It's All About the Pie

My blog is not always centered on education, family issues, or Sumner Academy, sometimes I like to have a little fun…so…here are some random thoughts on pizza.  We Americans love that pizza pie.  Did you know that…October is designated as pizza month?  Every second, Americans eat 350 slices!  About 93% of all Americans eat at least one pizza per month.  The National Restaurant Association estimates that Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in the country and that it is a thirty billion dollar industry.

Being the pizza lover that I am, I have rated the best pizza parlors I have frequented…

Top Five Pizzas Parlors for Mr. J.

1. Grand Lake Pizza, Grand Lake, Colorado

www.grand-pizza.com/

A braided dough crust and outstanding toppings are the highlights for these pies.  We were in Grand Lake two days and ate dinner here both days.  The second day we even waited two hours due to a power outage!  Now THAT is a great pizza!

2. Crozet Pizza, Crozet, Virginia

www.crozetpizza.net/

Housed in a very rustic building in Crozet just outside of Charlottesville, Crozet Pizza has all the ingredients listed on a huge blackboard.  You build your own pie according to which ingredients they have for the day.  Great sauce and those fresh ingredients highlight these pies.

3. Bilbo’s Pizza, Kalamazoo, Michigan

www.bilbospizza.com/

The absolute best deep dish pizza I have had (no travels have taken us to sample Chicago’s yet).  It comes to your table still sizzling.  That crust is crunchy on the outside edge and soft and doughy inside.  Terrific sauce as well.  This was a happening place of my high school years and remarkably is still around.

4. Mellow Mushroom, Memphis, Tennessee

www.mellowmushroom.com/

Fresh ingedients, lots of choices of ingredients and a tasty crust make this one the best I have had in Memphis.  I know this is a national chain, but I still love it.  Their selections of microbrews is also outstanding.

5. Luigi’s Pizza, Harrisonburg, Virginia

RIP

Sadly, Luigi’s went out of business since we lived in Harrisonburg.  It was a great place to go after the softball/soccer/football game for some wonderful pizza.  They had fun t-shirts.  If you went somewhere notable in the world and had your photo taken in a Luigi’s t-shirt, you got a free pizza (if no one else had done it).  We wore four Luigi’s t-shirts all day on a visit to the Four Corners one vacation!  They also let you play with dough regardless of your age.

Honorable Mention...

Pete and Sam’s, Memphis, Tennessee

http://peteandsams.com/

A Memphis tradition, Amy even used to go there as a child.  I have tasted a couple of barbeque pizzas in Memphis, but this one is tops in my opinion!


OK middle Tennessee friends, now I need your suggestions…will they be good enough to crack the top five?