I miss pizza so much. I currently live in Taipei, Taiwan where you can’t get pizza like you can in the US (or Italy for that matter). I’ve never been to the East coast (or Italy) so some would argue I’ve never had real pizza yet. Regardless I miss the pizza scene back in the states. The taste, the different styles, and sharing it with family or friends is a staple in America. My craving for pizza has boiled over when I recently binged every episode in season 2 of VICELAND’s The Pizza Show on YouTube.

The show is as advertised a show about pizza. The host Frank Pinello owner of BEST PIZZA in New York takes the audience on a tour around the US and Italy exploring everything pizza. This show is perfect for anyone who is a food lover especially those who are pizza fanatics. It has everything you could want. A charismatic pizza maker for a host, pizzerias from around the US/Italy that you could actually visit, and mouth-watering shots of freshly made slices and pies of all kinds.

This show isn’t simply just food porn with pizza. It has depth and does a great job of showcasing the different styles pizza there are and the chefs who are constantly working on perfecting them. It also explores the history of the franchises and pizzerias they feature in the show. Some of these spotlighted pizzerias have been around for decades. Frank has so much passion and knowledge about pizza and the pizza making process its really amazing. Seeing how each pizza is made is beyond satisfying. Also the sounds of the pizzas are something out of your wildest food dreams. Learning about the foods you love can be very enlightening especially when you get to see how all the hard work and passion shows up in the final product.

Pizza can be a very simple food which is why it is such a crowd favorite. It is loved by people of all ages, races, cultures, etc. Its a comfort food and perfect for sharing. In such a divisive time, nothing is more important that sharing and loving one another. One of the best way to do this is literally break bread together with a pizza.

While simple pizza can also be very versatile. You can do so many things with pizza. Tons of different kinds of toppings, styles of crust, how you cook it, and much more. Pizza can be sweet, savory, rich, or light. Pizza really can be an open world/choose your own adventure kind of experience. One of my favorite things I saw in the show was using pizza to wrap and hold a philly cheese steak which is called a philly taco. Another jaw dropping thing being done is putting other foods on top of your pizza like tacos, burgers, or more pizza.

I absolutely love food and everything to do with food. Watching food being prepared, sold, eaten, and even talked about really brings me joy. Food is one of the pillars of life and paying respect to it very important to me. The Pizza Show does a superb job of paying homage to pizza and all of its wonder. Pizza is a food with a lot of history and its legacy is still being written each and every day. The Pizza Show reminds us that you should find what you love, explore it, and don’t hold back.

THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT:
GET SOME FRIENDS/FAMILY TOGETHER
ORDER A PIZZA
WATCH THE SHOW
CHECK OUT SOME OF THE PLACES FROM THE SHOW
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
CHECK OUT THE OTHER FOOD CONTENT FROM MUNCHIES

Thanks for getting this far I really appreciate it. Much love and peace out.

Follow me on twitter and IG @mikedroppin

What I’m doing this weekend and what I recommend

There are too many things to do on any given day. The over-saturation of options is a blessing and a curse. It often causes me (maybe some of you too) to sometimes not do much at all. Here’s a little push for that inertia.

This weekend’s hit list:
* Watch the Overwatch League
* Watch the newest episode of Top Chef
* Watch Genesis 5
* Catch up on more episodes of the podcast House of Carbs
* Read more of The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
* Watch the Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
* Play Fortnite
* Go outside

Simple and short with room to do more. I love watching any kind of competition. The Overwatch League (OWL) has been very impressive so far and it is only on its second week of inaugural season. Those who are familiar with esports will immediately notice all the hard work and professionalism that goes into the entire production. I’m a SF Shock fan and really enjoy watching this fast-paced FPS. Genesis 5 is another esports event but with fighting games instead. Mainly Super Smash Bros. in all of its forms. Fighting games make for one of the best esports viewing experiences because of how easy it is to follow and getting to witness the hype from the crowd. Rooting for the Warriors comes natural since I’m a California Bay Area native. This upcoming game will be a barn burner with the dubs headed to Houston to play the Rockets. It’s can’t miss basketball.

Food related media is super underrated. Top Chef and House of Carbs are fantastic for admirers of tasty treats. I love watching people cook, watching people eat, and even enjoy listening to people talk about food. Top Chef is the best cooking competition/food show around. High caliber chefs run around cooking amazing food that I fantasize about. If you’re also watching this current season, I’m really rooting for Chris. He’s the guy that cooks comfort/soul food. House of Carbs is an amazing podcast about all the good eats around (mostly) the US. It’s hosted by a guy named Joe House, and he takes his listeners on ear and stomach charming journeys. My favorite episode so far is one where House and crew debate what is the best Thanksgiving side dish.

I recently started The Three-Body Problem (first of the trilogy) which is a great Sci-fi novel by Chinese author Cixin Liu. Sci-fi is a favorite genre of mine in all mediums. Fortnite is a wacky, hilarious, and entertaining battle royale/battleground game. You can play it solo or with friends and its very reminiscent of Team Fortress 2 which was a classic FPS. Going outside is a huge one for me because I’m living overseas in Taiwan. I haven’t explored nearly as much as I’ve wanted and there is still so much for me to find here in Taipei.

That’s what I’ll be doing this weekend and here are some recommendations for your weekend:
* Anything from the above list (obvi)
* Food — Pancakes and/or a patty melt
* Podcast — Pete Holmes on Conspiracies, Humor, and ‘Crashing’
* Article —‘Final Fantasy IX,’ Now on PS4, Was a Brutal Fable About State Violence
* Music — 24/7 lofi hip hop radio — relaxing beats to study/chill/sleep to
* TV — My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (Netflix)
* Book — Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
* Movie — Okja (Netflix)

If you made it this far wow thank you so much. I imagine this was a bumpy read. Let me know what you think especially if its constructive. Much love and peace out.