Quantcast
Channel: Pizza Quixote
Viewing all 351 articles
Browse latest View live

AMERICAN PIE

$
0
0

A Request for Neapolitan Pizza Makers

I’ve been eating pizza – in the American Northeast, between Philly and New York – for decades before the very welcome explosion of talented chefs who can replicate Neapolitan pizzas (Naples style, the birthplace of pizza). I am grateful that now, in probably every major American city, there is a place to get excellent Neapolitan pizza. However, I do have mixed feelings.
The brilliant Neapolitan pizza at Motorino

For years before the widespread introduction of authentic Neapolitan style pizza in America, plenty of pie makers mis-labeled their pies. Some said “New York style” and others claimed “Neapolitan” simply by the addition of a basil leaf (or less!), but that was generally a sign of a sloppy pizza with a soft floppy crust, neither thin nor thick, with too much cheese. Perhaps some definitions are in order. 

Commodity Pie

Most pizza sold in America is commodity-style. Of course, lots of it is pre-fab stuff from the big chains like Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa John’s (my take on Papa John's HERE). But most mom-n-pop shops are selling commodity pizza, too. The chains have forced them to compete on price, so they use mass-sourced ingredients (like Sysco) and make pizzas that are forgettable. Typically soft crusts, undercooked, and overloaded with toppings to convey a sense of value. Most of it is not better than supermarket frozen pizza.
Floppy, sloppy, commodity pizza

There are plenty of distinct, often regional, styles of pizza, and you can learn about them at Slice – Serious Eats (LINK HERE).

Neapolitan Pie

Neapolitan pizzas are smaller, made to serve one. They are typically not sliced – you are served the whole disc. The crust is a thing of beauty – thin base, puffy edges, leopard spotting all over the cornicione, and good char underneath. A proper Neapolitan pizza cooks at 800 or 900 degrees, in as little as two or three minutes. The best-known Neapolitan pie is the Margherita, which uses sauce (not chunks or crushed tomatoes) from San Marzano tomatoes, fresh bufalo mozzarella (the milky white, wet cheese), and a handful of fresh basil leaves, often added post-bake.
Neapolitan pie from Massimo's, Trenton NJ

I love the Neapolitan pie. LOVE it. I’ve had brilliant ones in Boca Raton and Philly, Phoenix and DC, Trenton and Brooklyn. But even the best ones are typically marred by a wet and sloppy center. The amount of moisture in the cheese and sauce is too much for the short bake time and thin delicate crust. The wet cheese never browns and bubbles, and the center of the pie is soggy. “But Neapolitan is SUPPOSED to be wet in the center, troglodyte!”  Yeah, I know that. But wet bread is never a good thing. Never. Well, maybe saltines crumbled into Campbell’s tomato soup.

Trenton - Brooklyn - New Haven Pie

The regional style I know best is the Trenton tomato pie. It is a round pizza, with a thin crust cooked to a delicate crispness while maintaining some chewy interior. Different pie makers vary on the ratios of sauce to cheese; my favorites use canned crushed tomatoes and relatively smaller amounts of cheese. A Trenton pie is never wet, and there is little tip sag. There are char spots on the bottom and cornicione. All the ingredients are in harmony, and nothing is sliding off. You never need a knife and fork to eat it.
New Haven pie at Frank Pepe's

Now, folks in Brooklyn and Harlem and New Haven don’t call their pie “Trenton style” but those pizzas all have a lot in common. Patsy’s in East Harlem, Totonno’s (review HERE) in Coney Island, and Pepe’s in New Haven (review HERE) all make a pizza with a thin sturdy crust, and they use restraint with toppings.  When I made my list of “58 Pizzas Worth the Calories,” (link HERE) not one Neapolitan pie cracked the Top Ten. Yet who would argue with the excellence of Forcella, Motorino, Osteria, or Nomad?

How to Leverage the Skills of Neapolitan Pie Slingers


This is when I dream of what COULD be.

My first instinct would be to finish a Neapolitan pie under the broiler, but still, the water from the sauce and the cheese has already soaked the crust. You’d get some nice top browning (instead of floating blobs of wet cheese) but you’d still have a soggy crust. The pizzaiolo could reduce the amount of sauce and cheese in the center, at the risk of burning the pie without that moisture to protect it at 900 degrees. But really, I can’t even make a decent pie crust at home without making the kitchen look like it snowed; who am I to tell Neapolitan pizzaioli how to make their pies?
Hybrid carbonara pizza at La Porta (Media, PA)

INSTEAD, then, my wish is that they could take use pizza talents to crafting consummate Trenton/Brooklyn/New Haven style pies. Make a pie with a substantial (but thin) crust; find a way to keep all that flavor and leopard spotting from the Neapolitan pie, and incorporate that into a pizza that is crisp on the bottom, sturdy enough to support the toppings, and never wet in the center. 

Already, there are some of these hybrid pies out there. La Porta (reviewed HERE), right in my back yard in the Philly Main Line, is number six on my list. On my first visit there, I noted "The crust was an absolute delight with some characteristics of a Neapolitan crust, but firm and crisp like a Trenton/Brooklyn slice. That crust was magical. Everything that topped that crust was a premiere ingredient, applied judiciously, and all in harmony."
A slice from DeLorenzo's, my #1 Trenton pie

So I'm wishing that the talented folks who have perfected Neapolitan pies will turn that skill to the kind of pizza that Americans ate before the chains moved in. Nearly all of the best "traditional" pie makers were in business long before there was a Pizza Hut in every town. DiFara, DeLorenzo's, Denino's, Santarpio's, Frank Pepe, Patsy's.

American Pie - Let's Name it and Cherish It

I'd argue that, in America, the Trenton style pie (Brooklyn style, New Haven style, call it what you prefer) is more important, culturally, than our imitation of wet pies from Naples. Neapolitan is great pizza, but it's not the pizza of our fathers, mothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers (exception: my grandfather, born in Naples, used to tell stories of corner street vendors selling pizza before he came to America in 1907).
A return to the classics at Aanthony's Coal-Fired Pizza (Wayne, PA)

Classic American Pie is even more important because it's a shrinking supply. While the best ones have become institutions, most have been pushed out by the chains. There is one nice counter-trend -- Anthony's Coal-Fired (reviewed HERE) is a mini-chain with some awfully good pizza that has more in common with Patsy's and Totonno's than it does with the big chains.

What do you say, Neapolitan pizzaioli? Can you expand your menu to revive an American classic?

Why is Most Pizza so Mediocre or Worse?

$
0
0
For years I held the broad notion that, although the chains were lousy, mom-n-pop shops made “real” pizza. But over decades of eating pizza, I found that I was getting the same soft-crust, over-cheesed and under-cooked pies at every storefront place. If the crust has no character, what are the chances that the pizza shop owners are making their own dough? 
A beautiful beast I made at home

I’ve discovered that there is an entire industry devoted to supplying the independent pizza shop. Sauce, dough, cheese, napkins, boxes, even menu printing are outsourced, and it makes for some pretty homogeneous pizza products. It's often a necessary cost-savings for little shops trying to compete with the big chains, but it makes for some unremarkable pizzas. Whenever pizza is a commodity, it can't rise to excellence.
Typical soft, floppy, uniform, over-cheesed and bland pie

THIS LINK is very enlightening:  and it may help explain why there are so many soft, wet, floppy pizza crusts. Price-conscious pizza makers choose the cheapest, low-gluten pizza flour from Sysco. Pie makers looking for shortcuts can buy pre-fab crusts, too. That’s why, typically, their “fresh” pizza is not as good as DiGiorno!

It's generally worth the time and the money to seek out destination pizza joints; you can often spot them by the line of patrons waiting for a taste.

Review: Spatola's Pizza (Paoli, PA)

$
0
0
In February 2013, we published our list of "58 Pizzas Worth the Calories" (Link HERE).  It generated some reader comments (always appreciated) and we got a tip from a West Chester resident to try Spatola'sPizza in Paoli, PA.  I could not be more pleased to report that there are now 59 pizzas worth the calories. Something special is taking place at Spatola's.
My awesome lunch at Spatola's, Paoli

Quite recently, we noted here that the boom in Neapolitan-style pizza is surely welcome, but we want to see more new places making artisanal versions of classic American pies - New York, New Haven, Trenton style. (Link HERE). Thin crisp crust, homemade dough, quality ingredients, hand-crafted. One such new place dedicated to traditional American pie is Gennaro's Tomato Pie in South Philly; we're anxious to get there and have some.
20 W Lancaster Ave, Paoli PA 19301

It's taken some time since I arrived in Chester County in 2009, but I'm finally fulfilling the Quixotic Quest to find destination pizza in West Chester PA or anywhere on Philly's Main Line (What is the "Main Line?" Find out about these tony suburbs at thisWikipedia LINK). La Porta in Media heads the pack (review HERE), and Wayne PA is blessed with both Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza (review HERE) and Jules Thin Crust. Now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those great pies is Spatola's.
From the Spatola Pizza website, http://spatolaspizza.com

After I got the tip from a commenter on this blog, I found a little (and conflicting) info about Spatola's on the web. Googling, you can find Spatola's in Doylestown, New Hope, Ambler, and Lansdowne. Not certain if they are all linked or not. There are just two locations identified on their website -- Paoli, and Chalfont. The site notes "From Palermo, Sicily to Philadelphia and finally ... Chalfont PA." The Paoli location is the newcomer.
Sicilian, left, and Trenton, right. From http://spatolaspizza.com

What I saw at the counter

On a weekday, I stopped in to the Paoli location on Lancaster Avenue (very near Paoli Pike, the Paoli train station, and the WaWa) for two slices at lunch. It is a small space, just six stool seats along a window counter. Even the display counter was small - too small to easily see all the pizza choices as well as other options like garlic knots and cannoli. The conventional pie (NY style) had eye appeal, but I had come primarily to investigate the Trenton-style and Brooklyn-style pies.
Owner is in background, at the oven


Chatting with the friendly counter man (who I later learned was the owner), I discovered that the Trenton pie is a large 16" square pie (quite a bargain at $14.95) that resembles a Sicilian pie (also on the menu) but has a thin crust and a pronounced raised edge. It's made with plum tomatoes and conventional mozzarella. I've had plenty of Trenton pizza, and the main similarity to Trenton pies I know is the thin but crisp crust. The closest thing to this style would be Brooklyn's "Granma" slice, which is another thin-crust square pie (see a Granma slice at Brooklyn's Lenny's Pizza, where Tony Manero ate pizza in Saturday Night Fever, at this LINK). At Spatola's, their version of a Brooklyn pie is identical to the Trenton pie, except that fresh mozzarella is swapped in for the conventional dry mozz.
The pie I took home. Box filler!

I was keen on the Trenton style, so I ordered a slice and also a more conventional NY slice that was topped with sauce, regular mozzarella, diced tomato, and what looked like spots of bufalo mozz but may have been ricotta. Anyhow, both slices had a very thin crust that had a wonderful crispness, and was somehow sturdy enough to support a generous cheese and sauce topping. 
A pepperoni slice, after the re-bake

Sausage slice. You can see the fennel seeds!

