1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: the show, fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so 3 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: much for tuning in. Let's hear it for the Man, 4 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: the Myth, the Legend, Max, the teenage Mutant, Ninja Turtle, 5 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: Williams Cowa bunga Radical Tubula. 6 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 2: That's Noel Brown. I've been bulling. 7 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: We have a great, very weird episode for you today, folks. 8 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: But before we continue, now that I've brought up the 9 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: legendary turtles, I've got to ask you, guys, if we 10 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: haven't talked about it on air, which turtle would you be? 11 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: I think we were. I think most people were fans 12 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: of Michelangelo because he was the sort of you know, 13 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 2: party dude, party dude, but he only he didn't He 14 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: didn't like, you know, don't do drugs kids. He just 15 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: ate lots of pizza and had pizza parties and talked 16 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: like a surfer. Though I don't know that there's evidence 17 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: that Michael Angelo ever had access to surfing, although they 18 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 2: could have gone to Coney Island and done a surf, 19 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: but they were trying to keep it low key, so 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: I don't know if surfing Ninja Turtles would have would 21 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 2: have been though. I will also say that there's a 22 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 2: lot of weird stuff that got trickled into the toy 23 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 2: lines of the Ninja Turtles. And I want to say 24 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: somewhere along the line there had to have been a 25 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: surf and mic. 26 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: A million percent there had to. Okay, so we've got you, 27 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: mister Brown. As I name my first cat, Michelangelo, he 28 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: was all right doubling down. So Noel Brown is the 29 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: Michelangelo of the crew. What about you, Max Williams. 30 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 3: I gotta admit this is a weird one right here. 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: I I never was really exposed to teenage median Nina Turtles. 32 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 3: It wasn't part of my zeitgeist as a child, Harry. 33 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 3: People talk to me about like that kind of stuff, 34 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 3: and I'm like, I cannot relate. 35 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: You're a little younger than us, Max, and for us 36 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 2: for a gentleman or humans, yeah, humans of a certain age. 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 2: Ninja Turtles were kind of inescapable. They were on TV 38 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: all the time. The first movie came out, it was huge, 39 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 2: and of course the action figures were just, you know, 40 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: on every kid's wish list. How about you, Ben, you 41 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 2: see you strike me as a as a raff guy. 42 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 2: Oh no way, that's the worst one. That's the opposite. 43 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 2: It was angsty. 44 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: I don't like him. I I always aspired to be 45 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: a Donna Tello. Unfortunately, I believe in practice I'm probably 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: a Leonardo. 47 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: Donna Tello is the smart one. Leonardo was sort of 48 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: the leader. 49 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 1: See I want to beat the Donna Tello. But one 50 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: thing these guys have in common, these turtles, is that 51 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: they love pizza. That Max, that's their formative mythology. Of 52 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: course they are. That's not the best one. But it's 53 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: like an ugly pass thrown by Joe Montana. No matter how, 54 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter if. 55 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: It looks good, it makes it to the finish line, 56 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 2: still better than a pass that, you know, a civilian 57 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 2: might throw. 58 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:28,399 Speaker 1: Oh boy, I appreciate that though. It's funny because remember 59 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: when you and I were just yesterday, when we were 60 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: up in New York and we were doing some episodes 61 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: with our pals Gandhi and Diamond from a sauce on 62 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: the side, I did attempt a couple pivots. 63 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: And I believe I complimented you on them copiously. Oh geez, man, 64 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: do you like pizza? I do like pizza, and there's 65 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 2: nothing more in New Yorky than a good New York Slice. 66 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: No, have you guys ever had pizza in Italy like 67 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: from Italians. 68 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: I've not been to Italy personally. I may have been 69 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: when I was a small child, too young to remember, 70 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: but certainly on my list. We do have a fabulous 71 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 2: Neapolitan pizza spot here in Atlanta called Antiico. The by 72 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 2: all accounts, is up there, you know, with some of 73 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: the best pieces of pizza you might get over there 74 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 2: in Italy. The New York Slice, however, really differs from 75 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: that kind of classic Italian style. It's the big old 76 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: floppy piece you got the Grandma p high which I'm 77 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 2: also a big fan of the square the rectangular pieces. 78 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 2: And I tried a new spot this trip called Scars 79 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: Pizza that I think used to be kind of a 80 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: hot spot where you couldn't get in, and the hype 81 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 2: seems to have died down a little bit, and I 82 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: was able to get in and it was worthy of 83 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: the hype, but without. 84 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: The line, but without the lie, and we like that 85 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: part as well. Now, if you are traveling through these 86 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: great United States and you are familiar with the original 87 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: og Italian pizza. What you will find is that the 88 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: United States version of pizza becomes very regional and often 89 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: is not what Italian people themselves would consider pizza. 90 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: Now. 91 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: Max Here has pointed out something from his travels in 92 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: Saint Louis. 93 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was in Saint Louis, and I'm saying it 94 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 3: with my buddy Nate, who is from Atland as well. 95 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 3: He moved out there a couple of years ago. But 96 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 3: his partner, she's like born and raised in Saint Louis, 97 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 3: and they have this. Uh, you know, every place now 98 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 3: has a style of pizza, and there's is Saint Louis 99 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 3: style with something called provel cheese. 100 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 2: Not We've talked about this and it's not related to provalone. 101 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 3: Right, you know what. That's what she told me, And 102 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: she's a liar, oh liar to the Google AI. It 103 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 3: is a lend of provolone, Swiss and Cheddar. 104 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 2: Don't quote the Google an. 105 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 3: You can do better, Okay, according to according to Wikipedia. 106 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 2: Fine, we accept the Wikipedia and cheese. 107 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 3: Provelled cheese is I'm doing this live a combination of cheddar, Swiss, 108 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 3: provolone and liquid smoke. 