The earth-friendly pizza chain, Pizza Fusion, opened a location in the Pittsburgh area last year, and the restaurant was profiled in this weekend's Post-Gazette. This particular pizza shop is located near me, so when it first opened, I ordered an organic pepperoni pizza. The reviews in the newspaper were far kinder than I could ever be; while I appreciated the all-natural and organic ingredients, I thought the total cost of $25 (including a delivery fee, not including the tip) for a lone pizza and breadsticks was exorbitant for what was fairly mediocre food. My negative opinion comes more from the fact that I could make a similar pizza for far less myself. They just don't offer that pizza shop taste, and that's what I was hoping I was paying for.

I haven't ordered from them since, although I considered it when they sent me a coupon asking for me to come back. The postcard was addressed to "Out of Area," which made me wish someone had taken the time to do a find and replace throughout their mail merge and at least address their cards to "Resident" if they couldn't find names.

But I digress. What really struck me about the article was that every person interviewed said they did not expect organic food to taste good, that it would taste like weeds or other plant matter. Granted, many were children, but still. This thought has never once occured to me, nor anyone else I know (who was willing to admit it). I've had lengthy discussions with friends who fully understand that organic fruits and vegetables are pesticide free, which generates debate over the merits of paying more for something when so far, we all seem fine having grown up consuming all those pesticides.

I find it quite interesting, and quite bizarre, that in today's world, where every other word you hear has something to do with the environment, that people aren't up on all of this. My hope is that Pizza Fusion, and other environmental efforts, will help create an awareness. As much as I wanted to fall in love with Pizza Fusion, I didn't, but I hope they find success and stay in the neighborhood. I also hope they help bring awareness on what eating natural and organic can be like.