[Photograph: Foodbeast]
The pizza is a thing steeped in and often bound by tradition, which is nevertheless being constantly reinvented and experimented upon. From pizza-like objects to whacky topping combinations to pizza you can print, there's always something new going on—for better or worse.
First up, California chain Slater's 50/50 has pulled two new temporary menu items out of some made space of dreams, to celebrate Irvine Restaurant Week. Foodbeast reported on the Turducken Burger (chicken/turkey patty, fried duck egg, bacon country gravy, dried cranberries, and sweet potato fries), but more relevantly: the Supreme Pizza Poutine Fries.
Chef Brad Lyons' Pizza Poutine starts with your usual fries...which are then "smothered in a roasted red pepper coulis...topped with melted mozzarella cheese, sautéed mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, and crispy fried pepperoni." If the appetizer is a hit, it'll stay on the menu permanently. If anyone tries this, please, please let us know.
The Daily Meal has come up with a slideshow of the 8 things they've deemed should never top a pizza, but I have to say...I'm not so sure. They do note that for the purposes of the post, they're talking about a plain, New York-style pie: crust, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.
So what did they shy away from? Canned tuna, uni (and other raw seafood), citrus fruit, mayonnaise, kimchi, lettuce, Chinese food, and ice cream. I can see where they're coming from with a few of them—I've never seen a non-dessert pizza topped with ice cream, but it's not something I'd be interested in. Lank, wilted lettuce on a pie isn't terribly appealing. But otherwise? I'd try it. What about you guys—are any of these definite no-no's as toppings?
[Photograph: WECT News]
TIME NewsFeed is perhaps more on the mark with get-this-out-of-my-face toppings coverage. Florida restaurant Evan's Neighborhood Pizza, owned by Evan Daniell, has just started serving a pie they call the "Everglades Pizza". What's on it, you ask? Pretty much anything and everything you'd find in a swamp—frogs, alligators, swamp cabbage, hog, and chunks of python.
To be fair, I will try absolutely anything, at least once and usually more often before deciding I don't like it, but this pie certainly pushes the boundaries...even if only because there's so much on it (I usually like my pies on the simple side). Daniell isn't stopping there though—as soon as he can find a supplier, he's hoping to turn out a "Road Kill Pizza" featuring raccoon and opossum. As the original article notes, I do admire finding a use for an invasive species this way, but I have to wonder—how many of you would even touch this pie?
About the author:Kate Andersen is a Contributing Editor for Slice.