As a typical teenager, I’m capable of eating far more than the average human being. Maybe I can blame it on growing, or maybe I just enjoy the wonderful, always welcoming taste and warming sensation it provides for my stomach and soul. As much as I love to indulge in the world of food, there is only one food that I can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This versatile meal is a favorite to more than just teenagers. It’s popular among parents on those days when cooking is too much of a hassle, and the kids need something to occupy them for a few moments to get that glorious sound of stillness. That’s right, the one and only, pizza, is adored by many and is the one meal I’m glad to eat at every hour of the day.

Because pizza is so popular, Cape May is sprinkled with numerous parlors so that you’re never more than a five-minute walk away from one. With countless places to choose from, it can become a difficult choice, but through the haze and smell of cheese, Louie’s Pizza stands clear in my mind. Not only are their slices freshly made and steaming right out of the oven, they’re also approximately the size of Texas, give or take a little. My stomach might not even have room for the perfectly fluffy crust that waits for me at the end of the cheese, but there’s no way I’m leaving out the best part. Every bite makes a fresh crunch as your teeth break through the crust and the delectable cheese attacks the roof of your mouth. Between the size and the taste, Louie’s is at the top of my list.

While I’m openly crazy about food and slightly biased towards Louie’s as a local, I will admit that Louie’s has my heart for reasons more than just the pizza. Over the years I have spent more than enough time not just eating there, but also simply hanging out. Whether it’s walking off the beach for some shade or being in the mood for a late-night slice, Louie’s provides the perfect atmosphere to sit, talk, and goof around. Come ten people or come two, there’s always room to pull up a chair. In the heat of the afternoon I take shelter under an umbrella, armed with a slice and a cold Coca-Cola. It’s a nice pause from the busy traffic buzzing by and the endless rushing of people in search of a final destination.

Nighttime at Louie’s is an entirely different story. The place is alive and kicking, pumping slice after slice out of the oven. Even if the streets are quiet, Louie’s is not. The majority of the chairs sitting outside usually get sucked into our circle of friends, sometimes managing to pull twenty chairs. We gather up around a table or two, grab some pizza, and are perfectly content in that moment. Good food and good friends with the beach twenty feet away, I don’t see how it gets much better.

Once the night starts to wear on, some people even wander down from Carney’s or Cabana’s to get a slice. You can hear these people all the way down Beach Drive after having a few drinks in them, but it just goes to show that even the sub-conscious drunk mind can’t help but crave a slice from Louie’s. More than just good pizza, Louie’s provides a sense of community to teenagers, kids, and adults alike. Through the years I’ve eaten enough pizza to keep the place running, and I’m sure there are countless more slices to come. More than just pizza, Louie’s is a place to come together with family and friends, and it certainly isn’t one to forget.