My name is Ry, Ry The Pizza Guy
This summer I’m embarking on the most epic pizza journey in the history of the world. Well, the history of my world at least. My goal is to make pizza in as many cool places as I can and document my adventures along the way. I’m hoping that you’ll join me on my journey as I share my passion of pizza with the world.
A little history
I was one of those kids growing up where people would jokingly ask “don’t you ever get sick of pizza?” A simple “no” with a content smile was always my response. I got my first job working for a family friend at a mom and pop pizza shop in Wisconsin riding my skateboard to work. Food service is a passion of mine and I’ve since graduated to making my own pizza. A few years ago my family and I even started our very own food truck. We even turned it into a brick and mortar shop. That family friend I mentioned? She even came out to help us get our restaurant off the ground a decade after giving me my first job, thanks Malinda. We wound up having to close up shop but boy did we have fun on that adventure and got so many hard earned lessons about life and business along the way.
Would I do it again? Absolutely, would I change a few things? Probably. In the end I suppose it’s all a part of the bigger journey. Now my options are open and there’s no end to the possibilities in life.
Dream Chasin’
The business closing left me feeling a little lost and without purpose. A feeling I’m sure many ambitious late 20 somethings have felt a time or two on our search to leave our mark on the world. I dedicated a good portion of my life to food service and since I was a child I dreamt of becoming a chef. I lost so much in the last year trying to force this vision I had into a reality. In the end I was a miserable person and probably miserable to be around. I decided to let go a little and stop trying to force something to be. This summer I decided is all about going with the flow. So I set out to accomplish two of my childhood goals: see the Redwood forests, and become a chef.
I bought a truckbed camper on Facebook marketplace and set out for California mapping out my stops along the way. The majesty of these old growth forests has always called me but you know “LIFE” kept getting in the way. Not this time. Along the way I would make pizza in the national parks and hone in my skills in pizza until I felt comfortable calling myself a “pizza chef.” Because what makes a chef? Someone who went to culinary school? Someone who works for a highly rated restaurant? Or someone who dedicates their life to their craft and puts in the hours in a kitchen? You tell me.
If this sounds like the kind of journey you’d like to go on this is your open invitation to join me. You can visit my Youtube or my Instagram to actively follow along. You can also subscribe to my email list. Let me know your thoughts below!