The Trenton pie was sufficiently promising that I ordered an entire pie for takeout, and it cooked while I ate my two slices. The friendly owner hails from Palermo, Sicily. For the Trenton pie I ordered to go, he was reluctant to fulfill my request for meat topping -- "Why mess with perfection?" he asked. We spoke about how so many pizzas are ruined by piling on too many toppings. We spoke about balance and he noted that "simple is often best" (a lesson I learned in Rome - see link HERE). It's terrific that when the pizzaiolo understands the yin and yang of crafting a destination pie.

Tasted even better than this looks

Generally, nearly every pizza tastes pretty good, so I often discriminate more by texture. These slices had my ideal texture - no tip sag, no need to fold it to eat it. But more importantly, they had a savory balance of sauce, cheese, crust that made it the tastiest pizza in my memory. I expected to like the Trenton slice, and I loved it. The plum tomatoes had a sweet note and plenty of fresh tomato flavor. The thin crust had superb flavor and texture. This Trenton slice was firing on all 8 cylinders.
Another look at the lunch slices. Chunky plum tomato sauce!

I expected less of the NY slice, but it may have been even better. There was some oil pooling on top of this slice, but I don't seek out pizza as diet food; the oil imparts flavor and I welcome it, whether it oozes from the cheese or is added olive oil. 

The pie man did relent to my request for meat toppings on my Trenton pie; I got half pepperoni and half sausage.  The meat went on only after the pie was nearly done; this big square cooked in a large black pan. All the pies were cooked in a conventional commercial pizza oven, just like DeLorenzo's of Trenton (link HERE) and Di Fara's of Brooklyn (link HERE). There's plenty of fuss about brick ovens, coal fired ovens, wood fired ovens, but this confirmed my sense that ingredients and technique matter a lot more than the oven.

I took the finished pie and placed it in my trunk, where it spent the next 4 or 5 hours. Naturally, it steamed itself in there -- never a good thing for the crust. About 7 hours later, I took out five slices, put them on my perforated pizza pan, and heated them for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

They made a full recovery! Supremely crisp (but not hard) on the bottom, with the lovely chunky plum tomato and cheese complemented now by some high-grade pepperoni and genuine Italian sausage, sliced from the rope. Again, this pie nails it on flavor, on balance and harmony, and on texture. The ridges on the cornicione were crisp with small bubbles and especially delightful to crunch down. I hate to see any pie eater leave pizza bones behind; with this pie, it would be criminal.
The edge crust was an  amazing bubbly crunch

In my pizza quests, I've discovered Neapolitan pie, gourmet pie, and legendary pie. I loved them all, but mostly I've been looking for a pizza shop that can execute a crisp and tasty American pie that doesn't get soggy. This is an every-day and any-day go-to pizza. The quality is high, the craftsmanship higher, and the prices are modest. It's American pie with a genuine Italian sensibility. I'm delighted to have it nearby.
At home, but before the re-bake

Ratings:  The crust gets 9.5.  The sauce gets a 9. The cheese is 8.5. The pepperoni is a 7, the sausage is a 9. The yin/yang is a 10.  Overall, I will split hairs and call this pie a 9, a destination pie, and a grand bargain.


Review: Pizzeria Delfina, San Francisco

$
0
0
When most people think of the great pizza cities, they cite New York (of course) and frequently Chicago (I've yet to personally confirm that).  Those more in the know will mention New Haven CT and even Trenton NJ. And it's increasingly true that you can find destination pizza in most American cities. 
Salsiccia pie. Click any image for full resolution!

But without the helpful reports of pizza nerds online, especially as aggregated on Slice - Seriouseats, I never would have suspected that San Francisco is among the pizza elite cities. In March 2013, I had a two-day meeting in Sonoma, which meant a flight into San Francisco and then a drive to Sonoma. It presented an opportunity to stop for a pizza lunch in the city before crossing over the Golden Gate into wine country.

With the good folks at Seriouseats as my guide, I targeted five pizza spots, then narrowed the list to three because two of them are not open for lunch. On my short list was Pizzeria Delfina, Tony's Pizza Neapoletana, and Gioia Pizza. Tony's was especially intriguing, because they have several kinds of ovens to make an astonishing assortment of pies -- Neapolitan, Roman, New York, even Trenton! But I finally settled on Delfina because various reports pointed to a hybrid Neapolitan/New York pie. In other words, promise of a Neapolitan pie that isn't soggy in the middle.

Delfina is at 3611 18th Street, in what appears to be a hipster-ish area near Dolores Park. Parking was difficult until we found a bunch of empty metered spots three blocks away on 17th Street (cheap parking, compared to other cities, just 25 cents per hour).  The pizzeria is tiny on the inside, with a few tables and one narrow bar that seats maybe four or five. The website claims total inside seating for 24; those better be small people! Other available seating is at tiny tables on the sidewalk, and that was perfect for our unseasonably warm March day.
Broccoli raab pie

I was travelling with a colleague, and we opted to order two different pies (all the pies are personal size) and split them. We chose the Broccoli Raab pie, which also included caciocavallo and mozzarella cheeses, black olives, and hot peppers. For balance, we selected the Salsiccia pie, with housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, and mozzarella.
Delectable cornicione

Delfina has a well-considered wine list, with some very nice Aglianico for about $11 per glass. It was a nice way to begin, munching on some crisp thin breadsticks, waiting for the pies.

Both pies arrived fairly quickly, and they looked very Neapolitan. Delfina's website says that the pizza is "inspired by Craig's memories of New York-style pies from his youth and pizza from the best pizzerias of Naples. The menu features six Neapolitan inspired, thin crust pizzas." The broccoli raab pie came first, and it had a substantial amount of cheese and wet raab. That could have been a soggy-center situation, but the absence of tomatoes on this one kept it together.
Look closely at seeping moisture; crust remained crisp!

Indeed, as we removed slices from the tray and looked underneath, we could see some accumulating moisture. But the bottom of this crust had a distinct crispness to it; there was no hint of sogginess. The pizza at Delfina is indeed a hybrid, even if it is 80 percent Neapolitan and 20 percent New York. Actually, to my perception, the crisp bottom and zero-tip-sag was more characteristic of Trenton and New Haven than the softer, foldable New York slice. But surely no matter how you label it, the crust was masterful.
Try THAT with your average soft wet Neapolitan pie!

I thoroughly enjoyed the raab pie, but it once again confirmed for me that vegetable-topped pies will rarely resonate with me like a pizza with cured meats on it. This raab had a bitter (in a good way) snap to it, but its strong flavor was a distraction from the good cheeses and the brilliant crust. Overall, the pie was excellent, but I wouldn't choose it again.
There is some magic in this crust

The sausage pie had that same perfection in the crust, with one of the best corniciones I've seen or tasted -- big puffy blistered handles with an al dente chew to them. Once again the thin crust, even loaded fairly heavily with wet cheese and tomato and sausage, remained crisp and sturdy, practically defying gravity. No knife and fork needed!  The taste was wonderful, with good chunks of tomato harmonizing with creamy mozzarella and the savory sausage. 

The red bell pepper and purple onion were welcome veggie additions (especially the onion) but they were cooked a little less than ideal, probably because this pie spends such a short time in the oven. Still, they enhanced the pie.

On my list of "58 Pizzas Worth the Calories" (link HERE), the highest-ranking Neapolitan pies are Motorino (reviewed HERE) and Forcella (reviewed HERE). Trenton, New York, and New Haven pies fill out my top spots due to their superior crusts. But because Delfina's modified Neapolitan succeeds in avoiding the soggy center, it rises above most, if not all, Neapolitan pies I've had. I'll re-do the rankings sometime soon, and I expect Delfina will get slotted ahead of all the other Neapolitans.

The crust gets 9.5, the tomatoes 8, the cheeses 9, the sausage 8, the veggies 7. The service was warm and engaging, and the al fresco atmosphere enhanced the good California vibe. It was pricey, but still a decent value. Overall, Delfina gets a 9.25. This is wonderful destination pizza and I'd gladly return for more.

Pizzeria Delfina on Urbanspoon

Review: The Swiss Hotel, Sonoma CA

$
0
0

The Swiss Hotel is a bar and restaurant on the lovely town square of Sonoma, California. It's hard to go wrong with any dining spot in this upscale version of a Norman Rockwell town, but the Swiss Hotel came highly recommended by others who had visited Sonoma. The property boasts "a bar that is virtually unchanged through four generations (since 1909), and walls covered with a photographic history of the town."

The menu is centered around Italian fare (just what you’d expect at a “Swiss” restaurant in California wine country). We made a lunch visit, and there were several nice choices on the menu, many focusing on pasta. But because it was a business lunch, I opted to avoid red spots on my white shirt and chose the personal pizza from their wood-fired oven. Mine was topped with pepperoni and roasted garlic cloves, and was dusted post-bake with fresh basil and aged Italian cheese.

The crust was medium thickness. It was not a typical pizza crust, but more akin to excellent Italian bread both in its texture and flavor. It was reasonably sturdy and cooked nicely, with an excellent char underneath. None of the toppings were standouts, but the flavors harmonized and gave me the sense that Northern Californians are a little like Europeans in regard to food; even in a “Swiss” hotel, the pizza is going to be crafted with care and a with a knowledge of fresh, high quality ingredients.

This pie did not rise to the lofty heights of the destination pizza I enjoyed just one day earlier at Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco (review HERE), but it was well-crafted and entirely satisfying; “worth the calories.” The crust is an 8, the tomato chunks earn a 9, the cheese, garlic, and pepperoni each earn a 7, and the ambiance and service a 9. 
Lovely vintage Karmann Ghia spotted in Sonoma
Sonoma Town Square (from Sonomachamber.org)

Overall, the pizza comes in at an 8. Not quite destination pizza, but damn good pizza in a destination town. Sonoma is a charming place, especially for wine drinkers, and I expect to return. In addition to the nearby “The Girl and the Fig” restaurant, The Swiss Hotel is a dining spot worthy of repeat visits. 


Swiss Hotel & Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Review: Zero Otto Nove, Bronx, NYC

$
0
0

Zero Otto Nove, 2357 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY 10458

Because Zero Otto Nove is on my list of "Sixty Pizzas Worth the Calories," I wanted to share a mini-review about the food there.  It's been a few years since I was there, but reading other reviews online confirms for me that the quality hasn't slipped. 

Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm most fond of a thin, crisp, sturdy crust pizza. My ideal one is a Trenton tomato pie (learn HERE about DeLorenzo's), but a New Haven apizza is also right on the money. As best as I can recall, Zero Otto Nove may be the first true Neapolitan pie that I sampled (plenty of ordinary pizza joints inaccurately label their pies Neapolitan). It really opened my eyes to the magic of the charred and puffy Neapolitan crust.
Margherita pie. Photo from http://www.facebook.com/ZeroOttoNove

On a NYC trip that included stops at The Cloisters, Patsy' Pizza in East Harlem, City Island, and Yankee Stadium, we made a too-brief stop in Bronx's Little Italy for tomato pie at Zero Otto Nove (0-8-9, the area code of Chef Roberto's Italian home). 

