Before proceeding, I owe @thisisbenbrick an apology for a mean-spirited comment a few days ago. Emotions got the better of me, which often leads to poor decisions, and for that I apologize. You are an important member of this community. For the record, I am not involved with Steem Guild, though I helped with it a couple of months ago.

Today’s Matchup

Pizza Smackdown! Modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, later spreading to the United States of America and many other lands. While there are many fine varieties of pizza in the world, this challenge will focus on perhaps the two best-known pizza styles in the United States.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, New York Thin Crust vs. Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza are pitted against one another. A fight to the death (or at least a race to the cardiologist’s office). And it is up to you to determine the winner.

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

This is a full-on pizza pie. Invented in Chicago in the 1940s, deep dish pizza features a tall pan and crust, stuffed with a ton of cheese and some delicious toppings, often covered with sauce. If you’re in Chicago and stop in for a slice of deep dish, don’t expect a quick fix, as these bad boys take extra time to cook properly.

Stuffed pizza is a variation in which another layer of sauce-covered dough is added on top of an impossibly deep pie. Maybe you can eat a few slices of that thin crust stuff in one sitting, but one slice of stuffed, deep dish might fill you up. Some of Chicago’s most storied pizzerias specialize in deep dish, including Uno’s, Giordano’s, and Gino’s.

New York Thin Crust Pizza

In New York, they say that the sauce makes the pizza. And there is a firm belief that no one outside of New York has ever gotten the sauce quite right. New York style pizza is simple: thin crust, sauce, and cheese, often with no additional toppings besides a little basil. When it’s this good, a simple pizza stands on its own.

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‘Standing on its own’ is a bad pun, though. New York style pizza is so thin and its slices are cut so wide that you need both hands to eat a slice. Do not worry, because a good New York slice is as flexible as a paper plate. Fold that slice in half, doubling it over, and you have a meal on the go. Grimaldi’s, Di Fara, Rubirosa, and Totonno are just a few of the great New York pizza establishments where you can taste this treasure.

The Match

Exactly whenever you view this post, it is pizza time. In honor of National Pizza Day in the United States (last week, when I did not have time to post), I declare that every day is fit for pizza. Our match will begin when I “submit” this post and will end when this post expires.

How to Vote

You may vote for your favorite pizza. Vote early and vote often. Regardless of how you vote, please consider donating to one of the causes listed in this post.

(In fact, if you want to add your own pizza style, e.g. “Kansas City BBQ”, then please go ahead and add your own comment below to make that nomination.)

Playing for Charity

It is not all about money; we are a community and should help each other. This is a ‘payment declined’ post. Vote for one of the following pizzas and please consider making a donation to one of the causes listed also.

Beneficiaries

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza is a fundraiser for @shadowspub ‘s neighbor, Nathan. Nathan is suffering from a serious disease, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and needs proper treatment. You can read more about this in the recent post here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@shadowspub/help-nathan-live-gofundme-campaign

If Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza wins this challenge, then we can contribute towards the cost of Nathan’s treatment and help his family through this difficult time. Of course, you can donate even if it does not win!

Donations can be sent to @shadowspub with the memo “For Nathan”.

New York Style Deep Dish Pizza is a fundraiser for someone who has done a great deal of good for Steemit (and for Bitshares before that). For many months, Martin @shla-rafia has walked the streets in Northern Europe, telling merchants and people he meets all about how the best cryptocurrencies can help change their lives. If you have not watched his videos, I urge you to do so.

Martin works hard to support himself. He probably does not want to ask for donations. But life is not easy. When winters are cold, Steemit friends help friends. If New York Style Deep Dish Pizza wins this challenge, then we can help Martin get a warmer coat, a hot meal, a place to stay, or whatever he needs most. Of course, you can donate even if it does not win!

Donations can be sent to @shla-rafia.

All images are public domain or shamelessly ripped off from various Internet sources. No commercial use here, only some good causes.