Welcome back to Pizza Quest!
In this episode, we are joined by Eddie Fischer (no, not the famous singer and husband of Debbie Reynolds and father of Carrie Fisher), but the OTHER Eddie Fischer, a Jersey guy, the founder of How U Doin?, a new boys and girls club about to launch near Dallas, Texas. Yes, he and I share a long, shared history of East Coast pizza questing but, more importantly, his current quest is to provide a safe haven for teens struggling with the allure of drinking, drugs, and alienation. How U Doin is a clubhouse, but it's much more, fueled by a vision to make a difference in the lives of the youngsters involved and, also, in the community at large. Hear how Eddie Fischer discovered and is fulfilling his new mission in life which, by the way, involves pizza making as part of his formula for success.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest 2025, for a new season with lots of new and exciting guests!

We kick off the new season with Chef David Nayfeld, chef and owner of a hot new restaurant in the shadow of San Francisco's dynamic sports complex in an area called Thrift City (the restaurant is located on Warrior Way, lest there be any doubt about Chef Nayfeld's lifelong allegiance to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors). Che Fico Pizzeria (pronounced "kay-fico") is doing crisp, "slightly but intentionally-charred" slices and pies, as well as a very inventive Italian-themed menu of starters, sandwiches, and salads. (You can see the menu by going to cheficopizzeria.com and navigating through the lunch and dinner menus). David is also the author of a new book called, "Dad, What's for Dinner?" with gourmet but accessible dishes you can make at home for and with your family. Chef Nayfeld has an extensive and impressive pedigree, having worked for some of the world's most famous chefs and restaurants, like Eleven Madison Park, Joel Rubuchon, and Aqua, and is now in the early stages of building his own restaurant empire, Back Home Hospitality, in the SF Bay area and beyond. Tune in to meet a chef who has paid his dues, found his own culinary voice, and is on the rise so that, when the awards start rolling in, you can say you heard about him here first. As we often say, "It's more about the quest than it is about the pizza, and the quest never ends." Enjoy!

Once again, the operative word for this episode is Quest, as we welcome author, mentor, and game changer, Dr. Marc B. Cooper. Marc's mission and personal quest is to restore a sense of meaning and purpose for those of us who fall into the "senior citizen" bracket (but, really, it's a timeless mission for all of us regardless of age). The title of his new book. "Older to Elder," says it all, so I won't try to recap it for you here but, rather, encourage you to listen to this fascinating conversation that might very well transform your life. Marc is, like me, a Philly boy, so I plan to invite him back to talk pizza in a future episode, but in this episode, you will hear the culmination of a lifelong journey of wisdom-seeking that far surpasses the search for the perfect pizza (except in the metaphorical sense, of course).

For those who want to follow-up and get his book (and this is unsolicited, as I get no kickback from Amazon or anyone for promoting Marc's book), here's a link.

In the meantime, join Dr. Marc Cooper and me as we discuss why becoming an elder is far more important than simply becoming older.....

NOTE: This episode marks the end of our 2024 season, a year full of a number of fabulous conversations with fellow questers on pizza and other important matters. Our tagline, as you may know, is a "Journey of Self-Discovery Through Pizza," and this year's episodes have taken us deeper into the "self-discovery" aspect of that mission. Check out our archives for episodes you may have missed. We plan to return in early 2025 with a whole new season of thought-provoking and, of course, delicious explorations in our never-ending Pizza Quest, both literal and metaphorical. Have a joyous holiday season and we'll see you in the new year!

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