Pizza, peeta, pizza

I’ve been in a really big pizza rut.

Rut has a negative connotation though.  I’m quite content with the pizza phase.

Last month, for example, I ate pizza no less than 5 times.

First, there was this surprise pizza lunch.

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Then I made these guys from home-made GF vegan bread that sucked (as bread, but worked as pizza crust).

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And I got this Daiya delight from the co-op.

Twice!

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See?  Pizza on the brain!

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So it was surprising, but also not surprising, that after seeing Katniss start a revolution I wanted pizza AGAIN.

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Hostaria del Piccolo is a pretty popular local spot between our place and the Promenade.  They have an authentic Italian menu with a farm fresh focus.

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They also have several vegan and gluten free options (all noted on the menu).

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Kyle and I split everything (Buenos Aires style eating habits) beginning with the soup du jour.

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The soup arrived at the same time as the salad.  This was the VERDE INSALATE with arugula, mizuna, avocado, pine-nuts, and parmesan crisp.  I worked around the parm, duh.  The avocado was the highlight.

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And finally, the pizza!  We got the only vegan option, the TESTAROSSA with tomato sauce, Tuscan bean pesto, Gaeta olives, heirloom tomatoes, and basil.

One thing I want to note about this pizza was the presence of olives.  I hate olives.  Kyle hates olives.  So obviously it would have been preferable for us both to get the pizza minus the olives.  But when I (politely) asked the waitress if this was possible she basically implied the chef didn’t do swaps, substitutions, or alterations.  They were creations meant to be eaten as they were.  Uh, ok.  Fine.  She asked if there was another pizza we wanted instead, since the olives were “a main part of the Testarossa.”  I told her I was vegan and that was the only vegan pizza on their menu (read: no I don’t want another pizza).  She was perfectly nice about it, but maintained that the chef wasn’t down with menu tweaks.  In my opinion that’s lame.  I get that chefs are artists and feel very passionate about their creations, but I feel pretty strongly that customer service is the most important in restaurant dining.  I’m a paying guest, so I deserve to be served what I want.  And in a time when food allergies and sensitivities are so common, being rigid with your recipes is silly.  Why not accommodate me in the hopes that I’ll share how awesome their vegan pizza is with others?  Well, anyway.

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In the end, we just got the pizza and picked the (four) olives off.  Look at the photo, there were really only a few olives.  Why it was such a big deal for them to keep the olives on the pizza is puzzling to me, but Kyle and I just left them on the plate.  What a waste.

How do you feel about asking for alterations in your restaurant orders?  Normally I have zero problems with it.  Sometimes I’m like Meg Ryan giving five minute explanations.  And I almost always get exactly what I want.  Sometimes I pay extra for more pricey swaps, but it’s worth it.  I feel like a smile and good attitude go miles in getting your way.

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Comments (16)

  1. Abby

    That’s lame. It’s not like you asked them to completely veganize a bacon pie with extra cheese, it’s a few olives. While I respect the chef’s integrity for his food, in the end, the customer is what keeps him behind the line and successful.

    With that said, even though I’ve worked in food service, I still have no problem tweaking certain things to accommodate my food preferences. Like you, I’m often asking for things minus cheese or soy or whatever it is that is needed to ensure I’m a) satisfied and b) not in pain afterward simply because I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. Yes, it might cost more, but I would rather leave feeling good than feeling guilty and uncomfortable!

  2. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats

    I used to be uncomfortable making tweaks, but now that I can’t have gluten or soy I’ve learned to just ask! I’m totally okay now with being that annoying person with 50 questions for the waitress about what’s in their dishes. I’d rather eat something good and feel good then end up with some stomach issues just because I wanted to be polite…

  3. Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen

    I don’t mind asking for them, and it’s usually not a problem. I do worry sometimes that they actually did cook something in butter, or that there is hidden cheese that I don’t taste. [I’d also like to think I COULD taste it, but one never knows.]