109 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 2: There we go. That's well, you know you can get 110 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 2: a nice smoked provolone, and unless you get a really 111 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 2: fancy kind, it's probably gonna get that smoky flavor from 112 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 2: a liquid smoke as well. That sounds okay to me. 113 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 2: I think we've also talked in these regional pizza conversations 114 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 2: about Pittsburgh pizza, uh cold toppings including cheese, and our 115 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 2: buddy Theo you know as well, Ben swears by the stuff, 116 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: and it just doesn't do it for me. It's kind 117 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: of sounds like you just took fistfuls of cold toppings 118 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 2: out of the prep trays, you know, on the on 119 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: the little prep counter, and just just dumped them on 120 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 2: the pie and just kind of called it a day. 121 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 2: I don't know about that, but I'm willing to give 122 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: it a try. Sure, We're going to give every regional 123 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: pizza a try, and we'll get to the very weird 124 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 2: pizza toppings at the end of this episode, as well 125 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: as the world's most expensive pizza. Right now, we're asking 126 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 2: ourselves about really Americana, about how the United States has 127 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 2: always been a land of excess since the close. 128 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: Of World War Two. Remember, Nold, you and I were 129 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: talking earlier to our pal Gandhi about how this is 130 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 1: the only country that could have invented crack cocaine because 131 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: regular cocaine just wasn't enough of a zip. 132 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: We just need, I mean, we need to do we 133 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 2: need to do better, y'all. We're an aspirational country. If anything, 134 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 2: there we go aspirational. We look at the pizza, we 135 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: say more cheese, more stuff. We are the supersized nation. 136 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: So it's no surprise that Erica collectively looked at regular 137 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: old pizza and one day decided to make something they 138 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 2: call supreme. 139 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: But no'l riddle me this. What is a supreme pizza? 140 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 2: Well, that is a really important question, Ben, because it's 141 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 2: the crux of this entire discussion. Actually, to me, I 142 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 2: always thought, because you got your meat lovers, you got 143 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 2: your veggie lovers. You know, maybe that's a branding thing, 144 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: probably a pizza Hut invention. But when I think of supreme, 145 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 2: at least back in the day when maybe there were 146 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 2: fewer toppings available, I always thought of a supreme pizza 147 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 2: as being all the toppings. 148 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, me too, man, I'm right there with you. We're 149 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: going to answer the question of what makes a supreme 150 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: pizza supreme? And just be aware of folks, there is 151 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: a conspiracy theory at the end. No, maybe we start 152 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: with pizza, just like the early years. Who came up 153 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: with this idea pizza? 154 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 2: The early years? I love that sounds like a like 155 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 2: a Ken Burns documentary. Well, you know, as soon as 156 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 2: folks humans that is, figured out how to make bread, 157 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 2: it kind of became a medium for piling on all 158 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 2: kinds of other stuff. You know, how do we one 159 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 2: up bread? We're already asking ourselves the question of how 160 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 2: do we do a good thing and make it more extra. 161 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 2: The grandfather, not the grandma of all pizza we know 162 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 2: and love, is, of course, the flatbread, which isn't too 163 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: different from like a matza kind of situation or like 164 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 2: some you know, a let's see a pita or there 165 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: are there's of course that really interesting type of bread 166 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 2: you get at Ethiopian restaurants. These are all kind of red. 167 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 2: That's the one to the humble flat bread. It was 168 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 2: a super popular street food throughout Africa, Egypt, Greece and 169 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 2: of course the Roman Empire. 170 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and honestly you can still see versions of this 171 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: stuff around today because it is delicious. But to be clear, 172 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: as we're pointing out these flatbreads, these ancestors of pizza 173 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: don't look like the stuff you would find in your 174 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: local pizza spot today. The Greeks were known to gnauch 175 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: on flatbread with herbs and oil. It was more like 176 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: what we would call ficautia today. And that's because they 177 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: didn't have tomatoes. 178 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 2: Which is a discussion onto itself, which I think we've 179 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 2: had actually, if I'm not mistaken, at the very least 180 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 2: in passing in other food topics, the idea that tomatoes 181 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 2: were not native to Italy, right. 182 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the Spanish conquistadors explored the America's hard 183 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: air quotes around explored and Hernan Cortes his crew ravages 184 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: Mexico in fifteen nineteen. They returned to Spain and they 185 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: carry a bunch of treasures and spoils war with them. 186 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: They also are carrying tomatoes. Tomatoes are most likely from Peru. 187 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: It's interesting because does that make all pizza incan? 188 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: I guess it does. Ben But they don't really get 189 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 2: the props that they deserve. So we're going to give 190 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 2: them their flowers today. We're talking specifically from the Andes 191 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 2: Mountains of Peru, and sometime in the distant past we 192 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: began to see tomatoes spread to most of South and 193 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 2: Central America, eventually reaching Mexico. The Incas first cultivated tomatoes 194 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: about a thousand years ago and eventually traded the seeds 195 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 2: to the Aztecs and the Mayans to the north of them. 196 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 2: A lot of historical botany historians, I guess, consider the 197 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: tiny little scraggly bush known as the solanum is a 198 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 2: great name, by the way, pimpanilla phillium, pimp panilla phillium, 199 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: or pump and strong, as the ancestor of all of 200 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 2: the tomatoes that you know and love and or tolerate. 201 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 2: Some people don't like tomatoes today, itself becoming an endangered species. 202 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 2: The origin the prot tomato. 203 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: The og pimp, so the proto tomato. The og pimp 204 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: is now an endangered species, but it gave birth to 205 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: so many of the tomatoes that you consume today, folks. 206 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: And it's weird. We have talked about this on air, 207 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: but it bears repeating. The tomato as consumable became popular 208 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: in Europe way before it was popular in North America. 209 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: Colonial Americans associated the tomato with nightshade, and it is 210 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: a close cousin of that toxic vine, and that's why 211 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: the leaves and vines of a tomato plant are fairly toxic. 212 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: There's this legend, right, we got to mention the legend 213 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: about the guy who made tomatoes edible in America. 214 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: What do they say, print the legend. That's what we're 215 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 2: gonna do. We're gonna speak it though. Right, you're talking 216 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 2: about Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson. Yes, yes, no relation to 217 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 2: the primate, I think, no, no, no, that's true. I 218 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 2: do love a Gibbon. 