There are certain foods that everyone loves, but everyone loves different versions of the same basic recipe.
Think of the best chili you’ve ever had, or the best BBQ. Maybe it was years ago, but that first taste secured it’s place in your memory as THE BEST you could even imagine. I’m sure that everyone has a very different version of the classic dish in mind. The spices were definitely different, and the preparation method used was probably very different. In fact if you sit two of these "best" dishes side by side they may look entirely different from one another.
Pizza is one of those foods that can make or break a restaurant — or just has a minimal contribution that is largely ignored. Near obsession can take hold of a person when they think of that pizza joint three hours away that had the best pizza when they were in college.
How fresh were the toppings…
The perfect blend of seasonings in the sauce…
The best white sauce pizza ever…
How crispy or thick was the crust…
Was it greasy and thin, or thick and hearty…
You do hear a lot of opinions about the types of crusts that makes a great pizza, but usually that’s focussed on what whether it’s thick or thin, crispy or soft. I’m wondering why we never hear about the taste of the crust itself and how it was seasoned.
What brings this to mind is one of the worst pizzas I’ve had, and unsurprisingly it was an airport during a layover in Chicago (don’t attack me Chicago-pizza lovers…it was the airport part that was unsurprising!). It was an eggy pizza crust that really over-powered the pizza taste that I was kind of enjoying.
Other than the stuffed crust pizzas you hear about in the major pizza brand ads, little attention seems to be paid to the taste of the crust. Now I’m sure that’s not entirely the case, and that pizza makers around the world do pay attention to what makes a good crust. Thing is, you never hear anything about it when someone talks about their favorite pizza, or when there is an article about the best pizza joints in town.
I’d like to hear about your favorite pizza and the crust that made it special — and of course, where it was (even if it wasn’t in Richmond). Leave a comment and share with us why that crust was the best tasting ever. Remember, it’s not the consistency of the crust, but the taste that I’m asking about.
