So awhile back a Papa Gino’s Express installed itself in Brookline Village, the latest chapter in the neighborhood’s upscale-downscale tug of war. (See also: Pomodoro, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and etc.)

Last month PGE, as no one calls it, handed out a bunch of coupons for free pizza slices, of which the hardworking staff gladly accepted two.

And quickly cashed in the first, which yielded a slice that was startlingly pitseleh and sadly greasy.

So the second coupon sat in our desk drawer until it was pushing expiration hard enough to break a wrist (thank you, Raymond Chandler).

Whereupon we redeemed  it.

And received, much to our surprise, a pretty decent slice, although still pitseleh.

The moral of the story: Never look a gift slice in the mouth.

So to speak.