Michael W. wrote: |> Of course, one could argue that labelling the way others choose to |> discuss food as sanctimonious, and with such accompaning language, is |> itself the height of sanctimony. In this case, parochial, xenophoic |> sanctimony. |> ... Here we go again... Michael, James (like so many people who regularly read this newsgroup) is quite tired of reading how "you just can't get a good this or a good that" in Pgh. As if somehow NYC, Boston, and DC have sort of mystical lock on "good food." It's true, the best Middle Eastern meal I had was in Manhattan. But the *worst* pizza (and I eat a lot of pizza -- just ask my wife :^) I've had was also there. I've also had lousy Chinese food in Boston (from a place the locals just raved about -- ack, brown sauce ala Salisbury steak), a pathetic Mexican meal in DC (again, from a place the locals raved about), and so on. It has nothing to do with xenophobia, it has everything to do with the annoying tendency of certain people to poo-poo every "I liked this place" with a "well, if you want real food..." Pathetic, really. If they are that home sick, they should just go home, and quite whining about it. <Gratuitous Pizza section> My first choice for "regular" pizza would have to be Mario's. They have two shops, but the only one I'm familiar with is in Duquesne. They are liberal with the garlic, and the sauce has a slightly sweet taste. Yummy. My second choice for "regular" pizza is Di Pietro's. One of the last places on the planet that will add extra (fresh chopped, not powdered) garlic to the pie if you ask. Ahhh.... Try the pepperoni pizza -- they use a good grade od spicey pepperoni that has a wonderful bite. (Note: the children didn't like it, because it was a little too spicey for them, but Lee and I devoured it ;^) For Sicilian, no one makes a better pizza than Latina Pizza (opposite Kennywood). The crust is thick without being gummy, and they have the right balance of sauce to cheese so that it doesn't all come off when you take your first bite. For Sicilian lovers in the area, this is the closest you're gonna come to Nirvana... For specialty pizza, Sally likes the chicken and broccoli pizza at Di Pietro's, and the seafood (Alaskan, I think) is also good. My favorite, though, is the spinach pizza from Pizza Perfecta (Shadyside?) Unlike most, they use a red-sauce base that adds (for me) just the right taste. Everyone who's tried it with me (Sally, Karla, Elm) has agreed it is a really good pizza. Papa John's get's honorable mention for sending butter&garlic in a dipping container with the pies we bought from them a week ago. Not that I needed to dip the crusts into it (not at my weight), but it certainly made eating the crusts a lot more enjoyable :^) John "Flaming, again..." K ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Kochmar | Estimated amount of glucose used by an adult human [email removed] | brain each day, expressed in M&Ms: 250 SEI Computing Facilities | -Harper's Index, October 1989
Pittsburgh, PA