Back when I used to live in Illinois, I never had a build-your-own pizza because … well, the concept didn’t really exist in the Chicagoland suburbs. Or, at least, I didn’t really go out enough to figure out whether or not such a restaurant was available. Usually, when I ordered pizza, it was through a place like Lou Malnati’s, where you pick what you want off of a pre-made menu.

In the early days when I first arrived in California, I was exposed to Blaze Pizza, a restaurant that provides custom-built pizzas on the spot. You would select your dough, ask the employees to put particular ingredients on your pizza, then watch as your pizza gets put in the oven and cooked right in front of your eyes.

The Blaze Pizza I went to was in Los Angeles county, and I live closer to the eastern edge of Orange County, so I didn’t really go there too often … until I realized that a place called Pieology Pizzeria was nearby, and it operated on the same build-your-own system. So, I went there earlier today with one of our players.

I’m disappointed that this concept doesn’t exist in Illinois, because I’m great at picking ingredients for my pizza … at least to satisfy my own tastebuds. I get wheat dough with spicy tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, and sometimes small bits of bacon. Then I add in a whole lot of fresh basil, red onions, and garlic. To finish off the pizza, they brush some basil pesto along the crust before throwing it into the oven.

I think the key point that makes this pizza so satisfying is that it has lots of garlic (which I love) and red onions (which I also love). The extra leaves of basil help give it a rich taste, as well.

(The picture I took of my pizza is a little blurry because I was photographing it with greasy hands. As you can see, I had already finished a slice before I wanted to snap a photo, so I was trying to balance my phone with my greasy hands without trying to get it too dirty.)