A little bit of heaven here on earth

On a damp, blustery day in Bethlehem, Pa, I found a slice (literally) of heaven that you could fold and hold in your hand. The picture is blurry; I think I was overwhelmed with what was in front of me and I could not hold the camera still.

The small tomato pie at Martellucci's is certainly not on par with Pepe's, Lombardi's, Sally's Apizza, Taconelli's, Di Fara's or even any number of pizza joints on the East Coast that I have visited.

But today, on a lonely afternoon, with the rain coming down in buckets and the wind whipping so hard outside that the screen door slammed repeatedly, Martellucci's served up a masterpiece. It featured a thin, slightly charred and crispy and yeasty crust, a sweet (but not too sweet) sauce and just the right amount of cheese. Martelluci's pepperoni is hidden as they put it on before the cheese, so you never know when the next bite is going to reveal a smoky and salty surprise.

At that particular, singular moment, it was perfection, like the crack of pizza. Nothing could stop me from eating the whole pie. I tried to savor it slowly, but it was finished in an embarassingly short time.

Pizza really is the world's most perfect food, and ideal comfort food as well. And given the conditions, this pie today was one of the most comforting of all.