Day 29, 2002: Patsy's Pizzeria (Harlem, NYC)

DAY 29: October 29th LOCATION: Patsy's (1st ave bet 117th and 118th st, NYC) GUEST: Birch Harms, Kevin Hines ORDER: 3 slices of fresh mozzarella and 2 slices of pepperoni PIZZA REPORT: Coal-fired up! My experience at Patsy's adds further support to the theory that 'I love the taste of NYC coal-fired pizza'. Both of our pies were delicious. The slices are thin and, at the advice of the Patsy's cook, should not be loaded with many toppings. He also told us the cooktime for a pie is less than 3.5 minutes. Ours must have been in the oven for bit more than 3.5 minutes as slightly overdone spots were evident on both crust rims. Amazingly enough, however, the taste and consistency of the burnt crust was virtually unHARMed (pun intended, Birch). The well-applied sauce and brilliant cheese distribution made each Patsy's pie not just a pizza but a masterpizz-a. MISC.: Birch Harms was not named after the tree or the beer, nor was he razzed by kids saying "life's a birch" or "A farewell to HARMS", nor did he appear to enjoy me and Kevin Hines coming up with inappropriate ways to use his names. Kevin Hines thought of a great way to avoid getting mugged; carry 12 wallets each with very little money in addition to your real one. Kevin admits their might be some kinks in the plan. "By the time the mugger gets the 'real' wallet, he'll either be laughing too hard to complete the crime or," Kevin continued, "he might shoot you."