Inside the Pizza Convention, the Cheesiest Event in Atlantic City

You must get out the house for pizza. Detroit style is my current favorite, surpassing Neapolitan, my close second. Pre-cut sectors? That’s a new one for me. Weird.

I would love to taste each and every pie across the country. But because I can't, I have my own home made favorite and it's cheap and easy with store bought ingredients. Toast "generic" English muffins (preferred for thickness over Thomas' brand by myself). Toasting the muffins brown first helps cut down on sogginess from sauce seepage. Then lather them with Prego Pizzaria sauce (my personal favorite). You can mix sugar or Sweet and Low into the sauce first before adding if you desire sweetness. Then cut and fit a partial slice of mozzarella over each muffin, add your favorite topping and broil in the oven until golden brown. Use a fork and knife if necessary as they will be extremely hot or allow to cool to eat regular style. Just a suggestion that works for me. Enjoy!

The legendary Ben's Pizzeria, at the corner of McDougal & West 3rd street, in Greenwich Village. Best pizza in NY (the world?), has not changed much in the last 35 years. If you'had a slice you know what I'm talking about.

Pizza is only second worst to hamburger on a soft bun, with ketchup and tasteless vegetables. I like only home-made pizza, precut into sectors, and individual ingredients and different cheeses placed on each slice before baking. No offense meant to the orthodox pizza lovers.

Back in the early '50s as an 8th-grader, I'd catch rides to senior high band practice with the "big guys" who had cars. We'd usually go to the root beer stand afterwards. One night someone said, "Let's go up to West Palm for a pizza pie." But what I heard was "piece of pie" because I'd never heard of pizza before. Needless to say, after one bite I was hooked, and my wife and I have consumed about a gazillion "pies" since.

I just came back from Rome. I was amazed at how much pizza the Italians eat, including at fine restaurants. And I thought it was just an American addiction.

I started making Pizzas for my family at age 10. Chef Boyardee kits, to start, it WAS the Seventies. Branched out from there. Want to really know a new or even old acquaintance ? Ask them to choose only three items to consume, besides water, for the rest of their life. Mine: Pizza, Ice Cream, and Wine. Tell me yours, and I’ll tell you your approximate age and where you grew up. It’s usually very accurate. Try it.

So, where is the winner's- Vincent Gallagher- pizzaria? I can only suspect not in NYC, NYT.

Only in America...

Coming home from CCNY in the early 60's, it was an egg cream in a paper cone, itself inside a metal holder in the hot days of summer at United Cigar, or an absolutely fresh and hot plain slice- what else was there- with a coke for 25 cents at Gloria's Pizza, both just outside the end of the 7 train in Flushing. I swear I can still taste the egg cream and smell the pizza, and I don't think I have ever found anything better

Mind boggling that pizza culture has exploded like this. I feel like Rip Van Winkle - waking up after his 40 year (?) nap to a different world. As a kid in the early 60's out near Ft Hamilton, Brooklyn (near 96St and Shore Road) I dimly recall an occasional pizza being brought home by my father from what must have been some local shop - just a pizza. Simple. No frills. Not made by experts. No secret gourmet ingredients - but I can still remember the thick, round, fragrant crust - the whole kitchen filled with the aromas of it. Guess it would be the proto-type for the Empire of pizza that came later. I know this must sound like what, a comment by a dinosaur? Still, it is amazing how this piece of simple food has evolved in warp speed into such a competitive culture that so many people are obsessing about. Finally, I was pretty shocked that when I traveled through Italy in the 70's as a traveler with a knapsack and minimal funds and went looking for a cheap slice - turned out that pizza was pretty much unheard of there because it was an American creation. We were condemned to a lot of cheap pasta instead and missed it. (could be that it was available, my comrades and I just never came across any though we inquired about it - no one seemed to know anything about it.).

Fun article and timely as just this week my husband and I decided to try a new pizza place once a week here in Asheville. There are so many good ones. And I am still warmed by the story in the Times this week about the successful immigrant who has discovered his passion in pizza and helping the homeless.

Ever think of using provolone instead of mozzarella? Try it. It has many of the same properties and it is less bland.

Pizza, french fries and doughnuts......that's it.

Cool.