Pizza-consumption idiosyncrasies

[Fat Guy]

Today I was at a pizzeria and a guy came in alone and got a large pepperoni pizza. He proceeded to eat only the heart of the pizza. I don't mean he just didn't eat the crust. I mean he didn't eat anything within several inches of the perimeter. Assuming it was a 16" pie, he ate maybe the interior 10". He left the rest behind as a pile of scraps and napkins on the metal pizza tray.

I've seen a lot of weird pizza behavior in my day, but I think this was the oddest. Can anybody top it?

[nibor]

I do that.

[gfweb]

The ranch dip atrocity

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[David Ross]

What a terrible waste. The outer edges of the crust, if it was cooked properly, are the best part. All crackly, creakly and burnt, bubbly edges. Ummm.

[Fat Guy]

Yes, if I had to choose the inner circle or the outer ring I'd choose the outer.

[Tri2Cook]

Yes, if I had to choose the inner circle or the outer ring I'd choose the outer.

Me too.

[annabelle]

That is one strange was to eat a pizza. I eat mine with a fork. Me and Donald Trump.

[Lisa Shock]

Yes, if I had to choose the inner circle or the outer ring I'd choose the outer.

Me too.

Agreed.

And, ranch dressing should never, ever be near a pizza. (I don't eat the stuff at all, but dipping pizza into it is a horrific abomination.)

Years ago, I worked in a restaurant that served pizza and other things. We also had french fries. Some people would order pizza and fries. I never understood this. I mean, the fries were good, we cut potatoes fresh every morning and fried them twice in peanut oil. But, for me, pizza and a small salad is enough.

[Alex]

I generally don't pay attention to how other people eat their pizza, so no, I can't top it. However...

Maybe that's his way of rationalizing to himself that he's on a low-carb diet.

Or he could be crust-phobic (it does happen) and wanted his mouth to stay a safe distance away.

[Shelby]

I do that.

Could you expand on that? Do you not like the crust?

Just curious.

Frankly, I start with the crust and work inward.

(and, shamefully, I've dipped in Ranch before )

[Tri2Cook]

Years ago, I worked in a restaurant that served pizza and other things. We also had french fries. Some people would order pizza and fries. I never understood this. I mean, the fries were good, we cut potatoes fresh every morning and fried them twice in peanut oil. But, for me, pizza and a small salad is enough.

Okay, since you posted that, I'm going to do a confession. Forgive me eGullet for I have sinned. It started as a joke one night after work several years ago. I suggested it, we had a good laugh and then somebody said "hey, why not". So we did it. I mixed up some dough. We topped it with a nice gravy, cut up and cooked some fries and piled them on, threw on some cheese and popped it in an oven. Poutine Pizza. Beer and enthusiasm are a dangerous mix. I'm not proud...

[gfweb]

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

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[Broken English]

Years ago, I worked in a restaurant that served pizza and other things. We also had french fries. Some people would order pizza and fries. I never understood this. I mean, the fries were good, we cut potatoes fresh every morning and fried them twice in peanut oil. But, for me, pizza and a small salad is enough.

Okay, since you posted that, I'm going to do a confession. Forgive me eGullet for I have sinned. It started as a joke one night after work several years ago. I suggested it, we had a good laugh and then somebody said "hey, why not". So we did it. I mixed up some dough. We topped it with a nice gravy, cut up and cooked some fries and piled them on, threw on some cheese and popped it in an oven. Poutine Pizza. Beer and enthusiasm are a dangerous mix. I'm not proud...

I'd be proud, that sounds hilariously revolting haha.

Was it edible?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Our four-year-old son has thankfully just gotten out of a phase of insisting on essence of pepperoni pizza, meaning he wanted to order a slice of pizza with pepperoni, but wanted to remove the pepperoni before eating it.

[Tri2Cook]

I'd be proud, that sounds hilariously revolting haha.

Was it edible?

At the time, with significant influence from liquid bread, it was. I haven't attempted to revisit it.

Our four-year-old son has thankfully just gotten out of a phase of insisting on essence of pepperoni pizza, meaning he wanted to order a slice of pizza with pepperoni, but wanted to remove the pepperoni before eating it.

