Gallena where we’d go after a Friday or Saturday night date. The crust was paper thin, not soft but not too crisp, either. There was no mozzarella on the pizza; they used grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses over a thin layer of tomato sauce, all melted so that it blended together and got nice and gooey. I’m probably not doing it justice, but you’ll just have to take my word for it. It was the best pizza I ever had and we still talk about it 57 years later!
Mike, you had me at pizza. In another life we built a sweet French bistro in a prairie city in Canada. It flourished and was rated in one of one hundred best restaurants in Canada. Once a week at the end of a hectic night we made pizza for our staff. We loved pizza , We loved it so much that we moved to Vancouver and opened Passionate Pizza. In the first six months of operation we were voted (by the pizza eating populous ) best pizza in the city. Retired and living in the country Thursday night is pizza night. Extra pizzas are made as pizza night is general knowledge and one never knows who is going to show up.
I worked six years at Shakeys Pizza in Rockville MD from 1978 – 1984. What an experience. It’s where I learned my work ethic.
How cool, Jeff.
My wife grew up in China, and does not like Pizza. When she is away looking after grandkids, I live on it to catch up with my fix.
;>)
I also ate my first pizza in high school — probably at the Me’n’Ed’s Pizza Parlor where I went with a church group. But Shakey’s! I had forgotten about Shakey’s. I definitely ate their pizza, too…
Pizza is hard to beat, but I have met more than one person who doesn’t like it. I have rarely met a pizza I didn’t like; one of the most memorable was in the cathedral town of Wells, England, where my daughter and I sat on the cathedral green eating what seemed like the most flavorful pizza ever, with the crispiest crust. But then, we were hungrier than usual!
Thanks for an enjoyable look back.
My pleasure, Joanna!
I worked backstage on our high school’s production of Finian’s rainbow. I think the year was 1959. To this day, it is one of my favorite shows; I own the DVD with Fred Astaire.
It’s a delightful show with one of the all-time great musical scores.
My goodness, I remember Shakey’s. The yearbook crowd hung out there, too!
Yep!
I remember our Shakey’s had a player piano!
Pizza is a staple at our house. Happy afternoon!
I didn’t like pizza when I was a kid, either! I think I was exposed to a lot of very low-quality pizza before I had a good one, also.
Sadly, there are plenty of bad pizza places around.
My husband and I celebrated our engagement in 1985 with a deep pan vegetarian pizza at Pizza Hut! The toasty bottom of the pizza base was exquisite! 😊 Haven’t had one for many years sadly. Think many, if not all, of the UK shops shut this year. 😕
In 1985 our youngest had his first visit to a Pizza Hut at six weeks old. Those booths were cosy for shuffling the whole family in and feeding babies.
:>( I’ll bet there are some great little ma ‘n’ pa pizza places waiting for you to discover them!
Nothing will ever match the first pizza I ever tasted when I was about seventeen. In little Perth, Western Australia, my family had only tried spring rolls at the fish and chip shop and Kentucky Fried Chicken. When a bloke at youth group said ‘Let’s go to the new Pizza Hut’ I had no idea what he was talking about. Seems hard to believe now I had never heard of pizza. It tasted divine and was very filling I took the leftover piece home for breakfast.
Love at first bite!
Shakey’s had great pizza, and you’re right, it is a food group of its own.
;>)
Ahhh. Pizza. You are so right Mitch, it is the perfect food 🙂
I absolutely love pizza! It’s one of my
Favorite foods. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Nikki.
It is!
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Molti amano mangiare la pizza 🍕 ma secondo me è un cibo spazzatura , troppo olio e condimento pesante,sono per i cibi più delicati, insalata, brodino e passati di verdure.La pizza è pesante e per molti è il cibo preferito, ma anche se sono giovane mi piace mangiare light non cibo fritto e neanche la pizza che per me è pesante.Ciao
Buon appetito, Desire’!
Devi poter tradurre altrimenti non capisci il senso… Ciao
Brilliant
https://kalagabooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/10/how-food-creators-can-truly-build-trust-online/
Now I’m in the mood for pizza!
;>)
A lot of pizza is sheer ‘toot’ over packaged and under flavoured. I’d leave 90% of things called pizza for the birds. Thank you for posting!
Oh, yes. As popular as it is, it’s inevitable that there would be a ton of bad pizza out there.