219 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 4: Uh. 220 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 2: He proved to Americans through you know, trial and error, 221 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 2: through demonstration that tomatoes were in fact not poisonous on 222 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 2: June twenty eighth, eighteen twenty by like in a feat 223 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,719 Speaker 2: of strengths demonstration, very etal to evil. Yeah, he ate 224 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 2: a whole basket of the things and Salem, New Jersey 225 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: on the courthouse steps. Yeah, white a flex public protest. 226 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 2: Gibbon Johnson. 227 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: Right, And according to the legend, again, as you said, nol, 228 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people at this time believed tomatoes were deadly. 229 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: That was probably due to the lead poisoning from acidic 230 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: tomatoes on pewter plates. Anyway, a bunch of people gathered 231 00:13:55,400 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: around to watch Colonel Johnson consume tomatoes and die. They're 232 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: kind of like the people who go to a NASCAR 233 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: race hoping to see one of the cars crash because 234 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: they were convinced he would die. And because he did 235 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: not die. According again to the legend, the crowd went wild. 236 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 2: Where those train crash expos Yes, yeah, yeah, are fun. Sorry, 237 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 2: Just remind we never saw one live. No, we didn't. 238 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: We did. We did speak of them on an episode 239 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 2: I think on that very topic. Do check that one out. 240 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 2: It's an interesting one and it does end in tragedy. 241 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: What no way stage collisions? 242 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, not the best, not the best idea. What could 243 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 2: go wrong? 244 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: So because this guy didn't die, Colonel Johnson didn't die, 245 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: according to the legend, the rest of North America immediately 246 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: fell in love with tomatoes. That's the end of our 247 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: tomato sidebar. We just love the story. We've got to 248 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: get back to Europe and get back to the history 249 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: of pizza because it's going to lead us back to 250 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: the United States and the supreme Pizza. 251 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: But for now, we're going to go to Italy's Campagna region. 252 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 2: Most famously home to the waterfront city of Naples or Napoli. 253 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 2: There we go. 254 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, Napoli or Naples is founded in its modern version 255 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: round six hundred BCE, and it went through all the 256 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: triumphs and tribulations of any nation state at the time. 257 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: By the late seventeen hundreds and early eighteen hundreds, it 258 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: got a bit of a reputation similar to Portland today 259 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: in the United States. They said, this is home to 260 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: hordes of working poor what they called lazzaroni. 261 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, almost like in the style of a caste system, 262 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 2: at least in the way that they're referred to. These 263 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 2: folks were not the typical which you might imagine or 264 00:15:54,800 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 2: picture as the unhoused population of today. They were, however, hustlers. 265 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 2: They were out there, you know, wheeling and dealing, haggling, hugling, 266 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 2: you know that's a word, out in public spaces, hunting 267 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 2: for jobs. Often they didn't have the luxury of being 268 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 2: able to be welcome in say a public house, or 269 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 2: the ability to cook in a home because they were 270 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 2: just too busy for it. So pizza became a solution. 271 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 2: It was available ingredients again, a simple medium that you 272 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 2: could just pile stuff on top of and it's portable, 273 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 2: let's not forget and affordable. 274 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: Portable and affordable pizza. The solution a silver bullet. 275 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 2: You can have that, Yeah, I love it. 276 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: A silver bullet for a hungry stomach and a skinny wallet. 277 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: The well to do of Italy this story the Jedi 278 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: won't tell you, folks, The upper pizza crust of Italy 279 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 1: initially hated this idea, kind of like lobster back in 280 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: the day, right, peasant food? Oh yeah, they called it 281 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: poor people food. But if we fast forward, we go 282 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: to the moment where Italy sort of unifies in eighteen 283 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: sixty one, and there are these two big deal royals 284 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: who visit Naples. 285 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: Man, this is a tail as old as time. You 286 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 2: got something that was seen as a little low brow, 287 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 2: and then when some royal or some well to do individual, 288 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 2: high society type gets a taste for the stuff and 289 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 2: judges it up a little bit and names it after themselves, 290 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 2: all of a sudden, you got yourself a regular culinary phenomenon. 291 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 2: And this came in the form of King Umberto the 292 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:42,239 Speaker 2: First and Queen Margherita, who you might you know know 293 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 2: from the drink and the pizza. Don't take the drink 294 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 2: is named after her, but the pizza definitely is. They 295 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 2: were on tour like you do, I guess, doing like 296 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 2: a whistle stop tour kind of situation, visiting the people England, 297 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 2: hands babies, the allo, all the stuff exactly, and they 298 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,400 Speaker 2: visited Naples in eighteen eighty nine. Now, another legend has 299 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 2: it that the traveling pair got bored of their steady 300 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: diet of French hate cuisine, which I think Ben you 301 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 2: and I might also agree, while considered some of the 302 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 2: finest food in the land. It's rich and it can 303 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 2: be a lot I wouldn't want to eat, you know, 304 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 2: Coco Vans for every meal, duck colm Thief for every meal. 305 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: It's not Christmas if it's every day, you know, cassulet is. 306 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: Cassule is a beautiful dish that is not an everyday dish. 307 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 2: It's also not crispy. It's kind of it's like, you know, 308 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 2: really fancy mush, really fancy slop it is. 309 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,919 Speaker 1: It's a bean souper duck at it so okay, So 310 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: of course the King and the Queen get a bit satiated. 311 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: They want some variety, and they reportedly ask for a 312 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: bunch of pizzas from Naples Pizzeria Brandy. And this is 313 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: like when our pal Alex French takes us to a 314 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 1: restaurant and tells the server take us on a journey. 315 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm pretty sure he got that from Queen Margharita 316 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 2: and King Emberto the first who told the locals to 317 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 2: take them on a culinary journey. The Queen in particular 318 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 2: enjoyed a familiar sounding version, a pie topped with soft 319 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: white mazzarel, red tomatoes, and of course green basil. We 320 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 2: told you the name already, you know it, you love it, 321 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 2: the humble Margharita pizza. 