National Pizza Day… A kids dream come true! It’s the ultimate Friday night family dinner. The most asked for cuisine for their birthday party meals. And, we can’t forget to mention the easiest dinner (and sometimes breakfast) for that sleepover. It’s the almighty pizza.
Nothing beats gooey cheese, tangy and sweet sauce, crisp and fluffy crust topped, well, with just about anything you can imagine to quench all the cravings of our kiddos. But, what is it about this popular cuisine that has our kiddos drool over? In the words of my son Josh, whose birthday just happens to fall on National Pizza Day and whose favorite food is pizza, “Pizza is the best!” When asked what about pizza makes it his favorite, he proclaims, “The sauce, Mom!” This comes from a kid who won’t eat tomatoes in raw form. But, who am I to argue? Tomato sauce is full of vitamins A, C and K, and tomatoes are loaded with fiber. Josh… eat all the sauce you want, kiddo!
Kids just love pizza… and well, why shouldn’t they? It’s finger food friendly, comes ready to eat at your door, is topped with gooey cheese and other salty delights and if mom and dad ordered right, there will be plenty for the next day. A kid’s heaven! In the words of Josh, “Pizza is the best!’ and we can’t blame him!
Our local pizza favorites
Blue Highway
Micanopy – (352) 466-0062
Tioga – (352) 505-6833
New York Pizza Plus
(386) 418-3857
Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza
Tower Road- (352) 371- 8646
Millhopper- (352) 371-7437
University Ave- (352) 375-2337
Humble Wood Fire Pizzeria
(352) 339-2716
Main Street Pie/Nonna’s Outdoor Kitchen
(239) 537-9333
Satchel’s Pizza
(352) 335-7272
What’s your type?
In honor of National Pizza Day, we polled 146 readers to see what kinds of pizza they loved best. Here is what they said!
Different pizzas by region
Chicago
Chicago-style pizza is the original deep-dish. This pizza is usually treated as a meal. It typically requires forks and knives to cut into because of its size. There’s also a greater variation of combinations that can be created with a deep-dish pie compared to a standard pizza.
New York
The long-time rival of the Chicago pizza, New York pizza has a thin crust and can be hand-held, for eating on the go. Toppings are more limited for this type of pizza, but it’s more similar to the classic Italian-style.
New Haven
In New Haven, Connecticut, apizza (pronounced “ah-beets”) is baked in a coal oven, is Italian-inspired with thin crust and few toppings and has no uniform shape due to each pie being hand-formed. A classic New Haven pizza to try is their white clam pizza.
Detroit
A newly accepted region of pizza excellence is Detroit, Michigan. Detroit-style pizza is thick and square, getting its shape from being baked in square pans that allow the edges of the pizza cheese to caramelize. This gives the pizzas a golden brown edge on every slice.
Healthy or not?
There have been a lot of back and forths about the healthiness of pizza. Recent studies have shown that pizza may be healthier for you to eat rather than a hearty bowl of cereal, what?! So, what is the actual truth about eating pizza? Is it really that bad for you? Are there some types of health benefits on that yummy, gooey cheese?
The answer is subjective to the type of pizza that you eat. According to an article from CNN, it depends on the type of crust you eat and the amount of cheese and toppings you have that can determine the level of “healthy” your pizza falls under.
One thing that is definitely important to know about pizza and your diet, is that even a healthy pizza comes with a lot of sodium from the cheese and tomato sauce, so people who watch their salt intake need to think about the pizza they are about to eat.
CNN said that the pros of pizza are that, “it offers calcium from cheese and disease-fighting lycopene from tomatoes. And pizza crust made with whole-wheat flour is healthier than regular white crust, as it offers whole grains and fiber and is digested more slowly than refined grains.”
Typically, eating a pizza that has more veggies and less meat products like sausage, pepperoni and meatballs is going to be better for those who keep a close eye on nutritional facts. If you enjoy eating pizza regularly, we suggest a homemade pizza with healthier ingredients and lots of veggies!
Celebrate National Pizza Day this weekend with your family!
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