“Your mouth lights up”

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Bush: Love him or Hate him
December 1, 2003 Issue
Past Covers Russell Crowe Nov. 24, 2003 —————– Jessica Lynch Nov. 17, 2003 —————– Tortured Minds Nov. 10, 2003 —————– Eating Smart Nov. 3, 2003 —————– Bollywood Oct. 27, 2003 —————– Tomb Raiders Oct. 20, 2003 —————– Bali Remembered Oct. 13, 2003 —————– What Went Wrong? Oct. 6, 2003 —————– What’s Next Sept. 29, 2003 —————– Japan’s Koizumi Sept. 22, 2003 —————–

New Komeito: Japan’s wildcard

India: Teflon government

China: Predatory transients

Satoshi Kon: Animé’s true grit

Diplomacy: Sewing discord

Hong Kong: Unhappy hunting

Malaysia: Not so fast

Japan: Baby Godzilla goes west

Milestones

Verbatim

Letters

Dubai: Garden of golden delight

Hotels: All the President’s beds

Shopping: Asia’s supermalls

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Most people know that for truly great pizza you should head for Naplesor Chicago. But Baghdad? Yes, you can occasionally escape the chaos and carnage of the Iraqi capital in one of its unexpectedly good pizza restaurants. Taking our cue from the mangled English slogan of one such joint”The secret is in the test”our team of six American soldiers and three Iraqi civil servants set out to find Baghdad’s best pie.

First stop: Al-Sa’ah, the famous eatery in the Mansour district, next to the house U.S. forces bombed back in April in the belief that Saddam was hiding there. Happily, the restaurant emerged unscathed. Sa’ah serves pan-style pizzas ($2.50 for a large pie) that have plenty of cheese but seemingly no tomato paste. “This one’s too plain,” says Sergeant Tolo Gbassage, 23, taking a break from his duties at an American military checkpoint. “They never put enough tomato sauce on these things.” But Hamid Abdul Latif, 50, a clerk in the Iraqi Ministry of Justice, appreciates the unadorned flavor. “I like it plain,” he says, “but that might be because I have an ulcer.”

Next up is Al-Ferdan, whose wood-fire oven sports a copper plate with “In God We Trust” written above it in Arabic. The pizzas ($5, including a Coke) have thin crusts and fresh ingredients. “This is better,” says Gbassage, who used to flip pizza dough at a Domino’s in Stockton, California. Our Iraqi panel agrees. “The feeling in the mouth is good,” says Qassim Wahim, 42, a clerk in the Ministry of Transport.

Finally, there’s the Pizzeria Napoli, its walls adorned with pictures of Rome and a certificate of appreciation “for serving the soldiers of the 32nd Military Police Company.” The pizza ($5) is simple but delicious. “They actually have excellent cheese in Iraq, and they’re using it here,” says Specialist Samantha Davila, 21, from San Antonio, Texas. “Great spices,” says Wahim. “Your mouth lights up.”