322 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: So just as you were saying, Noel, this peasant food 323 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: or this poor people food gets a co sign from 324 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: the royals, right from the biggest celebrities of the day. 325 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,879 Speaker 1: Pizza then becomes much more widely accepted. But here in 326 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: the United States it takes a much longer time for 327 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: pizza to become popular. The nineteen forties when we see 328 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: tons of Italian immigrants arriving at the US en mass 329 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: and a lot of these folks in this particular wave 330 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 1: of immigration are from Naples, and food is culture, right, 331 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: So these folks bring their culture and their food along 332 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: and they adapt it to whatever ingredients are available. 333 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 2: At the time. For sure. I mean it's very similar 334 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 2: to the story of Americanized Chinese food and even the 335 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 2: Thai cuisine. The exporting of Thai cuisine. You got to 336 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 2: kind of read the room and play to the audience, 337 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 2: and that is what's happening and part of the reason 338 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 2: we see so many regional variations of the stuff. So 339 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 2: there's a lot more to the story and the evolution 340 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 2: of pizza as a dish and as a culinary tradition. 341 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 2: The Supreme Pizza, however, we're going to get into the 342 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 2: story of now which took a little bit more time 343 00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: to cook, right, Yeah, it. 344 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: Takes some more time in the kitchen. Supreme Pizza. If 345 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,239 Speaker 1: you live in the United States, you have seen it 346 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: on a menu. It is not always the same thing. 347 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: And I'll say it, it's a bit of a self 348 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: important name, is it not. 349 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: For sure? I think you know, Ben, I am a 350 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 2: fan of the Supreme brand of things. We even joked 351 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 2: on sauce on the side with Gandhi. We were both 352 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 2: wearing some Supreme pieces and when we talked about this 353 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 2: Supreme as a company and as a brand to these 354 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 2: exclusive drops, whether it be hats or shirts so whatever. 355 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 2: But they sometimes do ridiculous items like a brick branded 356 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 2: with the Supreme red box logo. What they had when 357 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,719 Speaker 2: I was there this past trip was a toaster and 358 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 2: it wouldn't surprise me for them, and I bet if 359 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: we looked into it, they've done it. If they had 360 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 2: their own like Supreme pizza boxes or like those, but 361 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 2: you know those cool pizza shaped carrying back delivery folks 362 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 2: use that'd be a lot of fun. 363 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: Oh that's smart. If they haven't done it yet, you're welcome, Supreme. 364 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: That's a beautiful idea that the stuff that we're talking 365 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: about when we talk about a literal supreme pizza is 366 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: generally going to be acknowledged by the number of toppings, 367 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: the variety of toppings, but those toppings aren't always consistent. 368 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: I mean, Supreme pizza is a thoroughly American idea, right 369 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: where the land bigger and more better, Just get it. 370 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 2: All in there, you know what I mean. 371 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: Three shots of espresso on my eyes. Yeah, So the 372 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: Supreme pizza, we could argue, is an escalation of that 373 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: cultural pattern. There's not a codified list of ingredients like 374 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: in the Margherita pizza. But also we will argue at 375 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: the end of this that the Supreme Pizza is not 376 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: the true end of the line. It's not the final 377 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 1: form for how far we can take pizza as a concept. 378 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: The real story of Supreme Pizza is a story of business. 379 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 2: It's a story of commerce capitalism writ large. 380 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, nol. Can you introduce us to pizza chains? 381 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 2: For sure? It's once again that example of taking a 382 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 2: beloved culinary tradition and commercializing the hell out of it, 383 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 2: sell it to the lowest common denominator US. Pizza Chaine 384 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 2: really started to take off after World War Two, evolving 385 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 2: from the aforementioned local eateries to nationwide delivery giants. I 386 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 2: didn't know this, Ben, but Shaky's Pizza was actually the 387 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 2: first franchised chain. I don't know that there's many of 388 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 2: those around. If there are, they're probably some of those 389 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,640 Speaker 2: like beloved Sacred cows. We're going to keep a couple 390 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,160 Speaker 2: of Shaky's around. But maybe that's not true. Let's see 391 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 2: if Shaky's is still kicking. 392 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: I like the idea though, as a of a restaurant 393 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: concept as an endangered species. Well, like there's a Blockbuster 394 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 1: video somewhere in the Yeah, I'm thinking Blockbuster is an 395 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: excellent example, and I love the joke like there are 396 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: only two Blockbusters left in Alaska. 397 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 2: They won't reproduce exactly because it's just too cold. Shaky's 398 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 2: is absolutely still around, and it is not nearly as 399 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 2: as a you know, popular or ubiquitous as it once was. 400 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 2: Shaky's in nineteen fifty four, the first franchise chain was 401 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: followed by, not too far after, Pizza Hut with the 402 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:45,360 Speaker 2: you know, famed hat shaped buildings that now you see 403 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 2: repurposed into other stuff, because what are you gonna do 404 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 2: with a hat shaped building other than like tear it down. 405 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 2: We have a couple of those here in Atlanta that 406 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 2: are still around that are repurposed pizza huts. They've rebranded 407 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 2: and gone through a whole thing, and they don't do 408 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 2: the hat shape anymore. But that's nineteen fifty eight. Then 409 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 2: in nineteen fifty nine, just a year later, we have 410 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 2: Little Caesars on I only recently found out Ben Pizza 411 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 2: Pizza is based in Detroit, which makes sense because the 412 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:16,199 Speaker 2: classic Detroit style pizza is square, is that kind of 413 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 2: Grandma slice with the really good cheese crown, the crispy 414 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 2: bits along the side, and you know, Little Caesars doesn't 415 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 2: exactly do it the best, but it is sort of 416 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 2: what they're what they're going for. They didn't say they're good, 417 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 2: they said they're got and ready. You gotta eat, Ben, 418 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 2: you gotta gotta eat. I think the big the arena 419 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 2: there in Detroit, I've only visited once, and I went 420 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 2: for the first time a couple of years ago, is 421 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 2: called like Little Caesar's Arena. 422 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 3: Which you guys like the Detroit person to chime in, yeah, 423 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 3: of course, yeah, little arena. That's where the Pistons and 424 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 3: the Red Wings play. It replaced Joe Louis Arena. 