What were your favorite foods growing up?
I was always into fun foods you could eat with your hands, like baby back ribs, tacos, ice cream cones and, of course, pizza.

Where and when did your love for pizza begin?
Pizza is the first food I ever bought with my own money, so it was a real symbol of independence when I was growing up in suburban New Jersey. I would walk downtown with my friends and pizza was the only food we ever even thought about eating.

When did you first decide to start Scott's Pizza Tours?
I used to drive my friends around to famous pizzerias but their interest quickly outgrew my Nissan Sentra, so I rented a party bus for my 26th birthday and we cruised around NYC all day and stopped at six pizzerias over the five hours we had the bus. There was such a huge response from that trip that I decided to look into making it a legitimate business. One friend printed out all the info on becoming a licensed tour guide and I just took it from there. That was about three years ago.

Have you ever tried to make your own pizza?
Sure, I make pizza at home all the time. But I'm not interested in perfection as much as I am in experimentation. I mess around with methods so I can better explain pizza making to my tour groups. Last night, I made a crazy pizza using edible ingredients found in Central Park!

What was the outcome of said pizza making?
At first the pizza was BAD, but I constantly tweak the recipe and method of baking my pies so it's always getting better.

What is your favorite topping?
I'm 100% happy with a nice Margherita pizza, but my go-to topping is sausage.

What is the best pizzeria you've been to?
That's a loaded question, because it takes into account the ambiance and general personality of a place as well as the pizza. I'd have to say my favorite all-around pizzeria experience is at Papa's in Trenton, NJ. It's just so real and honest, with no pretension whatsoever AND some truly great pizza.

Is there such a thing as a "Low Cal" pizza?
There's a big misconception that pizza is unhealthy, but that isn't the reality. Thin, well-risen crusts topped with a quality tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese is pretty low cal (under 300 calories per slice).

Is going without cheese sacrilegious?
Not at all! In fact, a well-made pizza marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil) is the mark of a truly great pizzaiolo. It shows how much flavor minimal toppings can deliver.

How do you come up with ideas for tours?
I keep my ear to the ground for new or old pizzerias I might want to add as tour stops. I have a lot of friends who do recreational/professional pizza eating so they always let me know if they find something that might be cool on a tour. There are also some great books out there about pizza and ingredients, so I'm constantly reading to keep the information as fresh and detailed as possible.

What is your beverage of choice?
You can't go wrong with a cold Coca Cola (glass bottle variety from Mexico with cane sugar instead of corn syrup) but seltzer or tap water are much better for tasting tours.

When you are not eating pizza, what do you usually consume?
I'm pretty into dumplings, pastrami sandwiches and BBQ. I've been hanging around Chinatown a lot lately just trying unfamiliar foods. Last week I tried crispy intestine! I will not be ordering it again.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
A great pizzaiolo named Chris Bianco says "Use great ingredients and get out of the way." I love that. Don't just mess with a dish to give it your own signature mark, let your ingredients speak for themselves!

Photo Courtesy of Adam Courtney