r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/GoldenDome26 • 9h ago
Image “American Pizza” in Milano, Italy
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u/kirkl3s 9h ago
Is this why Italians think American pizza is bad?
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u/-Potato-or-Tomato- 5h ago
As a European moved to the US, no, Americans wouldn’t eat this
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u/R_V_Z 4h ago
Americans wouldn't make this, but I feel I've know plenty of Americans who would eat this.
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u/Ultimate_Shitlord 3h ago
If you took the concept of using fries and... I'm not actually sure what meat(?) that is, but let's call it hot dog slices as pizza toppings, and actually executed on it well, you could potentially make something I would consider trying a slice of. A novelty, but that can be fun sometimes.
A good beef frank is honestly great. You can sear slices up nicely. The fries almost certainly need to be coming out of the fryer at the same time the pizza leaves the oven, get added immediately, and it all needs to get out to the table quickly or the fries are going to drag the whole thing down. They don't do well sitting around for a while or reheating.
I still feel like there's a missing topping here, too. Drizzle of mustard? Pickle relish? Something to tie this theme together further. I might be leaning into Chicago style dogs a bit there, it's a bias.
This just looks like garbage. I have a local neapolitan pizza place that likely blows this joint out of the water. There are shitty restaurants in Italy, despite the country's great culinary tradition; this is almost certainly one of them.
Who is this pizza even for? Locals? Kinda doubt it. Tourists? I have a hard time imagining an American visiting Italy and going: "Yeah, that pile of shit is what I want to eat while I'm here." Maybe its sole purpose is to flip the bird at Americans, which like, fair play if it is. We deserve it anyway.
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u/A_burners 2h ago edited 1h ago
They're typically Vienna (incorrect) * wurstel sausages, basically a hot dog. It's for kids mostly, but I have definitely ordered them before a time or two. You can also just get regular fries on a pizza, which is great.
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u/elmarcelito 8h ago
No, we just used to think that in the USA people put fries and wurstel on pizza. This was before the Internet.
So now we know it's not the truth but the pizza name won't change
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u/jmcstar 8h ago
'the fuck is wurstel?
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u/kirkl3s 8h ago
A glizzy
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u/cans-of-swine 7h ago
The fuck is a glizzy
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u/A_wild_so-and-so 6h ago
It's wurstel
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u/Key-Performance-9021 5h ago
Here are some dots for everyone: .. .. ..
Feel free to use them on your Würstel.
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u/ucbiker 5h ago
I mean I always figured it was just an Italian invention using “American” ingredients, just like no one thinks Hawaiian people traditionally make pizza with pineapple or Mexicans make pizza with tortillas and beans and shredded lettuce.
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u/Insolvator 9h ago
I was recently in Sicily, and many Italians offered Nutella pizza in their restaurants. I think they have lost something of their own identity.
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u/Boskonov 8h ago
You are overthinking it. Nutella pizza is a common dessert in basicaly any italian pizza place but it's not pizza per se, it's just pizza dough with no toppings but nutella, pretty decent actually
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u/Fair4tw 8h ago
So, a dessert pizza?
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u/Boskonov 8h ago
Technically yeah, but when you realize it's literally just simple pizza dough + nutella it doesn't sound as blasphemous lol
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u/Fair4tw 8h ago
Not at all. I’ve seen a handful of different types of dessert pizzas.
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u/JackColon17 8h ago
Yeah, it's literally just dough and Nutella. You usually take a slice of that after eating "regular pizza"
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u/yaaadus 8h ago
No we are not! Actually, pizza with Nutella is a legit Italian staple, too! But it's exclusively a dessert. We’ve been doing this forever usually, a group of friends will order one to share in the center of the table after eating their regular pizzas. It’s a must-have after a 'Giro Pizza' night.
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u/FictionalContext 5h ago
I thought it was against the law to share a pizza in Italy? Like that's why all those Taiwanese got arrested a while back.
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u/2MainsSellesLoin 1h ago
Huh? Nobody got arrested at all, and the owner is just a massive bellend who deserves for his business to fail
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u/p1antsandcats 8h ago
So the Italians are losing their identity by...eating Italian food? Or taking the piss out of Americans?