425 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. I was taking it back because I'm like, I 426 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 2: don't really think of Little Caesars like that, But you. 427 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 3: Go, illas family, they that's that's Little Caesar's people. They own. 428 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 3: They owned the Tigers and the Pistons. No, the Tigers 429 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 3: and the Red Wings. 430 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 2: I don't know the Pistons, Okay, I didn't know that. 431 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 2: So that's a big, a big family there in Michigan. 432 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: One other huge Little Caesar's fact we have to mention, well, 433 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 1: child was not aware of I didn't know Little Caesars 434 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: dated that far back, I didn't know was from Detroit. 435 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 436 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: But the founder of Little Caesars, I remember this story, 437 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: a guy named Mike Illich. He is a huge philanthropist 438 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,959 Speaker 1: and he privately, for more than ten years paid Rosa 439 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: parks rent. 440 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 2: That's incredible. 441 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, they donated more than thirty five million dollars to 442 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: various feed the hungry kind of initiatives, and he had 443 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: Rosa Parks back. 444 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:54,959 Speaker 2: Could on you Little Caesars guy, you love to hear that. 445 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 2: Just a year later, Ben, we have I want to 446 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 2: do you think Domino's has sort of overtaken Piete's in 447 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 2: terms of like the ubiquitous, you know, pizza chain. Yeah, 448 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 2: I think so. I think people more think of Dominoes. Then, 449 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 2: of course you got your Papa John's and all of 450 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 2: that stuff problematic, But that's nineteen sixties. So just a 451 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 2: year apart, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Dominoes, with Shaky's 452 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 2: being first to market, all of these chains revolutionized fast, consistent, 453 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 2: uniform product delivery. 454 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: Dun dun, dun, dun, dun, dun dun. 455 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 2: We have McDonald's, of course, setting the tone for this 456 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 2: kind of thing. Already, you know, in terms of like 457 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 2: what fast food would become. 458 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the pizza market stumbles on a beautiful idea 459 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: delivery service. McDonald's will make uniform products, but you have 460 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,959 Speaker 1: to go to a McDonald's to get them. However, these guys, 461 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: who may all be in the same town, they want 462 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: to send a driver to you. This is a hot 463 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 1: pizza arm race. It's so weird. Through the nineteen sixties 464 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: and nineteen seventies, the United States is in love with pizza. 465 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: It's a hot new craze and cities and towns across 466 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: the country, which means a lot of pizza chains are 467 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: popping up like gangbusters. There's there's something we have to 468 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: mention at this point. In addition to being incredibly popular 469 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: to the public, or as Max said, incredibly in the Zeitgeist, 470 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: pizza is also incredibly profitable as as a business. 471 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: Right. 472 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: It's like how popcorn costs ten dollars at the theater 473 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:32,880 Speaker 1: but cost a nickel to make. 474 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 2: It's a good point ben cheap is the name of 475 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 2: the game. It's also easy to mass produce these things, 476 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 2: and of course we are talking about largely folks selling 477 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 2: entire pies and delivering whole pies. But then of course 478 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 2: you get into the pizza parlors of New York, like 479 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 2: we were talking about earlier, where you could just get 480 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 2: a single slice if you wanted to. The markup on 481 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: a slice, I mean, that's some good money right there. 482 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 2: Those the most sopranos you have ever sounded. Thank you 483 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 2: rewatching it. Remember when I mentioned the Esplanade yesterday podcast 484 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 2: with the way we were talking in reference to some 485 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 2: of the grifts that the government night right now is 486 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 2: pulling in terms of budget slashing and like having like 487 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 2: a line item that's like one hundred gazillion dollars for 488 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 2: a chair or a mouse pad. You know, very sopranos 489 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 2: of them. 490 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: The slice shops are a huge part of New York culture. 491 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: The ingredients for pizza shops in general are dirt cheap 492 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: as long as you don't get too specialized, so you 493 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: can not only sell a slice or a whole pie 494 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: at a hefty markup, but you can still hit a 495 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: price point low enough for the average customer to feel 496 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: like they're getting a good deal. And from there you 497 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: sell your side stacks, right, you sell your two leaders 498 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: of soda, You branch out to other items, endless wings, 499 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: your garlic knots. Yeah, so it's no prize that the 500 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: market quickly becomes saturated. I mean, yeah, of course, if 501 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: we started the ridiculous pizza store we I'm gonna write 502 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: it though, we could make a lot of money as 503 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: long as those other new pizza joints across town don't 504 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,719 Speaker 1: take all our customers. We got to do something different. 505 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: We have to differentiate ourselves in the market. This is 506 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: where pizza chains enter, this bold experimental phase. It reminds 507 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: me of do you guys remember a few years back 508 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: when the roast beef chain Arby's just sold Viticon for 509 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 1: a second. 510 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 2: No, but Arby's came up yesterday with me and my 511 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,719 Speaker 2: kid referring to it, both both of us as I 512 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 2: think the worst fast food in existence, and I do 513 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 2: also to that point, Ben, I didn't know about Venison, 514 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 2: but I do remember a time where Arby's was marketing 515 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 2: no pun intended to hear these market fresh sandwiches that 516 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 2: were like big old you know, Dagwood type, you know, 517 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 2: Scooby Doo sandwiches, And I remember liking those when I 518 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 2: was younger, but they seemed to have declined significantly in 519 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 2: quality since those days. 520 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, they were up so Arbi's briefly here in 521 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: the Atlanta area where we record had a Venison sandwich 522 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: or a Venison Burger. They just wanted to see what works, 523 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: and pizza chains back in the sixties and seventies were 524 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: doing the same thing. This probably irritated the heck out 525 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: of Italian pizzeono, the folks who make pizza right, the 526 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 1: more conservative old school guys who still probably think Margarita 527 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: pizza is a little bit out there. They hated what 528 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: American pizza companies were doing because these folks were adding 529 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: everything they could. It's very again American dream stuff. They 530 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: were putting vegetables, meats, all kinds of weird cheeses. 531 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 2: See what works. 