A very funny, behind-the-scenes tell-all guidebook about fast-food pizzeria culture.
Top social media influencers like Vito Iacopelli
(pizza dough expert) and Dave
Portnoy (“One-Bite Pizza Reviews”) have made the popular culinary dominance
of pizza reign supreme. And first-time author Tricia Wood can be added to the list
as a “Literary Pizza Influencer,” as her book Emergency
Pizza Ordering 911 offers a wholly unique take on fast-food-service aspects
of this once humble, now ubiquitous Neapolitan delicacy whose fatty, flavorful versatility
can trigger brain cravings.
With laser-focus and razor-sharp wit, Wood, a self-proclaimed “perfectionist”
pizzamaker, shares her 20+ years of experience working in the often “bizarre and
unpredictable,” fast-paced trenches of Papa’s Pizza in North Philadelphia: “My
work life has become a battle between my desire to please my customers and my
need to maintain order and sanity in the kitchen.” Not an easy task!
In lively, easy-to-read prose, Wood shares stories of the chaos and comedy
of often-demanding (incessantly eccentric) customers. This includes geometric dilemmas
of multi-ingredient-topped pizza pies and how some “spout off their orders like
they are reciting Shakespeare and expect us to catch every word.” Wood details “outrageous”
culinary requests from intricate substitutions, convoluted plate-sharing, and ordering
items like loaded French fries topped with pineapple and pepperoni? And why
does silverware often go missing?
There are also sections on the “proper” way to place
orders and register complaints; the etiquette of tipping; and frustrations
with delivery situations—navigating dark, obstacle-course-like, snowed-in
driveways; battling overly zealous pets; and price-hikers like GrubHub and
DoorDash (“These guys are like the annoying cousins who show up at every family
gathering and somehow manage to eat all the food without bringing anything to
the table”) as they rake in a 30% profit from restaurants.
Wood--a hard-working, dedicated, unsung hero--demonstrates the joys, challenges, and absurdities of fast-food service culture that caters to customers, some of whom have “zero appreciation for the unique and honorable art of pizza making.” However, Wood’s entertaining, comprehensive insider’s literary guide is truly enlightening—and should be required reading for anyone who avails themselves of (or works within) the food service industry.
“Emergency
Pizza Ordering 911”: Ordering Pizza Without Annoying Us by Tricia Wood
Independently published, $10.99 paperback, 9798330608508
/ 9798300952501,
78 pages
Publication
Date: November 22, 2024
To order
this book on Bookshop.org,
link HERE
Learn
more about author (and pizza maker) Tricia Wood, link HERE
