More Pizza!, Monday, First Period

[carbsliftthespirit]

Once again, the workshoppers would be stepping through a portal this week, this time to a street corner in Manhattan. "We've been to the oldest pizzeria in Italy," Raiden said, "so today we're going to the first pizzeria in America (but not technically the oldest): Lombardi's! Like the Antica Pizzeria Port'alba, Lombardi's has a little bit of a history before it found its final form. It originally opened as a grocery store selling pizzas in 1897, and transitioned to a pizzeria in 1905...a block from here, at its original location. In 1984 the restaurant closed for a few years before moving to its new location, where we stand today, which is why it's not really the oldest pizzeria in the country, even though it opened first. Oh, and one of the current owners has ties to the mafia, but we don't hold that against him, right?" Just casually announce that in the middle of the sidewalk, Raiden. "Anyway, let's go try some pizza!"