Pizza!!??

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[Jeff Roller]

NY style: Metro Pizza in Maryville TN, made by a little old man from Sicily. Chicago style: UNO's in Maryville TN. Best overall in choices, Jet's Pizza in Maryville TN.

 

[JimB52]

All right-thinking people know that the best pizza is found on Wooster Street in New Haven CT. At Sally's or Frank Pepe's.
I prefer Pepe's, in particular the white clam pie. Fresh clams, garlic, herbs, olive oil, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

The large pies are truly large.

Betcha can't eat just one. I also love the tomato pie- no "mootz".

The 700 degree coal-fired brick oven is the secret

Old Reliable.

 

[Holy War]

The best pizza Ive ever had in my life was at a mom and pop resteraunt in Chesapeake, VA. I used to live in the big apple too and spend about a month out of the year in Manhattan.

 

[James Hart]

Also, for when you are feeling a little crazy- I have on occasion been known to make a Ricotta pie. Using Ricotta (maybe cut w/ a little oil) as a 'sauce' then finish as required. Very delicious, but that is a BURLY slice o' pie.

The wife and I have our own pie that the local shop makes us... when I call up, I tell them I'm ordering 'our pie' and they know what to make me .

A small double dough with Sauce, Ricotta, Pepperoni and Onion. The sauce is a little less than a normal pie but spread the normal way. Ricotta gets spooned into teaspoon piles like a topping, Roni and onion as normal... no mozzarella at all.


Sorry JimB52... those pies look like crap! Pie shouldn't need a layer of paper to soak grease and the dough looks blown out and too heavily floured. They also look like the stone to ambient temps are out of balance with the stone way too hot.

Pictures are pictures though, if I find my way to that area, I'll try a slice (without clams )

 

[standupright]

(Disclaimer: I take Pizza entirely too seriously).

None of these comments apply to Chicago style, which as has been mentioned, is not Pizza. It is a bread/pudding/casserole thing with similar ingredients to Pizza.

The geographic differences all boil down to (no pun intended) the differences in water. NY doesn't have some kind of crazy Pizza technology hook up.

Personally, I like a medium thick crust, hand tossed (I toss/spin but others disagree and only slap/stretch) with a thick breadstick like crust. Three toppings MAXIMUM (otherwise it doesn't matter which toppings you use as you can't taste them anyway).

Toppings should be UNDER the Cheese. Use care to arrange pepperoni, tomato slices, or similar so that they align with the slices.

Red sauce is the ONLY acceptable sauce (the more 'kick' the better- reheated marianara that has a little thickness to it is perfect).

And here is the most important thing:

Only use half of the cheese you think is necessary. People use ENTIRELY too much cheese on their pizzas. Extra cheese should have never even been an option. Also, use feta or gorg to liven in up. I love cheese, make no mistake. But the trick is not using too much with Pizza. When you apply the cheese only apply it to the inner edge of the crust.

There is a magical force that causes all toppings to gravitate towards the center of the circle when cooked.

Cook in a big hot oven, finishing in a brick if you have the fireplace.

Remove.

COOL before cutting (thus lessening cheese slippage).

Garlic oil crust LIGHTLY.

Dust w/ parm.

I hate Basil, but it is an acceptable garnish. Use sparingly, potent little herb it is.

Consume, with hands, WITHOUT folding and turning your beautiful pie into a sammich.

Again, my apologies, but I had to get this out, as I said, I take Pizza entirely too seriously.


Edit: Hillarious- Domino's add at the top.

i'm sorry......but being a food snob myself, i disagree with just about everything you have said.

 

[JimB52]

Sorry, James, they don't sell slices. They do burn the crust occasionally, but nobody complains. Maybe they're afraid to.

 

[gold_member_321]

I am pizza. Am it.

It's pizza the hut!

I think a good pizza needs light sauce, lots of cheese and lots and lots of meat. Also has to be cooked until its nice and dark brown.