It was in a tidy neighborhood with street parking, and we found a nice interior to this cozy place. It's designed to make you feel as though you are eating in an Italian piazza, and they largely succeed.  With FEEP Jr (Fellow Enthusiast for Eating Pizza), we ordered two of the personal-sized pizzas: The Margherita pie, made with imported bufalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes, and the white pie made with ham and béchamel. 
Our view from nosebleed seats at the original Yankee Stadium

Of the many Neapolitan pizzas I've eaten since, my typical complaint is the wet and soggy center that ruins the first few bites of each slice, and the wet blobs of fresh mozzarella floating in wet pools of sauce. Often, it's a gross excess of moisture for the delicate nature of a Neapolitan crust. Yeah, yeah, I know that even in Italy "it's supposed to be that way" but it really destroys the balance of the pie.
Interior view, from http://www.facebook.com/ZeroOttoNove

I'm happy to report that, based our our pies that day, Zero Otto Nove crafts a Neapolitan pie with a better sense of harmony regarding what goes on top. Our pies were generous with cheese and other toppings, but they were not wet, soggy, or limp. Even though we had eaten a few slices of Patsy's wonderful Trenton-ish pizza only a few hours earlier, we easily polished off these pies after an appetizer.
Street View with vintage Fiat, from http://www.facebook.com/ZeroOttoNove

The San Marzano tomatoes - which I can sometimes think are over-hyped - really tasted superb, and there was a distinct delicate appeal in the cheese. Fresh mozzarella can be bland, but the sweet dairy taste here was  perfect on this pie. Not long ago, crafting homemade pie in Pennsylvania (full story HERE), a Bronx friend stopped on Arthur Avenue to buy fresh mozz, San Marzano tomatoes, and other authentic Italian ingredients. It makes a huge difference.

The octopus we had for appetizer was the tenderest I've ever had, and I savored every bite. Beyond the lovely setting, we had wonderful old-world service, too. I'd go back often if I lived anywhere close.

Zero Otto Nove stands with San Francisco's Pizzeria Delfina (review HERE) as the best Neapolitan pie I've had. Wonderful pizza.  

Pizza Guy Talks About Philly Cheesesteaks

$
0
0

A Pizza Guy Talks About Philly Cheesesteaks

A Tribute to Pete

What does a pizza guy know, or care, about cheesesteak sandwiches? Well, most importantly, the aspect that makes a great pizza is the same as that which enables a world class Philly steak sandwich: the bread.  If it is soft, wet, factory-made, flavorless, or otherwise unable to support the other richly endowed components, the entire enterprise fails. And I HAVE done considerable research!

The first time I went to spring training in Clearwater, 2008, I went alone. The Phillies won the World Series that year, and the following three years I returned with my friend Pete. I knew Pete mostly as the father of one of my daughter’s close friends, but I got to see what a great guy he is in all aspects; traveling together offers that opportunity.
Grouper sandwich. Photo from www.frenchysonline.com

In Clearwater, we pursued a passion for the Phillies and a near-equal fervor for grouper sandwiches, platters of fresh raw oysters, and pitchers of beer. It was only natural to make some weekend trips from Bucks County (where I lived then, near Pete and his family) into Philly to explore the sandwiches that are famous in their Philly renditions.

We took our inspiration from sports-talk host Glen Macnowof AM radio station 610 - WIP. Glen conducted the “Great Cheesesteak Challenge” by which he ate something like 47 cheesesteaks in 40 days.  Sadly, I can no longer find his full research and findings online, but his Top Ten were:
  1. John’s Roast Pork
  2. Steve’s Prince of Steaks
  3. Chink’s (which recently dropped the offensive moniker for “Joe’s”)
  4. Talk of the Town
  5. Grey Lodge Pub
  6. Slack’s Hoagie Shack
  7. Sonny’s
  8. Tony Luke’s
  9. White House (Atlantic City)
  10. D’Alessandro’s
Pete and I typically covered two cheesesteak joints on each journey into Philly. Now, the smart thing to do would have been to visit Stop #1, order a cheesesteak, split it, then move on to Stop #2, split another sandwich.  But we never did it that way. At Stop #1, we’d each order a full steak sandwich, customized to our liking (if there was a choice of small or large, I did select “small”). Then, we’d drive 20 minutes and do it all over!  Another sandwich, another Coke, and sometimes fries!

Neither Pete nor I were small guys at the time – both about 6 feet tall and 210 pounds – but that still is a boatload of food. Recently, I had a steak from Steve’s (number Two on Glen’s list) and felt fully bloated after just one sandwich. How did I ever eat two in less than an hour? But I did. And now the story can be told.
Half-decent steak sub from "Charley's Grilled Subs" chain

I can no longer recall all the places we visited, nor the order in which we proceeded. What I can say is, of the 10-12 places we tried (most all based on Glen’s recommendations), I’ve only gone back to three of them. Steve’s is truly fine, a steak without fault, but I had it a second time mostly because Steve’s added a satellite location in Langhorne (Bucks County) PA.

Philly is home to a lot of great sandwiches, for certain. The city’s best hoagie is at Sarcone's, and nearby some other epicurean delights between bread are found at Paesano’s.

I have decided, finally, that whole slices of beef are superior to the chopped up style for inclusion in cheesesteak sandwiches. I surely enjoy sandwiches both ways, but there is a better “al dente” experience to whole slices, and you know that the vendor is not hiding gristle by chopping the meat finely.

The two cheesesteaks that call me back are John’s Roast Porkin South Philly, and Chink’s (now Joe’s Steak and Soda Shop) in Northeast Philly.  So here’s my capsule take on the best cheesesteaks I’ve found (and some less than great) in the Philadelphia region.

---------------------------

1) Chink's Steaks: Chink's Sets the Standard (Northeast Philly)
Chink’s hits on all the key factors -- the roll, the meat, the emulsion of grease and grilled onions.  There are certainly more famous cheesesteaks in Philly (the good but overrated tourist traps Pat'sand Geno's), but Chink's is clearly the very best. 

What makes a superb sandwich? The bread is the foundation. So many places use a roll that is too soft and has no character. (Tony Luke's makes a fine CS but their roll is actually too firm.) This roll is perfect in flavor and texture, with some mild exterior crunch and a satisfying chewiness within. Next, you need the perfect meld of meat, cheese, and grilled onions. You can watch it all happen in the storefront griddle. Chink's uses whole slices. I can enjoy a CS with chopped meat, but Chink's uses high quality beef that shines in the whole slice format. 
From www.cheesesteakmeouttotheballgame.com

This place smells delicious, it has a comfy retro feel, and the sandwiches are perfection. With the ambiance and the friendly staff, this is the Number One Cheesesteak in the world.

2) John's Roast Pork in South Philly
Another superb sandwich. John’s has VERY odd hours, in that it caters to third-shift city workers – they open early, close by 3pm, and aren’t open weekends. To get a sandwich there, I needed to take vacation time to get there before a Phils game. 
The steak at John's

You will generally encounter a long line for cheesesteaks. The steak is housed in a beautiful seeded roll, and you might cry when you see the staff tear out the soft interior bread to make room for the steak, onions, and cheese. But the final result is wondrous, and the roll is key.
The roast pork at John's

However, their roast pork is even better. The pork simmers in a salty broth and is heaped into the same lovely roll, and you can add greens (spinach only;  they would go up a notch if they had broccoli rabe) and aged provolone. This may be the second best sandwich in the city, trailing only the perfectly balanced banh mi(Viet Hoagie) at QT Sandwich Shop (details HERE). 
No sandwich has better balance than banh mi

DO NOT get the pork sandwich for takeout! Eat it fast, perched on one of the few rough picnic benches outside, before the juices turn the roll into mush. The good news is that the pork does not require the grill man’s contribution, so you can jump the line and get fed faster than those waiting for a cheesesteak.

3) Steve’s Prince of Steaks, Northeast Philly, Langhorne
Just a small stainless steel counter, odd Philly ordering system by which you need to go to different windows with different cashiers in order to get fries and a drink with your sandwich, but they nail it. Lovely fresh roll, succulent tasty ribeye, great grilled onions. On my last visit, I ordered American cheese and was disappointed to find that it was applied in a liquid “Wiz” style. I really wanted slices of deli-style American cheese, not a flow of white goop.



4) Grey Lodge, NE Philly
This tavern gets bonus points for ambiance. Sit at the bar, watch a game, have some excellent beer, and a well-crafted cheesesteak. I’d be there a LOT if I lived nearby.

5-8) Tie. Frusco's, Shank's, Oregon Beef, Talk of the Town
These are wonderful, near-great places. We enjoyed delicious steaks at each, with fresh rolls, tender steak, and some grill skill with the onions. Shank's has a nice riverfront location off Columbus Blvd, easy to hit on the way to a Phillies game.

9)  Tony Luke's, South Philly
TL’s can be great or it can be so-so. I noted a drop-off in quality a few years back, but a comeback more recently. They are expanding, new locations as well as a frozen version. It’s never going to be the best, but it will likely always be better than any cheesesteak you can get outside the Philly region.

10)   The Pepper Mill, Rt. 352 at Paoli Pike, West Chester
They do chop the steak, but it’s good enough and tender enough to be served in whole slices. Juicy, savory, and nestled in a superb fresh roll that would be too soft for an ideal hoagie but hits the spot for this cheesesteak. DO NOT, however, order the pizza here – it is soft, floppy, bland, and mediocre. I also enjoy the crinkle-cut fries here.
From www.cheesesteakmeouttotheballgame.com

11)   Chubby’s. 5826 Henry Ave., Roxborough
12)   D’Alessandro’s, 600 Wendover Ave, Roxborough
Chubby's and D’Alessandro’s are great neighborhood places, but I gotta say the sandwiches are on the Pat's & Geno's level. The roll, fresh and tasty, was identical in both places, but too soft for my tastes. It did not detract, but nor did it enhance.

Great atmosphere in the cramped D'Alessandro's, and very friendly service. Alas, out of all the steaks we've had on our Macnow quest, this was the worst. No flavor at all. Chubby's was considerably better -- flavorful beef, but like D'Alessandro's, you could barely taste the provolone. Neither is worth the trip out to East Falls/Roxborough.

Also-Rans: Geno’s and Pat’s
Geno's steaks are a little better than Pat’s but I don't think I ever want to buy a sandwich there again, due to their anti-immigrant stance. Everyone – local or tourist – needs to visit Pat’s/Geno’s just once, but more for the atmosphere than for the culinary experience. It’s really a colorful scene, but it likely leaves a lot of folks wondering “what is the big deal” about a Philly cheesesteak.
From http://patsvsgenos.blogspot.com/
From http://patsvsgenos.blogspot.com/

Must be Mentioned, More than Honorably
Peter McAndrews, chef at Philly's Modo Mio, runs my favorite pizza place (and Italian restaurant) this side of Trenton -- Media's La Porta (review HERE). In South Philly's evolving Italian Market you will find McAndrews' tiny spot called Paesano's, and there is just an unparalleled assortment of inspired sandwiches. Most are unique, but on my visit I had the roast pork, and it is RIGHT THERE with John's Roast Pork sandwich.


Roast pork at Paesano's


------------------------------------------------------------------

My final food trip with Pete was a visit to Federal Donuts(fried chicken and, of course, donuts - reviewed HERE) in early 2012. Pete had been gamely battling lung cancer, and remission gave him time for our baseball and culinary excursions, as well as two trips to Italy with his family. Pete was a soft-spoken guy but with his few words he showed me and others how to grab the most out of life. The world lost a great man at the close of last summer.

