With recently celebrating National Pizza Day and in the midst of Valentine’s Day season, I’ve really been reflecting on how much of an impact pizza has had in my life. It may sound silly, but think about it…

We order, make, or share pizza with those that we love as a way to spend time together over a meal. We build countless of memories, have good conversation, and exchange laughs—all while eating pizza together.

Pizza does, in fact, help us to create those special moments, whether we consciously know it or not.

I could list far more than five reasons why I love pizza, but I’ve narrowed it down to my most meaningful ones:

1. Versatility in Experience

Luckily, you don’t have to be in one specific mood for pizza.

If you’re feeling like dressing up and going out, great! You can fine dine at certain restaurants (often times wood fired or brick oven style pizza) and pair with a glass of wine.

If you’re feeling like you want to stay in for a cozy movie night and bum around, great! You can order in and even wear no pants or consume as much alcohol as you’d like.

If you’re feeling you need a quick bite to eat on an afternoon out and about, great! You can stop for a slice or a small pizza at pretty much any pizza place.

And the lists goes on. Pizza will always be available, but it gives YOU the freedom to consume around the experience YOU want to have.

2. There’s Something For Everyone

I’d say the majority of human beings enjoy pizza. Even if it’s not someone’s favorite, there’s still something for everyone based off of their needs and preferences.

You can customize by a variety of things: size, thickness, toppings, dough, style, sauce, and just about anything else. This also applies to if you are not happy with a certain pizza place. I find that in Buffalo especially, there are SO many pizza places to try with all different kinds of styles of pies.

This can help to avoid conflict (yes, I’m talking about the people who absolutely must have mushrooms on their pizza, or else), since you can pretty much customize any pizza to your specific desire!

3. Vulnerability Creates Authenticity

Let’s face it: Pizza can be messy. It can [should] be greasy. It can fall apart. It can be floppy. It isn’t always easy, nor graceful, eating with our hands. But it’s what we do. And while that may not be fun for some, I like the realness of it—and the face someone makes after when we both know it’s damn good pizza!

Showing a little embarrassment or vulnerability can be one of the truest ways to see someone. And that’s pretty cool to me.

4. Nostalgia

I don’t remember every single time I had pizza, but a lot of my pizza consumption is tied to a memory, and by that I mean a special or interesting experience. Here are a few:

I will always remember getting dinner at one of my family’s favorite local pizza restaurants. When I am visiting home in Rochester, we often times will go there. It’s tradition, and it brings us together over a meal.

There’s also those drunken college nights that you hoped you wouldn’t remember, but somehow you do (and are embarrassed). It’s bittersweet to think about getting pizza at 2 A.M. near the downtown Rochester bars with my college pals. Nights I will never get back, but still laugh about with them.

Then I think about the night before my college graduation. I went out for wood-fired pizza (shocking) with my close friends to celebrate. I had no clue what in the world was going to happen the next day when my adult life would begin. There was a lot of fear, bittersweet moments, and love that night. And the pizza was damn good.

You see, certain places and pizzas can evoke strong memories about the times shared with our loved ones, and even make us wish we could go back. But then I also think to myself, I can’t wait to keep eating more pizza to make more of those special, crazy, hilarious, life-fueling moments either.

5. It Brings People Together

It’s undeniable that pizza helps to create good times.

Isn’t it really meant for that though? Pizza is made to be a sharing food. Granted, I’m all for personal pizzas, but it’s so much better when shared.

And it can bring people together in any fashion really; whether it’s to cheer someone up, kick off a night of fun, to celebrate—the needs are endless, nor do you even need a reason to be together at all. That’s the beauty of it.

Welp, there you have it. I love pizza. But more importantly, I love what it does to my life around me.

Pizza & love,

Mandy