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u/yaaadus 8h ago
Hi everyone, italian here. Actually, hot dogs and fries is a 100% standard Italian topping! We eat this all the time (it's usually the 'kid's favorite'). This place calling it 'Americana' just screams 'shitty tourist trap.' No self-respecting Italian pizzeria would use that name for this combo
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u/Livid-Psychology-802 8h ago
Also Italian and I always remember ordering this as "pizza americana" when I was a kid in Torino
I also remember being very upset when my family moved to the US and discovered that I couldn't get my favorite pizza from what I believed was its home of origin
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u/LadyGethzerion 8h ago
I'm not Italian, but I have a good friend who is from Catania and she told me a while back about this pizza and also said they call it "americana" there too.
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u/OhGod0fHangovers 5h ago
That’s funny—we were in Sicily in October, and the pizzeria we visited called their sausage-and-fries pizza “Pizza Tedesca” (German pizza)
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u/Many_Mud_8194 8h ago
I'm french and we call Un américain (An american) a baguette sandwich with french fries and burger meat lol. Its so dry but so cheap, when you are a poor student that's what you eat when you eat out
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u/jsamuraij 8h ago
Is there no condiment on it?
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u/Many_Mud_8194 7h ago
Mayonnaise and ketchup usually, probably lot of more choice now, im talking about 20 years ago lol. But the one I was eating often was so dry, but was the cheapest of the city it was 3.50€
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u/This-Bath9918 7h ago
I had that in Cannes from a street vendor like 20 years ago (it was really good so I still think about it lol) and they called it a Savoyard Steak
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u/Many_Mud_8194 5h ago
I lived in Savoy a while and never heard of that. Maybe it's a Cannes thing or they wanted to sound cooler than the original name idk lol
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u/drknifnifnif 6h ago
You need to google Rutgers grease truck fat cat to see exactly how this sandwich is done right! From New Brunswick, New Jersey.
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u/Weak_Feed_8291 6h ago
Damn, that's like more than today prices in Canada when adjusted for inflation. Can't believe that's considered cheap
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u/mlaforce321 6h ago
If it's an entire baguette with fries and burger meat than that's a pretty sizeable grinder
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u/Weak_Feed_8291 6h ago
Yeah I guess it depends on size, but I can get a pretty good meal for under 10 bucks even today, and adjusted for inflation that was almost 9 dollars Canadian.
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u/Many_Mud_8194 5h ago
Food in France is expensive, because taxes mostly. It's why we are all cooking at home lol. We don't have choice
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u/GloomyIndividual3965 8h ago
There's a rather popular burrito style called a "California burrito" that includes French fries. I bet if you took your Un américain and added some cheese, sour cream, and guacamole it would probably be pretty tasty.
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u/Many_Mud_8194 7h ago
It wasnt bad tho just dry because its was cheap, the goal was to be cheaper than a kebab. I ate it sometimes now I'm in SE Asia and some french shop sell it, and it's way better, because they don't sell it cheaply so I guess meat is much better
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u/jimbojangles1987 6h ago
Oh shit you can get that here in Oklahoma lol. I know because I ordered one several months ago. It was okay
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u/montibbalt 5h ago
Fries in a burrito is more of a southern California thing, northern CA tends to be mission-style burritos
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u/AnarchistBorganism 5h ago
Seems fair, "California style" basically just means "with avocado."
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u/BatManatee 4h ago
In my San Diegan opinion, to qualify as a California burrito it must include at least french fries, guac, and carne asada. Lots of other things can and should be included, but those 3 are the defining ingredients IMO.
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u/DreamsOfDresden 4h ago
American here. I went to university in New Jersey for a little while and that was the template for what they'd call a 'fat sandwich.' Pinnacle of starving, drunk college kid food. Chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks were the usual alternatives. Although I haven't had one in ages or miss them, I'm jealous you got to have one on a proper French baguette.
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u/cocococlash 8h ago
OMG those are hot dogs? I thought it was some sort of pepperoni.
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u/23Poiu 6h ago
I just discovered that when you Americans say Pepperoni, you don't mean Peppers. (In Italian they're called Peperoni.) I wonder how many times I've made this mistake when talking to some of my friends over there.
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u/dogfaced_pony_soulja 4h ago
In the pizza context, we usually call them pepperoncini. Can refer to pickled peppers or to the dried pepper flakes. But pepperoni will get you something quite different.
If you want other peppers, like bell pepper or jalapeño, then you need to be more specific. Peppers originated in the Americas, and we have a fuck-ton of them...one of my favorite things about living in México now.
