IamA professional pizza historian and Guinness World Record holder for largest collection of unique pizza boxes. AMA!

I just did one of your tours about two weeks ago and had the most fun EVER!

What pizzeria is your "old reliable" place when it comes to your tours? If not one, where would you say you've visited the most?

Also, any recommendations near Grand Central Station to properly celebrate today?

Thanks!

OH WOW in GCS I like Prova down on the dining concourse. There's a Two Boots nearby as well. As for old reliable... I love Sam's Restaurant in Brooklyn. And Arturo's in the Village. And John's in the village on Bleecker. SO MANY RELIABLE PIES!!

WE WENT TO SAM'S ON YOUR TOUR!

That was one of the best slice's I've had!

Thanks Scott!

me too!! Sam's was the highlight! hoping to go back next Saturday on the Brooklyn walking tour - I'm bringing my parents, don't let us down Scott!

Thanks for the confidence?

And Joe's Pizza for a rockin slice.

I live in NYC. Is it worth the trek to New Haven to try Pepe’s?

YES

In your opinion, what's the best pizza in NYC?

The place that's closest to your apartment. Where they know your name and give you an extra garlic knot.

What's your stance on eating pizza with a fork?

Eat in whatever way makes you feel good. Pizza is not a food of judgement. If you don't want to eat pizza with a fork, don't eat it with a fork. But the moment you think less of someone because of the way they eat a slice of pizza, that's when you need to reevaluate your priorities.

How frequently do YOU personally do the tours? My boyfriend gifted me a tour but I really only want to take it with you because you just seem so pumped on pizza!

I do every SUNDAY NYC PIZZA BUS tour but the rest of my tour schedule changes weekly. Hard to tell which ones I do. But I gotto say I don't have tour guides who aren't huge pizza nerds. THEY ARE ALL AWESOME! Seriously, I would NEVER have someone who eats too much salad.

Scott, have you ever had a decent cheese-less (or vegan cheese) pizza? Can such a thing exist?

ABSOLUTELY! I looooove a good marinara from a Neapolitan pizzeria. Also I'm into NuMu vegan cheese. It's solid.

Hi mate, massive pizza guy here also. Went on your tour back in 2010, and will definitely be back if I ever come back to NY. Loved it.

What are your favourite foods away from pizza?

Calzones.

jk. . . ice cream, bbq, fried chicken, sushi, donuts. I love food.

What is your thoughts on square cut pizzas? My wife thinks that I am weird for getting square cut pizzas from time to time

I don't get it, but I respect it.

Do you have any pizza boxes that were in movies (especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)?

I have a replica of the one pizza box in Spaceballs. Also one from Do The Right Thing. WISH I had a TMNT box. And the Little Nero's box from Home Alone!

What do you think about Hawaiian pizza? Good or great??

I think too many people mismanage their pineapple. But when it's done right, it's great!

What’s the “do it right” secret?

Use fresh pineapple and prepare it, don't just toss it on the pie. Grill it or something. And don't mix pineapple and tomato sauce!

I love tomato sauce with pineapple!! What do you use instead?

nix the tomato. too much acid for me

What's your favorite pizza topping?

sausage. Sweet italian sausage with garlic, pepper, and fennel seeds

What's up Scott?! If you HAD to pick a favorite regional pizza style outside of NY-style or Neapolitan, what would it be and why?

Good question! I dig Detroit style lately. Just so comforting! Love that burnt cheese.

Hi Scott,

I attended your Pizza tour in December for my birthday and it was SUPER fun and knowledgable, I can't wait to go back. Here's my question: I work in NYC midtown and we cannot find a good pizza parlor to save our life. Where do you recommend we go, even if it's a short subway ride away?

Thanks!!!

Give me an intersection and # of blocks radius or time you can take.

If you had to become suddenly intolerable to one part of a pizza forever, which would it be out of the base, tomato sauce and cheese?

Wow good question. I think I could lose cheese before the others.

When did you start collecting pizza boxes? What fascinates you by having them?

I started collecting around 2009. Pizza boxes are pieces of ephemera that, when saved and viewed as art, take on new meaning as reflections of the cultural atmosphere in which they are created. Things that are destined to be thrown in the garbage say the most about the people who use them.

How do you clean the boxes so you don't get bugs?

I have mostly clean boxes. The few that need cleaning (about 20 of the 1400) I scrape and coat with polyurethane to protect. I've been doing an Instagram story companion to this AMA and I'll give you a quick tour of my box collection there @scottspizzatours

What is the worst pizza you’ve eaten?

I'll just say it was a pizza buffet. I know, bad idea in the first place!

Scott!!! Went on one of your tours and wanted to let you know again how fun it was. Anyways my question is have you tried eating pizza in East Asian countries like Korea or Japan? If so how'd you like it?

Pizza culture there is definitely weirder cause they don't usually eat/view them as a quick easy meal. Pizza huts in Korea I remember were very fancy and sit down.

NEVER BEEN but it's a dream of mine to eat in a Chinese Pizza Hut.

What do you think of all the "quick serve" places like Blaze, Mod, etc?

I get what they're doing, but focus is on speed and not quality. That makes me a little sad.

What’s the first pizzeria I should try when visiting New York?

Joe's and NY Pizza Suprema are serious new york slices. Start there!

Hey Scott! Been following you lately! Your knowledge has inspired me to truly expand my pizza tastes. Few questions:

Favorite pizza places in NJ?

Best way to reheat pizza?

Is there a world where almond flour is an acceptable alternative for traditional flour in dough? I love pizza, but I hate the carbs it comes with.

Lastly, are there any toppings that you feel don't belong on pizza?

Thanks!

NJ - I love Santillo's, Razza, Delorenzo's, Papa's.... many more but honestly I hate listing favs because I always leave some out.

Pizza reheating - frying pan

Never tried almond flour. Carbs aren't bad, just use good flour!

ALL toppings welcome

Although you said you're based in NYC, do you like Chicago or New York pizza better?

I personally prefer NY style because I grew up in NJ and thin slices are my comfort zone. But I like any pizza that tastes good.

I'm franchising 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Atlanta. The corporate store is in Bridgewater, NJ. I'd love to hear your opinion of it after you've tried it. I personally tried 12 other Fast Casual Pizzeria's before making my decision to go with 1KDP.

I gotto check it out!

Scott, I’m going on the Brooklyn tour next Saturday. Can it be with Alexis and can we go back to Sams please???

I think Alexis is running that one! Sam's might be a no-go because Louie just had surgery but we'll do what we can. Great place!!

Hi Scott, saw you on TV not too long ago, very cool thing you are doing!

Have you had a chance to explore the pizza geography of Boston and/or Massachusetts? If so, any thoughts? Are we doing okay?

Yeah I love South Shore bar pies! So fun! Also Galleria Umberto on Hanover St is awesome!

Scott! Checking you out on IG today, the loafs look good!

Loved the description of your pizza box process. Why do you measure them, and why do you keep them at your house? How often do you open that closet and idk, pet one ? lol or take it out and show it off?

THANKS! I measure the boxes in case I ever need that info. Just good to have. May as well do it while I get them rather than having to take them all out of storage. I pet one box every day.

What a dream job...hanging out with people and eating pizza. I can easily imagine why it'd be so great, but I'm super curious---what's a bad day like on the job itself? Do you have any "Dirty Jobs" kinds of moments or is it all a walk in the park?

I have to do bookkeeping and other boring things that come with running a business. Updating the website. Posting on all the social media. A bad tour is when people just don't care about the science and history of pizza. It's rare, but it happens.

How much pizza do you eat per day and how do you stay so skinny?

15 slices/week and I ride a bike a lot and eat oatmeal for breakfast so that helps. Also no sweets during the week, lots of water, and no eating after 9pm

What are pizza historian conferences like? You guys must be a wild group.

We get sauced.

In your opinion, what is the best pizza and what is the worst pizza?

Best is one that's balanced, with nothing overpowering anything else. Worst is the opposite.

Scott, you’re my hero. 75% of the reason I want to go to NYC is to take your tour.

Thank you for all you’ve done for pizzakind.

I now live in what you might call a “pizza desert”, with dominos being the only option for miles.

What do you suggest to make my own quality pizza at home?

I hope the other 25% is the Lion King!

How do you feel about pineapple on a pizza?

pro (when done well)

What kind of pizza innovations are you most excited about?

Do you see any sort of improvements to pizza delivery in terms of reducing waste or improving efficiency?

People are getting really into different grains and long fermentation, also high hydration doughs. Very cool to see people paying attention to the crust!

I know you are mainly NYC but are there any pizza places on Long Island that you recommend?

recently in love with the grandma at King Umberto

What's your favorite frozen pizza?

I raaaarely eat them but I think Chicago pizzas hold up well. The Lou Malnati's is almost like eating it in Chicago. As for the standard brands, Frescetta is alright. But nothing is as good as actually baking the pizza yourself. It's not hard. STEP UP!

Hi Scott!!! Big fan of yours from Portland. We have met a couple of times...yes, I need to get out to NY.

Thoughts on the best way to improve the pizza you make at home?

let the dough relax and don't beat it up. Top it lightly and crank the oven.

When you decided to do this AMA, what kind of questions were you expecting?

Exactly the ones I'm getting.

Who coined "National Pizza Day" (February 9, today)?

I went looking for it this morning and couldn't find anyone who knew. Best I could tell is that it only existed since 2015.

NO IDEA who started it but it came from out of nowhere maybe 4-5 years ago. Part of me loves any day celebrating pizza, but a bigger part of me wishes it was on a significant day. October is National Pizza Month, November has a National Pizza with Sausage Day, there's even a day for Pizza With Everything Besides Anchovies. And of course June 11 is Margherita Pizza Day. Too much. Feels diluted. But it's an excuse to celebrate, so I can't complain too much.

Great question!

Scott, when will you be back in Brussels? When I did the tour on September 24th, you told me you hadn't had a great experience in Brussels as far as pizzas go.

I think we should change that.

No idea when I'll be back but keep an eye on social media and you'll know EXACTLY when I land!

Are you a fan of Cuban pizza?

Never been to Cuba! What's the pizza like? I've seen pictures and it looks like rough stuff.

Have you seen Pizza Slice in Tokyo? It's like the Japanese version of a NY slice place, but also very stylized. Their IG kinda neat. Just wondered if you'd heard anything about the actual quality of the pizza.

Never been but I've met the owner a couple times. He's been on my tours. Great guy!

Do you ever get sick of pizza?

not yet