Miami Pizza

SO I was supposed to have dinner with one of my office roommates last night, and the call of his children proved too strong, so I had to go it alone.

My healthy sized belly often cries out of pizza, and as I drove West on the Dolphin I remembered a place my cop friend once told me about, on NW 25th Street, just West of the Palmetto.

I stolled in, and sat at the counter. Only one other fellow was there, having just ordered. I asked for my usual 2 slices of pepperoni, plus a diet coke. Ha!

Behind me, Fox En Vivo was showing a soccer match, and, like the gringo I am, I asked the fellow next to me who was playing. He told me the 2 teams in a perfect NY Rican accent. I told him he sounced like he was from NY, and, sure enough, he was a boricua. We began to chat.

He told me he hated soccer, but the owner of the place, an Argentine, loved it. Sure enough, the owner came over to talk with us, too, as our pizza baked...

So for the next hour or so, I had a perfect Miami moment. The Puerto Rican was born in NY, but lived most of his life in San Juan. I asked him if it was true that all the Puerto Ricans loved the Mets, my childhood team. He laughed, and said NOW they love the Marlins, since we have the first boricua manager!

The Argentine weighed in. He knew baseball pretty well, too. I told him baseball was my first love, because of the Mets in '89, but since moving here football took over.

Both guys loved the Canes! They missed the days, though, when they "used to kick all those redneck teams' asses." I had truly met brothers of other countries...

The talk turned to women. Both men were married, and, lest my sexist nature come out --let's just say that long time husbands share similar views about marriage, despite religious, national, and ethnic differences...

The boricua asked where on NY I was from . I told him Long Island. He asked if I was Italian or Jewish, since those are the only types in Nassau. I laughed, and said what about Irish? He said he knew I wasn't Irish, since I was drinking soda, and not the available beer...

And so went the rest of our politically incorrect but delighful evening.

Today, sadly, back to low carbs...