When I think about the Phillies, I think about Pete. I think about our trip to the victory parade with his son when the Phils won it all. When I eat a cheesesteak, I remember our gluttonous adventures. I will never again have a grouper sandwich without wishing he was at the table with me. Without him, I wouldn’t have undertaken the “research” to verify the findings of Glen Macnow. And I get an empty feeling each winter when it should be time to plan a spring training trip together.


With Pete, out for grouper sandwiches near Clearwater FL

So I lift my glass (beer, Coke, martini) to Pete. Thanks for the Phils’ companionship, thanks for the food adventures, and thanks for helping me see the small things that add up to a life well lived.

Review: Landolfi’s Italian Pastry Shop & Deli

$
0
0

I lived and worked in or near Trenton NJ for 29 years. There I acquired a taste for Trenton tomato pie (learn more HERE), the king of pizza styles. Trenton is a town in transition, and many of the traditional Italian restaurants and food purveyors are relocating to suburbs in nearby Bucks County PA and Mercer County NJ.

From my time in Trenton, I became familiar with both Porfirio's and Landolfi's as purveyors of Italian foods like baked goods, pastas, and sauce for home cooks. More recently, I discovered top-notch hoagies -- good enough to rank with the gems at Sarcone's in Philly's Italian Market -- at Landolfi's Deli in Yardley PA, across the river from Trenton. Landolfi's is a well-known name in the region.

Original Landolfi's Deli on Urbanspoon
From http://www.facebook.com/landolfis.yardleylanghorne

With that as background, we have a guest review from a colleague who vacationed in South Carolina. She knew of my passion for Trenton tomato pie, and hence she was intrigued to find Landolfi's serving food there on the Carolina coast. Here is her recap:

Landolfi’s Italian Pastry Shop & Deli is a quaint restaurant along the busy Ocean Highway in the vacation destination of Pawleys Island, South Carolina.  Several times I've visited Pawleys Island, which is about 25 miles south of the hyper-commercialized Myrtle Beach. I know that the restaurant choices are plentiful but not particularly appealing.  

The landscape of Ocean Highway is filled with local seafood restaurants of varying quality and there are a few pizza options. I have known about Landolfi’s for years for their key lime pie and chocolate covered key lime pie. This time, we decided to try their wood-fired brick oven pizza. We were not disappointed!

We ordered the pizza rustica. This is a Neapolitan crust topped with roasted red peppers, sweet Italian sausage, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and black olives.  The menu states their refractory clay oven comes right from Tuscany, and shares that the restaurant is a 110 year old fourth-generation family owned bakery formerly of Trenton, NJ. 

The crust had a very nice char. It was quite sturdy and the toppings were delightful, although I may differ with the Pizza Quixote on this point, I prefer a red sauce on my pies rather than tomato chunks. I would have also preferred a spicy Italian sausage.

The server, Bonnie, was fantastic. We sat on the patio with a great view of the roaring wood-burning fireplace. 

I would give the crust an 8, the tomato chunks a 7, the roasted red peppers, sweet Italian sausage, and black olives 7, and the mozzarella cheese an 8 and the ambiance and service a 9. 
The original Trenton location (from www.http://mackstruckofwisdom.blogspot.com)

The new South Carolina location

This is not destination pizza, but, if you find yourself near Pawleys Island, I would suggest it is a great choice for pizza and for Italian pastries. It certainly has to be one of the best restaurant choices in Pawleys Island and the surrounding vacation areas.

-- Melissa W, Columbus, OH

Landolfi's Bakery & Deli on Urbanspoon

Review: R&Z's Ping Pong, Wayne PA

$
0
0

On this pizza blog, I do try to resist adding reviews of every restaurant we try, but some are sufficiently exceptional that they need to be known by more people; hence this departure to talk about Sichuan food.

Living on the border of West Chester and Exton, I have pretty easy access to the wonderful dining options in downtown West Chester along Market Street and Gay Street. It's even closer to find restaurants at the south end of Exton, along Route 100 and in the "Main Street" shopping district. However there is one distinct difference -- West Chester has restaurants that are unique and typically locally-owned. 
Click any picture to enlarge

Exton has more chains and formulaic restaurants that cater to timid suburban tastes. Chipotle, On the Border, Buca di Beppo, Bob Evans, Longhorn, Red Robin, Bonefish. We were blessed with a good Vietnamese restaurant - The Green Papaya - but like the excellent Japanese restaurant Aoki on Main Street (review HERE), it was too exotic for Extonites, and it closed.

With that as background, it's a nice surprise that Exton has two very good Chinese restaurants serving some authentic dishes. Han Dynasty (see our review HERE) is highly acclaimed, although I suspect that chef Han Chiang spends more time at his other five locations in and around Philly. This celebrity chef has toned down the flavors for Exton, but dishes like Dan Dan Noodles have the full flavor and fire. 

Exton also has Z Wei, a large and pretty restaurant that follows the trend of trying to be All Things Asian; they have Thai, sushi, and Chinese food. The main menu has the familiar Americanized dishes, but you can ask for a Sichuan menu and it contains some authentic dishes that they render expertly.

At a Chinese New Year party, we asked some China-born Exton area residents where they like to go for Chinese food, and they were unanimous in endorsing R&Z's Ping Pong, a relative newcomer in Wayne PA in the Gateway Shopping Center (near Panera and Trader Joe's). On a Saturday evening, BARIC (born and raised in China) and I had a chance to try it.

We arrived late - around 8:30 - and the restaurant was about half full. I had expected to find mostly Chinese patrons, but there was a mix of diners and age groups. The interior is clean, modern, open, and brightly lit. I'd actually prefer it to be less open and bright, so that it feels more like a restaurant and less like a cafeteria, but that is a very minor complaint.

The main menu booklet is mostly Americanized choices, but there is a separate page listing the more authentic Sichuan choices, including duck, lamb, frog, and offal offerings. We opted for an appetizer of clear noodles in chili sauce, oxtail soup, and poached fish and cabbage in spicy chili sauce. We were dismayed to learn that the oxtail soup is a winter-only option, and they were out of clear noodles. 
Dan Dan Noodles

We fell back to our default appetizer of Dan Dan Noodles, and to replace the oxtail we chose a dish of Chinese sausage and leeks. The waiter told us enthusiastically that the sausage is house-made.  We brought along a bottle of wonderful Helios Ale from Downingtown's Victory Brewing Company to this BYOB, and we were supplied with wine glasses for the brew. We also we served some excellent pale and mild tea.


The Dan Dan Noodles arrived first, and looked beautiful - pale white noodles covered in spicy sauce with bits of ground pork. The noodles were fresh and tender, the sauce was nicely balanced. When we were ordering, we had discussed getting a mix of spicy and non-spicy foods; we've often made the mistake of choosing all spicy dishes and leaving with our faces on fire. I suspect that our server, overhearing an American discussing spicy foods, decided that we couldn't handle the typical heat that this dish delivers. This was the tamest Dan Dan Noodles I've ever had. Still very delicious, and in a way I could better appreciate the other flavors, but next time I will be sure to let them know they can dial up the heat a little for this laowai.
 
Poached fish with cabbage in chili sauce
We inhaled the noodles, and the kitchen's timing was excellent as the other dishes soon arrived. The fish and cabbage dish, which we've had in other authentic Sichuan restaurants, was pretty much as expected. It contained a lot of fresh tender white fish fillets in a savory sauce. I actually would have liked a bit more cabbage, but that is a minor quibble. BARIC had ordered in Chinese, and instructed our server to prepare it "medium" spicy. The dish was tasty, but again we found it to be pretty mild. It's so hard to communicate your spice tolerance to a server who has eaten blazing hot foods from birth; I often get dishes that are too tame, and occasionally dishes that melt my fork. It's more amusing than annoying, however.
 
Chinese sausage with leeks
The star entrée was the sausage. It was dense, chewy, and had complex flavors of pork, garlic, salt, and a hint of sweetness that was offset perfectly by the bright green slender leeks. Perfection. Next time, I may ask for some of this sausage to take home to use as a pizza topping; it can stand with any soppressata. Cured pork products know no boundaries!


I'm grateful to have  Z Wei and Han Dynasty nearby, but I think we will more often make the 15 mile drive to Wayne for the food at Ping Pong. Han Dynasty still has the best Dan Dan, but Ping Pong rises above the Exton choices on most counts. We were delighted with our meal, the total came to just $35 before tip, we were able to bring along our own adult beverages, and we had pleasant service in spite of the missing menu items and the conservative approach to applying spice. 

From the outside, Ping Pong looks like just another typical Chinese restaurant in a strip mall, but there is something special and genuine taking place in the kitchen. It's a gem and a grand bargain. Five stars out of five.


Ping Pong on Urbanspoon

Review: SLiCE Pizza, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

$
0
0
SLiCE Pizza has three locations - On Sansom Street near Rittenhouse Square, in South Philly's Italian Market, and in South Jersey. We visited the Sansom Street location for lunch on a Tuesday; I was accompanied by four out-of-towners: one from California and three from Chicago. There are just a handful of small tables and a counter in the front window. Clearly, the experience here is focused on the pizza, not the ambiance. On the www.slicePA.com website, the pie is described this way:
We wanted to make true Italian pizza, so we started by opening one block from the Italian Market. Then, we made pizza. For months we baked and tasted, mixed and flipped until what we had would beat any Americanized slice of pizza out there. Most consider us gourmet, we consider ourselves what pizza was meant to be. 
SliCE is an award-winning Neapolitan style pie. This means our dough is made fresh each day with the best flour. Then, it’s hand tossed and topped first, with the highest grade mozzarella cheese, and then with our homemade, hand crushed San Marzano tomato sauce. Lastly, we finish the pie with extra virgin olive oil. Each pizza is baked on hot stones and cooked to a crisp, delicious perfection. The outcome is a thin, lightly topped, fragrant pie.
I'm going to (politely) dispute the term "Neapolitan" applied to this pie, because it ain't the puffy crusted leopard spotted style you'd find at Zavino or Stella. This thin crisp crust has lots more in common with pie in Rome, in Tuscany, and in Trenton than with pie in Naples. But SLiCE is not the first pizza joint to misuse the term.
Americano with arugula. Click any pic to enlarge!

Rick Nichols, writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, spoke to SLiCE's founder and confirmed its Trenton-based inspiration. Excerpts from his article (full story HERE) :
DeLorenzo's (my review HERE) serves "tomato pies" with the mozzarella is on the bottom and the crushed tomato is on the top, making its flavor the distinguishing characteristic. The thin crust supremely crunchy, the cheese playing second fiddle, the bright tomatoes perfectly balanced and tart-sweet. For SLiCE owner Jason Dilks, growing up near Yardley PA, De Lorenzo's was true north, the place he gravitated to for pizza.
At SLiCE I bought a slice of the Americano, the style closest to the Trenton original, the melted mozzarella smiling up through the splotches of San Marzano tomato. Dilks says he combines bread flour and two other flours with a secret ingredient in his daily dough.
Dilks' standard of crispness? "My ideal is to hold a slice out straight; I don't want it to sag." Neither does he want a fat lip rim around the perimeter: "I don't like to chew through all that crust." Here the surrounding border is just as thin and flat as the rest of the base. It's what's not in the sauce, he says, that counts. If my memory serves, De Lorenzo's simply hand-crushed canned California tomatoes, adding a little tomato puree and a touch of seasoning. (At Slice, the oregano is a whiff.) 
The mozzarella is a brand called Grande, out of Brooklyn, which Dilks says resists burning on the stones in the heat of the gas oven. And that's it, almost. There's a final dusting of Parmesan, a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. You can add sausage from Maglio's, the sausage house near Third and Pattison. 
Enough backstory - let's talk about our slices at SLiCE! My out-of-town guests were a sophisticated group, and two nights earlier we had all thoroughly enjoyed the fine fare at Garces Trading Company (duck fat fries!). But, even as Chicagoans, they were pizza noobs, resisting cured meat toppings, piling enough veggies on a slice to make it a bread-based salad bowl, and adding pineapple to Trenton tomato pie. But their graciousness (and tolerance of my pizza snobbery) more than made up for their, ummm, curious pizza choices. Heck, I'd even go to Pizza Hut in order to share a meal with such fine company.
Americano with sausage

Our preferences were too wide apart to agree on two or three pies to share, so in compromise we got one basic Americano to which we added garlic and arugula, and then we each chose a slice of our own (you can order by the slice or whole pies).
Good spotting and cracked from slight folding!

