Welcome back, dear reader, and I must say I am glad to see you. My previous post was a bit morose, I admit. I've pondered on why I was so disgruntled about pizza and pizza writing. Granted, I still believe I had some valid points, yet I took a step back from my dark vapors and meditated.
I am glad I have grappled with these issues. You see, many are content to wander through life without questioning the merits of their pizza endeavors. But I do not think it is meant to be so. The unexamined pizza life is not worth living. Or, to use a theological reference, in the book of Genesis, Jacob wrestles with god, and I believe we must wrestle with pizza and its depiction in blog form.
I started wondering about the types of pizza I am eating. I am often eating Naples-style pizzas, and specifically margheritas. I often order them because I feel I am getting the purest, most direct pizza experience. The logic is that toppings detract from the transcendental pizza in-it-self. I do believe there is something to be said for a margherita pizza, but if this is all you're eating, you're going to get frustrated. Also, some of the finest pizzas do have toppings.
I should probably mention two of my favorite pizzas are the margherita from Motorino and the margherita from Una Pizza Napoletana. Both of these places are undeniably inspired by Naples pizza, although arguments could be made that they deviate in their own, subtle ways. They are pizza most basic, and they are delicious.
But to continue my argument, if that's all you're eating, you're going to hit a wall. Further, I tend to be eating margheritas from the same places over and over again. Therefore, to revitalize my pizza eating (and hopefully pizza writing), I am setting a new goal: I will try two new pizza places a month for the rest of my life.
For each month, one pizza place can be an establishment I've read about; the other must be a place I simply find by wandering around, without any prior planning. Given the arrival of nice weather, this will not be a problem while on my trusty bicycle. I will simply ride until I find a place I feel like trying.
Of course, two new places a month is a minimum. I can do more, and I can eat at places I've already been to as much as I want.
Courage!
