In a world that existed solely for my blog-writing needs, I’d be able to begin this post with “It was the best of pizzas, it was the worst of pizzas.” I can’t do that, however, because both of the pizzas I’ve eaten in the past couple months have been far from “the worst.” If the trade-off for an expected-yet-amusing opening line is good pizza, I’m okay with that.

If I’m adhering to reality, the closest I can come to that opener is nowhere near as parallel or as catchy: “It was the most eclectic of pizzas, it was the easiest of pizzas.” It’s no Dickens, but it’ll do.

It was the most eclectic of pizzas…

There is so much going on here.

…because it was basically a mish-mash of topping ideas I found on the internet. S and I made this pizza some time in January. His side has mozzarella Daiya, mushrooms, onions, and Tofurky deli slices cut into strips. My side features broccoli, thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes, soy curls, onions, mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and a bit of Daiya. Clearly my side had no uniformity of theme! But you know what? It was awesome! The Daiya was totally unnecessary, but other than that, the random assortment was delightfully surprising. I can’t believe I haven’t put barbecue sauce on pizza before this one! It was so tasty! And potato slices are an equally delicious addition. Mine were the tiniest bit undercooked, but they added a unique textural element I haven’t experienced on pizza before. A revelation!

It was the easiest of pizzas…

Such a fluffy crust!

…because it was a mother-flippin’  TAKE-OUT PIZZA. As far as I know, Glass Nickel Pizza Co. is the first Madison pizza parlor to offer Daiya on a delivery/take-out pizza. Glass Nickel has a location just minutes away from me, so one lazy weekend night, S and I decided to build our own pizza and pick it up there. I really appreciate that Glass Nickel’s online menu clearly calls out which sauces and toppings are vegan – no more wondering whether the marinara sauce has parmesan in it! Their pizzas aren’t exactly cheap, and Daiya does cost a bit extra, but S pointed out that, for ~$20, it’s cheaper than going out to dinner, AND we had leftovers. Sold. This pizza featured Daiya, tomatoes, green peppers, and mushrooms. Yum! It was a bit heavy on the Daiya, but for a rare weekend treat, it was fine by me.

Apologies to the ghost of Charles Dickens for co-opting his powerful and lasting opening line and using it to talk about pizza. Oops?

What was your most recent pizza experience? Your most eclectic toppings?