Day 1, 2003: Ray's Pizza & Bagel Cafe (E. Village, NYC)

DAY 1: October 1st LOCATION: Ray's Pizza & Bagel Cafe (St. Mark's St. & 3rd Ave.) GUEST: Matt Pack ORDER: 1 slice of cheese, 1 poppyseed pizza-bagel PIZZA REPORT: Batting .500 today. The slice of cheese was typical Ray's deliciousness but the pizza-bagel just didn't measure up in either the pizza or the bagel category. I think the bagel was made early in the morning so around lunchtime had solidified into a brick. It's hard to eat a brick even when dressed up like a pizza. The slice of cheese, on the other hand, was dressed up like a pizza and tasted like a pizza as well. Sure there were some red edges (sauce that extends further out on the crust than the cheese) but I am a bigger fan of sauce than cheese anyhow. Besides, standing next to its poppyseed step-sister, the slice - red edges and all - was nothing less than beautiful. MISC.: Who better to kick off Pizza Month '03 than someone I met during Pizza Month '02: Mr. Matt Pack. He even wore the very same T-shirt today as he wore the day I met him! He pretended as if he didn't remember, but I know deep down he wore it on purpose. PACK FACTS Matt Pack lives in Rockland County, NY which is the setting for the TV show Ed. Matt loves bowling As a junior in high school, Matt Pack once ate folded together 4 slices of pizza to come from behind and win a pizza eating contest.