a child better and home.
He hadn’ t always planned on becoming a pediatrician. He initially expected to pursue family medicine. But his experiences during his Navy internship and afterward changed his thinking. Eventually, pediatrics won him over, with an element of joy coming from caring for children.
“ Kids are always doing something ridiculous and silly,” he said.“ Even on your worst day, you’ re laughing walking out of the hospital thinking about something goofy a kid did.”
That optimism has sustained him through a career that has included difficult days and heartbreaking outcomes. But on the whole, most children get better. Most go home. And for him, being part of the team that helps make that happen is deeply rewarding.
For all the seriousness of medicine and the intensity of his Navy background, Dr. Grill has a decidedly more relaxed pursuit outside the hospital. He makes pizza seasoning. His business, The Pizza Doctor, grew out of a backyard experiment that began almost 25 years ago.
He has always enjoyed gardening, although he readily admits he isn’ t particularly good at it. At one point, he grew tomatoes and peppers, including habaneros so hot they were essentially inedible. Rather than
throw them away, he began chopping the peppers into tiny pieces and adding them to food.
Then came a pizza night with his dad. The two were sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes onto their pizza when Dr. Grill started thinking about what was missing. Crushed red pepper provided heat, but not much flavor.
“ I thought I could do better,” he said.
So, he started experimenting. He developed his own blend, had his dad try it and got his approval. For years, the family made the seasoning in the backyard, producing only about 15 to 20 jars a year. Then the COVID-19 lockdown ended, and one of Dr. Grill’ s friends suggested they turn the hobby into a business. Today, the seasoning company is a hit among both friends and new customers alike, and the product has even made its way onto restaurant tables. Old School NY Pizza in Norton Commons even carries a house-labeled version of the seasoning.
The Pizza Doctor is about taking something familiar and making it better, just as he has spent his career looking at the systems and people around him and asking how they can work together more effectively.
Outside of the hospital and the kitchen, his interests are as varied
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