Christian Pipe Smokers

We are eating lunch today at a local Pizza Inn, that's been in business there since the late 60's, with the same owner (Mr. Broussard), until 2021 when he passed away at 87 yrs and left the store to the general manager. It's still the same old pizza, but the Sunday buffet is popular, and my FIL likes it, so we still go there. They always make a New York pan crust with everything they've got for toppings for me and my FIL, and they'll put it out on the buffet table when we get there. We won't order any drinks; but the waitress will set an unsweet tea in front of me on the table, along with everyone else's usual drink, and straws for those that use straws. Lots of conversation, pizza, and then cinnamon Stromboli for dessert.

sweetandsour wrote: ↑15 Jan 2023, 05:09 We are eating lunch today at a local Pizza Inn, that's been in business there since the late 60's, with the same owner (Mr. Broussard), until 2021 when he passed away at 87 yrs and left the store to the general manager. It's still the same old pizza, but the Sunday buffet is popular, and my FIL likes it, so we still go there. They always make a New York pan crust with everything they've got for toppings for me and my FIL, and they'll put it out on the buffet table when we get there. We won't order any drinks; but the waitress will set an unsweet tea in front of me on the table, along with everyone else's usual drink, and straws for those that use straws. Lots of conversation, pizza, and then cinnamon Stromboli for dessert.

That sounds great. I miss going into an actual restaurant for pizza. The Pizza Hut/ Pizza Inn experience was great family time when I was a kid. In the mid 70s we got a Shakeys pizza place. On the weekends they always had an older couple on stage doing a piano and banjo act. We would often have a big group of family and neighbors living it up. Good times. Shakeys turned out to be my first W2 job.

Me-N-Ed's was where we'd hit after sporting events and Boy Scout outings.
Shakeys is good, but they have been vanishing from the local pizza scene---
the closest Shakeys to me that I know of these days are in Los Angeles and Mammoth.

Haven't had a decent chain pizza in a long time. Not sure if they just all suck now or what.

As of recent, we have started making pizza from scratch at my house and it is miles better than anything we've had eating out and at a fraction of the cost to make. It's shocking how much they mark up pizza and how little it actually costs to make. Homemade dough and sauce are miles better as well. Not to mention, the kiddos find it infinitely entertaining that their dad used to be a pizza maker in his late teens/early twenties. I get to wow them by tossing the dough. Pizza night is loads of fun at our house.

My first W2 job was a pizza place called Gambino's. It was a midwest franchise that's sort of died out in Missouri, but they're all over Kansas. Anyway, I got the job at 14 and the manager was thrilled because I couldn't drive. Apparently he had a hard time keeping anyone in the kitchen due to deliveries. Then one day the health inspector came in and asked how old that kid was working the pizza oven. 14 was too young and so they had to let me go.

Flash forward and I'm back where I started. Full circle style. Earlier this year I started working evenings at a local mom and pop pizza joint in town. It's been here longer than I've been alive. A bit more old school than Gambino's, a bit more elbow work, but I like it better that way.

Anyway, that means I've had pizza on the brain for the last year (thus the thread), and I've grown to appreciate how much happiness a simple pizza can bring people. It's a gathering, communal food. It's served at celebrations and parties. For some it's a special night out. Kids love it but it's not a "kid" food. It's a people food. There are endless variations and styles. Then when you get into the history of a small town mom and pop establishment, getting to be part of the formative experience of the town. I hear all the time from people how they used to come in as kids. The extremely anti-corporate environment. I could go on.

I really, really dig it. If I thought I could actually support my family with it, I'd do it full time.

SlowToke wrote: ↑16 Jan 2023, 17:37 Haven't had a decent chain pizza in a long time. Not sure if they just all suck now or what.

As of recent, we have started making pizza from scratch at my house and it is miles better than anything we've had eating out and at a fraction of the cost to make. It's shocking how much they mark up pizza and how little it actually costs to make. Homemade dough and sauce are miles better as well. Not to mention, the kiddos find it infinitely entertaining that their dad used to be a pizza maker in his late teens/early twenties. I get to wow them by tossing the dough. Pizza night is loads of fun at our house.

Home made pizza can be amazing stuff. My nephew's family had weekly pizza night where they'd bake pizza which all his kids had a part in making.
I wish I had thought of that.

When the grand daughters were younger, we used to take advantage of the double wall ovens and let them each make their own personal pizza. My wife and the girls would make the dough and then set out topping choices and they would crank them out...big fun getting what they wanted on their own pizza.

A little known fact is that many (most?) small pizza joints don't start entirely from scratch. My company does work for Pizza Blends and they, in turn, make products for pizza shops. Dry flour blends, frozen dough, crusts, and dough balls, as well as seasoning and sauce blends. You can send grandma Maria's pizza recipe to them and they'll prepare all the ingredients and ship them to your restaurant per your order. Cheaper and more consistent than the stoners working the weekend shifts in the kitchen.

This long weekend, the kids went on a quick pilgrimage to Mexico City to see the Tilma of Juan Diego from the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Pipeson and Cigarson. Cigarson's wife, and her brother and sister.

As we had no kids and the in-laws had kids, we called the in-laws and went out for pizza to celebrate our child-free lifestyle.

We went to a very small town bar-and-pizza joint (a place much like Tuttle's shop). Town is so small and off the road, you have to want to go there. The building exterior looks like a run-down country cross-roads bar, one you wouldn't want to stop at. Except maybe to visit the goat in the yard out back. But it does a great business.... it's a destination for pizza-fun lovers.

We had a really great time. Can't think that I've ever had a bad time with pizza, but this was exceptional.

The bar had Leinenkugel's Toasted Bock on tap. Now it's my new favorite beer.

Del wrote: ↑17 Jan 2023, 12:14 The bar had Leinenkugel's Toasted Bock on tap. Now it's my new favorite beer.

Does it taste like fried chicken?