    Just this weekend I went to dinner for my dad’s birthday, and, after bonding with the waitress over how delicious antelope is (says me, the former meat lover) had to ask for a dairy-free vegetable plate. She looked surprised, but not too flustered.

    I like to think that a good chef would be excited by a challenge…but then again, many chefs don’t embrace vegetables.

  4. julie

    i’d like to have pizza with peeta anyday haha

  5. Katie

    I can’t believe you guys both don’t like olives! Pack them up and ship them to me next time.

    I’m never hesitant to ask for food swaps, either. I want what I want. 🙂

  6. Lisa

    Okay, that is the weirdest thing I have ever heard that they don’t make adjustments or swaps. I have never come across that at a restaurant! I never am hesitant because I want to enjoy the food that I am paying for. Usually they are nice about it, the only time I worry is if they are in a bad mood because I’ve had friends in the restaurant business who tell me horrible stories about what some people do with that food of demanding customers.

  7. Courtney

    I can’t believe the waitress said the chef wouldn’t leave the olives off the pizza! That is ridiculous. And rude. And weird. Crazy! She could have at least *asked* the chef (or pretended to ask the chef…), right? Sheesh.

    Courtney

  8. Mina

    That is so annoying, especially since you weren’t even trying to sub something, you just wanted to skip the olives. I have actually never encountered a restaurant that had a problem with simply witholding an ingredient. It makes me think that the pizzas may have been pre-assembled and frozen, which would make removing the olives more difficult. Even some higher end restaurants do this…..so you never know…

  9. MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College

    Great movie, delicious food! Perfect day/week o’ pizza for sure.

  10. Caity @ Moi Contre La Vie

    I always always always ask for food swaps. If it’s a nice restaurant or I am making reservations in advance I’ll tell them that I’m vegan/gluten-intolerant. I’ve never has a problem with a chef refusing to alter a dish for me, but I try to be as nice & diplomatic as possible. Hate to cause a fuss!

    P.S. Now all I can think about is pizza!!!

  11. Tara

    I always ask for substitutions. It’s annoying to me when I ask for a xyz salad, no meat, no cheese (so basically lettuce and other misc veggies) and they charge me the meat price…oh well!

  12. elaine c.

    i don’t mind asking for substitutions when i’m ordering food. i figure it can’t hurt to ask and they can always say no! in some cases when they’ve said no, i just order my 2nd choice, which is annoying, but at least i still get to eat 🙂

  13. Lacey

    There are a lot of local restaurants where I live that won’t make alterations to menu items because the chef feels to created a dish to taste a certain way, and that to remove certain elements would compromise the integrity of his/her creation. I do understand that, I really do, especially at original restaurants, but I also feel like chefs should at least be willing to accommodate allergies.

  14. Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats

    That is so lame. As a fellow olive hater, I would not have been pleased. I usually have no problem asking for substitutions on my orders in restaurants. Sometimes I feel a little hesitant if I have a cranky waiter/waitress though!

  15. Heather

    I totally agree… not being able to substitute things is lame. I was at a restaurant once with my boyfriends family. I normally don’t mind going out because there is always at least one vegan item on the menu or at least salad or something I can get without cheese. This particular time there was garlic bread, I didn’t really want garlic bread and I didn’t want to go through the hassle of explaining I was vegan and that it most likely had butter. I politely asked the girl if there was something I could get instead because I didn’t want it. But of course she got annoyed and asked me “why don’t you want garlic bread?” as if I was doing something wrong (I didn’t realize I had to explain why I’m in the mood for certain food?!). It ended up with me getting two slices of crappy mushy bread that I didn’t even touch and it ended up ruining my evening a bit because it seemed like I was being difficult when I really wasn’t.

  16. lou

    that must be a california thing…or larger city thing. i had never come across the no mods on a menu until this past january when i was visiting my bro in l.a. kind of a bummer when you have food allergies but want to eat at a certain restaurant…
    on a side note, have you ever been to cafe gratitude?? i’m sure you have but if not, you need to drop what you’re doing/eating and go there asap!

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