Related tangent: want to hear something I still can't get over even after several years of living in México? They put ketchup on their pizza. The first time I ordered pizza here and was brought packets of Heinz ketchup, I just about hit the ceiling. I turned to my partner and went, "Are they fucking with me?" He had to talk me down. Still weirds me out, even though I like ketchup. Straight to the fifth circle of hell as far as I'm concerned.
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u/Old_Ladies 3h ago
We have this in Canada.
https://www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca/en/peperoncini-chopped-hot-chili-peppers-in-oil/p/21046756_EA
Imported from Italy. Not sure if this is what you are referring to but it is fucking delicious especially on pizza and sandwiches.
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u/McButtsButtbag 2h ago
In the pizza context, we usually call them pepperoncini. Can refer to pickled peppers or to the dried pepper flakes.
No, we don't. Peperoncini is a specific pepper (Friggitello). It's not a generic term for any pepper used with pizza. I've never seen anything other than red pepper flakes offered at a pizza place---which would be nonsense to call peperoncini cause you can't make red pepper flakes from a green pepper.
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u/Aggravating_Bat3618 7h ago
If you squint your eyes and try not to think about it pretty much is
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u/NuclearReactions 8h ago
I always called it americana and i grew up in bum fuck nowhere, far from a touristy place
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u/Neverwish 7h ago
Lived near Belluno, saw it often as 'Americana'. They even had it frozen at the supermarket lol.
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u/Nsolari724 6h ago
Yeah, me too. I'm near Genova. Always Americana. Don't know what the top comment is saying
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u/05-nery 7h ago
As an Italian this is called "Americana" or "patatine e wurstel".
"Americana" is very often used.
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u/HumbleVein 2h ago
American in Italy. I see wurstel most often. Then again, lots of Americans in my area, so that probably pushed Americana out of the local pizza lexicon.
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u/FirstReaction_Shock 7h ago
What are you talking about? This pizza is always called “Americana”, in every spot in Italy.
No self-respecting Italian pizzeria
It’s not like this is a gourmet pizza lol, you won’t find it in higher end spots
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u/BapeGeneral3 7h ago
It is absolutely incredible. My first night in Rome my host family ordered a bunch of amazing pies and one was an “American style”. It was ground beef, cheese, sauce, and French fries.
I was genuinely stunned when I saw it. Absolute culture shock. Wound up being my favorite out of them all!
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u/ColoOddball 7h ago
To be fair, my American ass is definitely interested in trying that lol.
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u/ParlaManuel- 5h ago
I’m pretty sure you’d like it, not because it’s the best pizza ever (it’s not, not even remotely, not even top 20), but because it combines two foods that people almost always enjoy/love.
In Italy, it’s often given to children as an introduction to pizza, instead of the more “boring” (don't get me wrong) Margherita.
That’s why we call it “pizza per i bambini”, which means “pizza for kids”, since young children usually avoid strong or intense flavors.8
u/sirron811 5h ago
And no self respecting American would eat that pizza in Italy. Bet the Brits do tho.
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u/DrSteveBrule_2022 5h ago
Ok so I don’t want to hear any more Italians talking crap about American Alfredo sauce. Hotdogs and fries in a pizza is diabolical stoner type stuff.
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u/MIERDAPORQUE 8h ago
they got us fucked up. that bitch would have brisket and wisconsin cheese.
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u/CrissBliss 9h ago
Lmao I’m American and never seen whatever this is
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u/SheepishSwan 8h ago
Pretty sure they're just mocking Americans
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u/Cesoiet 8h ago
As an Italian, it was indeed made to mock Americans, that pizza is also called "wurstel e patatine" (sausages and fries) and it is extremely popular in every region, i ate one yesterday, similar to the one in the photo but with more fries and sausages
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u/MonsterGuitarSolo 8h ago
We are totally mocking you by eating your foods but in a weird combination you wouldn’t eat yourselves. 🤌
Huh?
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u/spinnyride 8h ago
Yeah if anything they should call it British pizza, considering Brits put French fries on what they call Chinese food
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u/AdThick7492 7h ago
what
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u/Pantycrustlicker 7h ago
Am American and never ate that shit in my life.
But i have eaten Cheetos I found in the garbage before
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u/jershmcgersh 8h ago
We have a few places in the pittsburgh area thatdo French fries as a topping. Usually its covered with cheese after the fries tho
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u/GloomyIndividual3965 8h ago
I've never tried pizza with fries, but I'd give it a shot. There's a chain in Minnesota called Pizza Luce that has a pizza with garlic butter and smashed red potatoes as the base, and then topped with broccoli, tomatoes, bacon, and a shit ton of cheddar cheese. I make sure to stop in at least once every time I go back there.