 

[Passinwind]

All right-thinking people know that the best pizza is found on Wooster Street in New Haven CT. At Sally's or Frank Pepe's.
I prefer Pepe's,

Me too, although usually I seemed to end up next door at The Spot instead of either one.

 

[jive1]

Spoken like some one from Virginia.

No-one from VA can be that passionate about pizza. I grew up in Chicago, lived there for 22 years, and know good pizza.

But you definitely sound like someone from NY.

 

[Ed Goode]

How did I miss a pizza thread??

I have traveled throughout the US fairly extensively, and without any doubt there is no where like the greater NYC area for pizza ... real pizza, not some contrived version with Ragu sauce on it.

Chicago pizza is good as well, but it's more of an sit down meal. NY pizza is a slice you can just grab and go, use a napkin to soak up any of the cool buttery oil that leaks off. Any commercial establishment (Papa Johns, Cicco's, Pizza Hut, Domino's, etc) that sells pizza is living off of the great NYC area pizza reputation.

Without fail, when we have friends from out of state that come to visit, 1st thing on the agenda is to get a good pizza. There is a small dump in Kenilworth, NJ called Capri Pizza on the Boulevard that makes the closest slice to a Brooklyn pizzeria I've ever had without actually being in Brooklyn ....

 

[DWBass]

I'm not a NYorker, but I like the NY style best. The slice has to be wide, triangular, and very thin, with crust that is flexible but not mushy. Equal amounts sauce and cheese, and if toppings are added they should be just enough to cover the cheese. Eat with one hand, folding it if necessary.

Native NY'r here too. Wide slice but I like thick crust well done so as not to go limp when I lift it to take a bite. Must be foldable. Just the right amount of toppings not overly done. The best Pizza I've ever had is at Mario's on Dyre Avenue in the Bronx, NY!

 

[JmJ]

No-one from VA can be that passionate about pizza.
.

You said it not me! Grew up in Chicago eh? That explains your bias.... I reiterate, Chicago Style is not Pizza it's something else.
You can call it whatever you want but it's no substitute for the real thing. Let's just call it what it is; Chicago Style Pizza Based Casserole.

 

[baba]

I reiterate, Chicago Style is not Pizza it's something else.
You can call it whatever you want but it's no substitute for the real thing. Let's just call it what it is; Chicago Style Pizza Based Casserole.

Indeed.

 

[Thunderscreech]

Pizza needs to be made of Pizza to be real Pizza.

 

[JmJ]

Pizza needs to be made of Pizza to be real Pizza.

Yes! Agreed.

 

[jive1]

You said it not me! Grew up in Chicago eh? That explains your bias.... I reiterate, Chicago Style is not Pizza it's something else.
You can call it whatever you want but it's no substitute for the real thing. Let's just call it what it is; Chicago Style Pizza Based Casserole.

Actually, it's called a pan pizza.

Based on your logic, a Sicilian wouldn't be considered a real pizza either (even if it's from Brooklyn).

 

[sleepytime]

Chicago "pizza" requires a plate, knife, fork, pile of napkins and a lot of patience as they take so long to cook. NY pizza can be eating while dodging gunfire without getting sauce all over your shirt. Chicago "pizza" is not really pizza at all, ask some one from Italy what they think, they'll tell you. In NY you go to lil Frankie's or Peppe's Pizza Paninni or Grimaldi's or that new guy on East 12th street. In Berkeley CA you go to Pie In The Sky.

What constitutes a great slice? Fresh high quality ingredients.

If you are in a hurry and dodging gunfire, you get sliders, not pizza. I thought everybody knew that.

 

[JmJ]

If you are in a hurry and dodging gunfire, you get sliders, not pizza. I thought everybody knew that.

You mean Belly Bombers? You can't eat those on the run as you need a rest room shortly after eating them. The excess grease from the pizza slice can be used to trip your assailants.

 

[jive1]

You mean Belly Bombers? You can't eat those on the run as you need a rest room shortly after eating them. The excess grease from the pizza slice can be used to trip your assailants.

Dude, eat enough of those and there won't be an assailant that will want to come within farting distance. And with those, the distance can be quite far.