SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Before comedian Jay Leno performed at Ruth Eckerd Hall this past weekend, he got to sit back and enjoy a show himself — a "dough show," that is.
Safety Harbor restaurant The Nona Slice House said Leno stopped by Saturday to grab a slice of pizza. And, of course, owner and "pizza acrobat" Jamie Culliton was called in to provide some tableside entertainment.
Leno ordered two large sausage pizzas and The Nona Slice House threw in some of their famous house-made cheesecakes, Culliton told 10 Tampa Bay.
"He was super nice. Super friendly. He chatted with me a bit, told me he loved the pizza," The Nona Slice House owner added.
Culliton said this was actually his second run-in with the comedian and former "Tonight Show" host. He did ice sculptures at a pre-Super Bowl party in Phoenix that Leno headlined nearly 20 years ago.
"I thought that was gonna be my only Jay Leno story in life, but then he walked into my restaurant on a Saturday afternoon," Culliton said. "I felt kind of special that he remembered my work from back then, too."
Culliton has been in the pizza business for 28 years, both making pizza at his restaurant and competing in pizza acrobatics at the national level.
With four world championships and 30 national titles, he is "one of the top pizza competitors in the world," the restaurant said. Culliton has also won the title of "Best Pizza in the Country" for his Margherita pizza, which you can try at the restaurant now.
The Nona Slice House is home to some of the most award-winning pizza cooks in the Tampa Bay area. You can check out the full menu here.