532 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: Not every idea is a hit, but that showbiz pizza baby. 533 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 2: Oh no, showbiz pizza. Chucky cheese, Charles Entertainment cheese who 534 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 2: was recently given a purp walk. Yeah, what's happened? What's 535 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 2: happening in this country? 536 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: Ben, We we can't even trust Charles Entertainment. So while 537 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: these pizza companies are trying to, you know, be the 538 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: most enticing shop around in a very saturated market, they 539 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: stumble on the idea of creating what we call a 540 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: loaded pie. Let's take some portion of all the toppings 541 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: we will put on separate pizzas, put them onto one. 542 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: We'll call it supreme. 543 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 2: You know it's funny too, Ben, and I'd love to 544 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 2: look maybe we can do a quick cursor of Google 545 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 2: for this, but we of course know maybe not, of course, 546 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 2: but the word supreme it can be attack to lots 547 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 2: of different foods. A chicken supreme, and a nacho supreme, 548 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 2: and a cutlass supreme supreme. Yeah, that's a tenacious d 549 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 2: ref but it's true. The supreme Moniker isn't just for pizza. 550 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 2: It is, however, very much fast food type chain term. 551 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, one hundred percent, because you can add the 552 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: word supreme here in the United States to any kind 553 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 1: of food that you sell, and the FDA can't do 554 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: anything about that because you are not promising health benefits. 555 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: You're not promising a specific set of ingredients. 556 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,239 Speaker 2: Nine out of ten physicians recommend to pizza for your 557 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 2: health and a pack of pal Mall's right, right. 558 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: How would you describe this, Senator, Well, I would describe 559 00:33:56,320 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: it as supreme and delicious. So what makes a pizza supreme. 560 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 2: It's weird. 561 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: It's kind of like a Bloody mary right because there's 562 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: a base, but there's no set qudified list of ingredients. 563 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 2: Right, there's Bloody Mary's with chicken nuggets in them. Man, 564 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 2: No they're not, Yes, there are. I'm not a Bloody Many, brother. 565 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 2: There are these places that specialize in these bonkers. Ask 566 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 2: Bloody Mary's. Max is chiming in is from his bartending 567 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 2: days that have like bacon and like I've seen one 568 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 2: with a whole roasted chicken hanging off the side. Max, 569 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 2: what are your thoughts on this phenomenon? 570 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 3: Very popular? I mean I made kind of a weird 571 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,879 Speaker 3: bloody mara of but nowhere as weird as other people did. 572 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 3: But yeah, you'll have like full on gerkins in them 573 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 3: and stuff like that. Yeah, you have everything. You'll have 574 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 3: stuff where they make the straw out of like a 575 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 3: chicken finger or something like that. Like you know, it 576 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 3: is as novelty as it comes. Personally, I think it's 577 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 3: the mustard. The mustard is the key. 578 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 2: But what if we took a soup and made it 579 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 2: a drink and added lots of alcohol and you drink 580 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 2: it in the morning, sell it and. 581 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,439 Speaker 1: Then someone said, let's name it after a creepy religious thing, 582 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: and I'm sold. 583 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, creepy religious thing or even like, gosh, there's 584 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,240 Speaker 2: a lot of Well, no, Bloody Mary was the queen 585 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 2: who who murdered everybody. She was the real Protestant one. No, no, 586 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 2: she was the Catholic one who fought back against the 587 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 2: Protestant thing when she came into power and like killed 588 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 2: all the Protestants because she secretly held this like Catholic 589 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 2: grudge toward all this Protestant nonsense. 590 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 3: Isn't all? Isn't she one of King Henry's daughters, and 591 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:37,839 Speaker 3: like you know. 592 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 2: The one that's all that stuff rubbed her the wrong way. Yes, 593 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 2: they had all all the children of like King Henry. 594 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 2: They're like, you know, they became monarch of England. We're 595 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 2: a different mothers said, different backstories. 596 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: And of course Bloody Mary we spoke to her through 597 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: the magic of editing, and she could not be more flattered. 598 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:02,280 Speaker 2: Well, I thought you meant when we did the ritual 599 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 2: and the mirror together the right. Yeah. 600 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: I thought we were supposed to go in one at 601 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,759 Speaker 1: a time, but we had some schedule conflicts, so we 602 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 1: had to double dragon it, but maybe Bloody Mary would 603 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 1: be immensely flattered that a ridiculous alcoholic day drink is 604 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 1: named after her. It is I would pause. It still 605 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 1: similar to supreme pizza. 606 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 2: And I know we took a little bit of a 607 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 2: side quest there, Ben, but I think it was worth it. 608 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 2: And you're absolutely right, because there is no one way 609 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 2: to make a Bloody Mary, and there is. 610 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 1: No one way, apparently to make a supreme pizza. You 611 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,840 Speaker 1: were talking about the Grandma slice. There's a supreme pizza 612 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: version of that. There's a supreme pizza version of thin 613 00:36:55,719 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: crust or hand tossed crust. It's all about a sally 614 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: whatever ingredients are around at the time, whether you're a 615 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 1: home cook or whether you're working at a professional pizza shop. 616 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:10,480 Speaker 2: I mean. 617 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,840 Speaker 1: Also, most pizza shops these days have other specialty pies 618 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:19,320 Speaker 1: you mentioned Antiko, right, they have their own takes on things. 619 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,439 Speaker 1: You mentioned the meat Lovers from Domino's and Pizza Hut 620 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: or the Veggie Supreme. 621 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 2: A big one these days that I think we're both 622 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 2: fans of. Ben. Where was that great pizza place that 623 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:34,640 Speaker 2: we all went, me, you and our brother Matt that 624 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,920 Speaker 2: had an excellent spicy hot honey helice. Yeah, and that 625 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 2: place also did really good vegan pizza. Oh geez, hold on, 626 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 2: I got to give him a shout. My friend just 627 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 2: texted me about it the other day. Poly Gees Polyg's Pizza. 628 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,720 Speaker 1: That's right, Yeah, shout out to you poly GE's. 629 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 2: So yeah, a very fashionable pizza topping these days has 630 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 2: become hot Honey. And that's one of those things that 631 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 2: kind of got it start at places like Polyg's, are 632 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 2: these more local or regional slice shops, and then it 633 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,799 Speaker 2: gets so popular that you got like a MIC's Hot 634 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 2: Honey brand that is now collabing with you know, your 635 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 2: pizza huts and your Dominoes, etc. 636 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: And the reason that most pizza places will have their 637 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: own spin on a supreme pizza is due to the 638 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: profit margins. They're going to select ingredients based on the 639 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 1: cost of those ingredients and how much they can sell 640 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: them for, and they're usually going to prioritize ingredients that 641 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:36,319 Speaker 1: can be used in other pizzas or other dishes at 642 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: the restaurant. So this is all fun of games, right, 643 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 1: Who doesn't love to talk about pizza. You might be 644 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 1: wondering why we've dedicated an entire episode to what seems 645 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: like a small story, and that's because of this Max 646 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: give us a creepy music change. 