Another shameful confession. I don't like pineapple on pizza but pizza that has had the pineapple removed is okay. The faint hint of pineapple is actually kinda nice as long as there is something spicy or salty to balance it. This wouldn't be so bad except I'm many times four-years-old and haven't outgrown it.

[demiglace]

Tri2Cook..you were onto something

http://mehungry-phyllis.blogspot.com/2010/06/vancouver-poutine-chronicles-2010.html

Edited September 4, 2011 by demiglace (log)

[Jenni]

Yes, if I had to choose the inner circle or the outer ring I'd choose the outer.

Really? I don't set out to waste crust/edges but towards the end of a pizza when I am feeling full I do start to leave the outer crust as it has less or even no topping. Having said that, I should point out that I prefer a very thin pizza and do not really like to eat lots of bread (I love carbs, just not bread). So I'd rather save room for delicious toppings than dry bread.

[nibor]

I do that.

Could you expand on that? Do you not like the crust?

Just curious.

Frankly, I start with the crust and work inward.

(and, shamefully, I've dipped in Ranch before )

If I wanted to eat bread, why order a pizza?

[nikkib]

i never understand people who order garic bread with pizza, i mean seriously!!! In reference to the initial pos, i also prefer the crust to the inner part of the pizza if i had to choose...

[slkinsey]

I have a feeling that there are a few reasons any someone might eat only the center of a pizza and leave the cornicione (aka "end crust") -- although the guy Steven describes is certainly on the extreme end of this practice:

First is that the crusts on most American "pizza parlor" style pizza baked in a deck oven (usually also in a pan) is insipid at best. So there is often nothing very good about the crust anyway, and the cornicione is a rind of dense, dry over baked bread. This stands in contrast to the pizza at wood and coal fired places, where the cornicione is an area of delicate, light, pillowy bread that would have appeal even were it not connected to the rest of the pizza. In a great deal of American pizza, if you're not going to eat the whole slice, one has to choose between the soggy tip or the desiccated end crust.

The second reason, and perhaps more important here, is that Americans tend to view pizza crust as being a vehicle for the toppings (toppings on a crust) whereas Italians view pizza toppings as being condiments for the crust (crust with some toppings). So, if your idea of pepperoni pizza is that pepperoni is the most important, cheese is the second most important, sauce is the third most important and crust is the least important... then it makes sense that you wouldn't eat the part of the slice that has only crust. I suppose if this is your outlook and you've ordered an entire large pizza for yourself, there's no reason to eat anything but the center of the pizza.

[weinoo]

Did anyone see Bourdain's No Reservations show where he visited Naples? It seems as if it was often the practice to leave the very outer crust..and of course, most Neapolitans were eating the pizza with a knife and fork.

[Broken English]

Did anyone see Bourdain's No Reservations show where he visited Naples? It seems as if it was often the practice to leave the very outer crust..and of course, most Neapolitans were eating the pizza with a knife and fork.

That's probably because they don't cut it for you in Italy, so it's much less easy to have it as finger food.

I have to say I'm not a huge crust fan, but wood fired crispy crust is another matter entirely.

[judiu]

Our four-year-old son has thankfully just gotten out of a phase of insisting on essence of pepperoni pizza, meaning he wanted to order a slice of pizza with pepperoni, but wanted to remove the pepperoni before eating it.

You don't have any older kids, do you? I can hear them now, "Dad, just put HIS pepperoni on MY slice...!"

[David A. Goldfarb]

Our four-year-old son has thankfully just gotten out of a phase of insisting on essence of pepperoni pizza, meaning he wanted to order a slice of pizza with pepperoni, but wanted to remove the pepperoni before eating it.

You don't have any older kids, do you? I can hear them now, "Dad, just put HIS pepperoni on MY slice...!"

No older kids, but rest assured, the pepperoni doesn't go to waste.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Another shameful confession. I don't like pineapple on pizza but pizza that has had the pineapple removed is okay. The faint hint of pineapple is actually kinda nice as long as there is something spicy or salty to balance it. This wouldn't be so bad except I'm many times four-years-old and haven't outgrown it.

Hmmm...I see a new technique here emerging to add subtle hints of flavor to things, like spritzing a pizza with pineapple juice, or rendering pepperoni for the oil and brushing it on the crust before adding the other toppings.