Best Pizza Ever

It was late afternoon during the lazy summer just after graduating high school before going off to college. Three friends and I had the munchies so we headed to New England Pizza in northeast Philly. We ordered a pepperoni pizza for the table and each of us got a grinder - a toasted hoagie - for you non-Philadelphians think Quiznos, for you Philadelphians forgive the comparison. The pizza came after we had finished our grinders so we got it boxed to go. Now this was not a really big pie but it fit into the glove compartment of my '69 Pontiac GTO - door closed! I drive a Prius now but those cars sure were fun.

We went about our nightly activities and eventually around 4:00 AM I dropped all the guys off and headed for home. As was my habit, I took a swing through the neighborhood before calling it a night. I turned on Layton Road - short gentle curve slightly downhill - perfect for the kind of last cruise driving you do at 4:00 in the morning. At the last house on the right I saw my older brother Eddie sitting on the stoop outside with his friend Michael. As I drove up Michael yelled to me that he had wanted a pepperoni pizza all night and my brother wouldn't go so now they were starving.  I pulled over took the pizza out of the glove compartment - it was warm from that Pontiac V-8 - and we demolished that thing. To a guy who always wanted to impress his older brother - and more importantly with the kind of older brother who was always pulling for you - it was the best pizza ever.