647 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 2: There we go. 648 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:58,279 Speaker 1: You see ridiculous historians, Noel, Max and I have a 649 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,399 Speaker 1: man on the inside of the pizza shop. 650 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 2: Is Chef Ben. 651 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 1: It is Chef Ben in exclusive source who revealed to 652 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: us one of the conspiracies afoot at your local pizzeria. 653 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:14,240 Speaker 1: It turns out Supreme may not be exactly what you think. 654 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:16,440 Speaker 1: Here's our big reveal. 655 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,240 Speaker 2: Say the thing, say the thing from the other show. Ben. 656 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 1: Here's where it gets crazy. 657 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 4: Who thank you, good afternoon, fellas. This is Chef Ben 658 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 4: in Chicago. I'm not calling about stuff they don't want 659 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,160 Speaker 4: you to know. I'm calling about ridiculous history. So this 660 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 4: is like, I'm your boss and you didn't show up 661 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 4: for work and I can't get a hold of you. 662 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:39,359 Speaker 4: So I called your girlfriend right like, I'm aware it's 663 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:41,919 Speaker 4: not a good way to get ahold of ridiculous history. 664 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 4: It's kind of a time machine. So in the episode 665 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 4: that I'm listening to now, which is about ping pong, 666 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,759 Speaker 4: which I'm not terribly interested in, but I'm here to 667 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:53,319 Speaker 4: learn stuff. Man. You guys lead with Tza a great 668 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:57,240 Speaker 4: way to get me invested in the episode. So here's 669 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 4: my shameful, shameful admission. I have been in the restaurant 670 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,320 Speaker 4: industry for thirty three years. Now, that's not a shameful part. 671 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 4: My first two jobs were in pizza. That was the 672 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,239 Speaker 4: first three years of my career. And the very first 673 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 4: job was a mom and pop Italian place in my 674 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 4: hometound that made pizza, and I was the pizza guy 675 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 4: the way that I was trained to do this, and 676 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 4: I take the responsibility for it. Now, I was fourteen 677 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:23,359 Speaker 4: and I didn't know any better. When we made our 678 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 4: supreme pizza, well, let me back up. When we made 679 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 4: any pizza, the pizza was topped on a table, right, 680 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 4: so you would have the pizza dough on the screen 681 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:35,800 Speaker 4: that went into the oven. You would put the sauce 682 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 4: in the cheese, and then whatever toppings the customers wanted, 683 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:40,279 Speaker 4: and you'd put it in the oven. Well, that tabletop 684 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 4: quickly became covered in the detritus of making those pizzas, right, 685 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 4: and cheese sort of off to the sides of where 686 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 4: the pizzas normally landed. We were instructed to scrape all 687 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:54,799 Speaker 4: of that off to the side of the table and 688 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 4: whenever we got a Supreme pizza, those were the toppings 689 00:40:57,920 --> 00:40:59,279 Speaker 4: for the Supreme pizza. What. 690 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,839 Speaker 2: Oh dude, it is a bit of a tut as 691 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:04,839 Speaker 2: you would say, Ben, it is a bit of a boo, 692 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 2: But it's not inherently uh what's the word non hygienic? 693 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:14,000 Speaker 2: You know, I mean, because technically it's coming from the 694 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:16,719 Speaker 2: same stuff. It's already out in the open, you know, 695 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:19,560 Speaker 2: on the prep station. I've worked in pizza. I worked 696 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 2: with Ala Mushroom for many years with friend of the 697 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 2: show Frank, and I do know about this accumulating stuff. 698 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:26,880 Speaker 2: I guess there's something about it though, that makes it 699 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 2: feel like that dare of like drinking the drip tray 700 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,440 Speaker 2: from the bar, you know, And it does feel like 701 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,280 Speaker 2: a bit of a bait and switch. But I don't 702 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:38,479 Speaker 2: think it's inherently as gross as it might seem, other 703 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 2: than maybe flavor wise, it's like making a you know 704 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:44,279 Speaker 2: what they used to call a suicide out of all 705 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 2: the sodas. 706 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,919 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and it's also we've got to mention this part. 707 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:52,719 Speaker 1: It also here's the gross thing to us, And thank you, 708 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 1: againing chef Ben, You're just the best. 709 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. The gross thing to. 710 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:02,919 Speaker 1: Us is that this is being prior as a premium pizza. Right, 711 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: it's more expensive then you could sell it if you 712 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: called it what it is, the leftover pizza, garbage pizza. 713 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:12,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, and if I can jump in real quick, I 714 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 3: was just thinking about this. There was a pizza place 715 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,800 Speaker 3: by I'm a Georgia State University grad. It was a 716 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 3: pizza place by campus and had a sticker on the 717 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 3: oven said pizza is like sex. When it's good, it's great, 718 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 3: and when it's bad, it's still pretty good. And it's 719 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,399 Speaker 3: also kind of grows sometimes but still pretty good. 720 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:31,080 Speaker 2: Wow. 721 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 3: I don't know if you keep that. 722 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,880 Speaker 2: I remember so many directions on that one. 723 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:41,160 Speaker 1: So we're not here to disparage the good folks of 724 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 1: the world's pizza shops. I think it's fair to say, Noel, 725 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 1: that we are thankful they have continued a centuries old, 726 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,640 Speaker 1: ridiculous saga of one of the world's best foods. Ever, 727 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 1: but it's also fair to say, just like beauty, supreme 728 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:58,480 Speaker 1: can mean different things to different people. 729 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:01,400 Speaker 2: M hmm, definitely in the yeah, the eye of the beholder. 730 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:05,879 Speaker 1: There we go, man, this episode went a little bit 731 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:10,960 Speaker 1: longer than we thought. We hope you appreciated the grand reveal. Noel, 732 00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: what's the weirdest pizza you have personally encountered? 733 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 2: Gosh, Ben, trying to think. I typically I'm a little 734 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 2: bit of vanilla when it comes to pizza, though, I 735 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 2: really do love these hot honey varietals that are popular 736 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 2: these days, and like some Calabrian chili's on top. Perhaps 737 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,319 Speaker 2: not a huge fan of anchovies, but that's because a 738 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:35,480 Speaker 2: lot of the times they're not very good quality anchovies. 