I got lucky and seized upon a slice of the sausage pie, as Nichols had described. Lovely, uneven big chunks of real Italian sweet sausage. The crust was snappy crisp, full of flavor, thin and flat, yet still with a nice chew.  It easily supported not only my properly crafted slice, but also the slices my out-of-town friends ordered, loaded up with wet vegetables and fruits.
Alice, Californian with overloaded slice

There is a slice of pizza under there somewhere!

The sauce surely did dominate the cheese, but not quite in the magical way that DeLorenzo's hits. To my taste, the DeLorenzo tomatoes are sweeter, less acidic, and the DeLo cheese is saltier and more robust, and a bit more of it peeks out from under the crushed tomatoes. This was a wonderful and satisfying slice at SLiCE, but not magical like Trenton's Papa's Tomato Pies (review HERE) or DeLorenzo's.
Chicagoan Irfan demonstrates: No Tip Sag

Adding garlic to the Americano was a splendid idea. Adding arugula was kinda pointless. I like pizza, I like arugula, but I prefer them separately most of the time. Arugula works on a Neapolitan pie or a white pie, but not on a red sauce pie. This pie was much like my slice of sausage pie, minus the sausage. Easy to eat a lot of it, too, because of the thin crust.
Chicagoan Gary's well-chosen slice

I don't have much to say about the produce-laden slices that my pals ordered, other than that they enjoyed them and the crust stood up to the load. They promised to take me to Pizano's for thin-crust pizza when I next visit Chicago. I may have to ferret out some deep-dish, too, even though I'm a skeptic.
Chicagoan Enriqueta's pineapple pie

Philly is a town with a LOT of great pizza: Zavino, $tella, O$teria, Tacconelli's, Nomad, Pitruco, Rustica, Pizzeria Pesto. Verdict: SLiCE also qualifies as destination pizza. The crust earns a 9, the cheese an 8, the tomatoes a 7, the sausage a 9.5. Bonus points that you can get SLiCE by the slice.

Review: Tacconelli's Pizzeria, Philadelphia

$
0
0
Destination pizza. This blog's purpose is finding destination pizza - a pie that is worth not only the calories consumed, but the time and effort to get it.

Legendary pizza. Some destination pizza joints are elevated to legendary status, having been around a long time (usually) and serving outstanding pizza. Lombardi's in New York, Frank Pepe's in New Haven (review HERE), DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (review HERE) in Trenton/Robbinsville. The much newer Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix may be on its way to legendary status.

Frank Pepe's, New Haven. Click any pic to enlarge!

When pizza geeks talk about pizza in Philadelphia, once a second-tier city for pie, Tacconelli's is often mentioned in the most reverent tones, and it is frequently compared to Trenton's DeLorenzo's for it's thin crust and emphasis on the tomato over the cheese. It's tomato pie, not quite synonymous with "pizza." I've wanted to try Tacconelli's for a long time, but never got there for a variety of reasons.


It's not in center city near major attractions, nor in South Philly near the stadiums. If you go to Tacconelli's in the Port Richmond working-class community, you are probably making a trip solely for the pizza. 


Some years back, I was a frequent visitor to nearby Bridesburg and on one Saturday I phoned Tacconelli's to order a pie for takeout. I was greeted with "Did you order your dough yesterday?"


What?


"You need to order your dough the day before, we only make a set amount of pies each day."


This proved to be a sufficient hurdle that I never got my Tacconelli's pizza (other than a trip to a South Jersey Tacconelli's operated by a brother, where I found very good pizza and no need to pre-order the dough). Most pizza reviewers say that the Jersey pie is fine, but the original in Port Richmond is the holy grail. 

A peek into the kitchen

Tacconelli's has a 20' by 20' brick oven fueled by an oil burner, but it's a one-man, one oven operation. That aspect drives the need to reserve the dough (although that rule has been relaxed a little). I had expected Tacconelli's to be a small place inside, like DiFara, or medium-small like the former Trenton home of DeLorenzo's, but it was quite large inside, lots of tables and lots of patrons. Hard to imagine that one pizzaiolo can make all that pie.


The rationale for the pre-ordering is that the pizza maker is also the dough man, and he mixes the dough every morning. For more details and the consummate guide to the pizza scene in Philly, you should read Drew Lazor's 2010 article "Waiting for Good Dough" HERE

My lunch at La Porta

My visit to Tacconelli's for dinner was preceded by pizza lunch at Media's La Porta (review HERE), the best pizza in Philly's western suburbs. There, I had enjoyed a brilliant hybrid (Trenton/Naples) pie with sausage, bacon, caramelized onions, and broccoli rabe. Great day for baseball; let's play two!

Pizza, beer, and wine = happiness

My long-overdue journey to Tacconelli's occurred fortuitously; my wife's colleagues in Philly arranged a group outing on a Friday evening, and she wrangled an invite for me. Each person chipped in 20 bucks, folks brought bottles of wine and some European beers, and we gathered at 6pm in a large table near the back. 

Pizza and adult beverages in place

Much like many businesses in Philly neighborhoods, Tacconelli's looks like a converted row home. That is why I was shocked to see how big it is inside. There was a major 7-month renovation in 1992, and perhaps they expanded the footprint then.


On the Tacconelli website, I learned that: 

"In 1918 Giovanni Tacconelli came to Philadelphia from Italy. After a few years working as a laborer, he decided to do what he had done in his native Italy: "Bake bread." So along with a few of his friends, he built his 20' by 20' brick oven. In 1946, he decided to make tomato pies, consisting of fresh made dough, little cheese, and a lot of sauce cooked in our brick oven to give it a crisp light taste."
We arrived with great anticipation. Somerset Street is a busy narrow boulevard in this part of Philly, but we found street parking without a lot of difficulty. Samantha, my wife's colleague, had made the group arrangements, reserving eight doughs for about ten of us. Given the thin-crust light-cheese approach, and knowing how much DeLorenzo's pizza I can eat in one sitting, that did not seem like too many pies.
Samantha digs in

I was surprised to see some empty tables on a Friday night. I suppose the "reserve your dough" policy discourages walk-ins. For sure, you can't pop in and sit down on a Friday night in DiFara, DeLorenzo's, or Pepe's. The place was pretty well packed by the time we left, though.
The margherita

We ordered four pies to start, targeting a mix of styles. The menu offers a cheeseless tomato pie, a "regular pie" with scant cheese and lots of sauce, a white pie with garlic, and a margherita by which the dry mozzarella on the regular pie is replaced by fresh mozzarella. We chose one white pie, one margherita, one regular with pepperoni, and one regular with sausage and mushrooms (the staff discouraged us from getting more than two toppings on any pie).
Regular with sausage and mushroom

Every pie -- these four and the four we ordered later -- had a beautifully thin and delicate crust that somehow stayed rigid under the weight of the generously applied sauce; at worst, only the first bite was wet or droopy. Beyond its near-perfect texture, the crust had that robust flavor of well-baked Italian bread. 
The white pie

The regular pie and the margherita pie were very close in character; each had a deep application of the sauce, and though the cheese was visible, it was more of a role player, a flavoring agent. It was swimming in the sauce (not buried, thankfully) and hence did not acquire any browning or bubbling except on the white pie.
Side view of the thin crust
Underside; crisp with mild char

DeLorenzo's uses mostly crushed tomatoes on its pies, so does Philly's excellent SLiCE (reviewed HERE), and I often do the same for those I make at home. This tomato pie, however, uses sauce. I found it to be pretty sweet, carrying gentle notes of Italian herbs. I enjoy a sweet sauce, and this one was bright in color and flavor, and absolutely the dominant flavor.
Regular pie with pepperoni

The pepperoni pie was the best of our first four, because the cured meat added a nice dimension and its saltiness played well against the sweet sauce.

Despite the abundance of sauce and other wet toppings, the crust did not become soggy. Perhaps the first bite of a few slices suggested the use of knife and fork. 
Easy to get "no tip sag" on the sauceless white pie
Twyla says, "no tip sag, even veggie loaded"
Bijal demonstrates that tip sag is minimal

The sausage was excellent, but once again I was reminded of the error in putting vegetables on pizza. This pie also was topped with mushrooms. I have no gripe with canned mushrooms on pizzas, but on a pie already drenched with sauce, these added little beyond wet weight and bulk. I suppose folks like to order veggies on pizza thinking they are offsetting its inherent payload of fat and calories. But most vegetable toppings diminish the pie. 
Jerome is digging the spinach-onion pie

The white pie was excellent, but I'm not sure it was pizza or even tomato pie. The garlic is not that awful prepared stuff that comes in a jar with a taste of preservatives, nor (sadly) is it fresh garlic, which could transform this pie to ethereal levels. Instead, it's old-school granulated garlic powder, cooked into the cheese and delivering a nice brown top. This is a cousin to the pizza bianca sold in Rome, which is often just crust, olive oil, salt, and perhaps a sprig of rosemary. The bread is the star.
Roman-style pizza bianca

The second four pies brought all good stuff, but the onions on the spinach and  onion pie were undercooked. Multi-colored peppers showed up on a white pie, and their strong flavors killed the delicate balance and simple beauty of the pie. The spinach was fresh spinach, probably flash sauteed, and it was superb; one of the very few successful veggie toppings this night.
Spinach-prosciutto pie

One well-chosen combo was a regular pie with prosciutto and spinach. Just wonderful flavors that worked well together, even though the moisture of the spinach prevented the prosciutto from getting any browned and crisped edges.
Vibrantly red sauce on these pies

I now regret that we didn't get one cheeseless tomato pie, so that I could better evaluate the two headline ingredients -- crust and sauce -- alone. It may have had much in common with the pizza we had at La Montecarlo in Rome (review HERE) and Bar Foscarini in Venice (review HERE) - simple rounds of excellent thin crisp dough, with a thin spread of tomato sauce and perhaps some garlic.
La Montecarlo, Rome
Underside of the La Montecarlo. Simple and brilliant
Pizza from Bar Foscarini, Venice

So where does Tacconelli's stand in relation to the legends? This crust was superb, I have to use the term "classic." I very much enjoyed the sweet sauce, but not as much as the tomatoes at DeLorenzo's and DiFara, and I found it was applied much more thickly than I would prefer. The meat toppings were excellent; the veggie toppings were simply our own bad choices, except the spinach.
Tacconelli's interior, from entry point of view
Interior, from rear of Tacconelli's facing the front entry

At Tacconelli's, you can get pizza with no cheese, pizza with almost no cheese, or pizza with cheese only. All terrific choices, but next time I'll ask for (and would love to see on the menu) a pizza with about half the sauce and double the cheese of the "regular." That would still be a highly-sauced and lightly-cheesed pie. I do wonder, though, do I really need them to repeat the DeLorenzo's and Papa's Tomato Pies experience?


