October 13, 1999 Fans Put Their Money Where Their Mouths Are As playoffs begin, Rep. Vito Fossella engages in a little culinary wager with House colleagues by Terence Kivlan WASHINGTON -- The Yankees-Red Sox and Mets-Braves showdowns for the American and National League pennants have also pitted pizza from Goodfella's pizzeria in Dongan Hills against homemade New England clam chowder from Boston and chili-dogs from Atlanta. "While the Red Sox and the Braves are certainly respectable ball clubs, it's destiny that the Bronx Bombers and the Amazin' Mets will cap the millenium with the first subway World Series in decades," said Rep. Vito Fossella yesterday as he announced his "high stakes" wagers with Democratic Rep. Martin Meehan of Massachusetts and Republican Rep. Johnny Isakson of Georgia. The owner of Goodfella's also liked the odds, especially in the case of the American League playoffs. "They (the Red Sox) don't stand a snowball's chance," declared Marc Cosentino. "The Yankees are The Machine and no one can stop them." "They're intimidating. They're the force," Cosentino further explained. "Everybody has got to get pumped up to play the Yankees. It's not the other way around." Meehan's aides weren't exactly models of modesty and restraint, either. "All the congressman is concerned about is whether the pizza arrives still warm," said William McCann, a spokesman for Meehan, whose district includes a portion of Boston's western suburbs. Said Isakson, "I welcome the challenge and may the best team -- Atlanta -- win." The chili-dogs would come from The Varsity, a well-known Atlanta eatery. Isakson also threw in a bushel of Georgia peaches. The New England seafood chowder would be supplied by former top Meehan aide Bob Larochelle, a master of the medium, according to McCann. He said that the congressman, a New England Patriot season-ticket holder, often served the chowder at tailgate parties before football games at Foxboro Stadium outside Boston. "It is the number-one seafood chowder in New England," said McCann. "It has been eaten by (former) Gov. Bill Weld and members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation." Cosentino said he doubted any kind of chowder could compete with his pizza, but added, "I've had some good chowder -- I'm looking forward to it. Maybe we could have Letterman put us on TV and we could do a taste comparison." Responded McCann, "Strong words from the allegedly number-one pizza parlor in the country." In fact, the Staten Island restaurant has won the national pizza-tasting contest sponsored by Pizza Today magazine for the past two years, and recently made this year's regional finals in the annual contest, to be held later this fall in Atlantic City. The tastings for the national titles are held in Las Vegas. Goodfellas' pizzas were also named Best in the United States by Pizza and Pasta magazine in 1993 and 1994. Fossella also availed himself of the classic Yankee-fan dig against the Red Sox, noting that in 1919 the owners of the Boston team "sold a pitcher named Babe Ruth" to the rival New York club. |
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