I'll take mine black

I had been craving pizza wildly since the night I was heading out of my building to eat at Grezzo, the vegan, raw food restaurant, and someone else was heading in with a white cardboard box containing a greasy, cheesy, heavenly smelling pie. I like Grezzo and all, but I really really like pizza.

The thing about being a restaurant critic -- and I am so not complaining here! -- is that you often don't get to eat what you want when you want it. Weeks and months went by before, lo, I found myself with a free evening and no desire whatsoever to cook. Pizza takeout and a movie! Hooray. I called in my order to Picco, the most convenient pizza place at the time. (Though I often find the service there lackadaisical or downright rude -- is it just me?) I love their Alsatian pie -- onions, shallots, garlic, sour cream, bacon, and gruyere -- but most of the time I'm a straight-up sauce-and-cheese, no-toppings person. This is the margherita. Apologies for not being able to hold off on taking a bite long enough to photograph it.

So, it was good. Really really satisfying. But it took the whole charred pizza thing to the limit. I hate doughy, underdone dough, and I like a bit of char on my pie. But when does charred become burned?

What do you think? Would this crust be pizza heaven or pizza hell for you?