Turns out Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Domino's and every other pizza joint is selling counterfeit pizza. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/05/27/italy.pizza.ap/
Aww, geez, my old boss is going to be furious. I worked at a pizza place in high school, since you're in San Diego, you might even know it - Sorrentino's Pizza. The owner was Italian, great guy. And now I find out he's a counterfeiter. I guess you never really know someone...
Having lived on both sides of the pond -- American pizza is a significant innovation over traditional Italian pizza. There is a reason pizza became so popular here -- we improved it.
If you are looking for the best pizza on the planet try the WomboCombo from RoundTable. I had never been a big RoundTable fan before but now I wish I had never discovered it as I am now hopelessly hooked! Loaded with HUGE CHUNKS of primo pepperoni, Andouille & Italian sausages, crisp bacon, Portabellini® mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, artichoke hearts and green onions. Theres a picture on the home page: http://www.roundtablepizza.com Get ready to drool! WARNING, if you are trying to loose weight don't ever order this pizza. It is totally addicting. Sorry slightly off-topic and you'd think I'm in sales for the company or something, but could not resist. ;-)
There is a substantially populated school of thought that "counterfeit pizza" can be defined as any pizza not made in New York City. Those born and raised in NYC generally experience what psychologists familiar with the phenomenon term "pizza shock" the first time they get something away from home. I don't know what the magic difference is, but it can be transported: some years ago in San Francisco a Chinese fellow from NYC opened a pizzeria, and lo! it was The Real Thing. He either couldn't or wouldn't say what he was doing (or buying) different, but even in a town heavily influenced by a large, long-established Italian subpopulation, the prevailing pizza was . . . well, it wasn't New York pizza. I can't say if NYC pizza is still what once it was, having not been back for many and many a year. Last time I visited, one could still trek up and down Eighth Avenue getting a slice at every place one came to and scarcely ever a dud.
Had a little fun here the other day for Pizza Hut. All but one in the county were closed for not having worker's comp insurance. My mother works in worker's comp, so a place being closed for not having any really caught my attention. The Pizza Huts are back open now, but I hear the other pizza places were a lot busier.