Foreground: Freweini (L) and Ying (R)


L to R: Samantha, Stacie, Carol (praying for more cheese)

This is wonderful tomato pie, clearly destination pie, and worthy of legendary status. It doesn't ring my bell quite like Trenton or New Haven pizza, but I want it in my mix. It's a style of pie that I really haven't had anywhere, even as it has elements of Trenton and Rome. I loved the atmosphere (although I probably would have loved it more before the remodeling). Service was good, and the BYO just adds another dimension.
Twyla is clearly pleased

I'm not sure yet where Tacconelli's will enter into my pizza rankings, but it seems like Top Ten material. There is now a lot of competition in Philly - Osteria, Stella, SLiCE, Zavino, Nomad.  But Tacconelli's - the legend - remains King of the Philly Pizza Scene. 
Ying contemplates one more slice






Tacconelli's Pizza on Urbanspoon

Review: Pane Bianco, Phoenix

$
0
0
A few years before I began this blog, during a business trip to Phoenix I made a point to get out and try the celebrated pizza at Pizzeria Bianco. We waited for three hours on a beautiful warm Phoenix night. We wandered to the adjacent Bar Bianco and ordered glasses of wine. We downed quite a few on the picnic benches outside while we waited.
"Sonny Boy" at Pizzeria Bianco. Click any pic to enlarge

How was the pizza?  In my memory, superb. I think I had the "Sonny Boy" and it was perhaps the first time I had cured meats pizza toppings other than sausage or pepperoni. I loved it, I was glad that I spent the three hours waiting, but it didn't rank above my favorite Trenton pies, such as DeLorenzo's (review HERE).
Sausage pie at DeLorenzo's

With another Phoenix conference looming in April 2013, I began thinking about Pizzeria Bianco again. I wanted to repeat the Bianco experience, and give it a new and full analysis. But because every dinner was arranged for a business purpose, I didn't contemplate another chance to persuade a half-dozen folks to surrender 3+ hours to my pizza obsession.
Exterior at Pane Bianco

Fortune smiled on me, however. Less than 24 hours before my flight to Phoenix, I read a feature story about Chris Bianco, the founder and head pizzaiolo at Pizzeria Bianco.  He's opening a second Pizzeria Bianco in Tuscon.  But in a well-written article on Slice - Seriouseats (link HERE), I learned that he has two other Phoenix restaurants: "Italian" which is a (surprise) Italian trattoria, and Pane Bianco, which opened as a lunch  place for sandwiches, but expanded into dinners. 
The bar at Pane Bianco

Well, I figured, any meal under the direction of Chris Bianco has plenty of promise, so I found the menu online. Indeed, Pane Bianco still offers sandwiches at lunch, but the dinner menu includes a small selection of "Plates" and on our visit, that meant things like lasagna and shepherd's pie with lamb. It also includes four pizzas of Chris Bianco design -- the Margherita, the Marinara, the Rosa, and the Biancoverde.
The pizza oven at Pane Bianco

In that interview with Lance Roberts at Seriouseats, Bianco says:
"...we've already been doing pizza in all the restaurants. I don't want to say it's a best-kept secret, but I know it's all the same pizza dough because my brother Marco makes it all at Pane. So if we're running a two-and-a-half hour wait at Pizzeria Bianco, a lot of times you can get the same pizza at Pane in fifteen minutes."
We had no problem securing a 7:30 reservation on a Wednesday night for our party of six; in fact, the place was very quiet that night. Our waiter (young man with an impressive command of the menu) told us that they are typically much busier.
Specials on the chalk board

The restaurant is situated in a half funky-hipster / half auto-body-shop stretch of Central Ave. It looks like it would be much at home in Denver or Santa Fe.  The inside was hip and casual, and it was easy to get comfortable. Our group took up a table in a private alcove at the rear of the restaurant.
Our private dining alcove

We pondered the appealing "boards" as possible shared appetizers -- grilled vegetables, or meats, or cheeses. The consensus, though, was salads to share as appetizers, and we chose three. There was an inventive fennel with grapefruit mix, one salad that included prosciutto and cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and another that featured arugula and apples. All very good, especially the one with the mozz, but none were game-changers.
Fennel and grapefruit salad

Only two in our group selected pizza. Two others chose lasagna, and one opted for the shepherd's pie (which would have been my choice, absent the pizza). I've read so much about the Rosa (red onion, Parmesan, rosemary, Arizona pistachios) that I had to try it. My colleague ordered the Margherita; it's his base pie for comparison purposes.
Tomato, prosciutto, and mozzarella salad

I didn't try the lasagna or the shepherd's pie, but both looked terrific and my companions polished them off with glee.
The lasagna

My Rosa arrived a stunning beauty, with a golden glow from the cheese, lovely ribbons of purple onion, and studded with browned chunks of pistachio. This is clearly a Neapolitan-style pie, less puffy than most but with characteristic leopard spotting. 


The Rosa

It differs in that the crust is thinner, crisper, and sturdier than a typical Neapolitan. Pieman Bianco also avoids the distressingly wet center that is so common (and, apparently, expected) with authentic Neapolitan pie.
A slice of Rosa

 There is a lot of similarity in how Peter McAndrews at La Porta in Media, PA (review HERE) and Chris & Marco Bianco in Phoenix bring in elements of Trenton pizza to improve a Neapolitan pie. If you can't soon get to Phoenix, you may want to try the Neapolitan hybrid pizza at La Porta.
La Porta's updated Neapolitan

The Rosa was terrific, it was destination pie, but by itself it didn't quite elevate pizzaiolo Chris Bianco in the same league with DiFara's Dom DeMarco. But then, my colleague swapped a slice of the Margherita for a slice of my Rosa. At that point I tasted perfection.  
A slice of Margherita
Minimal tip sag

Harmony and balance are the hallmarks of the best pizzas, and this Margherita pie nailed it. The crust had all the flavor and chew of a Neapolitan pie, but none of the sag or sogginess. Just enough lightly seasoned bright tomato sauce, and a similarly deft touch with the fresh mozzarella. This single slice was the best-executed Margherita pie I've ever had, and it rivalled the masterpiece Neapolitans from New York's Motorino (review HEREand Forcella (review HERE).
Great char, no sogginess

These brilliant pies were modestly priced, averaging about $13. Pane Bianco is a can't-miss destination for Phoenix dining. This pie is very similar in construct and quality to those at La Porta. 
Some of each

The Margherita is the important pizza here. Let's give the crust a 9, the sauce a 9, the cheese an 8, and the balance a perfect 10. For me, this pie sets the standard for the Neapolitan genre.  Overall, 9.33. Add in the hipster vibe and great service, this was an astonishing bargain that required no hassle. Get there!
Pizza Happiness



Pane Bianco on Urbanspoon

Review: Sauce, Phoenix AZ (update)

$
0
0
Some months ago, a colleague was surprised to find a tasty breakfast pizza in an airport restaurant. He was thoughtful enough to take some pics and write a guest review.  Click HERE to read David's take on Sauce in Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport (Terminal Four, before you pass through the security checkpoint).
The breakfast pie from David's review. Click any pic to enlarge.

Now, on my way home from Phoenix (where I had the wonderful hybrid Neapolitan pie at Pane Bianco - review HERE), I had the opportunity to follow up on his tip when I reached Terminal Four around 1:00 pm.

Sauce has an attractive modern look. Behind the counter, I could see directly into the wood-fired oven.  I figured these pies might cook pretty rapidly, but the friendly counterman told me about 10 minutes to wait for a take-out pie. 
Sausage and caramelized onion pizza

I ignored his advice to a previous customer, when he recommended the "Chicken Caesar Salad" pizza as his favorite. Sauce sells the breakfast pizza that David described only until 10:00 am, so I couldn't repeat that experience. I debated the pepperoni pie vs. the sausage with caramelized onions, and opted for the latter. I saw menu options for a thin crust or "regular" crust, but I never voiced a choice and I'm not sure which crust was used for my pizza. It was $9.75 before tax.
The crust from the bottom view

The pie arrived on time. I didn't know much time I would need later to pass through security, so I decided to down just one slice here and take the rest to the gate area. This was a large personal pie, probably 12" across. 


A close up look at a slice
The puffy cornicione gave an initial impression of a Neapolitan style pie, but the crust was thin, mostly crisp, somewhat crackerlike, and held lovely crumbly air pockets at the edge. It was a bit too thin to support the modest toppings without using two hands. It falls somewhere between a bar pie and a classic tomato pie, Trenton style.


The crust, cheese, and sauce were richly flavored and well balanced. This pie had a fresh flavor that suggested quality ingredients. I was disappointed that the sausage was comprised of small crumbles -- not nice chunks or even slices. Still, it tasted like real sausage. The caramelized onions held a very strong flavor and dominated the pie. Overall, this salty and tasty pizza was entirely satisfying.

For under $10, this was one of the best airport meals I've had. It's better than any chain pie (except perhaps Bertucci's) and better than 95% of the bland stuff from most mom-n-pop pizza shops. I will give the crust a solid 8, the sauce a 9, the cheese a 7, the sausage a 5, and the onions a 6. This pie comes in overall at 8.25. 

Sauce on Urbanspoon

The Pizza Steel Transforms a Pizza Mix into a Trenton Tomato Pie

$
0
0
My experience as a pizza maker - pizzaiolo - falls far short of my experience as a pizza eater. But on this blog I've documented quite a few successful homemade pizza attempts (find them in the index on the right, each key link begins with "BAKING"). Technique matters, ingredients matter, and of course tools matter.
Click on any pic to enlarge

Most home pizza makers face the limitation of an oven that will reach temperatures of only 500 or 550 Fahrenheit. But there are tools and techniques to overcome that limitation. The "Baking Steel" is a quarter-inch thick slab of steel, big enough to hold one medium-large pie. In my experience, it is easily superior to baking pizza in a pan, and markedly better also than a pizza stone.
From www.SliceSeriourEats.com

Because I shun mass-produced commercial supplies for the pizzas I buy, I should have the same level of snobbery for the pies I make. But I have yet to develop serious dough skills, so I keep some shortcuts on hand, such as a frozen ball of dough from a Trenton bakery. And, for emergencies, a package of Betty Crocker pizza crust mix. Honestly, it makes a damn decent crust!

Such an emergency arose after a long day of spring gardening; I had neither the time nor the energy to craft a real pizza dough and wait for it to rise. The Betty Crocker mix says "add contents to half a cup of hot water, mix, let it stand for five minutes." Well, I tossed in a pinch of salt, a big pinch of sugar, and a splash of olive oil, and I let it rise about 90 minutes (in the oven, covered, with warmth provided by the oven light).
Out of the oven, before slicing

Meanwhile, the oven pre-heated to 550 with the Baking Steel on the center rack. I attempted to hand-toss the dough, but that resulted in a misshapen amoeba with gaping holes, so I re-formed the ball of dough are used a rolling pin to make an amoeba without holes. I know that the rolling pin punishes the dough so that it won't develop a light airy structure, but I felt I had no choice.

