Welcome back to Pizza Quest! 

It's been a while since we've caught up with our two most recurring and popular guests, pizza legends John Arena (Metro Pizza in Las Vegas) and Brian Spangler (Apizza Scholl's, Portland, OR). Not only have they both been there and done it all, but they are also trusted mentors to many pizza operator newbies and, over these past years on Pizza Quest, have served as prophets-in-residence,alerting us to what to watch for next. We've broken stories with them on emerging trends like the pizzeria/bagel connection, sourdough is here to stay, and the return of the tavern/parlor/bar pizza style. In this episode, these esteemed pizza "elders" tell us about what they see coming next, as well as sharing some intimate, personal reflections regarding their next steps as they each approach their own "Act Three," and confront the challenges of transitioning into elderhood. Bottom line: even if you never plan to stop, you still need to have an exit strategy....

Welcome back to Pizza Quest,

Our guests this week are the co-hosts of the popular Pizza Pod Party Podcast, Arthur Bovino and Alfred Schulz. They recently completed their first season of 52 episodes with a star-studded roster of  guests including Mo Rocca, Andrew Zimmern, Tony Dukoupil, Guy Raz ("How I Built This"), Candace Bushnell (yes, who wrote "Sex in the City"), George R.R. Martin ("Game of Thrones," anyone?), Susan Orlean ("The Orchid Thief" and way more), Scott Wiener (my go-to guy when it comes to everything pizza), and many others who you will hear about in this lively conversation. Their podcast is about gathering interesting people together with pizza as the means to get them there. The guys tell us about their upcoming Season Two and all about their other projects and whether there will be a new Best 100 Pizzerias List in the coming year (that's Arthur's baby, for those who didn't already know). It all happens here, on Pizza Quest.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest!

In this episode, we welcome Brett McKay, the founder of the immensely popular website/newsletter/podcast, The Art of Manliness. For the past fifteen+ years Brett, along with his wife Kate, have been on their own quest to explore every aspect of what it means to be a man -- really, a human -- at this particular time in history. Their site has clearly struck a chord, as they have over a million followers (including listeners to their Art of Manliness (AOM) Podcast),where they cover everything from the practical (like "How to Shave Like Your Dad" and "How to Properly Tie your Tie"), to the metaphysical and philosophical (Aristotle is a huge influence on their work and journey, as are many other well-known historical thought leaders), and they have posted over 1,000 episodes (1059 as of this week's show on "The Science of Slowing Down Time"). Brett was kind enough to invite me onto his podcast and even kinder to reciprocate by coming onto Pizza Quest. There is a lot of kindred spiritedness here, as I think you will see and enjoy during this thoughtful conversation.

Note: Brett also shares some tips on how he and Kate grew their following into a full-time livelihood; tips that will prove useful to any of you who are trying to grow your own media platforms and brands -- this is priceless advice!

Welcome Back to Pizza Quest!

This week we welcome fellow podcaster Jimmy Carbone, host of HRN's Beer Sessions podcast. Jimmy has been hosting his "convivial ale salon" on HRN (Heritage Radio Network) from the network's earliest days, beginning about 15 years ago.  Peter recently was a guest of Jimmy's on Beer Sessions, talking about the pizza/beer connection, so this time Jimmy returns the favor and joins us here to share his passion for hard apple ciders, a passion that Peter fortuitously shares as well. Join our pop-up "cider salon" here on Pizza Quest, as Jimmy takes Peter on a tasting tour of three easy to find yet distinctly different brands of cider. As always during these tasting episodes, you will learn more than you ever imagined while also being thoroughly entertained.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest.

Mark Todd is a recurring guest here on Pizza Quest because, one, I love cheese (every kind!), and two, he's so interesting and makes cheese interesting too as he demystifies this magical, fermented, "spoiled" solid milk so that we can enjoy it in all it's mighty nuances and permutations. In past episodes with Mark, we've explored stretched cheeses in the "pasta filata" category, cheddar cheeses, and hard, aged cheeses. This time we've taken the big leap and a deep dive into "stinky cheeses," which means Alpine-style washed-rind cheeses that are not for the timid. But, oh, the rewards!! We join Mark from his base in the wilds and woods of Sonoma's rustic "West County," along the Russian River, where Mark is often found hunting for edible mushrooms in the redwood forest when he isn't teaching the world about the joys of cheese. I guarantee that you will learn more than you ever imagined during this lively conversation with our friend, Mark Todd, "The Cheese Dude."

Welcome back to Pizza Quest!

