Saw in posts from my Milwaukee friends and family that Pizza Man burned to the ground yesterday. Six-alarm fire, took out several other restaurants, bars and apartments as well, but Pizza Man is the one indelibly etched in my brain. There may be some controversy around this fire, as there were rumors last week that the restaurant was being sold. Arson is being investigated as a possibility, but the owner vows that he will rebuild. Mmmm, pizza.
I may have mentioned, once or twice, that I was a 'husky' child. In fact, if you click on the 'childhood' tag, I would guess that at least half of the stories revolve around me eating something.
My friend Chris was larger, too, though he managed to grow out of it. However, in sixth grade, we were both champion eaters. After spending the day at Landmark Lanes for 63 cent games of bowling, we went to Pizza Man to use the 50% off coupon Chris' mother had given us. 
We ordered the large pizza, probably a 'Milwaukee Special' (CSMO), and the waitress informed us the coupon was for carry-out only. One of us, probably Chris, suggested a wager, wherein the two of us bet we could finish an entire large pizza, 18 or 19 inches, and if so, she'd let us use our coupon.
She agreed, we ate, and we won. Is anyone surprised? Being that we took the bus back to Chris' house afterward, there is always the possibility that this was the same trip where my watch was taken from me by a large man with a perm and a full-length down parka. Another story, another time.
However, as Saturday approaches, it's time to talk about a different kind of pie. National Pie Day is upon us! Check here for goings-on in your neck of the woods. To find out more about how to properly celebrate such a festive day, click here!
Life is short, eat more pie.
8 comments:
Ok, I love pizza but I don't know if I'm woman enough to take that kind of challenge - you guys are TOUGH!
Also, I'm now intriqued by the stolen watch story - you must post it soon!
Dude, now I'm seriously craving pizza for lunch. Too bad I have to eat namby-pamby vegan tofu lasagna.
Also, can I just say that I love that you are so into National Pie Day? I'm totally obsessed with pie. I actually declared last summer the Summer o' Pie and ended up making thirty or forty different types of pies. Good sugary fun.
Calico, there wasn't much we wouldn't take on, food-wise, as porky little 11-year-olds.
I've tried composing the watch story, it will show up here eventually.
TKOG, I HOPE your vegan "lasagna" is for an NTKOG post...that would be awful to do such a thing voluntarily. And how did I not know you last summer?!?!?!! And I am obsessed. Should I ever feel like dropping the money for vanity plates, my car will declare 'MMM PIE' to all who pass me on the road. I'm almost done with the chess pie I made last weekend, so I can make a coconut version tonight or tomorrow.
That pizza looks seriously delicious. RIP, Pizza Man of Elliott's youth! May you rebuild to 10x your original glory!
Yes, Bob and Brian were mourning the passing of Pizza Man this morning. Good pizza places are almost impossible to find.
There is one thing I feel I must bring up, in defense of Elliott against, well, Elliott. Not so so many years ago, Elliott wrote a poem and then read it to a class of aspiring writers that had every single woman in the room melting. So call yourself the chubby guy all you want, but your readers should know that deep down there's a tremedously talented erotic poet! (And novelist, but that's another story for another day.)
Who the hell would burn down Pizza Man? It's like some bad dream. I've never even been there, but the name brings instant childlike joy and vicarious nostalgia!
LOOK at that rockin' brick facade! It's brickface on LSD!
Sarah, somehow 'The Erotic Fat Guy' doesn't quite have the same ring to it. I remember reading, but I can't say I recall which poem it was. Most of my recent poetry is strictly about food (and not just the cheesy peanut butter crackers.)
Bev, Dogimo, a sad day, indeed. Problem is, even if they rebuild, there's something about the flavor of a place that can't be recreated in new equipment. Same thing happened when my friend closed his Chinese restaurant. Cooking on any other equipment wouldn't create the same delicate flavor profile created by the decades of season on his woks.
Rebuilding would be horrible. The essence of the place was burned up with the rest of the building. It will never be the same.
I've never been to Pizza Man, but I've had a couple of favorite places around here meet the same fate...they rebuilt...just not the same.
Right now, I could change my plates to Mmmm pizza (although I think that's too many letters). That picture is making me drool.
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