I topped the pie with some "fresh" mozzarella that had been in the freezer for several months, a can of stewed tomatoes from which I chopped the solid and reduced the liquid to a thick paste, and chopped soppressata.

I use a lot of conventional flour in handling the dough, but I coat the pizza peel with rice flour so that the pie will slide off easily. And, in fact, I usually have an almost-lost-the-whole-pie misadventure in transferring the pie from peel to Steel, but this time it was nearly perfectly smooth.


I keep reading that pies cook in 7-8 minutes on the Steel, but mine have take 9 or 10. Still, I set a timer for 7 minutes, and saw that it was done about a minute later. After a moment for cooling, I cut it into some odd slices that were party DeLorenzo style square end cuts and a little bit of "party cut" with some center squares lacking a cornicione.
One nice bubble

How'd I do? The crust was brilliantly crisped and charred on the bottom, bar-pie thin, but still with a nice chew. The fresh mozz lost nothing in the freezer, and tasted wonderful with the unadulterated tomatoes. The soppressata added the savory and salty element. The pie was perfect in its moisture level. It was a lovely cross of a DeLorenzo tomato pie and a Lee's Tavern bar pie.
One area with good airy structure

The crust gets a 9! It had an occasional bubble or air pocket structure - but I hope to do better. Tomatoes a 9, cheese an 8, soppressata a 9. All told, this pie rocks a solid 9. Simple, and mostly inexpensive ingredients. If you're a home pie maker, the Baking Steel is worth the investment.

Review: Sally's Apizza, New Haven CT

$
0
0
When people talk about the legendary pies of New Haven, it usually comes down to Sally's and Frank Pepe's - both located on Wooster Street. Not too long ago, I set out to visit both. I was en route to Boston from West Chester PA, and to my dismay I learned that Sally's is not open at lunchtime. Hence, Pepe's alone was my introduction to New Haven style "apizza" (which, incidentally, is also labeled "Tomato Pie" at Pepe's).

In between, I had a chance to sample the pies at Modern Apizza (review HERE). But Sally's remained important on my list of "pizzas I have to try."

Recently, I had occasion to spend part of a weekend in Hamden (home to the lovely campus of Quinnipiac University), which is not far from New Haven. That opened up the chance to hit Sally's for dinner on Saturday, and then another regional specialist on Sunday. That other target was Zuppardi's, in nearby North Haven - reviewed HERE.
Sally's, 237 Wooster Street

Pepe's and Sally's each have their staunch defenders, and also some critics. At Pepe's, I found a huge space that somehow retained its old-school charm even as it had expanded over the years. And world-class pie, good enough to be served in Chambersburg, Trenton. Full review is HERE.

We feared long lines at Sally's on a Saturday, but our good fortune took us there on Mother's Day weekend. My sense is that, on this holiday, folks want to take mom out for "fancy" food and hence pizza - even world class New Haven apizza -- does not suffice. So we showed up at 7:30 pm and were seated immediately!

Much like Pepe's, Sally's had that old-school charm that would make it right at home in Trenton. It looked liked it had changed little in 50 years, and that may be pretty accurate.

We examined the menu and decided that we wanted to try two pies, knowing full well we couldn't finish that much. But I had prepared for the apizza weekend by bringing a cooler with ice packs, so leftover pie (having some tonight as I write this) is never a bad thing.
Sally's makes huge apizzas

We were fascinated by the potato-topped pizza, and opted for a "small" version of that specialty pie featuring potato, onion, rosemary, and Parmesan (no red sauce). It hardly fit my perception of "traditional" but we rectified that by choosing a tomato pie with mozzarella and pepperoni for our "medium" pie.

The potato apizza

We were seated close to the kitchen, so I was able to see a lot of pies before they were served. We discovered that the large pies were HUGE. They were not quite round, but rather elongated to fill the enormous trays in which they are served. One accommodating couple allowed us to snap a pic of their two tremendous pies. They were able to eat all of one and about a quarter of the other.

Our "small" potato pie was medium-sized, and our "medium" pepperoni pie would be perfectly fine as the large pie in most places. Both had terrific eye appeal and we dug in.
Pepperoni apizza

Let's talk first about the traditional red pie. The crust is always the key feature, and this one was terrific. Thin but not cracker-like, with a beautiful char and that old-school flavor. It shared much in common with the New Haven pie at Pepe's. Even though the toppings were modest, the crust was not sufficiently rigid to support the sauce and cheese on the pepperoni pie. I'm not deducting any points for that, however.
Tip sag, but no flavor sag
The sauce was a deep red, surely tasty but largely a role player here. Sally's showed restraint with the traditional mozzarella cheese, in a good way so that all the elements were in harmony and balance. The pepperoni was generously applied, but was sliced thinly and had no remarkable quality. It was the gestalt mojo working here; much like Totonno's in Coney Island (reviewed HERE), this was a "the sum is greater than the parts" pie.  The sauce, cheese, and meat were all complements to that wonderful crust.


Just a magnificent crust, top and bottom


Under the hood

The potato pie? Even better! Lacking red sauce, it was lighter in weight and less wet, so the crust remained rigid underneath. The thinly sliced potatoes melded wonderfully with the Parmesan cheese, and the wispy onions brought a savory flavor and aroma. The rosemary was subtle, and the total effect was magical. I don't go for gimmicky pies, but this non-traditional entry succeeded at every level. Texture, flavor, harmony.

As we ate this destination pie, I began thinking about where Sally's would land in my pizza rankings.  Top Ten stuff, for sure. But the more great pie I discover, the more I see the futility in trying to rank it. This pie will ultimately be recorded as "best in class" with pies I find similar, such as Pepe's and Staten Island's Denino's (reviewed HERE). 
Fresh out of the oven

For the record, the crust gets a 9.5, the sauce an 8.5, the cheese a 7, pepperoni a 7. The potato/onion/Parmesan combo gets a 10! Brilliant stuff that surprised and delighted us.


Sally's Apizza on Urbanspoon

Review: Zuppardi's Apizza, North Haven CT

$
0
0
In Connecticut for the weekend, I had the opportunity to meet some friends for lunch on Mother's Day. In previous trips for New Haven apizza, I had been to Modern Apizza (reviewed HERE), Frank Pepe's (reviewed HERE), and (just the day before), Sally's Apizza (reviewed HERE). Next on my list, and chosen largely for the reputation of their clam pizza, was Zuppardi's in North Haven.
My wonderful Quinnipiac classmates, Genna and Lisa

Zuppardi's is less of a tourist attraction than Pepe's and Sally's; it had the feel of a long-standing neighborhood pizza joint largely untouched by time. It didn't feel like a lovely relic of the 50s or 60s such as you might experience at Sally's, the now-shuttered DeLorenzo's of Hudson Street (reviewed HERE), or Philly's Tacconelli's (reviewed HERE). It was more of a 70s vibe, in all the best possible ways. Homey, not fancy, comfortable, unpretentious.
Not a fancy kitchen!

We had four adults, two small (and adorable) kids, and some pent-up appetite, so we ordered a lot of apizza. Because I was the only one keen on the clam pie, I chose a small. There were two clam pies on the menu -- whole baby clams for $11.50, and freshly-opened littlenecks for $22.75. A lot of money for a small pie, but when would I get this chance again? 
Click on any pic to enlarge for better details


This clam pie deserved three pics!

The waitress steered us to the fresh-shucked clam pie, and asked if we wanted it "with mootz." I pondered the cheese question and asked how she recommended it, and unhesitatingly she said "no mootz." We gladly followed her suggestion.
How to eat pizza and not burn the roof of your mouth

We were a meat-pie bunch, so our other two pies (both large apizzas) included one sausage apizza and one that was half pepperoni and half bacon.

The clam pie was beautiful with a rich golden glow. Like other transcendent pizzas, its beauty was its simplicity and short list of ingredients, applied sparingly. I could detect nothing other than a brilliantly crisp thin crust, fresh-shucked clams, lots of fresh garlic, a touch of aged Italian cheese (Romano?), some topside moisture that was perhaps a mix of clam juice and olive oil, and a dusting of light herbs.
iPad doubles as pizza plate

The clams were tender, juicy, fresh, delicious. But they were mostly a flavoring agent, because the magic occurred when the garlic, oil, fresh clam juice, and aged cheese blended on the surface of that crust. In one sense, I felt like I was eating the best garlic bread I ever had.


That clam pie was world class, remarkable apizza, perfect in flavor and texture. Please read more about it in Ed Levine's review on Slice - SeriousEats, HERE

Zuppardi's sausage is (according to Levine) house-made, and it was terrific. Not quite as good as the juicy chunks on a DeLorenzo tomato pie but superb and generously applied.
The sausage apizza

Both of the larger pies occupied that same classic old-school crust. Thin and crisp, but with excellent hole structure. It was not flat or cracker-like. The red sauce was tasty, but definitely a role player.

The cheese seemed to be traditional mozzarella ("mootz") and, for my tastes, there was a bit too much of it. It threw off the balance, weighed the pie down, and made it difficult for the crust to support each slice. Really a minor quibble, because this was delicious pizza, true in every way to the New Haven -- Trenton old-school style.
Heavy cheese, tip sag


Bacon on left, pepperoni on right

Gorgeous cornicione

The pepperoni half of the other pie was covered with good if unspectacular slices of cured meat. The bacon half was generously covered with bacon slices intelligently cut into bite-size chunks, but we all agreed that it was under-crisped. I enjoyed the bacon slices more when at home I re-heated the leftovers under the broiler to get that bacon sizzling.
Inventive at drinking, too!


Zuppardi's Apizza is unquestionably destination pizza. The conventional pies may have been just a hair short of Sally's and Pepe's (but just as good as Modern Apizza). But a timeless neighborhood pizza joint with pie this good and no waiting? Priceless. And the clam pie HAS to be on your bucket list. It was that good. 
Even the box is charmingly old-school




Zuppardi's Apizza on Urbanspoon

Review: Pieous, Austin TX

$
0
0
We were visiting family and friends in Austin, and had seen some buzz about a new Neapolitan pizza place that had recently opened in the former home of a BBQ joint. I try to get to the one of the best or hottest pizza places in towns I visit, and Pieous bubbled to the top of our list.
YaYa approves.

Pieous, judging by online reports, is known for its Neapolitan pie, its cured meats (both on the pizza and on the side), and its dessert (non-pizza) pies. We arrived with a big group -- seven adults and three kids. 





The interior is open, wide, casual, and full of expertly drawn chalkboard info and art all around. There are a handful of tables and long benches (which look to be remnants of the BBQ eatery). There are also some outdoor tables.

There is a counter where you place your order, and the pies and appetizers are brought to you. Drinks (except alcohol) are self-service. That system needs tuning; as the night wore on, there was a long line of folks trying to order, even though the tables were not full.  I'm pretty confident that the friendly staff will figure it out.
The oven

Long line to place your order

We began with some appetizers and wine. A mixed appetizer held one lovely slice of crisply toasted Italian bread and a handful of good if unspectacular spreads for it, as well as some artichoke hearts. Much more compelling was the pastrami plate, which can be ordered "lean" or "juicy."  We chose juicy, and it was scrumptious. Tender, juicy as promised, with the right salty/savory elements. Not the appetizer you'd expect, but for sure one you would order again.

