Pizza Plus carries on time-tested tradition

MCCRORY — Small towns usually have an abundance of charm, community pride and a universal love for their football teams. But beyond the ubiquitous fast-food staples, they don’t always have an abundance of options for quality dining. Pizza Plus in McCrory gives the town just that - a sit-down pizza restaurant with expanded menu options. Since the restaurant opened in 1991, it has been managed by Buddy Odom with a dedication to both quality cuisine and customer service.

Located right in the center of downtown, the restaurant’s quaint black-and-white tile floor and red-leather seating are the backdrop for the crispy homemade pizza with signature secret sauce served each day, along with the “Plus” side of the menu, which includes nachos, loaded baked potatoes, spaghetti, a fresh salad bar, taco salad, popcorn chicken, potato skins and a number of made-toorder sandwiches. Hot, cheesypizza stars on the buffet, but is accompanied daily by another local favorite, the restaurant’s original Mexican casserole.

Owned by Des Arc residents Scott and Debra Skarda, the couple built the Woodruff County restaurant in 1991 to add to their regional chain of restaurants in Des Arc, Carlisle and England. The McCrory restaurant is the only one that remains with the original owners and management.

Known to everyone as “Mr. Buddy,” Odom, a Tupelo resident for 72 years, employs up to 12 employees, including his favorite part-time help, his wife of 47 years, Susie.

“The first few years we were getting this started, I was here at night a lot, and Susie was home alone, so she started coming down here. I said, ‘If you’re going to be here, I might as well pay you. She’s been here ever since.’”

Their daughter Angie and granddaughter Haley often come by for a bite.

Asked how many pizzas he sells a day, he said, “We don’t really keep up with that. We have a buffet at lunch, and on Wednesday nights we have a lot of carryouts, and we are open seven days a week. Our pizza crust and sauce are homemade; we’re always busy. People just seem to like our pizza.”

Pizza seems to be as American as apple pie, but its origins come from many cultures, including ancient Greece and Israel, but the version we are most familiar with originated inItaly. In the 21st century, pizza has been transformed to please the whims of the American consumer. The more authentic “Tomato Pie” is normally only found in the Northeast and is built the opposite of pizza pies - first the cheese, then the topping, then the sauce.

As early as 1905, an Italian restaurateur named Gennaro Lombardi claims to have opened the first U.S. pizzeria in New York City, serving the traditional Naples-style pie. Lombardi is now known as America’s “Patriaca della Pizza” (Father of Pizza.)

Much later in 1943, the other main variation vying for American consumers’ loyalty - Chicago-style deep-dish pizza - was created by Ike Sewell at his bar and grill called Pizzeria Uno.

But the real turning point for the popularity of pizza in the United States was when American soldiers who had been stationed in Italy and all over Europe during World War II (1941-1945) became aware of the melted-cheese-and-tomatosauce delight.

Returning soldiers brought a taste for the dish back to the States, and by 1957, frozen pizzas first appeared in grocery stores and are now available to the masses. Pizza became the most popular of all frozen foods.

Mr. Buddy, having been stationed in Germany during his tour in the Army as a member of the military police, saw his first pizza there and had an experience that many hungry and impatient diners have experienced when enjoying the dish.

“We were drinking that stout German beer, and thesebig round pans kept being delivered to other tables. ‘What is that?’ I asked my friends. We ordered one, and the first thing I did was take a big bite, and that cheese really burned the roof of my mouth. I didn’t want anymore of that!”

Odom is a fixture at the restaurant and a jack-of-all-trades: Not only does he greet everyone, usually with a joke or short personal conversation; he cooks, runs the register and performs most of the maintenance chores around the restaurant, including repairing the 20-year-old conveyor oven, the refrigeration equipment, the upholstery and the floors.

“I guess I work on everything but the air conditioner, and sometimes I have to work on that, too,” he said.

“Good food, good help and downtown convenience have helped us succeed,” Odom said. “I read this saying awhile back, and I really think it applies to us: ‘When you first open a business, it’s yours. But if it’s a success, it doesn’t belong to you anymore; it belongs to thecommunity.’ We are proud to be part of this community.”

PIZZA PLUS MEXICAN CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 cup crushed tortilla chips (Tostitos brand preferred) 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained 1 can Rotel tomatoes 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can Ranch Style beans 1 can water 2 ounces bell pepper, chopped 2 ounces onion, chopped 2 ounces black olives 2 ounces mushrooms, sliced or chopped 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar and mozzarella mix Directions:

Cover the bottom of a lightly greased 9-by-12-inch baking dish with approximately 1 cup crushed tortilla chips. Top with ground beef. Mix together tomatoes, soup, beans, water and vegetables until well combined. Pour over chips. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese melts, approximately 20 minutes.

Three Rivers, Pages 48 on 01/26/2012

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