Hackensack man has eaten pizza every day for over 30 years

Rebecca King
NorthJersey
Mike Roman (right), pictured here with "New Theory" podcast host Tom La Vecchia, has only eaten pizza for dinner since he was four years old.

Mike Roman has only eaten pizza for dinner since he was 4 years old. He’s now 41.

The Hackensack-native went on Tom La Vecchia’s podcast “New Theory” to discuss this strange food addiction. 

La Vecchia said he met Roman 10 years ago in a pizza shop, where they got to talking about how Roman had only eaten pizza for dinner since adolescence. 

On the podcast, Roman said that his mother gave in to his picky eating, allowing him to eat only pizza for dinner. In his grade school days, Roman mixed that up with a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch. But when he entered the work force he started dining out for lunch — at pizza joints.

Now, he’s back to peanut butter and bread for lunch. But the fact remains that he not only ate pizza for dinner for over 30 years, he also ate it for lunch for at least a good 10 of those.

Who's the best? Who makes the best bar pizza in Bergen County?

Pizza in NJ:All the best pizza and where to get it

Jersey City:Does this chef make the best pizza in New Jersey – and New York?

Even stranger, Roman, who works as a teacher, only eats plain pizza with no toppings. He also typically goes out for pizza instead of cooking it at home. His favorite pizzerias in the area include Kinchley’s Tavern in Ramsey, Lido Restaurant in Hackensack and Joseph Pizza in Hackensack.

Throughout the podcast, La Vecchia asked Roman (who is now married) how he used to go on dates. The answer: he always went out to places with pizza. Did he let women know about his obsession right away? The answer: “I let people know right away. I don’t want to scare them.” Did he have pizza for dinner on his wedding day? Of course. He also had it at the cocktail hour and for lunch that day. On his honeymoon? Sure, Aruba has pizza places.

Roman says he’s lived in the same town, listened to the same bands and watched the same movies and TV shows for his whole life. His pizza obsession is just an extension of his way of life. He reports that he has no health problems to speak of and manages to maintain a normal weight, despite his greasy daily meal.

“Pizza has three of the four basic food groups,” he said.

Roman did admit in the podcast that he would eat other foods in a life or death situation.

But until that happens, bring on the pizza.

More:Exclusive 'Dinner with Esther' introduces diners to new restaurants

Bar tending:Is this NJ's best bartender?

Now Open:Fast-casual and farm-to-table meet at Smoke & Steer BBQ Grill in Rockaway