If you haven’t had the personal experience, I guarantee you know someone who has visited the house they grew up in decades later, only to notice how small the edifice is. Whether an illusion of perception or reality what we remember from our past is often skewed. The same thing happens with friends from our youth and cherished neighborhood restaurants. What we loved in our youth often doesn’t always translate our future or present.
All of these things are heightened when the distance grows. I’ve spoken with coworkers lately that have admitted the pizza joint they loved as a kid, might not be all that great (today) and their memories may have skewed their opinions. Furthermore, tastes and personal taste change over years. I was reminded of this recently when I turned to an old favorite of mine for a rare, but needed slice of pizza.
While this joint was no longer part of my regular pizza rotation, I had enjoyed a pie as recently as six months ago. While filling up at a Thornton’s (gas station), I considered their pizza deal as I had missed lunch. Any two slices of their pizza + a 20 oz bottle of any Pepsi product for $6. Because I prefer to spend my do re mi at locally owned, mom and pop’s I headed down the street for a slice of za.
For numerous reasons, my pizza consumption has abated over the past decade. Where I would eagerly down a larger, thin crust pizza, I now opt for the smaller individual pie. Long story short, the slice cost more than the Thornton deal, was far less appetizing looking and blah. The slice tasted nothing like the many pizzas I had enjoyed for decades and as recently as this year. Ownership of the establishment had changed years ago, but for awhile they kept the same, slightly unique recipe. The original location had the smallest dining area with zero service. Occasionally, the owner’s son would bring the pizza out to one of four quasi-booths. The booths resembled what some houses had back in the 70’s-breakfast nooks.
As youths we would spend what seemed like hours in a booth playing Strat O Matic and years later we would hold our first, four-team ersatz Rotisserie Baseball draft during the strike shortened 1981 baseball season. Over the next decade, I consumed several large thin pizzas by myself, in my car or at home. In a nod to Spinal Tap, they’ve always only had two sizes, medium and large and I’ve veered towards the medium with a nod to my health.
This isn’t a case of realizing what you loved doesn’t warrant your loyalty or that Old Milwaukee and Special Export were never any good-but rather cheap alternatives for underage drinkers.
Even as my overall consumption has diminished over the years, I still chase after new spots off the grid. I don’t expect to try Thornton’s anytime soon unless I’m on the road and not within striking distance of an established favorite pizza joint. However, for the foreseeable future, I will cross this standby off my list.
As a rule, I do favor bars, restaurants and joints with some history. Other than clever marketing, I try and imagine what it is about the place that creates such loyalty; menu, staff, value, ambiance, service, clientele or any combination.
One of the joys of traveling to the smaller cities of the Midwest League is seeing how much has not changed and one can get a sense of place. You can also see and feel the tension as some people clearly want to see their hometown evolve while others prefer to live in the past. Without realizing it, those that favor the former don’t realize they’re sacrificing what made their city unique.
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