Worst pizza idea I've seen lately: the California Pizza Kitchen Tricolore SALAD Pizza!

Is it bad that I've exceeded my 43 slices of pizza a year and it's only February 11? I'm hungry. Hold the red herring, please.

Okay, I'll bite. How do the French get fresh cream to stay on the pizza? Are you sure they're not confusing this with a quiche?

The fennel sausage, red onion and cream pizza I had last night tells me no.

Elizabeth: Please do not hesitate either to send/bring samples to us back home. Gosh, but that looks tasty!

Interestingly, I tend to stay away from pepperoni and I like the little fishies.

A further note: Please pack some CA warmth for the trip back east.

When I've been in Paris they tend to plop on egg in the middle of some dishes as if it's parsley. The pizza with an egg cracked open in the middle was surprising and not at all welcome.

Walked in to Mozza back in November for lunch. Have to disagree. We had the "Tomato, mozzarella, sausage, salumi, bacon and guanciale" pizza and found it too greasy and not very exciting.

However, I thought the fried squash blossoms were stellar: lightly battered, light, crisp and delicately flavored. We also had the Fried Potatoes & Ceci, Mussels, Prosciutto di Parma, as well as the Bruschette with Chicken Livers and a salad.

Overall, I thought it was just okay. Not the spectacular gastronomic experience that everyone made it out to be.

If your up for something different, I recommend Monte Alban on Santa Monica for Oaxaqueno Cuisine, Echigo, also on Santa Monica, for serious Japanese sushi (as opposed to the stuff that passes for sushi in Baltimore). Lisa loves Father's Office in Santa Monica.

Closer to downtown is El Taurino in East L.A. for traditional (if fast food-y) Mexican, Scoops for innovative gelato/ice cream.

And there's really excellent coffee to be found in Silver Lake at Intelligentsia (Sunset Junction - tell them Jay said Hello) and LAMill. If you stay in Silver Lake, there's a lovely farm to table restaurant called Canele. Truly excellent Mexican at Alegria on Sunset. The Silver Lake Cheese Shop is next door to Intelligentsia and there's a fantastic gelato shop across the street from Intelligentsia as well.

But if Japanese is your bag, then head down to Gardena to Sanuki No Sato on S. Western. Greasy spoon plate lunch can be found at Bruddah's on W. Gardena Blvd. And the Hawaiian-style Portuguese Sausage at the Gardena Bowling Alley is better (I think) than the sausage from Hawaii.

I can give you more details if your interested. Just drop me an email.

That would be great, except that I'm leaving tomorrow morning :-(

The Owlish One said: When I've been in Paris they tend to plop on egg in the middle of some dishes as if it's parsley. The pizza with an egg cracked open in the middle was surprising and not at all welcome.

I remember that from a visit to France in 1987 or so. I really liked the pizza with the egg in the middle! A friend of mine who lived in France for a few years tells me that the egg on top thing is called "au cheval", literal translation being "on horseback".

Owl,

I've had a pizza with an egg cracked open in the center at Mozza. It had pancetta, bagna cauda, and escarole and was actually really good (although I did kind of stay away from the egg itself, now that I think about it...).

Jay,

Agreed. The squash blossom antipasti and the squash blossom pizza were both Heaven. They aren't on the menu this season. It's criminal.

I, too, have enjoyed the cracked egg in the middle of the pizza. In Spain, tuna is an extremely common pizza topping. I'm talking the canned kind. Yuck.

Dahlink and Elizabeth, it's actually creme fraiche, not fresh cream. The only way I know is that I watched Jacques Torres and another famous French chef make pizzas on Torres' PBS show. The other guy made traditional French pizza with onions, bacon, and creme fraiche that looked fabulous!

I want me some red herring, squid, and scallop pizza please...

I wish to God there was a place in the Baltimore area that had REAL authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. And DON'T say Uno's!

Pizza from the Windy City is where it's at. I like how they layer the ingredients in opposite order. Cheese goes on first, then toppings--Italian sausage, and maybe peperoni (but you gotta have the sausage), and THEN the sauce goes on last. Rch buttery crust with a hint of cornmeal.

If you're used to the traditional "thin crust" pizza from the East Coast (i.e. Pappa John's, Sabbarro's, etc.) Chicago Deep Dish doesn;t "sound" as good until youa ctually go to chicago and literally "dig in." My favorite was "The Original Gino's" (not to be confused with "Gino's east). but they've since closed. Lou Milnatti's is as good as any as well. And Pizzeria Due (a sister store to the original Uno location), is still fairly decent--nothing like the Uno's you'd find at your typical suburbal shopping mall.

I remember a place called "Armand's" that avertised "Chicago style" but it was made entirely wrong. Wasn;t even close. It occupied the building where Gator's used to be on York Rd and Belvedere. there was also one on 33rd and between Charles & St. Paul Streeet, and one in aTowson where the Charles Village Pub is.

Oh, Armand's - I remember that place. I used to go there when I was younger. My father used to take me to Mike's Pizza in Pikesville for their "thick crust" pizza - good memories.

I don't know, I'm just not a fan of the "Chicago Style" pizza. Too mushy/chewy without textural contrast.

But I'm an open-minded chap, next time I visit Chicago, I'll see if I can find a joint. My trips last year were occupied by meals at Hot Doug's, Trotter's, Alinea, Chop House and that touristy place by the McDonald's downtown that serves Italian Beef.

But the best pizza I've ever had was this past summer at the Salvatore Cuomo pizzeria in Ginza, Tokyo.