jeudi 4 février 2010
Since moving to France, I have become quite a pizza connoisseur.
Alain and I have tried every pizzeria in a 1 km radius of where we live (not a small feat in Marseille) and have our favorite, Chez Cyril. Pretty much once a week for the past four years (usually a Saturday or Sunday night) we call up (or rather, I do- I have the number memorized. Is that bad?). Here are examples of the typical conversation:
Conversation 1:
Me: Hello, I would like to order a pizza.
Girl: (recognizing my voice) A four cheese?
Me: Yes, that's right.
Girl: Okay, nom P-?
Me: Yep.
Girl: Address ------?
Me: Yep.
Girl: What floor?
Me: Second.
Girl: Telephone number?
Me: 01 23 45 67 89 [note: not my real # obviously]
Girl: Okay. That will be 45 minutes.
Me: Thank you, goodbye.

Conversation 2:
Me: Hello, I would like to order a pizza.
Girl: (recognizing my voice) A four cheese?
Me: No, I think this time we will go with a (Royale, Tartiflette, etc.)
Girl: Okay, nom P-?
Me: Yep.
Girl: Address ------?
Me: Yep.
Girl: What floor?
Me: Second.
Girl: Telephone number?
Me: 01 23 45 67 89
Girl: Okay. That will be 45 minutes.
Me: Thank you, goodbye.

I think at some point we won't even have to confirm the address, floor, and telephone number, just call up and say "Hi, it's me, I'd like a four cheese pizza, thanks, bye". Though the few times that Alain has called to order a pizza, they don't recognize his voice.

So anyway, while in Strasbourg this last time I thought I would order a pizza (hey, it would last two or so days).
I saw that there was an American pizza chain, so, very excited to get cheezybread, I called up, ordered a medium pizza (tartiflette- for all of you who don't know what that is, it is a potato and cheese recipe that has been put on pizzas now), plus cheezybread and two sodas (it came as a meal for 19€).
Waited eagerly for my pizza, it arrived, took one bite, and have not tasted a worse pizza in a long long time. This is surely the worst pizza in France. No wonder French think that American pizza is terrible. (Though to be fair, this chain is known for being terrible in the US too).
If they are going to export an American pizza chain, why can't it be Papa Johns? I used to love their breadsticks.
I considered taking the box down and leaving it on a post on the sidewalk (surely someone coming back home from a bar late at night will eat it) but it was too cold to go outside, so I didn't. And the cheezybread wasn't even good either! All I managed was a can of coke. Good grief. Never trying that pizza chain in France ever again.

9 commentaires:

Mwa a dit…

We have that chain just around the corner and they are AWFUL!

Don't you want to scream at them when they ask for your phone number AGAIN? The reason they know who you are is because your phone number is recognised by their system and you flash up on their order screen. (Sorry to burst your bubble about them recognising your voice. ;-) )

Megan a dit…

Hmm. I guess it is possible (address showing up on computer screen) but I don't think so. I think I am just the only American who calls once a week for four years.

Brandi a dit…

Amen sister. Papa Johns;) I think Strasbourg is too far from Italy. On a side note, I am not sure anything outside of Italy should be called pizza, maybe we should come up with another name for crust with sauce and cheese. -- In French Tarte aux fromage, I can't think of an English word....

deedee a dit…

I haven't found very many good pizza places in France. Italy on the other hand...!

Starman a dit…

I'm not sure to which chain you're referring, but I suspect Domino's. We actually use Domino's quite a lot. The one near our place is pretty good.

Starman a dit…

Oh, and I've been to Papa John's. Was not impressed.

Betty Carlson a dit…

The only American pizza chain I have eaten in in France is Pizza Hut. It was...well...Pizza Hut.

I find that in our area the pizzas made for take-away, sold from trucks or stands, are better than the ones in pizzeria restaurants. Go figure.

Unknown a dit…

The worst pizze has to be the retau-U pizza. The stuff they serve us at the Nantes University is pretty bad as well.

Gwan a dit…

Hi, just found your blog through a taste of garlic :)
Omg they make tartiflette pizza? I'm super close to Italy (Nice) but I haven't seen it - maybe *too* close to Italy for such monkeying around. Have you tried flammekueche? I can't pronounce it, but that is some gooood stuff!

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