There is More Than Enough Pie to Go Around

I checked a box off my 2018 pizza-goal list and tried Sammy’s pizza in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Sammy’s was recommended to me last summer as the contending hole-in-the-wall dynasty to the Cranky Pat’s Pizzeria locations in the Fox Valley area. At Sammy’s I not only found the undeniable champion, but also the closest comparison I’ve ever had to my beloved Gus’ Pizza Palace in Whitewater.

I also came to the realization that there is no limit to the amount of great pizza to be discovered in this world.  If there was another place as good as Gus’, there could be 5 or 10 or 100’s out there to be uncovered.  The endless amount of amazing pizza yet to be found has me inspired.

The Grease Factor of Gus’ pizza in Green Bay.  

Right down the way from the legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. sits a pizza establishment that has earned my allegiance almost as much as the Pack-Attack.  Sammy’s thin crust excellence deserves to reside by such a renown institution.  When it comes to midwestern tavern cut, Sammy’s may be the very best I’ve had besides Gus’, and for me that is a bold statement.

Sammy’s delivers the Gus’ grease factor.  Actually they share many similarities; from the delightful pools of grease, to a hand-pinched crust and a thin square cut, Gus’ and Sammy’s seem like long lost brothers that were stripped away at birth.  They uniquely share many of the same simple components that for me make the perfect pizza.

Embrace the grease.

Our waiter at Sammy’s revealed that the trick behind their consistent greasy awesomeness is in using sliced mozzarella cheese instead of shredded.  Gus’ uses the same technique and what transpires from the melting of the sliced cheese in a super hot deck pizza oven is decadent pools of scrumptious grease that form on the surface of the cheese.

There is something magical about a greasy, cheesy bite, when the sauce and grease mix into a perfect concoction and meld together as you take a bite.  Their hand pinched sausage is also dynamite.  The only downside to Sammy’s is that I can’t eat it more often.

There’s plenty of great pizzas out there.

Though it saddens me I can’t eat Sammy’s everyday, I realize how fortunate we are to live in a world that has such an abundant amount of pizza.  It’s fitting that another goal of mine in 2018 is to live with an abundance mindset.

An abundance mindset was defined by Stephen Covey as ”a concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes to share with others.”  By looking at the world as being filled with potential, we move from living in the fear of not having enough and open up to abundance.

Adopting an abundance mindset. 

1. Avoid a scarcity mindset. The opposite of an abundance mindset is a scarcity mindset and is rooted in the fear that there is not enough.  Covey explains “People with a scarcity mentality think there is only so much in the world to go around.  It’s as if they see life as a pie. When another gets a big piece, then they get less.”
2. Imagine the possibilities. It’s said there are over 61,000 pizzerias in the United States alone.  Think of all those great pies just waiting to be tried!
3. Live with appreciation. If we view each moment as a gift and give thanks we open up and invite all the good that surrounds us.  Covey says “When people are genuinely happy with the successes of others, the pie gets bigger.”

What pizza taught me:

By embracing an abundance mindset we open ourselves to life’s plentiful opportunities as we’re not limited by the fear of scarcity.  I will live in peace knowing there is more than enough great pie to go around.

What I’m eating:  Sammy’s Pizzeria Green Bay, WI.  Cheese pizza and half sausage half green olive and pepperoni.

What I’m reading: Judgement Detox Gabrielle Bernstein

 

 

 

 

 

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Work Hard, Eat Pizza Hard

In downtown Orlando surrounded by hotels and convention centers I stumbled upon some unexpectedly good pizza.  The tourist trap in which I was staying seemed like the last place I’d find a decent pie; but what I found was not only exceptional, it also provided a release from a rigorous day of working a trade-show floor. My long days in Florida and the delicious pizza I found have me appreciating the old saying “work hard, play hard”.

Just like a solid pizza needs to be balanced between crust, sauce and cheese; we too must find the equilibrium between work and play.  Pizza is the ultimate reward after a well exerted effort.

Lafayette’s Music Room

As my colleagues and I explored for dinner we stumbled upon a little spot called Lafayette’s Music Room that specializes in Southern inspired entrees and live Blues, Jazz and Rock n’ Roll 7 nights a week.  The menu ranged from jalepeno hushpuppies to jambalaya to chicken and waffles; everything looked amazing, but after scoping the eclectic pizza section, I knew deep down it was pizza time.

After studying the unique pizza options it immediately became apparent that picking a winner would be a challenge, as everything looked awesome.   After several minutes of verbally fantasizing the possibilities with my two buddies; we opted for the genius idea of splitting three pizza’s three ways so we could truly experience what Lafayette’s had to offer.

The Trifecta.

Cajun Crawfish Pizza.

The Cajun Crawfish pizza was everything you’d expect from a cajun infused pizza and better than I anticipated with its exciting flavors.  It was sprinkled with clumps of crawfish meat, hot chili peppers, a sprinkle of bacon and drizzled with remoulade sauce.  It was spicy and tangy and sweet and savory; a true flavor explosion.

BBQ Pork Belly Pizza.

Slabs of slow roasted pork belly lay nicely across each slice of the BBQ Pork Belly pizza.  Beneath the succulent pork is a layer of chipotle BBQ sauce and a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.  Pickled onion provide an acidic contrast against the sweet sauce and rich meat.

Buffalo Chicken.

This was not your average buffalo chicken pizza because it had legit fried chicken that could stand on it own.  The amazing chicken was nestled into buffalo wing sauce and mozzarella that was speckled lightly with finely diced celery.  A ranch drizzle brought the whole pie together.  It was the best execution of a buffalo chicken pizza that I have come across.

Pizza tastes better when you’ve earned it.

After the meal it was hard to pick a clear cut favorite out of the trifecta, but it was obvious that the pizzas had provided us a perfect release from the stresses of our work day.  

If we push ourselves too hard without a break we can exhaust and burn out.  Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness authors of Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success say that in any endeavor we pursue whether it be athletic, in business or creating art all sustainable performance comes from the formula “Stress + rest = growth”.  They quote chess master Josh Waitzkin “If you are interested in really improving as a performer, I would suggest incorporating the rhythm of stress and recovery into all aspects of your life.”

In essence work hard, give yourself a breather to avoid burnout and then get back at it recharged and better than before.  Work and play should also be in proportion to each other.  For example a massive work out will require more recovery time.  According to Stulberg and Magness “The best athletes in the world weren’t adhering to a “no pain, no gain” model”  “Rather they were systematically alternating between bouts of very intense work and periods of easy training and recovery”.

What pizza taught me:

Work and play are the complementary yin and yang of productivity.  To balance hard work and sustain peak performance there may be no better counterpart than pizza.

What I’m eating: Layafatte’s Music Room, Orlando.  Cajun Crawfish Pizza, BBQ Pork Belly Pizza, Buffalo Chicken pizza.

What I’m reading: Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success –Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness