The Chris Hansell Interview with Throwing Fits

Summary

Throwing Fits Podcast Episode Summary: "The Chris Hansell Interview with Throwing Fits"

Release Date: December 4, 2024
Host: Throwing Fits
Guest: Chris Hansell

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Throwing Fits, hosts Lawrence and James sit down with Chris Hansell, the passionate owner of Chrissy’s Pizza in Greenpoint, New York. The conversation delves deep into Chris's journey in the pizza business, the challenges of running a pizzeria in a competitive market, and his personal motivations rooted in honoring his late father.

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Chris's Pizza Journey

Starting with Passion and Purpose

Chris Hansell's venture into the pizza business isn't just about making great pies; it's a heartfelt tribute to his father. "The reason I started this whole thing was to try to make a tribute to the pizzas that he and I would eat when I was a kid," Chris shares (08:03). This deep connection drives him to maintain high standards and personalizes every aspect of his pizzeria.

Establishing Chrissy’s Pizza

Moving from selling pizzas out of his apartment to opening Chrissy’s Pizza on 142 Nassau Avenue, Chris discusses the rapid growth and overwhelming response. "The first day was like, you know, it's like, hit me," he admits (24:15), highlighting the emotional rollercoaster of seeing lines wrap around the block almost immediately.

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Operational Challenges and Solutions

Managing High Demand

One of the significant challenges Chris faces is balancing quality with quantity. With orders soaring, he emphasizes the importance of controlling every pizza's quality. "I make every single pizza at that shop every day. I make all 160 pies we sell a day," Chris explains (14:25). This hands-on approach ensures consistency but also limits scalability.

Streamlining Orders and Reducing Wait Times

To handle the influx, Chrissy’s Pizza implemented a reservation system where customers can see when there's no line and place orders accordingly. "If there's no line, you could just come in and get a pizza. It's 10 minutes," Chris notes (55:57). This system helps manage customer expectations and reduces frustration from long waits.

Team and Collaboration

Chris attributes much of his success to his dedicated team, mentioning key members like Akbal, David, Chelsea, Luis, and Brooks from Superiority Burger (26:37). Their support and expertise have been instrumental in maintaining the pizzeria's smooth operations and high standards.

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Pizza Philosophy and Quality

Whole Pies Over Slices

Chris passionately defends his choice to focus on whole pies instead of slices. "I think the best way to eat a pizza is to get a full pie," he states (09:48). This approach allows customers to experience the pizza at its freshest and highest quality, aligning with his personal and familial values.

Ingredient Selection and Recipe Development

Five years of meticulous recipe development have honed Chrissy’s Pizza's offerings. Chris discusses his experimentation with different tomatoes, cheeses, and sauces to achieve the perfect balance. "We use a mix of two different tomatoes, like a Jersey tomato and a California tomato," he explains (11:44). This dedication to quality ingredients ensures each pizza is a unique and flavorful experience.

Innovative Toppings and Personal Preferences

While Chris maintains a traditional approach, he is open to experimentation. "I've been wanting to try pineapple," he mentions (67:37), though he remains skeptical about unconventional toppings like ranch or chicken. His preference leans towards simplicity and maintaining the integrity of classic flavors.

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Community and Industry Insights

Supportive Pizza Community

Contrary to the often competitive nature of the food industry, Chris highlights the supportive environment among New York's pizzerias. "Sal has only been nothing but supportive to me," he remarks (46:44). This camaraderie fosters a healthy competitive spirit and encourages continuous improvement.

Impact of Media and Influencers

Chris shares his experience with media exposure, notably how an article from The Infatuation and support from figures like Action Bronson boosted his pizzeria's popularity. However, he also touches on the challenges of sudden fame, such as dealing with increased demand and maintaining mental health amidst the buzz. "It was a little bit detrimental to me for my mental health," Chris reflects (36:46).

Pizza Culture and Trends

Discussing the evolving pizza landscape, Chris appreciates traditional styles while acknowledging the rise of viral and innovative variations. He expresses admiration for established names like Sal from Lucia and is intrigued by trends like stuffed crust and unique flavor combinations, though he remains selective in his endorsements.

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Personal Stories and Anecdotes

Honoring His Father

Chris’s journey is deeply personal, rooted in fond memories of sharing pizza with his father. "When I say that I'm standing on the line making every single pizza all day, it's not like some, like, flex being like, I'm working so hard. It's like, it's the most fun I've ever had in my entire life," he confides (75:38). This emotional drive ensures that every pizza is made with love and dedication.

Interactions with Celebrities

The conversation takes a humorous turn as Chris recounts interactions with celebrities like Natalie Portman at Superiority Burger. These moments serve as both validation and a testament to the quality of his pizzas, even if they come with their own set of challenges and pressures.

Balancing Work and Personal Life

Despite the demands of running Chrissy’s Pizza, Chris finds joy in exploring other pizzerias and enjoying pizza as a personal treat. "The only thing I do really on my time off is like, yeah, like, just trying to go to a new restaurant or go somewhere I've been mean to go," he shares (98:12). This balance helps him stay inspired and connected to the broader pizza community.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Chris Hansell’s interview on Throwing Fits offers a heartfelt glimpse into the life of a dedicated pizzeria owner striving to honor his father's legacy through exceptional pizza. His commitment to quality, supportive community, and personal motivations paint a picture of passion intertwined with perseverance. As Chrissy’s Pizza continues to grow, Chris remains focused on maintaining his standards, fostering team collaboration, and exploring new culinary horizons—all while staying true to the legacy that inspired his journey.

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Notable Quotes

• Chris Hansell (08:03): "The reason I started this whole thing was to try to make a tribute to the pizzas that he and I would eat when I was a kid."

• Chris Hansell (24:15): "The first day was like, you know, it's like, hit me."

• Chris Hansell (14:25): "I make every single pizza at that shop every day. I make all 160 pies we sell a day."

• Chris Hansell (09:48): "I think the best way to eat a pizza is to get a full pie."

• Chris Hansell (75:38): "It's like, it's the most fun I've ever had in my entire life."

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Additional Information

Follow Chris Hansell:

• Instagram: @chrissypizza
• Location: 142 Nassau Avenue, Greenpoint, New York
• Operating Hours: Thursday to Monday, open until sold out (typically around 7:30 - 8:00 PM on busy days)

Support Chrissy’s Pizza:
Chris emphasizes that Chrissy’s Pizza is dedicated to providing high-quality, handcrafted pizzas without compromising on flavor or tradition. Follow their journey on Instagram and visit their location for an authentic pizza experience in the heart of Greenpoint.

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Note: Advertisements and promotional segments from T Mobile and Libsyn Ads were omitted to focus solely on the interview content.

Transcript

[Chris]

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[Lawrence]

Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit.

[James]

Service port in 90 plus days with device into eligible carrier and timely redemption required card has no cash access and expires in six months. Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host, you seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn Ads, go to libsyn ads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today throw gang we are joined by the paisano of the pie the overlord of the oven doesn't need pots but he move in that za the pepperoni pimp but no backhand because he don't slice the prince of the pizza party but no afters even though he got lines every night making money at the food porn that's a cream pie not at pumps but he tossing dough made a living off the oven and stove Call up young cheesy he DIY the recipe that's so crust punk. The Brooklyn customer's got his green on point every slice perfect but he never fold. Oh, you weren't with his late night pop ups. How about you pop D's nuts in your mouth not in fashion with the sauce gotten dough and cheese founder Chris's pizza Chris hence. Hell Chris, how the hell are you?

[Chris]

How's it going guys?

[Lawrence]

What's up, Chris?

[Chris]

That was crazy.

[James]

Thanks for joining us on your day off.

[Chris]

Yeah, thanks for having me, man.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, we just needed to get one call out of the way with the money people and then we could sit down and have fun.

[Chris]

Exactly.

[James]

Ready in your day off to talk pizza for an hour and a half.

[Chris]

Of course, that's all I talk about anyway.

[Lawrence]

So how many, like, is all. All your conversations are about pizza?

[Chris]

I mean, all my conversations before, I. I mean, yeah. These days, yes. Yeah, Yeah. I mean, but I love talking about it regardless. Even before. Even before I was making it. Whatever. I was always just, like, running around checking out new spots, old spots I'd never been to. That's just, like, been my whole thing.

[James]

You're not sick of it yet?

[Chris]

No, I mean, like, yeah, I'll definitely, like, I'll definitely be going and eating a slice on my day off somewhere else. Okay.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

I'll probably go try to see Sal at Lucia after this, if he's over there.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[James]

We're gonna get into all that good stuff.

[Lawrence]

We'll talk the competition or your peers, colleagues in a bit and have your 1 millionth conversation about pizza. The first thing you want to do, Chris, is a little fit check. Just walk us through what you're wearing today.

[Chris]

Okay. This is a Fred Perry Harrington jacket that I got right before the shop opened so I could wear it for the friends and family. And look proper black tie. This is a super old. I mean, it looks vintage, but it's not. But I just wore it so many times that it looks vintage. It's like a Beherit shirt. They're a black metal band from the early 90s in Finland. And then these are just black metal. These are just black jeans that I got on Amazon.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[Chris]

And then these are some, like, I don't know, 10 I combat boots that zip down the side.

[Lawrence]

Stompers.

[James]

I asked you about this the first time we met was like, yeah, what's your footwear of choice? Being on your feet, slinging dough all day.

[Chris]

Yeah. So we. I remember we talked about this for a second. I was trying to wear, like, chef clogs like everybody else, like a normal person. But I found. I found that my feet hurt way worse.

[Lawrence]

Like from Dansko's or like, I think.

[Chris]

I had, like, the Chef Birkenstocks, the waterproof ones, the Super Berkeys. I have flat feet, so there are all those. All those clogs are arched. So I was just in pain, right. And I was like, I'm just gonna wear these.

[Lawrence]

His feet, like, his dough are thin.

[James]

Dude, you are chefs, like, pressured to, like, wear the chef shoes.

[Chris]

I don't think so. I mean, like, I. I mean, I think that you should wear them because, you know, it's. They're non slip. But these are These are non slip too. They're stump a motherfucker out if they're.

[James]

Complaining about no slices.

[Chris]

No slices.

[Lawrence]

No slices ever.

[James]

What about the socks and the panties?

[Chris]

Calvin Klein black boxer briefs.

[Lawrence]

Nice.

[Chris]

And then just some generic black socks.

[Lawrence]

You always murdered out. Is that the whole vibe?

[James]

Even when you're working with like all the flower and the.

[Chris]

Well, no, I wear. I wear like, you know, like a white porter shirt and a white apron on the line. But yeah, black jeans. Always. I was a big kid growing up, so black was always like my forgiving. Yeah. Forgiving my.

[Lawrence]

We've all been there.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

And then that just naturally led you into hardcore and metal. Yeah. Is that what drove.

[Chris]

You're like.

[James]

Well, I'm already. I already got the uniform.

[Chris]

No, I think that the uniform came from being like getting into punk and hardcore and metal and stuff like that.

[James]

What's your. What's the best black metal band? Is it Mayhem?

[Chris]

They're up there. I. I could. I could say some crazy obscure band that had a one tape that sounds like from the early 90s, but honestly, I think that this band called Dark Throne is like my favorite. The one that I revisit.

[Lawrence]

Name dude.

[Chris]

Yeah. Yeah.

[James]

But do they have the lore of Mayhem, where Dead shot his bandmate?

[Chris]

Well, they were all from the same place, so they all knew each other. And I think that if I'm. I don't want to sound like a poser here, but I think that Fenris wrote some stuff. No, maybe not. Anyway, they're all from the same place. They're all from Oslo. So. Yeah, it's like they were around the same time as all that crazy murder stuff. Okay.

[James]

All the church burning.

[Lawrence]

What's in the water over there that's making these guys psycho killers?

[Chris]

Reindeer too nice over there.

[Lawrence]

They gotta bring some mayhem.

[James]

Too much universal medication, universal health care.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Chris, real quick, what's the earring?

[Chris]

This is just a dangly razor blade that I got. I had like a. For the longest time, I had like a little dagger one and it like fell off while I was sleeping one night and I like, was devastated. I could never find the same exact one because it was like a little smaller and it wasn't like too obnoxious. And every other one I could find after that would be like big, like.

[Lawrence]

Right.

[Chris]

Super obnoxious. Like long knife earring, like an actual knife. So this one was like small and comparable. So I don't know.

[Lawrence]

What about a little pizza slicer?

[Chris]

No, too cheesy.

[Lawrence]

There he is.

[James]

Would you ever buy the Chrome Hearts Pizza slicer. Can you look up how much that is?

[Lawrence]

Yeah, I can look.

[Chris]

That is.

[James]

Chrome Hearts is the brand with the crosses that every rapper is wearing now.

[Chris]

Okay.

[James]

And they are like kind of like a West coast, like, rocker motorcycle brand. Started up in the 80s, I think, and it was like a, like west coast chopper ship. But now they just do like absurdly priced, quote unquote luxurious items, including a pizza cutter.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. One thing that is not luxurious is our Internet speed. So I'm buffering right now. I can get back to the group.

[James]

We'Ll bring it back up in like 15 minutes.

[Lawrence]

You call that a roller? A slicer, a cutter.

[Chris]

Cutter, Roller slicer. All acceptable terms.

[Lawrence]

Okay. Right now you can buy one on resale from our friend Justin Reed for fifteen hundred dollars interest.

[Chris]

I'm good. They're like five. The ones that he's only five bucks, not five bands.

[James]

But this one might be. Might be cooler.

[Chris]

Who's going to see it?

[James]

I don't know.

[Lawrence]

Everyone waiting in line. Dude, Instagram.

[James]

And you're sipping on a dirty water.

[Chris]

Yes.

[James]

How does this hit your chef's palate?

[Chris]

It's not bad. It's a hard seltzer that's not too sweet. And I hate sweet drinks, so this isn't bad.

[James]

You know they're making na white claws now, which is just seltzer.

[Chris]

I know. I saw that. And that's exactly what I thought. I was like, why just buy a La Croix. Yeah. Get a Lacroix. Canada Dry. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Vintage. Yeah.

[James]

All right, let's get into the cheese and dough. Normally, it's meat potatoes.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Of the only podcast that matters, Chris, first question. Does Chrissy's have the best pizza pie in all of New York City?

[Chris]

I. That's not for me to say.

[Lawrence]

Oh, come on.

[James]

A lot of people are saying it.

[Chris]

That. That ain't me. I don't talk like that. I mean, there's other guys. There's lots of guys that boast and brag about their stuff. I make what I think is good. It's for me. It's also for my pops, who's not around anymore. The reason I started this whole thing was to try to make a. Make a tribute to the pizzas that he and I would eat when I was a kid. Like, that was my favorite thing in the world, like going out. And we always went for a full P. So that's the reason.

[Lawrence]

That's why it's no.

[Chris]

Fresh out of the oven, crispy, like ask. Order it well done. That's the only way I knew. So, I mean, of course I was getting slices at places, too, but if I was going out with my dad, which was like my special thing with my best friend, like full pie, sit down in a booth, eat most of it or all of it.

[Lawrence]

I was gonna say, I'm sure the two of you could polish off eight slices. Right?

[Chris]

Yeah, easy. My mom used to tell me this story about my dad where she said that he would go pick up pizza from a place called the Pizza King, and he would go order a pie and wait for it, but have two other slices from the counter while he was waiting for TiVo. Yeah. Right.

[James]

So are we not going to. We're never going to get slices from Chrissy's, you think?

[Chris]

I. I don't want to do that. So. I don't know. I don't know what the future entails.

[James]

But think of all the paper plate costs you'd have to go through.

[Lawrence]

Sure. That wax paper, the.

[Chris]

All the quality control that I would have to go through. I mean, like, the reason why. I think another reason, like, besides the fact that I think the best way to eat a pizza is to get a full pie, well done, fresh out of the oven, is that, like, I'm getting. I lost myself for a second, like, lost in the sauce. That's. I just think that that's the perfect way to experience it. It's. It's like you're getting the. The pizza at its top quality. Whereas, like, if it's sitting in a case or on a speed rack and you're reheating a slice, or my guy is reheating a slice. If I had a slice shop and I didn't see it go out, it could be overdone, dried out. Like, my whole thing is like thin, crispy, juicy. Right. So, like, when that. When that pie first comes out of the oven, if you bake it hard, it's still juicy and crispy. It has that reheat quality, but it's like the first bake. It's not getting thrown back in.

[Lawrence]

Right. Depending how many.

[James]

How many bakes is too many bakes? Because I will say I had Chrissy's the next day for lunch. Some leftover slices hit.

[Chris]

Yeah, I mean, I think that's great. I think that that's the best part about getting a pie, too, is like you and a homie could split it, or you and two other homies could split it, or you just take it home and then you have a few slices and you have some the next day, throw it on two meals.

[Lawrence]

What do you think about the cold pizza for breakfast maneuver?

[Chris]

I think it's. I think these days I prefer a cold slice the next day as opposed to, like, heating it up in a toaster on. Or in a frying pan or on a cookie sheet or whatever. I think it's like that same kind of thing where it's like it dries out in your home oven or something like that. But yeah, just like in a box that's sitting on the kitchen table from the night before. And it's right there. It's like, why not?

[Lawrence]

It's all congealed.

[James]

Delicious. Okay, so Chrissy's pizza. Many people are saying, best pizza pie, best pizza in New York, top right now. If people are saying this, you know, what makes it so good?

[Chris]

That's like the question that drives me crazy when people come in to the shop and they're like, why is this so special? It's like you're asking.

[James]

You're asking me holding you for a podcast.

[Chris]

I don't know. I mean, like, I think the, The. The easiest answer is, like, five years of developing this recipe. Like, you know what I mean? Like, just like, trying different things over and over again. Trying and failing, trying and failing. Like, and then getting to a place where something works but something else doesn't work, and then, like, trying to, like, even things out or. I think it's just about, like, it's literally the way I want to enjoy the pizza. It's like, a little bit heavier on the sauce, a little bit lighter on the cheese. Always a hard bake. Like, that's how I want to eat it. So, so. And then I, you know, experimenting with different tomatoes, different cheeses over the years. You know, I use a mix of two different tomatoes, like a Jersey tomato and a California tomato. I think that a California tomato, tomato is sweeter. And then a New Jersey tomato is more, like, bold and robust. And I think the mixture is like, Jersey.

[Lawrence]

I was going to say you just described both states. You bridge the gap between the fucking coast, dude.

[Chris]

It's just things like that and just being obsessed and, like, being a psychopath about it. I don't know. Like, I can' say. I really can't say, like, that I make. I think I make a really good pizza, but I think I make a really good pizza for me. And what my dad would like. I can't say that it's like your ideal pizza or your ideal pizza, I think, or anybody's ideal pizza.

[Lawrence]

Spoiler alert.

[Chris]

It is. But what the biggest compliments I've gotten and that the ones that I can accept is that, like, people from, like, different states, not just New Yorkers, not just native New Yorkers, like, people like the. The. The most constant and best compliment I get is that, like, this reminds me of my childhood. And that's, like, what I'm striving for, right.

[Lawrence]

Taste of nostalgia.

[James]

I got some Frank's pizza shop on 22nd and 1st. When I got. When I got the plain slice or. Sorry, when I had a plain slice.

[Lawrence]

Of the pie, the sense memory kicked in.

[James]

A little Adriatics from 20th and 1st, you know, brought me back. I was going to ask. So is it better ingredients, better pizza? Papa Christie's.

[Chris]

I do try to use. I mean, like, everybody's all. Everybody. That's like opening a pizzeria now is like, I use the best stuff. I use the best stuff. I use a lot of same stuff that old school shops use, but I just. I just do it. I season my tomatoes differently or I use a certain amount of cheese as opposed to too much cheese or too little cheese. I. But I do, like, what I don't skimp on is like, we use like, a really, really nice extra virgin olive oil in our dough and on the finish of our pies. Like, kind of how like the far I was doing back in the day.

[James]

And the toppings, too.

[Chris]

And the toppings, yeah, yeah. I mean, like, you came last week, right? So. Yeah, but you were using, like, oh, you got the hot boy one. Okay. But last week we, like, we were getting our sausage from, like, my favorite pork store on Grand Mav. Emily's Pork Store. Like the best Italian combo sandwich in the city, I think. And then their sauce is just insane. And I've been using it since I was selling pizzas out of my apartment. So it was cool to when I used to go in there and be like, hey, can I get like, five pounds of the hot fennel sausage? And then last week I'm like, hey, can I get £60?

[Lawrence]

Give me the case, vendor, dude.

[James]

Yeah, I'll take two of everything. Was there when in developing the five years of R D, was there a eureka moment where, like, I got it, or is it like, are you still constantly tinkering?

[Chris]

Still constantly tinkering. And every time I try my. You know, we make one every morning before we start service just to try it, and I'm still just like, I don't know if it's good.

[Lawrence]

You have that, like, chip on your shoulder, that doubt.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah, always. And I think that that's what maybe makes it better, like, continuing to get better. Because I think that at the shop right now, I'm making the best pizza I've ever made in my entire life.

[James]

Oh, locked in.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And it's because of the help of my team. Sure. It's because of the having a proper oven, you know what I mean? Like, so when I see them coming out of the oven at the shop, I'm just like. Like, we all, you know, the joke is that we all start, like, whistling at the pies when I see, like, a particularly good one.

[Lawrence]

You're sexually harassing the pies when they come out. Cat calling them. I love that, dude. Real New York shit.

[James]

Hey, hot stuff.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Hey, hot boy.

[James]

Is one of the ingredients still polio? Mozzarella cheese.

[Chris]

So I was using a little bit. It was like such a small amount that it didn't matter, but for me and my crazy brain, I was like, this makes it better.

[Lawrence]

The cheese was stepped on. You're dusting it.

[Chris]

I am not using poly anymore. But I'm not. I'm still like. I'm still thinking about it every day, being like, it's fentanyl.

[James]

There's fentanyl.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

That's why it's so good.

[Lawrence]

God damn.

[Chris]

The reason. I mean, this is like some nerd shit for any, like, actual, like, pizza ne. Listening is just like the polio part skim. Like, I don't. I would never use it to top an entire pie, but if you use a little bit, like, you get that kind of like, old. And I'm sure you've seen this at shops growing up or whatever. Like the, that, like brown caramelized bubbles on the cheese, like when they caramelize a little bit. Like, the polyo part skim is just like the goat of that.

[James]

So it's coloring.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

It's presentation.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

It's just a garnish of poly.

[Chris]

Yeah. I used to, like, literally have, like, at my apartment, like, have like, you know, I forget how many pounds I used in a day. It was only. It was. It was a few pizzas I would sell once a week. So it wasn't much, but it be like a ton of like this one mozzarella and then like one retail poly thing that I just bag, you know, just like the, the, the, the block and I would just like, shred it by hand.

[Lawrence]

You can get polio in a block.

[Chris]

Yeah. But like, it's like a one pound block. You know, the one that, like, you're, you know, someone's mom is making baby.

[Lawrence]

Came in a bag, bro.

[Chris]

Oh, like, they're shredded already. Okay, got it.

[James]

Pre shredded jersey. Is there a topping combo or a pie that you haven't quite nailed just yet? Or like, maybe you did try it and you pulled out the oven and sucked? Like, would objectively suck? Not like you being too humble.

[Chris]

There was. I'm trying to think what it was. I was like, messing around with a white pie when I was doing the late night thing at Superiority Burger. And I think I just did a white pie with some like, like crushed Calabrian chilies and oil, which is like, it was good. But I was like, there's something. I was like, there's something missing. But I didn't hate it, you know, I mean, I would sell it, but I just decided I was like, oh, what if I did, like, not a white pie, just a regular cheese pizza. I said cheese. That's exactly. I say regular. I mean, it's like the people that are coming into the shopper.

[James]

Is that a thing like you said?

[Chris]

I never said. I never said. Well, like, I say regular, I say plain and regular.

[James]

I say plain and regular. You don't say cheese slice.

[Chris]

I've heard that, though. So, like, I remember the shop I would go to when I was a kid called Ancona and Valley Stream. Someone be like, can I get a cheese slice? And he'd be like, they all got cheese on it? No, but it's like, I don't know, it's not, it's not something I actually, like, I give a shit about, but.

[James]

Like, pizza nerds, I'm sure, like, fucking savage on, like, Reddit shit. Do you have, like, pizza purists coming at your neck?

[Chris]

I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't read any of that shit.

[James]

Really.

[Chris]

I try not to.

[Lawrence]

No Yelp reviews, Nothing?

[Chris]

I'll. I've checked the Google reviews because there's been some, like, one star ones that are just what people clearly have not come in. Like, their only other review was like, a Air Force base in Beirut, one star. And then Chrissy's pizza.

[Lawrence]

The one time we're not saluting the truth. Wait, why do you think that? What is the rationale behind that? Just, like, hating.

[Chris]

Yeah, just hating or just neighbor. I would imagine that, like, I don't understand because, like, you know, Greenpoint was the first place I lived when I moved from Valley Stream. Like, yeah, I don't know, almost 20 years ago or whatever. My first apartment was there. I love Greenpoint. The place that I took over wasn't Some, like, you know, like, old Polish place or anything like that. It was three different failed coffees.

[Lawrence]

It was an institution.

[James]

It was a trash coffee shop.

[Chris]

I don't know that it was trash, but they just.

[James]

Trash.

[Chris]

They just. I just remember they, like. It was like a few different places and I remember them turning over quickly.

[James]

So I think it was a kitchen supply store.

[Chris]

Oh, really?

[James]

It might have been a Polish, like, a lot, like a year pre pandemic.

[Chris]

Right.

[Lawrence]

How many polls does it take to brew?

[Chris]

Because it was like. It was like. I remember it was champion coffee back in the day. Okay. And then something else. And then the plot the place that it was.

[James]

Too many little coffee shops on Nassau right there.

[Chris]

There's too many. There's a lot of good ones, you know, have Paloma right there, which is like crack.

[James]

I haven't been yet.

[Chris]

Oh, bakery. Their pastries and their coffee are insane. Like, shout out to them. They have brought us, like, cold brew concentrate, like opening week, like a gallon being like, make sure you cut this with water.

[James]

Juicy Lucy, fun little sports bar.

[Chris]

Yeah. I actually haven't stopped in yet, but I met. I met the owner. She's very nice. Yeah, there's a ton. That little strip of Nassau has been nothing but, like.

[James]

But the haters are coming internationally.

[Chris]

Sorry, sorry.

[Lawrence]

From Baghdad.

[James]

International haters.

[Chris]

Getting off topic. I don't know if it's just, like, people seeing a line around the corner for something. I don't love that there's a line around the corner. But it's like. And I didn't. I didn't do, like, I'm on this podcast now, but we've been open for six weeks already, so I didn't really do any promotion. I only have the Instagram. Right.

[Lawrence]

Which has juice.

[Chris]

It has juice. But I didn't do anything. People are like, how'd you get. How'd you get so many dogs? I just kept posting pictures of pizza. Like, pizza on my kitchen table table.

[James]

Food porn. That's cream pie.

[Chris]

Yeah. And literally just writing, like, regular pie in all caps. I just did that. And, like, I was also just, like, posting my, like, development over the years. Just like the journey or whatever.

[Lawrence]

Right, the pizza journey.

[Chris]

Yeah. It only. It blew up when it blew up for the first time when, like, thank you, Dave Portal. No, no, no, no. Way before. No, I would say that that was like. That coming out was detrimental.

[James]

Well, we're gonna.

[Lawrence]

We're gonna get into it, dude. Don't worry.

[Chris]

The first thing that happened was when I was selling it out of my House. I was mostly selling it to friends in between, like, traveling and playing shows with my band. It got like, word got out and people started, like, strangers started pre ordering them. And I was like, oh, whoa, this is crazy. And I guess I didn't know who it was because I wasn't, you know, I hadn't cooked in restaurants in a long time, and, and I hadn't really been paying full attention to, like, food media. But someone from the Infatuation came to my house. Then they put it on, like, the best new restaurants in New York City, but it was like my apartment.

[Lawrence]

Right?

[James]

You're just doxing yourself docs by Infatuation.

[Chris]

Well, no, I wasn't. They didn't. I mean, it was cool. I was like, holy. Like. And so all of a sudden, I woke up one day and I was like, what? And I, the account had so few followers that, like, I still had, like, notifications on for. I woke up one morning, I was like, why? It was like, follower, follower, follower. I was like, what, what is happening? And then someone texted me, like, yo, congrats, like, you're in, like, the newsletter for this. And I was like, whoa, crazy. That was the first, like, better push more sausage. That was the first push. And then the action thing was. Yeah, the biggest thing. Yeah.

[James]

Did Action Bronson change your life?

[Chris]

I, I, I love him. He's, he's a g. He has a studio. His studio's, like, not far from my shop. He was my first customer. Friends and family. And the first day we were open, he's been super supportive. I knew him because I used to work at Lindustry. That was one of the pizzerias I worked at. And he would come in and his producer, Chris Grasso would come in, and Chris and I had some mutual friends, but when I, you know, I worked in a bunch of different pizzerias gearing up to sell my own pizza, not to, not to learn about their dough or their, or like, making their pizza. I was mostly just learning, like, speed on the oven, just trying to, like. But yeah, throw myself in it.

[James]

Like Lindustria, I don't think is credited enough with the fact that they are, like, very ingredient driven too.

[Chris]

For sure. Right?

[James]

Like, for sure. I forget the name of the guys, but they're, they're like Italian fucking chefs, right?

[Chris]

Massimo and Nick. Yeah, yeah, my friend. Friends of mine. For sure. Yeah.

[James]

But then it became more of like, a pop culture food media thing, which is totally fine. And now they're like, in the West Village. They're fucking they're crushing talk.

[Lawrence]

They're brand.

[James]

Sandwiches are gas.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, but.

[James]

And then action Bronson comes and puts olive oil on the soft serve, and.

[Chris]

People, you know, I mean, like, food is. The food is super good. I. When I was working there, I used to work the sandwich Wednesdays when it was just the one day a week or whatever crazy I got. I was able to work them because I used. My first restaurant job was at a. At a Jewish deli. I worked there from the beginning, like, ninth grade through, like, I didn't go to college and just kept working there because the money wasn't right, and it was just, like, a psychopathic place to work. And I enjoyed how crazy it was. Like, I read Kitchen Confidential, like, years later, and I was like, whoa, this is not far off from really?

[James]

You're blood for punishment or people doing bumps while carving the brisket, like, straight up.

[Lawrence]

That's how they're so fast in the slicer, dude.

[Chris]

Straight up doing bumps off the deli. Not me. I was so young, but, like, allegedly. No, straight up. I mean, I didn't. I didn't. I didn't even. Yeah, I didn't touch that stuff till. For. Till years later. Till years later.

[Lawrence]

Until I need. Until I really needed it. No, no, no, no.

[Chris]

But no. Yeah, People doing bumps off the counter. People just getting, like. Just drinking a bottle of Jack. Like, all. All these. Like, all these lifers that I was.

[Lawrence]

Just around, and it was really trauma bonding, baby.

[Chris]

But I learned how to. You know, I could wrap a sandwich really tight. And the first. First sandwich Wednesday at work, I was like. Worked at Lindustry. I was like, Nick, like, I just kind of, like, Timberly was like, yo, I'm pretty, like, good at wrapping sandwiches. He was like, rap one. He's rap one. Like, I wrapped it. I do. I don't know. I don't know how to describe it, but, like, I wrapped it. Like, you know, that's like, you fold it over itself twice. Like, some of, like, the good bodegas when they wrap it.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And he was like, yo, Chris is working every sandwich. But that was, like, the best because I come from Delhi, so it's, like, cool making sandwiches or whatever. But, yeah, action changed my life, of course.

[James]

What. What went through your head? I mean, so then, like, fast forward to you opening the shop in Greenpoint. Like, what went through your head the first time you saw the line literally wrapped around a block down McInnes Boulevard of people that wanted to eat the food that you had spent so much time developing and Making.

[Chris]

Well, when I saw it, I was like, I'm gonna have a panic attack right now, but need some of those.

[James]

Good Jewish deli oxies.

[Chris]

No, it was. It was really. The first day was like, you know, it's like, hit me.

[James]

He gets some perk.

[Chris]

30S Chelsea, who's like our front of house guru was like, said it perfectly. She's like, yo, it feels like every day like we're about to like, go on stage.

[Lawrence]

Wow.

[Chris]

And like perform, right? I was like, yeah, you're right. Luckily, like, the line goes the opposite way from our window, so. And I make every. Just for. Just to put it out. I make every single pizza at that shop every day. I make all 160 pies we sell a day. That's how many we do a day for now it's me making every single. So I can't look up. So I can't really see the line. So, like, it's. It's pretty busy. Pretty busy and I can't see it. So the stress of actually, like peeking out that the door the first day is not really there anymore.

[James]

Okay. Deep. And you kind of alluded to this, but you don't like that there's a line.

[Chris]

I don't like the neighborhood not being able to access. Access it easily. That's kind of how I feel about it.

[James]

Like, like people just walking in off the street and be like, hey, I'm. I'm walking here. I want a slice.

[Chris]

Yeah. I mean, like, they're hungry here. There was one. Like, there was finally no line for like a couple hours.

[Lawrence]

Oh, wow.

[Chris]

And it was just like, already, dude, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I just like posted on my. On the stories like, yo, like locals. Like, there's no line right now. And then like, we got killed. But with like, locals who are like, I can't believe there's no line. I've been waiting to try this. Blah, blah, blah. And that makes me really happy. So of course I want to do the business, but I like the idea of like the neighborhood being. Being able to access it. I don't want it to be this exclusive thing that like, only like tiktokers and. And people are that wait on. Are patient enough to wait like an hour and a half online because they start lining up like an hour before we open.

[James]

Yo, what if you did a locals only Monday or something?

[Lawrence]

Yeah, Special.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Driver's license.

[Chris]

Show me.

[James]

Show me your gas bill.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, for real.

[Chris]

It's not a bad.

[James]

I mean. Yeah. So you Sell out every day, you make 160. I mean, I'm not a restaurant operations guy, but you ever thought of, like, making more pizza?

[Chris]

I thought that was a lot of pizza. I didn't know. I didn't think we were going to sell that many at first. I mean, like, like, it's also a space. Space issue. Space issue. Like, you know, we don't have a walk in. We just have reach in refrigerators, so. And our dough ferments for like 55 hours. Cold fermentation. So there's not a ton of space to do much more. We're going to up it to like 200 very soon.

[James]

Okay.

[Lawrence]

Hell yeah.

[Chris]

God willing, I have space for that. But it was mostly just to, like. It was mostly just like getting the flow down and not killing the team right off the bat.

[James]

But I it up the first few days where everyone just got, like, overwhelmed. It's like that scene in the bear with the ticket machine or whatever, you.

[Chris]

Know, I thought that was gonna happen. I thought that was gonna happen. But it was pretty smooth. Yeah, it's been pretty smooth. All the guys I work with, like, my team, I'm gonna name them because they're the best in Akbal, David, Chelsea, Luis. Like, they're all like. They all like. Two of them were at Superiority Burger, and one of them was like my, like, assistant when I was doing the late night thing. One of them was like a prep cook there. Like a g prep cook there that was trying to leave. And. And Brooks, who owns. Is the chef of Superiority Burger, was like, yo, take AQ ball. So it was like, you know, like, I feel like a lot in, like, restaurants and stuff like that. There's a lot of poaching or whatever. But, like, Brooks was just like, yo, you should take. Like, he'd be good.

[James]

He's a good guy. He's like, known as like a very fair, awesome dude.

[Chris]

I would say he also changed my life because, like, we were your residence. I don't want to, like. I don't want to, like, veer too much off of what your initial question.

[Lawrence]

Chrissy show, baby.

[Chris]

We're just along for the ride in the apartment days. Like, I didn't know Brooks, but Brooks is a punk. Brooks played in bands. So, like, vegan. He's actually not vegan. Oh, he's not.

[Lawrence]

What the breaking news poser.

[Chris]

It's not vegetarian either.

[James]

What?

[Chris]

It just happens to have a vegetarian, right? We have a lot of mutual friends. We always had a lot of mutual friends and people. It's funny because we're like, super, super close now. I consider him one of my best friends, but, like, people assume that we've, like, just been homies for years. Yeah. But, like, Brooks and I became friends because he was just like a curious guy who wanted to get a pizza out of my apartment. Like, some, like, my friend Matty told him about it because who used to work for him was like, yo, there's this dude, this punk dude in Bushwick, like, selling pizza out of his apartment. And then Brooks DM me. He's like, yo, can I, Can I get one of these pizzas? Yeah, sure. He came, he got it. I, like, I invited him up, showed him the space or whatever. He was like, here's the kitchen.

[James]

Yeah, yeah, that's my bed.

[Lawrence]

Welcome to my home, dude.

[James]

I sleep in a race car. Yeah.

[Chris]

And he's a pretty quiet guy if you don't know him well. So we just like, I gave him a beer, we drank a beer in my kitchen, then he just took his pie and left. And then he texted me later, was like, yo, like, what's your email address? And I was like, it's this. And then I woke up the next day and there was an email sitting there from like 7 in the morning. And it was like, like 8 to 10 paragraphs long about how special he thought the pizza was.

[Lawrence]

Jesus Christ.

[Chris]

There was like two paragraphs about the dough, two paragraphs about the cheese, two paragraphs about the sauce. Like, it was like such a. Such a crazy nod from like a James Beard award winning chef nerd.

[Lawrence]

He wrote you a romance novel, dude.

[Chris]

Yo, straight up. And then like, he was like, at the end of the email, he's like, yo, like, this is before he opened on Avenue A. So he was like, yo, come see the new space. And then like, from then on, we just like kept hanging out. And that's why, like, that's why we have, like that. That's why you let me use his space to do the late night thing. Like, I owe him a ton. And he just like instilled a lot of confidence in me that I didn't have.

[James]

So he was like, yo, you. You do a pop up. Like, get out of your apartment, right? Let's have some work. Homework, life, balance.

[Lawrence]

Some. Some.

[James]

Come work. Come do the pop up. Late night at a Superiority Burger. It was his idea.

[Chris]

No, it was. What happened was I was like. As it continued to blow up, up, and right after I shot the action thing, the that's delicious episode, I was like, this is gonna be bad. Like, how am I gonna. I do it one day a week. I was making like 20 pies a day. That's it.

[James]

Our boy Chuck was an early customer.

[Chris]

Oh, really?

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Your neighbor.

[Chris]

Yeah. Okay. Hell yeah. I was like, this is gonna come out in a couple months and I'm gonna be out of. Like, I'm not. No. Yeah. Like, there's not gonna be any way for me to continue doing this a. Because it's like, not legal. There's that be like, I don't want like that many people knowing where. Where I live. Sure. Yeah. So I just started like my friend Chris and who was living in Fliving in Florida, who makes pizza as well for tz's Pizza Shout out had this Baker's Pride oven that the slice shops use for like reheating slices. It's like a kind of like a countertop oven. And it's got two doors on it, and each door has two decks. So you could theoretically do four pizzas in it. But the space to fire the pizzas is like this tight because it's not meant to put a full pizza. Right. Like. Or at least like launching it off appeal or whatever. But I just started looking at used ones and I was like, I'm gonna buy this oven and then I'm gonna find a place to put it and try to like, do it.

[Lawrence]

You put the cart before the horse? Yes.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Lawrence]

Literally.

[Chris]

So I found some guy in Connecticut that was selling one for pretty cheap. Like, I think it was like eleven hundred dollars. No, no, not how much.

[Lawrence]

It's almost the. Because they're like pizza slicer.

[Chris]

They're like $9,000 new.

[Lawrence]

What?

[Chris]

Damn.

[Lawrence]

This is just like. And this is a reheating machine.

[Chris]

Or I mean, you could make. They. They get hot. They. You can make them scream. It's cool. That's what the learning that thing.

[James]

But did Chrome Hearts.

[Chris]

Chrome Hearts and Baker's Pride are teaming up.

[Lawrence]

Collab of the century, dude.

[Chris]

It's called like. Yeah. Anyway, I got it and I. Before I got it, I texted Brooks. I knew he was still doing some like, R D in the old Superiority burger space while he was waiting for the new one to open. And I was like, yo, can I like just come plug this in over there? Because it's like, you know, it's like a three phase.

[James]

Plug the little space on like 7th street or 6th street or something.

[Chris]

It's on East 9th Street.

[James]

Yeah, East 9th, yeah.

[Chris]

I was like, can I plug this in over there? And he was like, yeah.

[Lawrence]

And then bringing your video game console over your Boy's house. You're like, yeah, you got a better tv?

[Chris]

And then I'm dreamcast. He let me do. So I went and bought it it from this guy in Connecticut. My friend Will drove me up there in his pickup truck. We threw it in the back, drove back down to the city and loaded it into the old space and like just messed around there for a while. And then, you know, he opened and he was like, yo, if you want to like have people be able to sit down and drink and. Right. You should just move the. You know, let's put the oven over here. And that's. And he's like, you know, late night is a tough time time, but it's like that's the only option. Like, right. The kitchen, his kitchen closed around like 11 o'clock. But they stayed open, doing like very small things until 2 in the morning. And I was like, okay, like, any way that I could continue to make pizza?

[Lawrence]

Like, yeah, you get in where you fit in, honestly.

[Chris]

Right? Yeah. It's like all these people were like, I don't want to sound bitter, but like all these people were like, this is like making it hard to get on purpose. Like loser.

[James]

What the reaction was was like, oh.

[Lawrence]

All of this starting at midnight, whole.

[Chris]

My house, Superiority Burger. It was all just like, he's doing this on purpose to get hype, to create scarcity.

[James]

But do people do that in the food world? Create scarcity or manufacture?

[Chris]

I don't know. I never, I never had a restaurant before.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

But I would. May maybe so if people think this, like, maybe it is like a tactic that like some restaurants use, you know what I mean? Like, but all I wanted to do is just like continue to make pizza by any means necessary.

[Lawrence]

Yep.

[Chris]

I'm. I didn't have my own money to open a space. I, you know, I'm a broke guy. I was literally living off of making that pizza. So yeah, that's the other thing. It's like I want to make pizza however I can because I got to pay rent.

[Lawrence]

True.

[James]

So which we can't cheap these days. Were people like pulling up, wasted, trying to get. So like, did it ever get out of pocket at Superiority Burger? Were people like getting nasty?

[Chris]

Yeah, people, because it was, it was like we did it like reservations. So like, like it was smoother once, like we like, we teamed up with Rezi for a little while. That was super smooth. But before we're using this other service. I'm not gonna name it because I don't want to talk shit, but like it Just was glitchy and people would, you know, it was hard for people to book. And yeah, they would get salty. But also it was mostly just people like that didn't have a reservation being like, why can't I have this?

[Lawrence]

Give me pizza.

[James]

You're on Avenue A, right? It's in the fucking dark heart of like frat road New York for some. Some people might say that.

[Chris]

Yeah, Saint Dimness next door. Exactly.

[James]

Like where people like, yo, like, especially when they're drunk, late night, just be like, yo, I want that. Let me get that. And you're like, sorry. Like we actually have to go through this. And they're like, you just give it. And then where people also like, do you ever get any absurd offers from rich guys trying to flex nuts and just be like, used to getting what they want? Just be like, here's a thousand dollars, give me pizza.

[Chris]

Not nothing like that. Because if it was like a thousand dollars, say less, bro.

[James]

The reservation.

[Chris]

What do would try to like, I don't really check them anymore because it's like, it's too psycho. But like, yeah, people were DMing me all the time, but I just wouldn't open them because I was like, I.

[James]

Don'T want to get where they say.

[Chris]

Just like, can I suck your dick? No, no, no crazy. No, no real crazy offers. Honestly, no. I wish there was like a funny story about that. Like, no, no real crazy offers. Just like a lots of entitled people. Sure.

[Lawrence]

Welcome to New York, baby.

[Chris]

I just wanted to make pizza however I could. It was late night. It was fun though. That's like one of the most like, that's the sickest. One of the sickest room City to Eden. Like it's the. They didn't barely changed it from when it was Odessa. So it's like these red vinyl upholstered booths, dim light like, you know, cocktails. Like it's cool. Like it was so cool. Like putting my, you know, my pies on like one of those pizza stands and seeing people like drinking martinis, eating live.

[Lawrence]

That was my Chrissy's experience. And it was kind of like, this is exactly the platonic ideal of kind of like that late night pie with a couple frosty brews. Like, yeah, just amazing.

[James]

When you were in the old Superiority Burger space on East 9th street and you were still kind of, you know, in the. In the. The gestation period of the whole operation. Dave Portnoy, he came and gave you an 8.2 back in 2023. You watched the review once. Yeah. Which you're not in, by the way, you can hear your voice, but you're.

[Chris]

Not gonna hear my voice.

[James]

What do you think?

[Chris]

I mean, like, obviously that dude. Dude puts on so many pizza. It's crazy. Like, he eats pizza every day, whatever. And, like, lots of businesses thrive.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Straight up.

[Lawrence]

The 10,000 hours have been put in, for sure.

[Chris]

I mean, like, you can't. You can't deny that. Like, if he goes to your spot and he likes it, like, you're gonna do crazy business. For me, I didn't need the attention at the time. It was already too up and people couldn't get it. So, like, it was a little bit detrimental to me for my mental health just because, like, it was just a bunch of like. Like barstool people just being like, you. Why can't I have this? Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence]

The entitled bro.

[James]

I think he called you guys, like. Oh, like, I think he dropped the word, like, hipster a few times.

[Chris]

I don't know. I don't think he's. I don't think he said hipster. I'm pretty sure he said, well, I only, like. Again, I only saw it once, but.

[James]

Watch it every day.

[Chris]

That's fine. I mean, he. I mean, like, it. I will say that. Like, he tried multiple times to get it. So, like, like, we were like, you know, we were just like, basically R D and then like, selling, like, I think we were doing like 60 pizzas a day or something out of there.

[James]

And he liked it.

[Lawrence]

Nothing changed.

[Chris]

A couple days a week just to, like. Just to, like, get the. Get the rhythm, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence]

Get the reps in.

[Chris]

But there was one day because, like, the reason why, like, it just. The space didn't work out because there's no refrigeration. There's no basement. There's no walk in. There's nothing. There's no way to do it, like, proper.

[James]

Department of health.

[Chris]

Yeah, No, I mean, there was.

[James]

If you didn't want that attention, I.

[Chris]

Was like, no, there was refrigeration. Like, I just mean, like, not enough space. I had, like, low boys, obviously, and, like, things like that. Like, you know, like the countertop.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. A low boy. Everyone knows that.

[James]

I thought universal terms hard bake, low boy.

[Chris]

But one day we were just like, me and my buddy Chris again for TT's Pizza. Like, he came up. He moved up here for a little while, like, helped me out a little bit to do volume because he's a great pizza maker. But we were sitting in there one day, like, on a closed day, like, we were just like having a meeting, just the two of us. And he just, and he. Portland just walked in.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, it was like you knew who he was obviously.

[James]

He walked in the door.

[Chris]

Just walked through the door.

[James]

You have a reservation?

[Chris]

No, it wasn't even a day that we were making.

[Lawrence]

You weren't even open?

[Chris]

Technically, no, because we were never open. It was just like a. Right, like a small thing we did for a very short period of time.

[Lawrence]

When you clock him, are you like, we're gonna make this guy pizza? Pizza?

[Chris]

We didn't have any dough. It was.

[Lawrence]

Oh, I see.

[Chris]

We weren't open. So he came in, he's just like, what's up? We were like, nothing, man. What's up with you?

[Lawrence]

Like, what's good bro?

[Chris]

He's like, I can't get a pizza. I was like, we're not, we're not doing it today.

[James]

Not open. Yeah, you want a podcast?

[Chris]

I didn't know that he was coming back. I just thought he was like gonna be pissed and give up and then so like. And there's paper up in the windows. Because it wasn't a place that was actually open. It was just like, you know, us messing around and. And so we had the pre orders by name, but it was not his name. And the door opened and I saw his face and I was like, oh geez, like I gotta make this guy a pizza now. Well, it's because it's nerve wracking, right? Because if he hated it, whether he loved it or hated it, it'd still be for, for that period of time for me would have been the same negative attention.

[James]

Honestly, what you. The kind of perfect thread the needle thing is to make him a completely average pizza and he gives you like a 6.8 or something. So no one feels compelled to go undercook it. No one feels compelled to like hate on you and like leave troll comments or anything and like you know, one star. You. I don't know.

[Chris]

I mean, I'm not gonna make it on purpose, right? But yeah, like you care too much.

[James]

No, I'm saying make him a mid pizza.

[Lawrence]

This man doesn't make mid pizza. I know he can't do it. Capable.

[Chris]

Yeah, you just, just don't cook it.

[James]

But could you do, could you bring yourself to do that?

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

You couldn't do it?

[Chris]

No.

[Lawrence]

Is 8.2 fair? Do you even give a.

[Chris]

This is like a public, very public. I don't care.

[Lawrence]

Right.

[James]

About him or just all reviews and everything in general.

[Chris]

I mean obviously like getting, getting recognition from somebody or something or Whatever. Like, it makes you feel like you're doing something right. But, like, again, at that time, it was just, like, so buzzy already, and, like, I couldn't do the volume then. So, like, for me, at that time, like, he loved it, and that's cool. Whatever. But, like, it was just detrimental because I wasn't. The time it came out, there was a bad time. There was a gap. I wasn't making pizza.

[Lawrence]

Right, Right.

[James]

Okay. So he walks through the door at the new spot. Where is it, by the way? What's the address?

[Chris]

142Nassau.

[James]

142Nassau Ave. Dave Portnoy hits up 142Nassau Ave. What's the first thought that goes through your head?

[Chris]

Just kind of treat. You just got to make him a pizza. Like, you know what I mean?

[James]

Have you gotten any comments or validation besides action? Any validation from people that, like, it truly meant a lot to you? We're like, oh, this guy or girl or whoever like, loved my creation, and that means a lot to me.

[Chris]

I mean, I don't know if this is. I mean, the action thing. Brooks being, like, an ally to me was, like, huge. Those. Those two things are, like. It's hard to top those. But, like, Jimmy, Larry, you guys, come on. It's great, though. That's amazing. I'm trying to think off the top of my head like anybody else who, like, co signed it.

[Lawrence]

I mean, giving you the opportunity to name drop Chris.

[Chris]

Natalie Portman came. Oh, let's go. But have a reservation. But. So at Superiority Burger, I was cooking in the basement, so I didn't see any of the action. So, like, when I came up and ran you guys pizzas, because I knew Nick. Right, right.

[Lawrence]

John Nick.

[Chris]

So I obviously wanted to say what's up? So if I knew, if I know the person, I'll try my best to get up the stairs to run the pizza.

[Lawrence]

Little hospitality.

[Chris]

But one of the servers came downstairs and was just like, hey, Chris, sorry to bother you. Natalie Portman here, and he's asking for a pizza. Do you have any extra tonight? Do you want to make her one? And I was like, yeah, I'll make. But I didn't, like, I didn't go, like, introduce myself.

[Lawrence]

Oh, damn, dude.

[James]

The other you looked like Black Swan.

[Chris]

Yeah, me and. Yeah, you.

[Lawrence]

On your Mila Kunis shirt.

[James]

Did you know if she liked it?

[Chris]

Okay, So I went up and talked to her table, but I didn't talk to her because she was with Power.

[Lawrence]

Boo.

[James]

Very sick. That's very sick.

[Chris]

I like the pores like, waved. I don't know. I.

[James]

Obviously, again, sorry, what.

[Chris]

What's that?

[James]

What's your name again?

[Chris]

Who are you?

[Lawrence]

What do you do?

[Chris]

But she was with somebody I might have seen I met once before. So I was like, oh, like, how was the pizza? He's like, chef, it was great. Thanks so much. Whatever.

[Lawrence]

Smooth move, brother.

[Chris]

Yeah. And then I just, like, waved her way back downstairs.

[James]

And then did you go and deep. Like, three of her bikini photos on Instagram. That's the move.

[Chris]

I didn't even know she had Instagram. I don't know if she does.

[James]

I'm sure it's just all Dior commercials.

[Chris]

Yeah. But I love this podcast guest called Are you garbage? You know this podcast?

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

So those boys came in.

[Lawrence]

They're funny.

[Chris]

That was, like. That was huge for me because I. That was, like, what I was listening to not only forever, but, like, while the shop was under construction or, like, when I was just, like, stressed out about thinking about what to do while I was at Superiority Burger, like, what I was gonna do next. Like, that was, like, what I would listen to. To, like, turn off or whatever.

[Lawrence]

You're a fan.

[Chris]

You're just like, he's a huge fan. So them coming in, like, I came up. It's, like, funny. I didn't really say anything to Natalie Portman, but I came upstairs for Kevin Ryan and H. Foley.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And I was like, gosh, guys, I said this to them. I was like, natalie Portman was in here last week. I would. I didn't talk to Natalie Portman. And I was like. I, like, I was like. I didn't really even talk to her, but, like, I would never do this normally, but, like, I'm. I'm a huge fan. Like, can we. Can we have a picture? I was like. They were like, buddy, we were gonna ask to take a picture with you.

[Lawrence]

I am indeed garbage. Nice to meet you fellas.

[Chris]

So that was cool. I don't know. I don't know anything. I'm trying to think, though. Yeah, that was really cool.

[James]

And we kept it every day.

[Lawrence]

Jake.

[James]

Anytime anyone walks through their door, that's validating.

[Lawrence]

Right?

[James]

Right.

[Chris]

Anytime any person wants to eat my pizza is validation. Of course.

[James]

There you go. Say that's.

[Chris]

Anybody wants.

[Lawrence]

Say it with your chest.

[James]

Chris, now that the shop is up and running every day and you're selling out and, like, thing you've hit the flow, you got the great team behind you, do you want to do any, like, things with the shop and in the space besides just, like, make the best Pizza. You can every day and sell it. Like, I looked like there's some talk of, like, some residencies or some, like, collaborations.

[Chris]

Yeah, I don't want to speak on it yet, but I'm supposed to do a collab with somebody in March. That'd be pretty fun. Okay. We never met before, but we, like. It's like. It's like a guy who's, like, followed or.

[James]

It's not Natalie Portman.

[Chris]

No, it's not Natalie Portman.

[Lawrence]

Damn it.

[Chris]

But, like, he would always just, like, send words of encouragement like the. Yo, bro. Like, these look crazy. Like, when I would post pizzas or whatever.

[James]

Is it a food guy?

[Chris]

Food guy, but also, like a producer.

[Lawrence]

Okay, interesting.

[Chris]

I'll tell you off air. Okay.

[Lawrence]

I think. I mean, maybe people can connect the dots, but. Yeah, we'll talk about that later. We don't wanna. We don't want to ruin anything.

[Chris]

I just don't want to say anything then and then it doesn't happen. Right.

[James]

You look like a idiot.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James]

Are you already thinking location number two?

[Chris]

No, no, no, no. Not at all.

[James]

Are we ever gonna see frozen Chrissy's pizza?

[Chris]

Never. Never, never.

[James]

You don't want to. You don't wanna.

[Lawrence]

The franchise.

[James]

You don't raise the bar and feed the. Feed the nation.

[Chris]

Not with frozen pizza.

[Lawrence]

If you had to eat a frozen pizza, what are you picking?

[Chris]

Oh, man, it depends on the mood. I feel like it's like. Is it a Red Baron day?

[Lawrence]

Oh, I don't know. Tell me what's on your destination.

[Chris]

Digiorno was probably the Celeste. Celeste.

[Lawrence]

I love Celeste.

[Chris]

Celeste is kind of like a. Like a. Almost like a bar pizza. Like, and somehow it's like, crispy out of a microwave, which is psycho.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But I think Porto is for.

[James]

For.

[Chris]

Right.

[Lawrence]

Little Yachty has frozen pizza now.

[Chris]

Is that true? Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Because all he eats is, like, pizza and chicken tenders, right?

[Lawrence]

Yeah. He eats like a child.

[James]

And candy.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Sick. Yeah.

[Lawrence]

So for you, it's frozen pizza, depending on mood.

[Chris]

Yeah. But, I mean, I haven't bought one since I was like. I don't know. Right.

[Lawrence]

Because you could just make it yourself.

[Chris]

Or just, like, go to. I live in New York. Go to a pizza.

[Lawrence]

You don't need Stouffers.

[James]

Do you cook at home?

[Chris]

No.

[James]

You're just eating out every meal?

[Chris]

Yeah, for the most part, because I don't have much time, so I'm either at the shop and then the one day that I have, like, to do, like, admin stuff, like pay bills and, like, that like, I just try to like, okay, like I have this night to myself. Like, I just want to go eat.

[Lawrence]

So.

[Chris]

Yeah, like I was saying to you, off air, like going to Eel Bar tonight after this. See my boy Aaron. I just try to. Yeah. But I spend, I spend a lot of time at one spot. Are we talking about. We're talking about places I hang out now. Sure. Yeah.

[Lawrence]

More docs.

[James]

Honestly. Let's put on some good New York restaurants.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Who makes, who makes good pizza in New York besides you? You?

[Chris]

So many people.

[Lawrence]

Oh, yeah.

[James]

Has anyone really blown your dick off recently?

[Chris]

Recently, I haven't had much time. Okay. I mean, like, Sal with Lucia is doing a great job. Obviously. The industry is great. Scars lines.

[Lawrence]

Luigi.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah. Have you. Is the Soho location crazy?

[James]

Like Sal's spot on like West Canal?

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I bet.

[James]

I think it's become like a tick tock.

[Lawrence]

There's a lot.

[Chris]

Yeah. Every day, shout out Bryce, he's doing the thing. I mean, he's opening what the hit? The third one's coming. Probably like that. He's got the shit's good store slice. You know, this pizza is really good. I've only had the Avenue X1 in Sheep's Head Bay way out there.

[Lawrence]

Oh, gee.

[Chris]

But yeah, I think that people think like all like pizza people beef with each other or something like that. But like, Sal has only been nothing but supportive to me. And Nick and Mossbo have nothing been nothing but supportive to me. Scar. Scar was the first place I ever. Scar was the first place I ever trailed at the first place that gave me a shot.

[Lawrence]

Oh, wow. Wow. The internship.

[Chris]

I literally didn't, I didn't have a resume or nothing. I just emailed them photos of pizza I made at my house and I was like, can I try out?

[Lawrence]

Yeah, your portfolio.

[Chris]

Send them your portfolio. Send them a photo album, PowerPoint presentation.

[Lawrence]

I mean, whatever works. Whatever gets a job.

[James]

We get tagged on a lot of like, guys just posting fit pics. Maybe you could just like start tagging or you could have tagged all the pizza places like on your homemade pizzas, you know?

[Chris]

Yeah, true. No, I mean like, I, I, I also just like, I like to shout out places I love all the time. Like, especially when like, my pizza was harder to get. Like if you go on the Instagram, like a few, like not far down, there's like a, a flyer. I, I had a friend make of like, I understand it's hard to get this pizza, but here's other spots that are incredible.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And I don't think that, like, many people would want to ever do, like. A lot of people.

[Lawrence]

A lot of champion for the culture, dude.

[Chris]

For sure. Because why there's. It's New York. There's a pizzeria on every corner. Like, but, like, like, everybody can eat. You know what I mean?

[James]

Like, everybody can eat.

[Chris]

There's no reason to have, like, some. I mean, maybe if someone, like, opened next door to me, right. I opened next door to Sal or that. I'm sure he would stay in your.

[James]

Hamburger lane, is there? I mean, it sounds like it's very positive, this pizza community where it is kind of like rising tide lifts all ships. Everyone's, like, supporting each other.

[Lawrence]

Rising dough.

[James]

Is there something in the pizza world, especially as, like, you know, Tick Tock has sunk its claws into it? Like, what's the corniest thing in the pizza world right now?

[Chris]

So I've never had Tick Tock, so I don't see all the God. Unless whatever gets, like, regurgitated onto Instagram.

[Lawrence]

After a monthly later.

[Chris]

I don't know. I mean, like, everybody's got their. Their, like, they're trying to have their, like, viral slice of pizza. But are we still.

[James]

Are people still doing viral pizza?

[Chris]

I don't.

[Lawrence]

I mean, Detroit style had, like, a little viral.

[James]

No, no, I mean, like, it's like. It's like your slice of pizza comes with, like, a French onion soup on top.

[Chris]

Oh, right, right. Like, I mean, like, what, like, Vinny's was doing Williamsburg. I mean, that shout out to Vinny's. That. That was cool. The pizza. The pizza with, like, little slices. Oh, with the pizza. Yeah, with a piece so absurd that, like, you can't do anything but laugh and think it's funny.

[James]

Are the food influencers discovered Chris's yet?

[Chris]

Yeah, I mean, but I don't know who they are.

[James]

Are they.

[Chris]

I'll get tagged and somebody be like, oh, like, what's this? And then I'll see they have some, like, crazy follower.

[James]

You're not courting them, obviously, but, like, do you want. Do you mind that they're blowing you up?

[Chris]

I can't stop them from coming in. Right? Like, like, could. No, I mean, I'm not going to do that.

[James]

Management decision. No.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Put their face in the window.

[Chris]

They could do whatever they want. It's their thing. Whatever. It's not my. It's not like, you know, something. I strive to, like, get, get. I don't want, like, Nina.

[Lawrence]

No influencer need apply.

[Chris]

It's. But, like, whatever. They're doing their thing and they love Food. As long as they, like, love food and are actually doing it for the right reasons, that's cool to me. Like, like, shouting out places that. But, like, it's more. I think that, like, a lot of them just go to the places that are already trending to be, like, I went here, like, look. Yeah, it's like. It's like a medal or something. Medal of honor or something like that. Like, I got into Carbone.

[James]

They're checking off the box.

[Lawrence]

Congrats. Yeah, you're blowing up. That's good. Fantastic.

[Chris]

But, like, what. I'm. I'm not going to be, like, mad at someone who's coming. Well, unless they, like, put a camera in my face, I will.

[James]

Do people do that? Tiktoks in the. Do people make tick tocks in the shop? Which is, like, I don't see it.

[Chris]

Again, because I, like, I. I can. I'll see people, like, recording with their phone. So I don't know if they're, like, an influencer. Just someone that's excited.

[Lawrence]

That's, like a civilian maneuver now, even just, like, everybody.

[Chris]

Everybody's recording all the time.

[James]

Yeah. Who works the front of house again?

[Chris]

What's your name? Chelsea.

[James]

Has she ever had to, like, down on somebody that's just, like, being inappropriate with, like, mainly because it is such a small space? It's like, you come in, you pay, you get your food, you go.

[Chris]

Yeah. I mean, there's the counter space to eat at, too. But, I mean, the only time that Chelsea has to lay down the law is when someone's just, like, incredibly rude to her. And I tell her, like, yo, like, don't let anybody walk on you. Like, don't. Because, like, people get. There's people that don't understand that we don't do slices. They can't figure out why. There's people that, like, have talked shit about the prices, but the prices have been the same since I was selling it out of my apartment. I didn't change them. I didn't raise them at all. Right. And what. What can I do? Lower them after I hire, you know, and pay rent and hire a team, like, and buy an oven shit, like, and just, like, people that complain about the wait time sometimes, but you just. You just waited in line, line in front of, like. And you were like, the 16th, 20th person in line. And you're upset that the pizza is going to take 25 minutes. Like, there's, like, 20 pizzas in front of you.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Congratulations. You played yourself well.

[James]

They're supposed to be made to order Right. They're not. You're not making 100 pizza and then like selling them one at a time.

[Chris]

Exactly. Everyone is being pushed out and stretched to order. Like in Top Fire to order like any piece.

[Lawrence]

Stretch the order. Yeah. Let's go, baby.

[Chris]

I mean, I don't know if that sounded too spicy, what I was saying. It's like. But it's. I, I just, sometimes it's hard for me to understand like how, how like you could stand in line for that long and then see that there's like a bunch of people in front of you. I think that because it's not a slice shop is what's happening. It's like people are like 25 minutes, right? It's like you're getting, you're getting a full pizza.

[James]

That's a hard bake, brother.

[Chris]

Number one. It takes, it's like a 10 minute long bake and then it's like there's 20 pieces in front of you. So it's going to take me probably 15 minutes to get to yours.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, yeah. Use your brain and do the math.

[James]

I only got that shitty little oven for my apartment.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Working overtime.

[Lawrence]

She still happens that.

[Chris]

No, I mean I. My apartment oven. Yeah. The one in my apartment's still there. I have that baker's pride. It's still at Superiority Burger.

[Lawrence]

But the one in the. That, that's delicious video. That oven.

[Chris]

Yeah, still the oven that you got.

[James]

To put the oven. Put that oven up the rafters.

[Lawrence]

Put in the Smithsonian, dude.

[Chris]

My friend was like, you should have just gotten like eight of those for the shop. Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Not a space concern at all.

[James]

Was it hard to adapt to using like actual real gear?

[Chris]

Well, no, because I worked in pizzerias for a while before I even started selling them. And the oven that I have is one that, that I'm, I, I've worked with before. So of course it like took some time to like get the settings right.

[James]

But how do I turn this on?

[Chris]

Yeah, but there's like top heat, bottom heat, ambient temperature, it's all like. And there's like percentages and things like that.

[Lawrence]

Science.

[Chris]

So it's like you just got to get it. You just got to mess around with it until it makes the pizza that looks like your pizza temperature's got ambiance.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Like it ambiance. Have you at T Mobile, we'll give you four free 5G phones and four lines for only 25 per line per month with eligible trade ins. And no, it's not a contest. It's every day for A limited time. Everyone's a winner on America's largest 5G network.

[James]

Minimum of 4 lines for 25 per line per month with autopay discount using debit or bank account. $5 more per line without autopay. Up to 830 off each phone via 24 monthly bill credits plus taxes, fees and 10 device connection charge for well qualified customers. Contact us before canceling entire account to continue build credits or credit. Stop and balance on required finance agreement due bill credits and if you pay up devices ct mobile.com Would you ever wait in line for. What's. What's the maximum weight that people have.

[Chris]

Had to do for Chrissy's the opening day? I made the mistake of being like. It was like, around the corner. I made the mistake of being like, okay, like, maximum, like, two pies per order. But then every single person ordered two pies. And right now, like, I mean, like a full oven's like, like five pies, something like that. That. So with the math, it's like two. That's like two tickets, basically. And so because. And because there's so many people waiting. Yeah. Became like, I don't know. And we also just took all the orders, right? We didn't know. We didn't know what to do. We also just took all the. We just, like, kept taking the orders in. My ticket. My. My ticket rail was just, like, stacked.

[Lawrence]

You really was like Pandora's pizza box.

[James]

It really was the bear.

[Chris]

And the first day. Yeah, the first day was a little bit, but we weren't also, like. We weren't like. We were, like, freaking out internally because we were like, how are we gonna catch up? Yeah, like, we had to, like, stop for a while. We're just like, yo, we're not taking any more orders. Like, we have to catch up on these. Otherwise these people are gonna.

[James]

You know, when I walked in on Saturday, there's like a. It was a. A break of taking orders because, like, hey, we. We gotta catch up.

[Chris]

So that's the new system, right? It's like the line. If there's the line there, like, don't come in till Chelsea calls you in. Because, like, once I'm. Once I'm stacked on my, like, with tickets on my side, like, I got to get through those so that your wait time for your pizza after your order is like 25 to 30 minutes max, right? Ideally, when there's no line, it's like, yo, they come in. Like, the best is like, when they come in, they're like, there's no line. They're like, okay, so, like, how long is the wait? And Chelsea's like 10 minutes. And they're like, oh, amazing.

[Lawrence]

Like, shocking.

[Chris]

And that's like, That's. That's why I say. That's why I said earlier about, like, not, like, loving the lines because, like, the constant flow, like, I'm down to get killed, but, like, with a constant flow. But, like, like, if there's no line, you could just come in and get a pizza. It's 10 minutes.

[Lawrence]

Awesome.

[Chris]

But, like, like, that's. And that's basically just the cook time because we're all just ready and then, like, then instead of like, you know, taking 50 orders right. In two minutes or whatever, you know. So, yeah. Ch. You wait. Yeah. We.

[James]

We don't just listen to Chelsea. Trust Chelsea.

[Chris]

Trust Chelsea. She'll let you know what Chelsea do. Be sweet to Chelsea.

[James]

What's the longest you would wait online for a viral food product?

[Chris]

A viral food product? I don' this to be. I want my food to be viral.

[James]

It's like, oh, shit, Yo. You heard about that?

[Chris]

I mean, I've waited.

[James]

You're about the rice pudding.

[Chris]

I've waited two and a half hours at the far when Dom was still alive to get a pizza, and I didn't give a fuck because I was like, yo, I came all the way out to.

[James]

Yeah, I traveled two and a half.

[Chris]

Hours out here now to Midwood. I want to, like, I want to try this pizza, like, you know, or I want to eat this pizza again. Like, I know that he goes at his own pace, right?

[James]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

It's like waiting for a band that you paid, like, to see live, like, to take the stage. Maybe they're going to be a little late. Like, you're waiting right here to. To experience it, like.

[Chris]

And it was sucking up, you know? Like, I was with, like, I think we. I was with the. One of the first. Or maybe it was the last time I went before he passed away, which was like, probably like 2017 or 18 or something like that. It's, you know, it's far out there.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

So I never got out there much, but I was like, four people. We got like, five pies. Dom was also doing 16 inch pies. My pies are 16 inches. Like, there's obviously some, like, influence there, right? And, like, we just went to a bar and had a drink, right? And then came back and we had five pizzas in front of us, and we had a table to sit at, and it was like, some of the best pizza I've ever had in My entire life. You know, I don't know how much time I have now to wait in the line as I'm running a shop. But like, if something's really, really good. Okay, for instance, like, here's another good example. Like Angelo's in South Phil. Really? Best cheesesteak on the planet. Like a cheesesteak from Angelo's with Cooper sharp cheese, long hot peppers and onions on his. Like, he makes the bread every day. Like, it's like. It's like heavenly. Me and my friend went once and it took us. I wish I had the screenshot 250 times we tried to call before they actually. Before we got through.

[Lawrence]

Wow.

[Chris]

But it's like you're. It's like, it's like a. It's an. It's an event, it's an adventure. It's a zoo outside. Right. But then you get that sandwich and it's the best. Like, it's wor. It's worth it. Yeah.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

I guess it's more so if you wait and then you're disappointed.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Cuz I. I'm sure that that's happened with my food. Like, I'm sure that, like, I'm sure that my pie wasn't for somebody. I. My pizza can't. My pizza can't be everybody's cup of tea. And that's okay.

[James]

Okay, well, those pizza. Those people are idiots.

[Chris]

I don't know.

[Lawrence]

With zero fatter, softer, less juice, please.

[Chris]

I think that maybe they want it like, I want a soft bake.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Polio.

[Chris]

Some guy came in once and he was like. He was like, yo, like, I want to try your pizza, but please don't, like, cook it as hard as. Or whatever. And I was like, okay, I'll do it for you. But like, that's crazy. It's not how it's supposed to be. Or when someone's like, don't put any of like the parmesan on the finish. It's like, well, that's just. You're not getting the full experience of the pizza. But I'll do. I mean, like, I'll do it. I'm not going to be like, super nice about it, but.

[James]

You're too nice. What? You're too nice. But you know that is. That is a good thing, right? Is there. Are there other good things or, like, things happening in the food world you would love to see more of? I think we can all agree on, like, the stuff that, you know, whatever it needs to, we need to leave in 2024. But what. What do you think we would all benefit from having more of in the food world.

[Chris]

I mean it's happening more and more. So it's like we're already benefiting but like seeing people like do something small like at a bar or a residency at someone else's restaurant and then they end up getting their own space. I'm not even just speaking about myself, but like there's like tons of like pop ups that became brick and mortars that, that's so crazy that that can happen.

[Lawrence]

Right. That's a pipeline for a lot of people in the social media age.

[Chris]

Right. And when the food is delicious, it's like wow, like you really put the work in you hustle. Because it's like people think that like oh, he just had a pop up and now he has a shop or they, or she has a pop up now she has a shop. Like she, she doesn't. You know, it's so much harder to, to like organize and be organized. To do something in someone else's space versus like your own. Like, like having the shop is like easy now.

[Lawrence]

No guardrails.

[Chris]

Yeah, I'm not, I'm in my own space. I know how it's set up. I run the show. Like like built your space. People that are like in a bar with like induction burners and like you know this like should they. And then loading all their stuff in. In coolers or whatever just like that's so much more work. And so when you see people like that and I hear like oh like so and so is looking for a space. Like, like there's this guy that does a thing called Border town. It's like some of the best. His tortillas are insane. Yeah. Because he's in, he's in. I think he's a Greenpoint guy.

[James]

He was an ice cream shop which made sense because he only did breakfast tacos.

[Chris]

Right. Right.

[James]

And then I mean I don't, I wasn't getting ice cream in the morning, but yeah. Also I think it was during the winter.

[Lawrence]

Gotta wait for your parents to go out of town.

[Chris]

But I think he's looking for a space now. So it's so cool. I going to see him at like when he was doing his pop up at or bar in Williamsburg. Like and like I was deal. This was before I was like, you know, full of pizza. I was like DJing there one night cuz I would do that from time to time just for some extra scratch or whatever. And he was cooking and he just like brought me over some tacos like before I started DJing. And he was like, yo, here's some food. And I had never had it before, and I was like, yo, these are.

[James]

If you sell out by 8:00, would you welcome maybe like, a late night popup into Chrissy.

[Chris]

I don't want to sell out by 8:00. We keep doing that. We didn't. Yo, first time last night. Big news. Didn't sell out.

[James]

Oh, it was a Monday.

[Chris]

Monday after Thanksgiving.

[James]

So Monday after Thanksgiving, everyone's out. Everyone's dieting.

[Chris]

Freezing too.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. What happens when you don't sell out?

[Chris]

We stay open as long as possible. Because, like, the thing. The thing is also, like, these guys are working long shifts, so selling out by eight. We. We don't. We're. We're so new that, like, everybody's cleaning together. Like, there's no porter. So at the end of the night, when they make pizza with me all day and then they. We all have to clean, they have to mop and sweep and all this extra stuff. So, like, so yesterday, around, like, we're supposed to stay up until 10, but yesterday, like, around, like, 9:30, I just called it. We did 120 instead of 100.

[James]

What went through your head when you're like, oh, we didn't.

[Chris]

I knew it was gonna happen. I mean, it's like Monday. Monday after Thanksgiving.

[Lawrence]

Exactly.

[Chris]

I called a friend of mine. I was just like, yo, is your shop busy? Like, he was like, no, we're.

[Lawrence]

Is it just me?

[Chris]

Okay. Yeah, but I mean, like, I did the same thing, though, before, like, before, like, dinner time yesterday. I was like, yo, like locals.

[Lawrence]

Like, there's no line.

[Chris]

Like, yo, tons of people came in, and that's what probably pushed us into, like, you know, doing close to selling out, but not quite. But I would just imagine, you know, some days are slow.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And that's. Okay.

[Lawrence]

Sidebar. What was your DJ name?

[Chris]

Oh, I think it was just like, DJ Hansel. Okay. Okay.

[Lawrence]

Not very creative, Chris.

[Chris]

I wasn't. It wasn't my profession Question.

[James]

DJ sauce. While we're on, like, the larger food world before, like, going back into pizza, which is a conversation that I know you love to have every single day, what do you think of the fetishization of chefs and even kitchen staff? Like, what's happening in the Bear and with, like, the Bourdain kind of like, renaissance again? What do you think of that?

[Chris]

Is there a re. Renaissance of Bourdain again?

[James]

Yeah, a lot of, like, kind of. Him is like a. Almost like a spiritual guru, but then people are like, like, there's a backlash. There's backlash that. But there's backlash. The backlash. So it's just, I think people are like, rediscovering his show and, and his writing.

[Chris]

I mean, like, he only died in 2018, right? That's not. I guess that's kind of a long.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

I mean, I think a new generation discovering like, or like rewatching the show.

[Chris]

I mean, that's great. I mean, like a cook's tour, no reservations, parts unknown. Like, all those shows are like, so, so, so rewatchable and so fun. Like, there's this other one that he did called the Layover too. It was like, that was like, it's. You're asking the wrong guy maybe because, like, that something that, like, me and my dad would watch all the time together. So, like, memories of that, like, you know, I'll reread Kitchen Confidential every once in a while. Yeah, but I mean, but not so.

[James]

Much specifically them, but kind of like now that, you know, like, the chef is like an archetype. Right?

[Chris]

Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess in a certain way, I think it's kind of cool that maybe people like, understand how psycho Kitchen can be and how hard. How hard the work is. Because I think before, besides, like, movies like, I don't know, like Burnt or.

[Lawrence]

Like Chef with Jean Sav.

[Chris]

I mean, Chef kind of rocks ScarJo.

[James]

And orgasm with his Carbonaro.

[Lawrence]

Let's write that in the script.

[Chris]

Forgot about that.

[Lawrence]

Give me the A hot ass ex wife and side piece.

[James]

Oh, the C. Pepe.

[Chris]

I forgot about that scene. That's so insane.

[James]

Actually, do you think shucking 10,000 oysters is a valid training for a chef?

[Chris]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Burnt is so crazy because burn came out at a time before, like, you know, like, like cancel culture and all that stuff of that. So it's like Bradley Cooper's so vicious in that movie. I'm like, how is this, like, he.

[James]

Shucks his 10,000th oyster and just like, walks out of the kitchen, Right?

[Chris]

Something like that. I mean, I only saw like once or twice, but. But like, it's a plane movie. You watch it on the plane for sure.

[Lawrence]

But like, Chef's being rock star stars. I mean, you're an actual rock star too, so. But like, in terms of like, like James is saying, like, this idea of it becoming an archetype, it being fetishized, like, is that weird?

[Chris]

I mean, sure, in some ways because.

[Lawrence]

You'Re doing the unglamorous work, you know, like.

[Chris]

Right. But I again, I also do think that there's a positive to it. To where, like, like, I don't know. Maybe not everybody loves the bear or whatever, but I'll still.

[Lawrence]

I'll watch it, right?

[Chris]

There's something. Like, there's something. I've always been, like, into cooking shows and things like that, so bam. And maybe because, like. And maybe because, like, the road led me to having my own shop. Like, I. I enjoy watching, like, people are like, I can't watch it. It's like, chef. Other, like, chefs I know or cooks I know. I can't watch it. It stresses me out.

[James]

A lot of chefs are like, I can't watch the bear because it's too. Especially the Joel McHale.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

Thomas Keller.

[Chris]

I never worked in restaurants like that, so maybe that's why I could watch it.

[Lawrence]

I never worked in, like, was never talking big.

[Chris]

I was only there, literally just trailed there one or two days. And, like, it was me versus a guy who had, like, worked in, like, pizzerias for, like, 15 years.

[James]

You're competing for a job. It was dark knight tryouts with the joke.

[Chris]

I didn't meet the other guy, but, like, the manager, John, at the time was like. Was, like, just letting you know there's another guy who's also trailing who has.

[Lawrence]

Like, a bit more experience for expansion.

[James]

I better tell them I can wrap sandwiches really good.

[Chris]

Yeah. Also. You guys do sandwiches?

[James]

Yeah, they do Caesar salad wraps.

[Chris]

I remember. I remember.

[James]

What the Were we talking about?

[Chris]

I know.

[James]

So you never worked, like, the fine dining?

[Chris]

I never worked in fine dining.

[James]

The kitchens that are, like, full of sexism and misogyny.

[Chris]

My first job was. My first job ever when I was 14 was the Carvel.

[James]

Oh, hell yeah, bro.

[Chris]

Making milkshakes.

[James]

Louie the Whale.

[Chris]

Yeah. Cookie puss.

[Lawrence]

Cookie puss. Dude. Shout out to beast.

[Chris]

Yeah. Shout out to Beastie Boys.

[Lawrence]

Could we do some, like, quick, like, rapid fire, like, personal stuff? Stuff.

[Chris]

Sure.

[Lawrence]

Go to Slice water.

[Chris]

Go to Slice Spot.

[Lawrence]

No. Order, like, what you're ordering regular.

[Chris]

No. Really?

[Lawrence]

Not pepperoni?

[Chris]

No.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[James]

What do you. What do you. What do you finish it off with? Anything.

[Chris]

Oregano, garlic.

[Lawrence]

No.

[Chris]

Depending on the spot, though. Like, the old school spots, I'll hit it, like, with the oregano and the garlic. But other places that are, like. I know that it's, like, perfect every time. Like, I don't put anything on it.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[James]

Do you dab the grease?

[Chris]

No. Fuck.

[James]

Do you let it drip off?

[Chris]

No.

[James]

Okay. Pineapple on pizza. Your thoughts?

[Chris]

I've been wanting to try it. You never wait, like, I wanted to, like, around with it on my pizza.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chris]

I was thinking, like, something with, like, hit us like. So I had, like, this pickled pineapple from the pickle guys. So fucking good. Pineapple is also my favorite fruit. Kind of crazy for a pizza guy, right?

[Lawrence]

But we.

[James]

See, we are. We're pro pineapple.

[Lawrence]

If you want that sweet and savory, the ham or whatever. And pineapple is good.

[James]

I'm not ordering one, but I understand.

[Chris]

I'm not ordering it, but yeah. I would never talk about someone putting pineapple on their pizza.

[James]

What's the worst topping?

[Chris]

No offense to anybody who does this, but I think that chicken does not belong on pizza.

[Lawrence]

Oh, so like a buffalo chicken slice to you is disgusting?

[Chris]

Or like chicken parm slice? Buffalo chicken slice. Chicken bacon ranch.

[Lawrence]

Like, what about like a. A pasta? Like the baked ziti on pizza. That to me is insane.

[Chris]

Okay, so you say you were like. You probably don't eat that much pizza outside of where? Or did you say that maybe? I just said that. Roses like ziti. Like vodka ziti slice I have had within the last two months.

[Lawrence]

Did it slap?

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Okay. It's like getting two meals in one.

[Chris]

So crazy. That's probably why. I mean, I remember, like, having it for the first time at this place, Vincent's, when I was a kid. And I was like, this is. Doesn't make any fucking sense.

[James]

It somehow works.

[Chris]

Somehow.

[James]

Just more pizza on top of the pizza, essentially.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, yeah.

[James]

What about ranch dressing? What are your thoughts there, dippin? And when the. Sorry, I'll let you speak first.

[Chris]

I fucking hate ranch.

[Lawrence]

No, it's not a New York thing.

[James]

It is not a New York thing. And when the fuck did it become such, like, a ubiquitous, like, pop culture moment?

[Lawrence]

A little bit of dab of rain.

[Chris]

I don't know. I mean, all the. It's like. It's like. All the. The fast food pizzerias sell it, right? So it's like Domino's and garlic butter at Papa John's.

[Lawrence]

All.

[Chris]

That's not bad. That ain't that bad, dude.

[James]

What's your favorite fast food pizza pizza.

[Chris]

Option as a kid? Sit down. Pizza Hut.

[Lawrence]

Thank you, sir. Let's go.

[Chris]

In school, they have this thing called Book it. And if you read five books or four books, you have this pin with stars on it, and you got four stars. You get like a free pizza party at Pizza Hut.

[Lawrence]

You're bouncing out childhood obesity with a knowledge. It's honestly a perfect system.

[Chris]

Sit down Pizza Pizza Hut with, like, the old Tiffany lambs and the Red cups.

[James]

There's a few. I think there's two left in America. Maybe one where they still have the original Pizza Hut with like the chandeliers and like the banquettes and everything.

[Chris]

So cool.

[James]

But it might be in Kansas, so. Too far.

[Lawrence]

That's. Okay. So that's your number one, but it doesn't really exist. Where are we with what, what. What else is there? Papa John's Dominoes.

[Chris]

It was d. It would have been. It would have been Domino's, like old recipe dominoes. You know, when they changed everything. Remember when they, they change like I don't know how, maybe like 15, 20 years ago. They're like, we're doing everything different now.

[Lawrence]

It's way different.

[Chris]

Better.

[James]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

We're changing everything up.

[Chris]

I like the old stuff.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Nostalgia again. Okay, what about this? Do you fold your slices?

[Chris]

Of course.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[Chris]

Of course.

[James]

Is the ZD slice like the craziest, most out there one you've ever had in terms of like.

[Chris]

I don't know. Yeah. Cuz I like, like I said, like I'm a regular slice guy, so I don't really veer too far in those crazy directions. I've been wanting to. Back to the pineapple. I've been thinking about this pickled pineapple. Right? Sorry, Charring it.

[Lawrence]

Yes.

[Chris]

Like a plunger or something like that. And then doing like a, doing like a white pie with it with like spicy. So prasada. I was going to say you need jalapenos.

[Lawrence]

Let's go.

[Chris]

And like charred pickled pineapple and a side of ranch.

[Lawrence]

That sounds fucking gas, dude.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

These are things that like once I have a little bit more time to develop because I again I like, I'm. I'm making every single pizza on the line every day. Day. I don't really have time to like go around.

[Lawrence]

Right.

[James]

You don't go. I mean, how do you develop them? Like you go home at night, you.

[Chris]

No, I don't smoke weed. Let me just drink.

[Lawrence]

You would be morbidly obese if you smoked weed.

[James]

But how do you think so like you're like, yo, I. With these pineapples, how can I make a sick ass?

[Chris]

Yeah. It'd be like if I had another. If I had another guy who was as good as making pizza as me making pizza. So I could just step off and go mess around with ingredients and things like that. Which will happen soon, but eventually he'll.

[Lawrence]

Be born at some point that, that.

[Chris]

And I want to do like, which is. This is maybe psycho. For someone who is talking very purely about pizza. But like, I want. I want to do. I've been really into white pies lately. For some reason, like I.

[Lawrence]

For some reason pies matter. I said that. Damn.

[Chris]

That was not me, chef.

[Lawrence]

It was right there for me. Sorry.

[Chris]

I cheesesteak pizza.

[James]

Ah, but okay, is that almost as blasphemous as chicken on pizza?

[Lawrence]

Yeah, like the, the cheeseburger pie that people do.

[James]

It's like who wants.

[Chris]

But if you do it thoughtfully.

[James]

So what are you doing?

[Chris]

Like, like a beat like thinly sliced ribeye.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

You probably have to par cook it to get some of the fat out. So it's not like a completely like grease ball pie slopped up. But somehow that's the thing. Like doing the R and D for it. So it's like how do I. How do I cheese be? What's.

[Lawrence]

Or the sauce?

[Chris]

So it would be a wipe. So it would be a white piece. The cheese would be this cheese I love called Cooper sharp, which is what's on my favorite chip cheese.

[Lawrence]

It's improper way to cheese like a.

[Chris]

Mix with some mozzarella. Somehow figure out how to par cook the thinly sliced ribeye and without it also drying out on the pizza when it actually goes on the pizza and bakes. Also sesame seeds on the crust.

[Lawrence]

Hell yeah.

[Chris]

And like long hot peppers. And then. Yeah. There probably needs to be like some sort of like. I don't know.

[Lawrence]

But if anyone could figure it out, it could be like a drizzle.

[Chris]

Oh, and caramelized onions.

[Lawrence]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure.

[Chris]

Which is maybe too many. I'm a two topping guy on a pizza for my pizzas. I think that too much weighs. Weighs it down.

[James]

But hot boy was three, right? Pepperoni. Well, I guess you can't count drizzle.

[Lawrence]

That's a.

[James]

It's a finish.

[Lawrence]

Finisher.

[Chris]

But this is just something I'm thinking about. So it's nice to say it in front of somebody else.

[James]

So when do you. And when do you do. When do you. When do you try the out? Like on your time off?

[Chris]

No, it'd be like, like. Well, when I was at like Superiority Burger, it'd be like before service because there was a lot more like downtime. Right. Or after service. But now. Yeah, now. Like. Yeah, same thing. Probably before service. Or come in a little earlier and mess around by myself.

[James]

Taste testers, bro. I'm right at the block, you know.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, I forgot that you're tap us in, dude.

[James]

You know where I'd be. How much pizza do you eat a week?

[Chris]

Would you say so it's like, probably a slice a day at the shop just to like. Because I have to make sure everything's right in the morning.

[Lawrence]

Slice a day.

[James]

Family meals have got to be all pizza.

[Chris]

No, family meal is pizza before and after service because there's just no time.

[James]

That's how many slices you put down in a. At a sitting.

[Chris]

At an actual spot.

[James]

No, like, for a family meal.

[Chris]

Well, it's like we make one pie. Everybody just has a slice or two.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

It's a small team. So what's the.

[Lawrence]

What is the most slices you've ever put down yourself?

[Chris]

I think I ate a whole pie once.

[Lawrence]

Just one time. That's, like, light work, dude. Honestly, that's a lot n a whole pie. You're a real eater.

[Chris]

Okay, but like, Covid times. Yeah, dude. Like, six slices. Easy, easy.

[James]

All right, so what's your average daily now? So we did. We got the one qc, we got the one to two family meals, or I guess two to four.

[Chris]

Well, the QC is also family meal.

[James]

Got it.

[Chris]

So it's like trying the special out to take the photo of it for the Instagram, and then we eat it.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

And then at the end of service, everybody's really hungry, so I'm like, what do you got? I just make them whatever they want.

[James]

Fire.

[Chris]

Yeah. So two slices today probably. But there's my slice. They're a little smaller.

[James]

What's the longest you ever gone between slice slices between eating pizza?

[Chris]

I don't know. Some. There's like, certain days where I'm like, damn, I haven't had pizza pizza in like, two weeks. And then I'll remember like, that's not true. Two hours. I remember like, oh, yeah, I got pizza three days ago.

[James]

Yeah, you're like, oh, yeah, I just got a ZD slice.

[Chris]

It's like, I don't know. It's my. Like, if I had more time, I'd be going around the city to spots that I haven't hit yet to eat more pizza, which I like more pizza. I have to. It's my favorite thing on the planet, my job. That's the thing about doing this. And then like, when you're like, why is it so good? Or whatever. Like, like, I'm. I'm. When I say that I'm standing on the line making every single pizza all day, it's not like some, like, flex being like, I'm working so hard. It's like, it's the most fun I've ever had in my entire. I'm having the Most fun I've ever had in my entire life. And I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life.

[James]

That's great.

[Lawrence]

You've never worked a day in your life at this point, right?

[James]

So have you never truly never been sick of it? Like, I need to detox and just chill for a second.

[Chris]

No, because, like, what, like, a slice isn't like. It's not like eating a steak dinner every day or something like that.

[James]

Not for health reason. Just like, oh, I need to, like, you know, give my pallet a break, let it reset or some. I don't know, let me go eat some sushi.

[Chris]

I'm sure that I've had the thoughts of, like, I probably. Let's see if I can go. How long I can go without eating pizza. And then it's probably like a week. I don't know.

[James]

No, you couldn't last a week, probably.

[Lawrence]

You wish.

[Chris]

Yeah, it's just. I don't know. It's such a part of. It's like. It's. It's. You know, it's. It's also like a grief thing. It's like I. When I go out to try these spots. So, like, really quickly, like, the whole trajectory was like, my mom worked weekend nights at a hospital, and my dad was responsible for feeding me and my older brother. My dad loved pizza. My dad loved to also just, like, eat good on his time off. So going out with my brother and my dad, or just me and my dad. Dad to these spots and watching him be like, chris, this spot we got. I've said this before, so I don't want to sound like I'm, like, repeating myself, but, like, he's like, this spot is good, but they're super busy, so you got to order it well done. Otherwise they're going to undercook it. He's like, or this spot, we get the square slice out of it. This spot has sesame seeds on the crust. It's like a queen's thing. Whatever. He, like, got me, like, weirdly obsessive about pizza at a young age. To where, like, after he passed away in 2011, and, like, I kept going out to pizzerias on my own to check out stuff that I had. And before, any time I was on tour, even if it was like Mexico City, I'd try to find pizza. Okay? And so that's what led me to starting to try to make it on my own. And then, like, the drive to push to, like, make it something amazing or what I think is amazing. Is like, paying homage to him.

[Lawrence]

Honor him. His legacy.

[Chris]

His. His. There's a huge, like, photo of him in the shot frame from, like the 70s. Yeah. So it's like, that's why, like, the. When I. When I. It's somehow. It's hard sometimes not to take certain things like the haters personally because I'm just like. I'm not necessarily doing this for you. I'm doing this for myself and my father.

[Lawrence]

You're not my fucking father.

[Chris]

Not to be. Not to be too serious.

[Lawrence]

No, that's. That's your story, dude. Yeah.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

Have you ever wanted to or have you ever been to the birthplace of pizza? China. Sorry. Italy. Italy.

[Chris]

Really?

[James]

China. But. Well, I'll say Italy.

[Chris]

Funnily enough, I have not been to Italy.

[James]

Do you have any desire to go there and like.

[Chris]

Yeah, of course.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Rome more than Naples, though, right?

[Lawrence]

Not a Neapolitan guy.

[Chris]

Not a Neapolitan. I don't nothing. Like, I'll eat it. And I think it's good. It's good, but it's just like, if I want. I want, like, if I'm going to go to Italy to eat pizza, of course I want to try all, like, the legendary spots in Naples, but Rome is where, like, I'm like, that. That's what I think would resonate with me most.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

When you were traveling, whether, like, on tour and stuff, would you always make it a point to, like, try out the local pizza? Whether it's like, regionality, like, like ranch in the Midwest or whatever the. Whatever Mexico City pizza is.

[Chris]

Yeah. I mean, like, it sounds like it would be fire if it was in reach because, you know, like, on tour you only have, like a limited. You have to. Either you're, you're. You're driving, loading in your gear to the venue, whatever, playing and then like getting drunk after. Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Celebrating.

[Chris]

Sleeping and then driving again. But if there. If I spent more time in one place. Yeah, for sure. I was in LA two years ago and. And Brooks actually happened to be out there at the same time, and we checked out that place quarter sheets for the first time. And that place is awesome. And I became friendly with those people. It's like, that's what's exciting about cooking or pizza or whatever is like, just like connecting with other people about their food and then eating their food and like, it. And when it's that good, it, like, pisses you off that it's that good in, like, a good way.

[Lawrence]

It's a fire under your ass to be like, now I got A new bar. That is a new bar has been set.

[James]

Time to char that punishment. Pineapple.

[Chris]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Lawrence]

For real.

[Chris]

Break out the pineapple.

[James]

Okay, what do you think about, like, the. The tri state region? The tri state regionality pizza, where some people say Jersey has better pizza than New York, some people say Connecticut has the best pizza.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

New Haven style, obviously.

[Chris]

Huge. I love all of it. I. I would say straight up. I would say one of my favorite pies I've ever had in my entire life is in New Jersey, where. Which is like. I don't know if that's like.

[James]

Oh, well.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Elmwood Park, New Jersey. A place called Pizza Town, us, usa.

[James]

Great name.

[Lawrence]

So good, so cool.

[Chris]

It's. It's like, for some reason, the first time I went out there is because I think I was. I think I was going to see Tony Soprano's house, I think. And we. I heard about that place because obviously I'm a nerd and knew of it and got a pie well done. And it, like, hit, like, you know, just, like, brought me back to, like, with my dad. So I was just like, whoa. Then I went back again. I was like, it can't be.

[Lawrence]

No way.

[Chris]

As good one off. Maybe I was just like. It was Covid time. So I was like, maybe I was just, like, doing something, doing an activity, getting out of the state for a second, like. But I went back again, like, last year, and it, like, hit even harder. And they sold. They sold between then and they, like, they swore that they were keeping the same exact recipe. And it was almost like, better.

[Lawrence]

Damn.

[James]

Look, if you're going to name your place Pizza Town, usa, God damn. Better come correct for real, or Uncle Sam's coming at your neck.

[Chris]

I haven't had all the New Haven spots I've had. I haven't had Sally's, I've had Frank Pepe's, and I've had zup parties, which is in West Haven.

[Lawrence]

A beats.

[Chris]

Yeah, I think it's great. I mean, I literally. I don't have, like, crazy hot takes about pizza because it's like, if you.

[James]

Like seafood on pizza, okay.

[Chris]

Hot takes in terms of, like, yes. Clam pie is cool. Do I want to do a clam pie? I don't know, dude.

[James]

Link up with Greenpoint fish and lobster.

[Chris]

Everybody's saying that. A lot of.

[Lawrence]

Many people are saying.

[Chris]

A lot of guys are saying, yeah, yeah.

[James]

If you want to keep it at Greenpoint.

[Chris]

Huh?

[James]

If you want to keep it, like, Greenpoint locals only. I think there's so many opportunities to, like, collab.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah.

[James]

Or like, bring in, you know, ingredients for sure. So you don't have any. You don't have any pizza takes that piss people off. Besides you. You are excited about pineapple and pizza.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. There's got.

[Chris]

I'm excited to try it. I don't know if it's going to be good, but I. I'm not against it. And I would eat it. I would eat a pineapple slice somewhere.

[Lawrence]

I like your ranch steak. That's pretty hot, I think.

[Chris]

Well, yeah, I guess that's a hot take. Ranch. I mean, a lot of take. I guess there are. I. I am, like, opinionated. Yeah. I don't think that ranch belongs on pizza. I don't.

[Lawrence]

Do you have something that would piss off, like, as many people as possible listening right now?

[Chris]

I think the chicken thing will piss some people off because I have friends that have pizzerias that put chicken on their slices, but it's just not something I think.

[Lawrence]

Right.

[Chris]

Works. But it works for a lot of people. It just doesn't work for me.

[Lawrence]

Right. Give me a chicken. You want a chicken part sub. If you want chicken farm, what are.

[James]

The proteins you do besides pepperoni and sausage?

[Chris]

So posada.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah. Just like here. I've done. I've done mortadella. I like the finish of a. Of a white pie.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Throw some pineapple on there, dude.

[Chris]

Damn. Pineapple mortadel.

[James]

It's a little too sweet. No more.

[Chris]

Dell Mortadella is pretty salty.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's kind of like Italian ham. Yeah, it is.

[James]

It's Italian baloney.

[Lawrence]

Right?

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

There you go.

[Chris]

There you go. There you go. Yeah. I'm trying to think. I mean, I wish I had some. Yeah, some. Some. Some sound bite for you guys about something that will piss everybody off. But like. Yeah. I mean, I don't like ranch. I typically think that a regular pie is king.

[James]

That's. That's a bit. I think that is kind of surprising. That's pretty surprising.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Pepperoni, I feel like, is more people's.

[Chris]

The only number one.

[Lawrence]

Right.

[Chris]

The only reason I have pepperoni. I do like pepperoni, but it's probably my least favorite pizza topping. But. But I have it on my menu because.

[Lawrence]

Whoa, whoa. It's your personal least favorite favorite. I would rank them.

[Chris]

I never order pepperoni when I'm out at a pizzeria.

[James]

Okay. You normally get. You normally get plain. What's your number one topping?

[Chris]

If I'm getting a slice, there's no topping. It'll be a regular slice and a grandma slice or a regular slice and a vodka grandma slice from either Carmine's on Grand Mav. Oh, great bar. Tony's across the street. Yeah. Carmine Sports bar. That's the best.

[James]

Great place to watch the Yankees.

[Chris]

That and also like a clandestine meeting spot if you were like trying to talk shit about somebody somewhere because. And then also it's pretty bobbed up. I mean, I don't know anything about that, but I like going there because hey, the pizza is really good and kind of reminds me. Good wings. Yeah. Good dinner. Yeah. Good pasta. But I like going there. And because you could sit at the bar, I'm. And I can say to the bartender, can I have, you know, a bud, a shot of tequila and two slices of regular, please? And he goes around to the pizzeria.

[Lawrence]

And brings perfectly balanced meal.

[Chris]

But it's so cool that you can sit at the bar and get slices. It's so fucking cool. Yeah. As a guy who doesn't do slices, it's nice to say, right.

[James]

When you were young and broke, would you ever go to Alligator Lounge for the free pizza?

[Chris]

Not Alligator Lounge, but when. When I. My first apartment in Greenpoint, I lived close to Lulu's, which was a similar style place. You know, you buy a $4 beer and you get the pizza ticket. And this is when I was working with our mutual friend Nick Durrell. I would. I was so broke when I was at. The first two months I lived here, I was so broke, I think I had like 200 dol. My bank account or something like that, or barely that. Not a lot of beers, not enough. So. But. But after work, I would walk home from Nick and I's office and go to Lulu's and have a beer and have that pizza for four, five bucks with the tip. That's my dinner.

[Lawrence]

You could do a lot worse, honestly.

[James]

Yeah, we've all been there.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[James]

That the. So the brokest you've been was buying beer because of the accompanying food to get to eat.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And also getting to have a beer. Yeah.

[James]

Right in there. You know, your time in music. What do playing hardcore and making pizza have in common?

[Chris]

I don't think the music and the food have anything in common, but I think that playing in a band that tours and having to figure everything out yourself, putting out your own records, doing all that's. Doing all of that gives you a little bit of a leg up when it comes to starting or running a business because you're basically doing the bookkeeping. Because you're keeping count of the money, you're keeping count of the merch sales. You're like, you know, it's all, like, it's all. It's being in a band. It's not like, like a punk band is not. It's not like running a business. But you have to operate in this way of like, I. No one's going to do anything for you.

[James]

Right.

[Chris]

You have to do it yourself.

[James]

Diy.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And like that informs a certain type of personality to where like, yes, maybe there is a correlation with like how to run a shop versus, like, you know, organizing an entire tour and keeping track, keeping a budget or whatever. Whatever.

[James]

Yeah, you know, making sure everyone's well fed and. And. And has some beverages at the end of the night. Right?

[Chris]

Yeah, for sure. And yeah. So I don't know that the music has. Has much to inform it. Like. Sure. There's like some of it on the playlist.

[Lawrence]

That's a mentality thing.

[Chris]

Yes, I think so.

[Lawrence]

You're a humble guy, but I want to ask you two questions that are of the same coin. Right. Are you the most talented chef in the hardcore community?

[Chris]

No. No, there's plenty, plenty of way.

[Lawrence]

That dude professionally as well. Like, you like having.

[Chris]

Yeah, I haven't, I haven't been to his restaurant, but there's this guy Jamie in Boston that has a few. A couple places, I think that. And his. His food, I haven't had it, but his food just looks insane. Like, I. I can bake. Well, I mean, pizza is basically being a baker. You know, I can make bread. I could. I can make pizza. I could make some other things, but.

[Lawrence]

Like, yeah, band that makes bread.

[Chris]

I could never, like, I don't think I could ever. I would never have the chops at like a fine dining restaurant or anything like that.

[James]

Can't mince an onion in under 20 seconds.

[Chris]

No.

[Lawrence]

You don't have the knife skills.

[James]

You can't make.

[Chris]

I have, I have some. I have some, but I'm definitely not.

[James]

Like, you know, make a French omelette.

[Chris]

Yeah, I've. I have, but they're probably not perfect.

[Lawrence]

Egg. Egg on pizza. Breakfast pizza.

[Chris]

Yay.

[Lawrence]

Or nay?

[Chris]

I don't know.

[Lawrence]

I'm a nay.

[Chris]

I've never had it. I don't think. What?

[Lawrence]

You never had a breakfast pizza? Yeah.

[James]

Have you been to what state had the worst pizza?

[Lawrence]

Utah.

[Chris]

I mean, like anywhere in between the coasts, you know, but like, I don't know If I have 48. I don't have a specific memory where I was like, this was the worst pizza I've ever had in my entire.

[Lawrence]

You really don't remember the worst pizza you've ever had?

[James]

There's no such thing as bad pizza. What about like, Chuck E. Cheese pizza?

[Chris]

I've never been to a chuck E. Cheese.

[James]

CC's discovery zone.

[Chris]

I think I've been to Discovery Zone. Yeah. I've never had CC's dog shit dog Caesars.

[James]

Well, Caesars.

[Chris]

Ooh. I actually don't. I actually don't mind the Little Caesars. Like, square. Like, they're Detroit fresh. They're like the OG Detroit pizza.

[Lawrence]

All right, so here's the other question. Are you the most gifted hardcore artist in the chef community, though?

[Chris]

I don't know. No, I don't think so. I like my band. I like my bands. I love doing. I love that I got to do that for a very long time. I don't know how much more time I'm going to have to do it right now. Maybe eventually. Once the. Once it's a more well, well oiled.

[Lawrence]

Machine at the shop, like reunion show. MetLife.

[Chris]

We never on the roof of Chrissy's fans are all still technically together, but like, you know, everybody's. Everybody's busy. The drummer of. Drummer of my band runs a coffee. Owns a coffee shop in Ridgewood. Honeymoon coffee. Everybody's like doing their own different things and we've been a band for like, what is it, 2412 years?

[Lawrence]

Damn long.

[Chris]

We did a lot of stuff. You know what I mean? We've done a lot. So I.

[Lawrence]

You're not going to take any of this credit that we're trying to give you.

[Chris]

It's hard for me.

[Lawrence]

It's hardcore for you, dude, I get it.

[James]

Well, it's a busy time of the year. Everyone's busy. It's the holiday. It's the holiday season. We just wrapped Thanksgiving. We got holiday, the, you know, real holiday season right around the corner. What's Chris's favorite holiday treat?

[Chris]

Holiday treat? Yeah, I was just talking to someone about how I don't love turkey.

[James]

That's a pretty. Yeah, that's becoming a more common.

[Lawrence]

Join the club, brother.

[James]

Or public sentiment.

[Chris]

Holidays are pretty small. It's just me and my mom. She lives by herself out in Valley Stream, where I'm from. I went and saw her for Thanksgiving. We just made big ziti.

[Lawrence]

Hell yeah. Honestly, you probably had a better time.

[Chris]

Way better time.

[James]

Should have brought the leftovers back and throw it on a slice.

[Chris]

Yeah, you're right. Mom. Zd, mom cd. I, I on my way Back from my mom's. I stopped at a friend's loft who was having a potluck thing or whatever.

[Lawrence]

Friends giving.

[Chris]

And there was a ham there. And I forgot about. I forgot how good a Christmas ham is.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, bro. With the pineapples on top.

[Chris]

Exactly. Back to pineapples again.

[James]

There has to be. There has to be some sort of, like, public reform where we stop doing turkey for Thanksgiving and whether ham, lamb, ram, potatoes, tomatoes. Tomatoes. You gotta do something. Fried chicken.

[Lawrence]

Popeyes got unlocked, though. The Cajun fried. The Cajun chicken.

[James]

Have you ever had it? You saw the viral one where they're like, yo, they serve you, Kermit? Like, I don't think.

[Lawrence]

I don't think.

[James]

I don't think it's what it once was.

[Lawrence]

Damn, dude.

[Chris]

They were. Someone had brought a Popeyes turkey to that pot.

[Lawrence]

Did the Cajun hit or.

[Chris]

I tried a piece of it.

[Lawrence]

It was.

[Chris]

It wasn't bad.

[Lawrence]

Dark meat. Yeah. Yeah.

[James]

Popeyes. D. Gen.

[Chris]

Yes.

[James]

What's your. What's your favorite fast food period?

[Chris]

Favorite fast food period. Damn. I. There's a lot of. A lot of them that are popular. I don't love. Like, I don't like Taco Bell.

[Lawrence]

Damn. Hated.

[Chris]

I had a little phase. I had a little phase. Last year was, like, the first time I was, like, getting home so late from doing the residency.

[James]

The only time you get home.

[Chris]

3. Well, you know, it's like four sometimes, because it would be. Be like, you'd be done at 2.

[James]

Gotta clean.

[Chris]

Clean up a little bit. And then I would go. You know, I always have to have that buffer between work and home. So I'll go to.

[Lawrence]

I would go to Decompression.

[Chris]

Yeah, I'll go to Josie's and sit by myself and have a beer or two and then go home. So, like, yeah, by. By the time I was, like, in the cab home or whatever, I'd be like, I didn't eat.

[James]

What do you do?

[Chris]

Yeah, like, whatever's open. But I was having a phase with Taco Bell for a while also. Just, like, ordering from this diner in Greenpoint all the time.

[James]

Which one?

[Chris]

Sunset diner. It's open 24 hours.

[James]

So do you like triple decker?

[Chris]

I do also.

[James]

24 hours.

[Chris]

I have to go in early on Sundays and Mondays because my prep guide. Those are my prep guys, days off. And I have to go early to pull out the dough, and then it has to sit for a while, so I have some free time before the staff shows up. So I always just go sit at Three Decker at the counter. Have an omelette, cup of coffee, shout.

[James]

Out Eddie in Garrett. Forget their names.

[Chris]

Gavin.

[James]

Gavin.

[Chris]

Gavin and Ed. Yeah, Ed from Ed. Also owner of, like, Blue Collar, and they brought us family meal the other day. Yeah.

[James]

Yeah.

[Chris]

All right.

[James]

Let's talk sex and dating.

[Chris]

That's the last thing I want to talk about.

[Lawrence]

We're almost done. We're almost done.

[James]

Is getting pizza on the first date a valid romantic move?

[Chris]

I wouldn't do it.

[James]

Oh, okay.

[Chris]

Not for me, because it's too cliche. Oh. You know what I'm saying? Like, oh, the pizza. It's like, let me bring you. I'm for. That's. That'd be like. If I was the. If I was the person that I was going out with. Okay. This guy who owns a pizzeria is taking me for pizza on our first day.

[James]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

But if you remove yourself from the scenario.

[Chris]

If it was.

[Lawrence]

If it was just an average person.

[Chris]

An average person and not me who.

[Lawrence]

Doesn'T make the best pizza.

[Chris]

I think. I think you'd be. You'd do plenty well to, like, take a girl to Arturo's on Houston.

[Lawrence]

Oh, yeah. Coal fire, baby.

[Chris]

And full pies.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. And a good pie.

[Chris]

It's a. That's. That's, like the restaurant I wanted like, a one room version of Arturos. Like a small with a bar, some.

[Lawrence]

Booths, a guy playing piano.

[Chris]

Yes. It's so sick.

[Lawrence]

It is awesome. It's underrated.

[Chris]

I feel like. I think it's some of my favorite pizza in the city.

[Lawrence]

It's really good.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Wow.

[James]

Do you have a number one besides yourself right now?

[Chris]

I don't think that. I don't think that I'm number one.

[James]

No.

[Chris]

No.

[James]

Do you. Do you have a number one spot right now? Currently and on rotation?

[Chris]

Yeah. So it changes. For a long time. It was New York Pizza Suprema across the street from Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue.

[Lawrence]

Wow.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

That was the first. I know the location. Right. It's there.

[Lawrence]

Sars right there.

[Chris]

Dude. Now that's my favorite New York suprema. Like, I've been going there since 2007 or something like that. Just discovered it because I was doing, like, some weird, like, handing out flyers on the street work when I was broke and, like, discovered that spot. Okay. And I went in and I got a slice, and I was like, that's really good. And I got a second slice, and I was like, damn, that's really two times. And then I went up for the third slice, and that's when I knew. I was like, oh, this is my spot now.

[Lawrence]

Damn. Okay.

[Chris]

I haven't had it in a long time, so I don't know how it's held up, so don't hold me to it. But a place that I think about the most going back to, but the kind of far for me is like Tommy's in the Bronx on East Tremont. Like, that slice, it's like, super. It's pretty similar to, like, what I have in my head of what I'm doing. His menu is just like, regular pepperoni. I think he does a square, and it's just like a little like, bar seating at the. At the counter. It's been there forever. It's got an old ass, like 7 up sign outside. It's so good. And my, like, when I'm thinking about going to ep3 pizza, like, if I make a pilgrimage, it'd be going to Tommy's.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

And then not far from there is Louis and Ernie's. And that's also like, the best sausage slice. The best sausage slice.

[Lawrence]

Very specific.

[James]

You got Tommy, Louie, Ernie, Chrissy, guys slinging dough.

[Chris]

Can you imagine if I named it Chris's Pizza?

[Lawrence]

I mean, it's your show, dude.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

What is there. Is there like a red flag around pizza that you should maybe be aware of? And. And when you're getting to know someone, like, if they have a certain. Besides ranch, they, like, have certain opinions or. Or way they do pizza, like, yo, get the out of here.

[Lawrence]

Red flag city.

[Chris]

Dumping a ton of on the slice before trying it by itself first. I'm not going to say who. Who it is because they're a friend of mine, but when I was selling pizza in my. Out of my apartment, I would often have a couple extra doughs at the end of the. The night, and that would be the time I'd be like, yo, like, let's like, come by, have some beers, like, to like, close friends. Someone was in town. They came to my house, and this was like, you know, when it was kind of popping off and. And getting popular. So it was like they were excited to come, but they like. I pulled the pie out of the oven, cut it, finished it, and gave them a slice. And they just went over to where like, all my, like, hot sauces are in my house and just grabbed. Grabbed Tabasco and then just dumped a bunch of Tabasco on the slice. And I was like, you're not in my head. You're not gonna. You're not gonna try it first.

[James]

Like, disrespectful.

[Chris]

Yeah, I found it disrespectful. But I mean, who the am.

[Lawrence]

I gotta be an open minded person, you know, pizza.

[James]

Otherwise I once did the same thing with my mom's cooking and she's like, that's like disrespectful.

[Chris]

And I'm like, yeah, all right.

[James]

Yeah, I should never do that again.

[Chris]

I think it's acceptable with like, like, you know, the chili flakes or the oregano and garlic salt. Whatever, whatever. At a shop. That's what that stuff is there for. But yeah, like, I don't know.

[James]

But you gotta try it first to be like, okay, what does it actually need? What do I want to do with this?

[Chris]

Right?

[James]

You know, it's true.

[Chris]

Red flag for me is people that put ranch on their pizza, you got.

[Lawrence]

On the side like a, like a dip.

[Chris]

I don't like seeing it, okay?

[Lawrence]

Get that white shit away from me.

[Chris]

And frankly, James Lawrence, I don't like seeing it.

[James]

What about people who eat pizza from the back crust first? Are they just fucking freaks and perverts?

[Chris]

I mean, everybody's got their own dance, their proclivities. I mean the. I'm, I'm more judgmental of someone who doesn't eat the bones. Bones.

[Lawrence]

Oh yeah. If you, yeah. If someone leaves the crust. Also disrespectful.

[Chris]

I don't love seeing the trays in my shop and there's bones and I'm just like, damn, that's my favorite part of the pizza at some point.

[Lawrence]

Really?

[Chris]

Yeah. I mean like it's crispy, it's, it's, it's soft.

[James]

You recycle them, gather them up, turn them to breadcrumbs.

[Chris]

Yeah. Covet breadcrumbs. Yeah.

[James]

What about stuffed crust pizza? We're gonna see that from Chrissy.

[Chris]

Nope, not for me.

[Lawrence]

But, but an innovation. An innovation. Let's be real.

[Chris]

It's never, it's too, it's always like so. Oh, you, you've, you guys have eaten stuffed crust pizza. And like not like felt like insane after.

[James]

It's too much cheese.

[Chris]

What I should do is stuff stuffed crust roulette. Like you, you don't get to know what's inside. What's. Crust is stuff.

[James]

It's the old crusts.

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Stuffed with old crust.

[Chris]

Yeah. Stuff with old crust.

[Lawrence]

Go yourself.

[Chris]

Pencils. Pencil erasers.

[James]

Shoelace.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

Chris, how much money do you make?

[Chris]

Not that much.

[James]

Not that much. What do you like to spend your hard earned money on besides your own business and besides food?

[Chris]

Damn. So I can't say going out to eat. Okay.

[James]

Going out to eat.

[Chris]

That's like, literally, like, the only thing I do really on my time off is like, yeah, like, just trying to go to a new restaurant or go to. Go somewhere I've been mean to go.

[James]

What's on your hit list?

[Chris]

Yeah, tonight, that's number one. I have a huge list.

[Lawrence]

Oh, busting out the note Notes. He's not a gatekeeper.

[James]

Charge people to access this note.

[Chris]

I've still never been to Mineta Tavern. I'd like to eat that burger black.

[Lawrence]

You never had a Black Label burger?

[Chris]

I've never had it. Also, Aaron's other restaurant servos I have not been to, which is crazy.

[Lawrence]

Also crazy.

[Chris]

Yeah. He's made fun of me about that a couple times. La French diner I've still never been to. I want to go there, but have.

[James]

You been to French yet?

[Chris]

Nope.

[James]

Okay. That to the list. It's not on there.

[Lawrence]

Yeah.

[Chris]

I'm trying to think where else.

[James]

A lot of class. A lot of, like, a lot of standbys. A lot of standbys that have been there for a long time. Or I guess Eel Bar is, like, fairly new, but.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[James]

You must have a lot of chef friends, right?

[Chris]

Yeah, some. Some.

[James]

Here's a question, Warren. Time in Benius. Would you rather, when you're eating at a friend's restaurant, get dishes you haven't ordered sent out to you for free or price knocked off? Something knocked off the bill that he did.

[Chris]

That's tough because it's always, like. It's always so nice. Nice when someone sends things out. But when you order normally at a restaurant where, like, you know, the chef at, they kind of just kill you.

[James]

That's what I'm saying. It's like I ordered these five things or whatever specifically like to, you know, in a way that, like, these are the five things that I want. Maybe I don't want nine things.

[Chris]

I would prefer it if, like, the server was like, homie's gonna send you this, this, and this. So, like, you should order around that.

[Lawrence]

Let them know up front.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence]

I don't mind having. I think we're in the same boat, me and James, where it's like, knocks them off the bill. Let me tip big.

[Chris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Lawrence]

But let me. Let me order what I want to order. Give me some racks. Maybe. Let me know up top. But for the most part, I got this.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James]

Capital One fraud department is on my ass over tipping at Bernie's. Like, did you have a $100 tip on this $20 bill? I'm like, yes.

[Lawrence]

God damn right.

[James]

Fucking J.

[Lawrence]

Supposed to be a thousand, actually.

[James]

Those are the homies.

[Chris]

Damn. You get sent out stuff at Bernie's. I get. I get the. They let me come.

[Lawrence]

Which, honestly, one of the greatest luxuries with.

[James]

Are you now friends with, like, Oliver and Rachel?

[Chris]

And I don't know them personally, but they've just been like, we just, like, giving each other props on Instagram, whatever. If I. If I. If I. If I like, I always, like, busted out, like, the most, like, cowering way possible. Like, hey, if it's not a problem. If it is, it's totally okay. Like, but it's like, if you have a two top at seven tonight, like.

[James]

What'S the best way for someone to try and get in good with you and, like, skip the line besides invite you onto their podcast?

[Chris]

My neighbors get to skip the line.

[James]

Okay, well, like, the. The neighboring businesses.

[Chris]

There's. Yeah, well, there's. Well, no, not all the businesses, but people that live in the building on top.

[James]

Okay.

[Chris]

It's like, I'm not gonna make them.

[Lawrence]

The place must smell delicious.

[Chris]

Or if, like, someone. If someone's like, hey, I live on, you know, Newell or Diamond or whatever. Like, I can't. Like, you know, but you got to.

[James]

Show proof of residency, you know?

[Lawrence]

Yeah. Because anyone could be like, oh, yeah, yeah, that's true.

[Chris]

I guess I've been going on the honors.

[Lawrence]

Like, damn, this is a very densely populated building.

[Chris]

No, everybody's been so nice. I mean, I mean, like, I'd prefer that, like, even my friends wait in line, you know, I mean, like, as they should. That's what I've, like, that's where I kind of, like, tried to. Also, I can't even look at my phone during service, so I don't really get to see any texts about people asking for favors. Anyway, that's why.

[Lawrence]

First thing in the morning, that's why.

[James]

I was texting you at like, 11:00am like, see, tonight at 6, right?

[Chris]

Yeah, just double checking, confirming. But, like, when Brooks opened on Avenue A, he had the same problem, which is like, a lot of friends, like, trying to. He had crazy lines too. And, like, it's like, yo, like, I just gotta let it go, how it goes. Yeah. You want to come? I'll tell you when there's no line.

[Lawrence]

Throw up the bat signal.

[Chris]

But I do that. I do that publicly, so it's like, I'm trying to figure out how to, like, make it easier year, but obviously up in the production.

[Lawrence]

But you can make shittier pizza for sure.

[Chris]

No, I can't. I can't do that.

[James]

This man cannot make mid. All right, what do you.

[Chris]

You guys obviously just like to spend.

[James]

Your money on clothes, eating out, traveling.

[Lawrence]

Yep. Yeah, you gotta. We gotta get you to. To Italy, dude.

[Chris]

I know.

[Lawrence]

We gotta get you to Rome.

[Chris]

I know.

[James]

That's a business expense.

[Chris]

I'm a poser until I go to Italy.

[James]

Can't you write that off as a business expense? What'd your accountant say earlier today?

[Chris]

Research.

[James]

Was that a very short call with you accountant?

[Chris]

It pretty short.

[Lawrence]

Make more money, buy more polio.

[Chris]

No, no, no.

[James]

You tell me. It's always poly.

[Lawrence]

Throw some sawdust in there. I've heard some. I've heard some rumors about some of your peers and colleagues.

[Chris]

What?

[Lawrence]

Just like watering it down the dough with sawdust and for the cheese. Scar talked about this, bro.

[Chris]

Really?

[Lawrence]

Yeah. I don't know.

[James]

I miss sawdust. Sounds not edible.

[Chris]

How does it not? Wait, Scar, you put pencils and crust? Dude, I was joking about crust. I'm not doing it.

[James]

That's a prize. That's a prize. Buy the pencil. That's a prize.

[Chris]

I don't want to put words in.

[Lawrence]

Scar's mouth, so let me just walk it back. He definitely talked about how people cut corners in like a non sanitary way.

[James]

Like buying pre made sauce.

[Chris]

Oh yeah.

[Lawrence]

Jarred sauce or yeah. Or just like other ways to cut corners with.

[Chris]

Yeah, well, we were. I was talking about this with somebody the other day because talking about pizza all the time. But like, yeah, there's places that'll be like, yeah, we use this, you know, high quality cheese. But it's like one case of that cheese and the rest and then there's like 10 cases of like you like stepping on.

[James]

It's like the equivalent in the. In the clothing world is made in usa. It's like. No, it was assembled in usa. Parts that were made internationally, which is totally fine. But let's be. You're just using as the marketing.

[Lawrence]

Marketing terms.

[James]

Look, as our new best pizza friend, I've spent an hour 45 podcast.

[Chris]

That's an hour 45 flew by, right?

[Lawrence]

Damn, we would love to talking pizza, baby.

[James]

We've. We've sampled your incredible excellence and now you have sampled ours. Do you have any constructive criticism that.

[Chris]

You would like to give us on your podcast?

[Lawrence]

Yeah, go off.

[Chris]

No, you guys are great.

[Lawrence]

Oh, thank you.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence]

Would you say we're like an 8.2?

[Chris]

Yeah. Poor noise score. 8.8.1. 8.2. No, no, it was great.

[James]

I mean everyone knows the rules.

[Chris]

I get nervous to do these things all the time. You're great. So it's nice. You guys are just, yeah. Easy to be comfortable hanging out.

[James]

Have you started becoming, like, we know that you did the action thing. Obviously, obviously, you. You did not put face on Portland Camera. You just did another podcast. Are you, like, seeing requests to try and, like, talk to the man behind the pie?

[Chris]

Not as much as you think. You know, like, but doing this and doing taste was, like, so, so fun. Like, I'm not. I'm like, I know people that are just like, I'm never doing a podcast, but it's like. But, like, the reason why I think. I think I said this to you, Lawrence, when we first started talking is like. Like, I want to do these things because, like, I don't think that people know who I am, why I do what I do, and the reasons why I do what I do. So being able to tell the story is super important to me because it's like, maybe you thought that I was just some hypebeast guy that was, like, just. Just trying to make scarcity, scarce pizza. Whatever. It's like, no, I'm just trying to make pizza however I can to honor my dad. Exactly. Yeah.

[James]

Also, to keep the quality at such a premium, you're gonna sacrifice on quantity, right?

[Chris]

Yes, of course.

[James]

Or you could go quantity and sacrifice on quality, right?

[Chris]

Because, like, yeah, if I was making 400 pizzas a day.

[James]

Sawdust.

[Chris]

Yeah. No, no sawdust. But it's just, like, I just. I. I get to see every single one that comes out of the oven. And I could tell my. I could tell Akbal, like, put that back in for, like, 20 more seconds. Or, like, turn it that way. Put it back in. Like, I just. I get to control everything. So. Troll freak about the. About the pizza. 1,000%.

[Lawrence]

You got to be.

[James]

You ever toss one? Because it's, like, fucked up.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[James]

Damn, that sucks. I'll take it.

[Lawrence]

Yeah, right.

[Chris]

But it doesn't happen very often. It's kind of crazy. If we go through. We've gone through, like, most. Most of these weeks that we've been open without. Like, there's only been, like, a couple days where we've, like, tossed, like, two pies. So that's a pretty good.

[James]

How many. So, like, what, two for every 160 or one for every 160? Typically, that's a pretty good batting average.

[Chris]

No, no, I'm saying, like, all same numbers. Two for every, like, two in, like, a week of service.

[James]

Dude, what's 160 times seven?

[Chris]

A lot I don't know. It's only five days a week right now.

[James]

Okay. Oh, okay. That's right. Tuesday, Wednesday.

[Chris]

You're closed for now.

[Lawrence]

Mental health for now. Work, life, balance.

[James]

Gotta go pay the bills and try more pizza. All right, Chris, thank you for coming onto the only Podcast Matters. Where can the kids follow you? What would you like to plug?

[Chris]

It is at Chrissy's Pizza on ig. And that's all I got.

[Lawrence]

The address one more time.

[Chris]

142 Nassau Apple Avenue in the heart of Greenpoint.

[Lawrence]

Are you set up with any apps where people can order or.

[Chris]

No.

[Lawrence]

Okay.

[James]

Open Wednesday to Monday. Yeah.

[Chris]

When? Yes. No, sorry, Thursday to Monday p.m. until we sell out. Usually sell out around 7:30 or 8 on the busy days, but depending on the weather, you know. And I'll post. I'll post whenever. There's no line for everybody to see. So follow. Yeah, if you don't have Instagram, just make a fucking Finster. Like make a burner and just. And just. Like, I don't. I don't have the time to deal with a website or.69.

[James]

Not until Tik Tok.

[Chris]

No Tik Tok ever.

[James]

No mukbangs.

[Chris]

No.

[James]

At Chrissy's. All right.

[Lawrence]

I'll mukbang a pie at the Bar Dud.

[James]

I'm so. Oh, you're not open tonight. God damn it.

[Chris]

That's why you're here.

[James]

You're open in two days.

[Chris]

All right.

[James]

This another episode of the only Podcast Matters. Thank you, Chris.

[Chris]

Thank you, guys.

[James]

Take us out at T Mobile.

[Chris]

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[James]

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[Chris]

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[James]

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[Lawrence]

Balance on required finance agreement to build credits.

[James]

And if you pay off devices early, CT mobile dot com.