In Pizza Heaven

warm patio lights

fingertips, floured by the slice:

"It's Italian"

Pizza good enough to inspire a haiku? You'd better believe it. Not that you should correlate the quality of this haiku to the quality of that pizza--I'm at best a dabbler in the subtleties of Japanese poetry, but the "It's Italian" restaurant in Austin knows their margherita :P

I would consider myself somewhat of an expert, however, when it comes to judging pizza . I rhapsodized my way through the world pizza champion's four-cheese pizza in San Fransisco last Christmas, an event which turned my pizza world on its head. Okay, that's an understatement. It changed my life. I can practically taste it as I type.

(Excuse me as I wipe drool from the keyboard.)

That may be because I have exceptionally retentive tastebuds... but it's probably because I haven't brushed my teeth since eating a runner-up tonight, an echo of that incredible experience at Tony's in San Fran. YES! "It's Italian" may be in a strip mall in central Texas, but bless my basil-loving soul their pizza is inspiring.