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi's and Michael Carter's new book, "We the Pizza," just came out this week. They join us from their restaurant, Down North Pizza, in Philadelphia's Strawberry Hill neighborhood, to tell us all about it. The subtitle of the book, "Slangin' Pies and Saving Lives" is really what makes Down North Pizza unique among the many great pizzerias we feature here. The restaurant represents a larger mission, including the hiring of formerly incarcerated individuals, providing housing subsidies for those in need, and a number of other neighborhood and community projects that we discuss in this conversation with Muhammad and Michael, all designed to elevate the quality of life for the locals and to also serve as a model for, hopefully, otherDown North's across the country.  It's a work-in-progress but the launching pad for it all is the amazing and creative square-style pan pizza menu created by head chef Michael Carter and his team of cooks. The creativity on display is beautifully captured in their new book, written by Muhammad, along with co-author David Joachim, as well as beautifully energetic photos by Amurri Lauren. As you will hear here, all of the good works envisioned by Muhammad, who has been a community activist for years in Philadelphia, are made possible by the success of Down North Pizza. Join us as we discuss how to make a vision of community transformation come true, in this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest!

      Joel Kostman supported his family for over 30 years as a New York City locksmith, but that was just his day job. By night, he was (and still is) a serious writer who channeled his locksmithing adventures into a semi-autobiographical fictional cult classic story collection called, "Keys to the City: Tales of a New York City Locksmith." The New York Times even called him "The Doctor of the Deadbolt." As Joel says, "New Yorkers are concerned about keeping people out on a very primal level, whether it's an abusive spouse or a creep on the corner. They like to talk. I like to listen."  Joel and I are childhood friends and have gone on a number of pizza quests together when I happened to be visiting in Brooklyn, where he once lived. Join us as we recount those adventures, including his role in helping me win a James Beard National Bread Baking Championship, and his most recent exciting news: the possibility of the book being turned into a major television series.

        The Doctor of the Deadbolt is in, here on Pizza Quest.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest!In this episode, we are joined by Eddie Fischer (no, not the famous singer and husband of Debbie Reynolds and father of Carrie Fisher), but the OTHER Eddie Fischer, a Jersey guy, the founder of How U Doin?, a new boys and girls club about to launch near Dallas, Texas. Yes, he and I share a long, shared history of East Coast pizza questing but, more importantly, his current quest is to provide a safe haven for teens struggling with the allure of drinking, drugs, and alienation. How U Doin  is a clubhouse, but it's much more, fueled by a vision to make a difference in the lives of the youngsters involved and, also, in the community at large. Hear how Eddie Fischer discovered and is fulfilling his new mission in life which, by the way, involves pizza making as part of his formula for success.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest 2025, for a new season with lots of new and exciting guests! 

We kick off the new season with Chef David Nayfeld, chef and owner of a hot new restaurant in the shadow of San Francisco's dynamic sports complex in an area called Thrift City (the restaurant is located on Warrior Way, lest there be any doubt about Chef Nayfeld's lifelong allegiance to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors).  Che Fico Pizzeria (pronounced "kay-fico") is doing crisp, "slightly but intentionally-charred" slices and pies, as well as a very inventive Italian-themed menu of starters, sandwiches, and salads. (You can see the menu by going to cheficopizzeria.com and navigating through the lunch and dinner menus).  David is also the author of a new book called, "Dad, What's for Dinner?" with gourmet but accessible dishes you can make at home for and with your family. Chef Nayfeld has an extensive and impressive pedigree, having worked for some of the world's most famous chefs and restaurants, like Eleven Madison Park, Joel Rubuchon, and Aqua, and is now in the early stages of building his own restaurant empire, Back Home Hospitality, in the SF Bay area and beyond. Tune in to meet a chef who has paid his dues, found his own culinary voice, and is on the rise so that, when the awards start rolling in, you can say you heard about him here first. As we often say, "It's more about the quest than it is about the pizza, and the quest never ends." Enjoy!

Once again, the operative word for this episode is Quest, as we welcome author, mentor, and game changer, Dr. Marc B. Cooper. Marc's mission and personal quest is to restore a sense of meaning and purpose for those of us who fall into the "senior citizen" bracket (but, really, it's a timeless mission for all of us regardless of age). The title of his new book. "Older to Elder," says it all, so I won't try to recap it for you here but, rather, encourage you to listen to this fascinating conversation that might very well transform your life. Marc is, like me, a Philly boy, so I plan to invite him back to talk pizza in a future episode, but in this episode, you will hear the culmination of a lifelong journey of wisdom-seeking that far surpasses the search for the perfect pizza (except in the metaphorical sense, of course).

For those who want to follow-up and get his book (and this is unsolicited, as I get no kickback from Amazon or anyone for promoting Marc's book), here's a link.

In the meantime, join Dr. Marc Cooper and me as we discuss why becoming an elder is far more important than simply becoming older.....

NOTE: This episode marks the end of our 2024 season, a year full of a number of fabulous conversations with fellow questers on pizza and other important matters.  Our tagline, as you may know, is a "Journey of Self-Discovery Through Pizza," and this year's episodes have taken us deeper into the "self-discovery" aspect of that mission.  Check out our archives for episodes you may have missed. We plan to return in early 2025 with a whole new season of thought-provoking and, of course, delicious explorations in our never-ending Pizza Quest, both literal and metaphorical. Have a joyous holiday season and we'll see you in the new year!

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