Lost and Found

Has anyone lost part of his or her copper scouring pad or know someone who has? You know, the metal sponge that is used to clean pots and pans?

If so, please contact us. We have found part of your copper scouring pad.

Last Friday.

In our pizza.

From the Upper Crust.

It is Kelly's lot in life to find mysterious items in her food. It happens so often that she actually reflects on whether or not she should continue to eat the food once she has found something odd in it. Gross?

One time, at an unmentionable BYO italian restaurant in Philadelphia, Kelly found a penny in her gnocchi. Reflecting. Pennies are currency. Reflecting. Currencies touch many people's hands. Reflecting. Hands touch lots of gross things and carry gross bacteria. Reflecting. Not going to continue to eat gnocchi. Then her loud friend, made louder by the previously mentioned BYO aspect of the restaurant, called the waiter over and made a big stink. And she got her meal for free.

Given the frequency with which this happens to Kelly, not wanting to make a big stink is why the reflecting has to occur.

And reflect as she did about her find in the pizza from the Upper Crust, she decided not to finish the slice. But of course, it was pretty good pizza: Upper Crust's tomato, mozzarella, and basil. And there was good company: her parents and her lovely husband Shaan. And there was a nice atmosphere: their kitchen table. So she took a different slice. After inspecting it with a few scientific tests, it was consumed with enjoyment and satisfaction.

As for the scouring pad, please claim it. It is here waiting for you.

Move Over Upper Crust

Move over, Upper Crust! Step aside, Pizzeria Regina! Among the best "zza" in the Boston area can be found in Roslindale at Cafe Rialto. It was over a week ago that we tasted the masterpiece, and since then we have been dreaming about it and telling all our friends. It's really quite amazing. The ingredients are great and the ratio is perfect. Best of all, it can be enjoyed with friends over trivia on Thursday nights. It's our new Thursday night tradition.

So, your inference is correct: this pizza was had on Thursday, not Friday. You may cry out, "Sacrilege!" But before you do, understand that there is no rule about having pizza ONLY on Fridays; the rule is only that it MUST be had on Fridays. Following this rule, we can eat pizza every day if we wish. Truthfully, we have gone quite a few days in a row-- but rarely have we missed a Friday.

The day after we tasted this little bit of heaven at Cafe Rialto, we feared that one of these rare occasions may have been upon us. Our good friends Jen and Dave were getting married and their rehearsal dinner was on Friday night. We resigned ourselves to having an enjoyable night celebrating our friends sans pizza--and that we did. The rehearsing, the slideshow, the toasts, the company, and the Italian food (... not pizza) were all very enjoyable. Of course something felt missing, and we knew that something was our dear friend Friday Night Zza. After the party was the afterparty at the hotel bar. And the wonderful celebration day was complete when Jen's Uncle Tim pulled through with delivery at quarter to 12. What goes better with cheap beer?

Fears put to rest: Tradition Accomplished.

Eating in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

With the sweet smell of home-baked pizza in the air, we reminisce about the New Zealand pizza enjoyed on our honeymoon two weeks ago.

Sometimes we wonder what foreigners think of us when we ask, "Where is the best pizza around?" They are probably thinking something along the lines of (insert degrading adjective here) Americans. But when you have Friday pizza as a religion, you still have to ask the question. The question was answered with a few delicious sounding suggestions. After breakfasting (eating "brekky") at Halo, the only possible selection we could make for dinner was Hell.

Intriguing to say the least, the promotional materials were full of flames and demons. However, the cashier, who seemed to be the owner, was welcoming and friendly. We settled on Brimstone.

Brimstone: Avocado, onions, salsa, tomatoes, cajun chicken, and sour cream

It's tough to decide on a gourmet pizza selection when you crave salty, greasy pepperoni by Friday of each week. We understand it's good to branch out and try new things, however. And really, we value artistry in food. So, while the pizza from Hell wasn't what we were expecting, we thoroughly enjoyed it: two thumbs up. Wish we had this kind of Hell in the U S and A.

Pizza is out of the oven and it's time to mangia mangia. It's not gourmet like Hell, but it does the trick, keeps some money in the bank and us from packing on the pounds. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Where is the Pizza Hut?

The words of our uncle, while driving the streets of Mumbai, January 2010.

Anywhere we are, anywhere we go, Friday is pizza night. This is because S was raised in a family where Friday pizza was like religion. K enjoyed it on special occasions like soccer parties and after swim meets. When we met in college, pizza bonded us (among other things, of course), and we enjoyed weeks of 5-5-5 deals from Dominos. Now married, we carry on the family tradition of pizza on Fridays and have carried it across the globe.

Determined that there was a Pizza Hut in the area, Uncle rolled his window down to ask passerbys in his Indian accent, "Where is the Pizza Hut?!" Even those who looked like they would know stared blankly. Convinced the Pizza Hut must have moved (rather than reaching the obvious conclusion that it never existed), fate brought us to a Dominos. When we looked up at the menu, salivating at the idea of greasy American food, we found items such as "Mexican Green Wave" and "Peppy Paneer".

Mexican Green Wave: A pizza loaded with crunchy onions, crispy capsicum, juicy tomatoes and jalapenos with a liberal sprinkling of exotic Mexican herbs.

Peppy Paneer: Chunky paneer with crisp capsicum and spicy red pepper--quite a mouthful

These along with Margherita pizza (South Asian style, of course), all on a thin crust base, formed our Friday night family feast in Mumbai, India. Enjoyed by all and with a spicy taste in our mouths, we began dreaming up our pizza blog currently on your screen, immortalizing the words of Uncle: "Where is the Pizza Hut?!"

Check back for updates on our Friday Pizza adventures, beginning soon with recounts of the last three weeks of Friday pizza including more tales of pizza eating abroad!

Dominos India: http://www.dominos.co.in/index.jsp