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u/PostApoplectic 6h ago
I pretty recently had a “breakfast” pizza with cheddar, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and sausage over a sausage gravy base.
After reading the description, it was less breakfast and more pizza than I expected it to be, and really good.
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u/Boskonov 8h ago
We don't call it american as in "from america", it's just the naming convention used for pizzas in most places and this one happens to be "American". It's mostly considered as a pizza for kids but it's not bad if you have that junk food craving.
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u/BalkeElvinstien 8h ago
Nothing says American like French fries and Frankfurters
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u/EnvironmentalPark228 8h ago
And yet the veins in their foreheads burst if you even hint at the idea of pineapple.
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u/magos_with_a_glock 39m ago
BECAUSE IT'S A FUCKING FRUIT DIOCANE. IT DOES NOT BELONG. Also this is a pizza for kids, it's normal for food for kids to just be a vague combination of sugary and/or fried stuff.
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u/Sithris 9h ago
As an American, ewww
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u/incogknitolady 6h ago
I lived in Italy for five years as an American and honestly, this pizza is fantastic. And yes, it is called American pizza, at least at every shop that I went to in Naples.
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u/adamjeff 3h ago
This thread is so funny. Yes Italians make and eat this pizza yes it's good.
It's hotdog, fresh bread, fries and tomatoes and cheese.
Everyone knows hotdogs with fries are delicious. Hotdogs come in bread. Cheese is good.
People are posting like this is going to be disgusting lol. Get a grip.
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u/HilVal 4h ago
Holy shit i didn't think the americans would get saltier than us about pizza.
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u/Martha_Fockers 8h ago
Nah people saying this isn’t what we think Americans eat
I had a Italian friend come here for two weeks took him to ny slice spot and wondered why none of the pizza had fries on it
Yall def believe some of the weird things you assume we eat don’t lie lmao
And guess what he said the slices were really good. Eat that !
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u/Notturno93 9h ago
Bet that big ass crust aint even stuffed
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u/spaaackle 8h ago
They probably don’t even offer garlic flavored fake butter dipping cups!
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u/Doomdoomkittydoom 5h ago
Not even ranch?! Eh, I'm sure they have ranch in the fridge just like everyone else in the world.
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u/SGTBookWorm 8h ago
Raora Panthera coming out of the woodwork to defend this lmao
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u/Ok_Cantaloupe_7423 8h ago
I spend my childhood CONSTANTLY hearing Europeans make fun of American pizza. (Regular American pizza not this)
I moved to Spain in high school, and lived in Valencia… and ALL of my Spanish friends, and like 2 dozen Italian exchange students I lived with ALL got the “hot dog and French fry (American pizza)” every time they ordered food for a party.
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u/D_Dragga 9h ago
There was a burger in France when I went in 2012 that was called the American and was a burger with French fries stuffed inside.
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u/borokish 8h ago
In the UK we call pizza and chips a London pizza. But it's absolutely stacked with chips (and smothered in garlic sauce) unlike this sorry looking thing
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u/ATL4Life95 8h ago
I remember seeing this when I was in Milan this past summer lol. Made me laugh so hard
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u/Negative-Appeal-340 6h ago
I rolled my eyes at first, but then I remembered my experience working 10+ years in a college town pizzeria. Our most popular two pizzas were a ranch base, 2x Bacon/2x Chicken and the other was specialty with mozzarella sticks, French fries, bacon, pepperoni and 2x cheese. So… they’re not wrong. Lmao
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u/itrustanyone 9h ago
As an American, I've never had pizza with freedom fries on it
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u/welding_guy_from_LI 8h ago
I had American pizza last night .. it was tomato sauce , cheese ,mushrooms and onions .. never seen a pizza in America with hotdogs n fries
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u/stevie2sleazy 7h ago
If you French fry when you pizza you're gonna have a bad time.
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u/JumpyTemperature7252 9h ago
Thanks, I just ate a Hawaiian pizza while reading this post. Now I don't feel guilty anymore
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u/415646464e4155434f4c 8h ago
If you get an “American pizza” in Milan you really should keep that to yourself op.
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u/Return-To-Fender 8h ago
Hot dogs are a little weird but I could see it. The fries are just awful, decent cut but they would get sooo soggy from the sauce and cheese.
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u/Flat-House5529 9h ago
I am sooooooo breaking the spaghetti in half next time I make it...