What to do when a guest offends you?

[GuzziJason]

I've put a lot of thought, time, and effort into trying to produce what I consider to be a delicious pizza crust. To me, a great pizza crust is one that could be eaten with no toppings at all - if you don't have a good crust that could stand on its own, then the complete pizza will never be as good as it could be.

Which brings me to my dilemma. I had some friends over for pizza, and one of them had the nerve to discard the "pizza bones" - the edge crust pieces. I have no problem with people who do this with flavorless, cardboard-like pizza. But I put my heart and soul into that crust, and to see it carelessly discarded... I wanted to strap him to a chair and cram it down his throat! 

So, what say you, forum members? Should I ever bother to invite this crust-neglecter back again to continue stabbing me in the heart?

__Jason

[jeff v]

If its a friend I'd say-you know how much work I put into that crust? Eat it!...Now!

If you want to be more diplomatic I suppose you could ask why they don't eat the crust. How about offering some evo or chili oil and saying-here try some of this to dip your crust in, it's my favorite part.

[Jet_deck]

So, what say you, forum members? Should I ever bother to invite this crust-neglecter back again to continue stabbing me in the heart?

__Jason

1) Save the bones for the next visit and use them as crutons for his salad.
2) Make a small coffin out of cardboard and let him dispose of them properly upon his next visit.
3) Never invite that rat b*st*rd back again, ever.

[ForrestM]

I think this is part of what makes the world great.  If everyone had my exact tastes it would be boring.  Hopefully I don't offend you when I say that if it were me I would take it as a challenge to improve my crust, or make a different one altogether.  Either that or shrug it off.  Mark it up to different tastes.  Not everyone can or will feel as passionate about your pizza as you do.

[Pete-zza]

Jason,

Along the lines that Jeff mentioned, you could try buttering the crust of your guest's pizza. That is something that Big Dave Ostrander did when he ran his pizzeria, as is discussed at Reply 4 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2416.msg21238/topicseen.html#msg21238.

Peter

[Ev]

I wouldn't take it personally if I were you. For many people, that's just the way it's done. The crust is just there to use as a handle. For them, the sauce, cheese and toppings are the the whole she-bang, as it were. Hell, I have a neighbor whom I'm sure loves my pizza, that does this every time she comes over, be it the soft tender crust of a sourdough neapolitan from the wfo, the crispy rim of a N.Y. style or even with the crunchy cheesy goodness that is a Detroit style crust! I know, it hurts. Just try to look away and move on.
Just don't roll your eyes. You'll just get in trouble if you do that!

[mitchjg]

Funny.  I have visiting relatives and we are having pizza tomorrow.  They have looked at the pictures of Neapolitan from the WFO and my nephew and brother-in-law are both fighting with me.  "Sauce and cheese all the way to the edge" is their claim.  "Who wants the big crust, who wants to eat bread?"

I am insisting that the crust is the essence. I may let them assemble one tomorrow to their preference - but just one.

Family Feud.  

[flyboy4ual]

Maybe he was on the low carb diet!

Scott D.

[David Deas]

The crust is the most important part of the pizza, but I think some people misunderstand the notion.  

If the guest had removed all the cheese, toppings and the tomatoes and just ate those things while leaving the crust behind then I would understand the complaint.  But, for me, no matter how great the bread is the best part of the pizza is right smack in the middle of the pie.  I did not just pay you $20 bucks for some plain bread.  So that middle part is what I'm trying to devour before I even start eating the plain bread rim.

[Tscarborough]

I think you offended yourself.

The main purpose of the edge crust is to enable you to hold a slice without getting your fingers gooey.  I often discard, i.e. feed to the dogs, my bones so that I can taste more pizza.  If not in a situation where I want to sample lots of pizza (like when I make 1 or 3), then I prepare and provide dipping sauce of some sort for the bones.

[Chicago Bob]

Jason,
Next time jus call on 'ol Bob....I'll deal with that rat! 

[bfguilford]

My wife doesn't eat the bones more often than not. I used to take it personally, but now I gleefully scarf them down (to be honest, I get more upset if she doesn't leave them for me now). Not sure if I'd do that with a guest (but I'd certainly be tempted to trim them a bit and save them for tomorrow, reheat and dip them in a little EVOO).

Barry

[TXCraig1]

I think my bone are pretty good, but I still feed about half of them to Java.

Maybe serve this with your pizza: http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2012/11/the-elusive-secret-dipping-sauce-aka-sds-secret-no-more.html

[mkevenson]

You must make one hell of a crust! My beagles love pizza night, they love the bones! I have baked one or two pies in the past year that I ate all the bones, poor pooches!
Next time your friends come over for a pie, wear a blind fold, pretend they ate every single bone in one big swoop.

Mark

[GuzziJason]

Hahaha! Thanks for the comments! This was mostly a tongue-in-cheek post, but I love some of the suggestions... I might have to try that dipping sauce just for the hell of it.

I think he avoids the bones in order to maintain his ahh.... girlish figure. (a battle lost long ago anyway, it seems LOL!) I realize some folks avoid the bones just because. For me, I savor them. I really enjoy that fresh, golden brown, bready deliciousness. And if there is a big, crispy crust bubble... that's just HEAVEN! I'll save that bubble for my last bite... always have, ever since I was a kid.

__Jason

[Chicago Bob]

A long, long time ago in Italy a man told me you should take a bite of the "meat" part and immediately follow with a bite of the "bones"....been doing it that way ever since and it works for me.

Just run that girlish figured friend outta town Jason! 

[dineomite]

My wife totally leaves a big 'ol pile of bones on the plate. For her it's a carb thing. I just ignore it because...well...she looks better than most women 10-15 years younger than her. I choose my battles carefully. I, on the other hand, clean my plate and look exactly like every other slightly overweight 40 year old male I know.

[Jackitup]

I think my bone are pretty good, but I still feed about half of them to Java.

Maybe serve this with your pizza: http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2012/11/the-elusive-secret-dipping-sauce-aka-sds-secret-no-more.html

ACTUALLY, I was thinking more along the lines of 'your' jalapeno sauce Craig and/or a spicy cheese sauce and tell the table it's for dipping the bones! Also I think 99% of people rarely get great pizza and are used to tossing the bones of frozen pizzas and cheap takeout/delivery pizzas that I would toss too

[dmcavanagh]

Simply exclude him from the guest list!

[derricktung]

I think you offended yourself.

The main purpose of the edge crust is to enable you to hold a slice without getting your fingers gooey.  I often discard, i.e. feed to the dogs, my bones so that I can taste more pizza.  If not in a situation where I want to sample lots of pizza (like when I make 1 or 3), then I prepare and provide dipping sauce of some sort for the bones.

Semi agree with this.  I find that people love to eat the crust on my pizzas for the first couple pizzas... and then as the night goes on, and they get fuller and fuller, they're more interested in the flavor combinations than the crust anymore, and thus begin discarding the crust to "save room" for the next pizza coming out.

Don't be offended, just know that they really enjoy the ingredients/flavors of the pizza combined with the crust more than the crust by itself.  If it really does bother you, you can always choose not to invite them back again though...