739 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:39,440 Speaker 2: But if you have a really fine pizza spot and 740 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,920 Speaker 2: they offer anchovies, they're gonna be the real deal, like 741 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 2: nice chopped white anchovies, not the kind that come in 742 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,080 Speaker 2: the can that are just mega mega salt personified. And 743 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:51,319 Speaker 2: I would recommend giving that a try. It's like having 744 00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:56,399 Speaker 2: a roasted fresh beat versus a canned, slimy slide out 745 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 2: of the can kind of beat. You know, how about you, Ben, 746 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 2: You're the kind of more adventurous eater, especially from your 747 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 2: snack stuff days. Oh geez, thank you for. 748 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:09,799 Speaker 1: The setup there at I've eaten unimaginable things on an 749 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 1: horror that you've seen, I know, right with that distant 750 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 1: seven leagues stare right, I think the I guess weird 751 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: is also in the eye of the beholder. Some of 752 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:28,399 Speaker 1: the strangest, most unfamiliar pizzas I have had have been 753 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 1: in obviously in East Asia, right where there there is 754 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,880 Speaker 1: a lot less of a normalization of cheese and dairy, 755 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:43,880 Speaker 1: so Mayo replaces cheese in a lot of ways. Yeah, 756 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 1: and seafood is more frequently found on pizza. There's one 757 00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:52,359 Speaker 1: that I haven't tried yet. We're gonna have to try 758 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,040 Speaker 1: it while we all get over there together on a 759 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:59,440 Speaker 1: ridiculous road trip. There's apparently a pizza with dury in 760 00:44:59,520 --> 00:44:59,839 Speaker 1: on it. 761 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:02,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've never had the dury in. I've never cracked it. 762 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 2: I've seen them in the shops, some of the h 763 00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:08,600 Speaker 2: Marts and Asian grocery stores that we have over here, 764 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 2: if anyone's not familiar. It is the fruit that is 765 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:16,000 Speaker 2: banned in the subways over there because of how stinky 766 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 2: it is. Apparently it tastes kind of good, like has 767 00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 2: a custard he taste, but it just is so darn 768 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:24,880 Speaker 2: smelly that it can put you off from even getting 769 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:26,279 Speaker 2: as far as sticking it in your mouth. 770 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:30,320 Speaker 1: It tastes pretty good. I had some recently, some fresh 771 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:35,319 Speaker 1: dury and you're right about the smell. It's worse than 772 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:39,959 Speaker 1: you're imagining, folks. It's not like Scandinavian rotted shark's head bad, 773 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:44,240 Speaker 1: but it is. It smells like a diaper. 774 00:45:44,840 --> 00:45:47,720 Speaker 2: Can I just name drop a friend of the show, 775 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:49,719 Speaker 2: and I think you and I both have worked with 776 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:53,640 Speaker 2: Gabby Watts, who's a really great stand up. We've worked 777 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:55,759 Speaker 2: with her on podcast stuff with School of Humans and 778 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:57,719 Speaker 2: now she lives in New York and is doing really 779 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:00,279 Speaker 2: gangbusters as a stand up. She had a really funny whurse. 780 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:01,839 Speaker 2: She was talking about her button and said she has 781 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,080 Speaker 2: a dumps dump dump truck butt, not because of the size, 782 00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:08,359 Speaker 2: because of the smell. I just thought that was very 783 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:08,759 Speaker 2: bad fun. 784 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:13,239 Speaker 1: Check out Gabby Watts everybody coming to a stage near you. 785 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:17,239 Speaker 1: Check out her previous work with her on podcasts. There's 786 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: so much more to get to here, but we primarily 787 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:23,320 Speaker 1: wanted to put our stuff they don't want your no 788 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:27,240 Speaker 1: hats on and bust the myth of the supreme pizza 789 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,600 Speaker 1: will We will be back with more pizza episodes if 790 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,320 Speaker 1: you are interested. We did learn the world's most expensive 791 00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: pizza is the Louis thirteen. It sells for twelve thousand dollars. 792 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:43,000 Speaker 2: What's on it? Like gold gold leaf? I mean, of 793 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 2: course that's not even that outlandish. There's gold leaf on 794 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:46,400 Speaker 2: all kinds of stuff. 795 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:49,480 Speaker 1: But why wouldn't you sell it for thirteen thousand dollars 796 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:51,000 Speaker 1: if it's the Louie thirteenth. 797 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:52,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, at that point it's just kind of your nickel 798 00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:54,680 Speaker 2: and diamond, and just do it for the cloud, just 799 00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:57,120 Speaker 2: you know, make it match up more with the branding. 800 00:46:57,360 --> 00:46:59,719 Speaker 2: What is on the thirteen thousand dollars pizza though, Ben 801 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:01,160 Speaker 2: hiring minds want you to know. 802 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,759 Speaker 1: Oh well, we're happy to share it. Three types of 803 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:09,879 Speaker 1: caveat Lobster from Norway, Buffalo, mazzarell as you would say, Noel, 804 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,400 Speaker 1: And the big flex is they go to your house 805 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 1: to make it okay? All right, So still you know, 806 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:20,680 Speaker 1: carrying on the grand tradition of pizza delivery. Just plussing 807 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:21,560 Speaker 1: it up a little bit. 808 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:23,279 Speaker 2: Just plussing it up a little bit. 809 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 1: And thank you so much, fellow Ridiculous historians for plussing 810 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:27,120 Speaker 1: it up with. 811 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:29,040 Speaker 2: Us a bit on the show to date. 812 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:33,880 Speaker 1: Big thanks to our super producer mister Max Williams. Max 813 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,280 Speaker 1: pop beeck in on the chat here real quick because 814 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:39,319 Speaker 1: we want to make this official Noel and I have 815 00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:41,560 Speaker 1: told you off air, but as soon as we can 816 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:45,360 Speaker 1: get that condition repaired, we're taking you out for pizza. 817 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:48,200 Speaker 2: Heck yeah. Huge thanks to christ Frociotis needs, Jeff Coates 818 00:47:48,239 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 2: here and Spirit Max's Darling brother, friend of the show 819 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:57,120 Speaker 2: and genius composer Alex Williams, soon in fact composed this 820 00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:57,880 Speaker 2: bang and bop. 821 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:00,960 Speaker 1: Big big thanks of course to the rude dudes at 822 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:04,399 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime. If you dig us, you'll love them. Big 823 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:08,839 Speaker 1: things to aj Bahamas, Jacobs, Doctor Rachel Big, Spinach, Lance. 824 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:12,319 Speaker 2: And you know, Noel, I've never thought about it. 825 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:16,440 Speaker 1: Does Jonathan Strickland aka the Quister Pizza? 826 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 2: I think so, as long as it doesn't have shellfish 827 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:18,840 Speaker 2: on it. 828 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:20,280 Speaker 1: He's such a Raphael. 829 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:22,759 Speaker 2: He has a bit of a Raf. Remember that scene 830 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:24,720 Speaker 2: in the Ninja Turtles movie where Raf is really upset 831 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:26,080 Speaker 2: and he goes on a rooftop and he just goes, 832 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:29,120 Speaker 2: damn us. That was the first swear I ever heard. 833 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:39,920 Speaker 2: We'll see you next time, folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 834 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,280 Speaker 2: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 835 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:44,360 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows.