Cheese and toppings under the sauce? Boy that bring back memories - and not particularly good ones:

Back in the early '70s, when I was going to a small, two-year college on the south side of Syracuse, there was a pizza "establishment" that the very mention of can still get my guts trembling: Frank's Pizza. This was frightening stuff, indeed. Actually, there were a few Frank's Pizza places scattered throughout the city. Their license was for take out only - but no sober college student would have wanted to take it out, or anywhere, for that matter. And remember, back then the drinking age in New York was 18.

First off, there were the late-night commercials. An announcer would intone, "Are you hungry right now? How about a nice, delicious Frank's Pizza!" Then they would show ol' Frank himself making a hero sandwich, or something similar. This was their first mistake. Frank looked like a huge, gross, middle-aged unsanitary gorilla - which he was. Definitely not someone you'd want touching your food. He was also the brother of the Syracuse chief of police. So consequently, he got away with murder, as far as cleanliness. Also, his shops didn't make their own dough; pre-made stacks of cardboardlike, moldy (yes, that's right) pizza shells sat fermenting for all to see, just waiting for inebriated collegiates to call in for a delivery or stagger in to pick one up.

The pizzas were made by scattering cheese (and whatever other toppings you were brave enough to ask for) over the thick, unyielding, greenish crust, then the sauce was poured over everything. A brief visit to the oven, and you had something that was unpalatable even when accompanied by a case of Genesee Beer (or Cream Ale) followed by a six-pack of Maximus Super for a chaser. Actually, most folks would just as soon skip the pizza altogether and go straight for the beer - which we did.

Syracuse, back then, was primarily Italian and Irish, but believe me, no self-respecting real Italian could (or would) stomach a Frank's Pizza. sick

For my money, the absolute best pizza on the south side of Syracuse was a place called Cosmo's. Everything was made fresh, and they advertised their pizzas as being "New York City Style." For years after my college days, whenever I would return to Syracuse for a visit, I would always stop in at Cosmo's and get either a pizza or a meatball sub. They really knew how to keep the customers satisfied.

Signor V.

"For me, there's only my wife..."

"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"

"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"

"It was a grass harp... And we listened."

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"

"No. Saints and poets, maybe... they do some."