The appetizers were in the $7-$9 range - the house wine was pretty expensive at $18.50 per half carafe.
The Margherita

We chose a bunch of the smallish Neapolitan pizzas; one Margherita for a baseline, one with Brussels sprouts and jam, one with pepperoni,, and one "Fat Italian" that had  two meats -- sausage and soppressata? 
The Fat Italian

Fresh from the oven, you can tell right away that the crust is authentically Neapolitan. Pale dough, puffed up, blistered and charred in all the best ways. The toppings on these pies were mostly superb. The meats on the "Fat Italian" were so good that we ordered a second pie, and the pepperoni pizza offered up little pools of orange grease in the pepperoni cups.


Brilliant char, top and bottom

Once again, I regretted my choice of a veggie-topped pie. The quartered Brussels sprouts were tough, undercooked, and had not acquired any meaningful char or caramelization.

Every pie had a magnificent cornicione, but each suffered from topping overload. The tastiest pie -- the Fat Italian -- had about 3 times as much toppings as might be needed for proper balance. Hence, this pie and every pie was wet, soggy, and floppy in the center. And, I Do Not Accept the notion that Neapolitan pizza is "supposed" to be wet in the center. "Pizza" and "wet" never go together.

The pepperoni pizza

I think what happens here (and everywhere) is a collision of a proper love of good ingredients and even some respect for the "old ways" with the American compulsion to over-do. If a little is good, then a lot must be great. But I've learned at the best American pizza joints, and learned again in Italy, that balance is how you turn great ingredients into great pizza.


Despite these flaws, Pieous is a smashing success. The owners truly care about quality AND service, the ingredients are flawless, the sides are fun (and we never even got to the decadent desserts), and the passion is obvious. I don't hesistate to recommend Pieous to anyone in or around Austin looking for some authentically rendered pie.

The crust gets a 9, the cheese and sauce an 8, the meats a 10, the assembly and execution gets a 4. Delfina in San Francisco (reviewed HERE) and La Porta in Media PA (reviewed HERE) have figured out how to make a Neapolitan-inspired pie that can be eaten with one hand. Balanced, crisp, not soggy.  Once Pieous figures out the flaws in the ordering system and the imbalance in the pies, it has all the right stuff to join the upper crust of American-Neapolitan pizza joints.  Bravo!

I came to Texas and didn't eat any of the wonderful Tex-Mex or BBQ. Thanks to Pieous (and Russo's in Houston), I have no regrets!

Review: Russo's New York Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen (Houston TX)

$
0
0
On a recent Texas road trip, we had several days in Houston. Of course, we wanted to find and eat the best pizza there. The available research on Houston pizza is scant, even though there seems to be a surprising number of worthy destinations. We narrowed our list to include Pink's Pizza, Fuzzy's (where Obama ate when in town), Grimaldi's, Luigi's, Coppa, Dolce Vita, Bombay Pizza Co, Pizaro's, and Russo's. 
Our three pies at Russo's

We've had Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, so trying the Texas outpost was not a priority. Fuzzy's gets a lot of bad reviews, and we also let geography enter our decision. Dolce Vita was my first choice, but it's closed on Mondays and that was our pie day. Pink's was a strong contender and I really wanted to try it, but I thought that it would be interesting to compare the small-chain coal-oven Russo's to the small-chain Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza that I've enjoyed in both Florida and Pennsylvania (review HERE). 
Russo's, Katy Freeway, Houston

Interior bar

Interior dining area

We chose a Russo's location along the service road of the Katy Freeway (there are several in the Houston area). We had seven in our party, and we began with two salads for sharing. The Greek salad (romaine, feta cheese, a few other garden vegetables, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing) was fresh, but not memorable. Better was the Cucumber salad, with cucumbers, roma tomatoes, feta, onion, kalamata olives, pepperoncini and fresh garlic, tossed with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil.
Having fun even before the pizza arrives

Cucumber salad

Greek salad

Russo's, although named for its coal-fired "New York" style pizza, also offers "Pizza Napoletana."  The round NY pie has a thin, foldable crust; the Neapolitan is a smaller square, with a thinner and crisper crust. I was skeptical about "crisp" applying to a Neapolitan pie, but it had great appeal and it comes out of the same coal-fired oven.
Neapolitan with garlic-and-oil, red onions, soppressata, and portobello mushrooms

For each pizza, you can choose from a set list of specialty pies, or you can custom-craft your own. We took that "Soho" option to craft two different Neapolitan pies, by which you can choose up to 3 toppings with homemade garlic-and-oil or tomato sauce.

For Neapolitan #1, we went with garlic-and-oil, red onions, soppressata, and portobello mushrooms. No cheese, no red sauce!
Mona Lisa Neapolitan

Neapolitan #2 was the simple "Mona Lisa" which in most pizzerias would be the Margherita: homemade pizza sauce, sliced bufalo mozzarella, fresh basil, oregano and Sicilian extra virgin olive oil. I was happy to learn that they add the basil post-bake. As much as I enjoyed the nice Margherita pizza at Pieous (review HERE) in Austin just a few days earlier, the basil suffered from being both limp and charred).
New York Pie

Our group was big enough to justify a third pie, and we chose for Pie #3 a New York "Margherita" pie (despite the apparent contradiction in terms). We added sausage (crumbles extracted from actual link sausage) to the base ingredients: Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, all-natural mozzarella cheese, garlic, and organic extra virgin olive oil.
A New York slice

Superb char under that NY pie
Houston natives Lougen and Helen assess the NY pie

The New York pie was very authentic, and reminded me of the New York style so lovingly crafted by Tony Erol at Wiseguy NY Pizza in Washington DC (review HERE). It had a lot of cheese, decent sausage, tasty if not memorable sauce, and the classic foldable crust. Underneath, it gained extra character from its coal-oven birth. This far west, it's hard to imagine finding a more authentic NY slice. Still, this was my least-favorite pie of the night, mostly because I prefer a thinner, crisper, sturdier crust in the Trenton or New Haven style.
A slice of Neapolitan #1

David prefers the Neapolitan

We all loved the other two Neapolitan square pies. I judged them about equal in appeal, but most of the others preferred Neapolitan #1. Because the toppings were few and light, the crust was able to shine. It was more akin to a fabulous flatbread than a Neapolitan crust, but why quibble? It was crisp, sturdy, not wet anywhere, golden brown, cooked perfectly, and delicious all by itself. The onions, portobello slices, and soppressata were in harmony riding on top. Was it pizza?  Who cares, it was scrumptious!
A slice of Neapolitan #2

Transplanted New Yorker Stephy likes this Houston pie

Underside char on the Neapolitan

Neapolitan #2 was a more traditional pie, with red sauce, bufalo mozz, basil, and olive oil. The crust was just like Neapolitan #1; the sauce and other toppings were applied judiciously so that the crust was not overwhelmed, weighted down, or made soggy. The flavors were excellent - tangy sauce, creamy mozz, and the freshness of the post-bake basil. Exactly what good pizza tastes like.
Houston Native Laurie votes for Neapolitan

The Oven


We're gonna rate the NY pie a 7, and both Neapolitans 8.5. Very nice stuff, especially the crust on the Neapolitans. It's not quite as magical as the coal-oven pizza at Anthony's Coal-Fired, but it's destination pie despite the fact that this chain has over 25 locations. Bravo!





Russo's NY Coal-Fired Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

Review: Charlie's Pizzeria, Norristown PA

$
0
0
In the 1960s and 70s in South Jersey, not too far from Trenton, the term "tomato pie" was used by my favorite pizza joint in Riverside. To me, it was a synonym for pizza. More recently, I've learned that to Trenton natives, tomato pie has a more specific meaning - it is a pizza crust to which cheese is added first and then topped with crushed tomatoes. A primer on the various meanings of tomato pie can be found HERE.
Trenton-style tomato pie from Gennaro's in South Philly

Out in the western suburbs of Philly, "tomato pie" has a different meaning. In Conshohocken and other towns, tomato pie is a rectangular crust, similar to a Sicilian pizza crust, topped with a thick layer of tomato sauce and perhaps a dusting of aged cheese. It's typically made by a bakery and most folks prefer to eat it at room temperature.
Conshohocken Tomato Pie

Also popular in this same region is the "upside down" pizza, by which the cheese goes on first, and then is buried under a layer of tomato sauce. On a Trenton tomato pie, the cheese peeks through the clumps of crushed tomato and gets a nice oven browning; on an "upside down" pie, the cheese is hidden until your first bite. I'm not enamored of the concept because I want the cheese bubbled and browned.
Upside down pie from Marzano's of Exton (now closed)

A colleague from the Blue Bell area told me about a "Red Top" pizza made by Charlie's Pizzeria (also known as Charlie's Pizza and Beer) in Norristown. By her description, it sounded like an "upside down" pie. She's a formidable foodie and told me how much her husband enjoys this pie. He says

"Charlie's red top pizza is great. I love the dough. It feels thicker than most pizza places. The pizza sauce has a lot of flavor and has a little bit of sweetness to it. I like the concept of putting the sauce on top of the cheese. Why? 1) You don't burn the roof of your mouth 2) Your tongue instantly tastes their sauce, while the rest of the pizza compliments it."

 She was kind enough to bring me a slice, which I re-heated at home and is the basis for this review. 
Charlie's Red Top (half mushroom)

Now, I can't draw a full and fair conclusion from one reheated slice, but I do have some distinct impressions.  

The crust was made of ordinary, perhaps even mass-sourced dough. However, it was an above-average vehicle for the sauce and cheese, because it was well-constructed and cooked properly. Crisp and chewy, cooked golden brown, sturdy enough to support the toppings, and not wet anywhere. Its flaw was that it contributed nothing to the flavor of this slice.
A slice of Red Top

The cheese was (as mostly cheese is) creamy and salty and tasty, but ultimately forgettable. It was not, thankfully, entirely covered by the sauce, so it got a little oven browning.

Visually stunning was the great patches of brilliantly red sauce, and the taste fulfilled what the image promised. The sauce was sweet AND salty, and packed a dense tomato punch.  No question, great tomato sauce. If you're gonna feature your sauce and call your pie "Red Top," do so with a great sauce. Check.
Under the hood

I give the crust a 5 for flavor and a 7 for execution, 6 overall. The cheese is a 5, the sauce rates a 9. Overall, this slice comes in at 6.5 -- well above average, better than a frozen pizza, but not destination pie. Charlie needs a major upgrade to the crust to compete with the best pies.

Charlie's Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

REVIEW: Gennaro's Tomato Pie, Philadelphia

$
0
0
For most of my pizza-eating lifetime, pizza joints came in two varieties: those that have been around forever, and those with lousy pizza. Every new joint was either chain pizza, some money-laundering operation, or one more schmoe trying to compete on price by using mass-produced ingredients.

One happy exception in recent years has been the trend for producing fairly authentic Neapolitan pizza. True Naples-style pie, with a pale puffy crust, leopard spots, and fresh bufalo mozzarella cheese. Even though I prefer a crisp Trenton or New Haven pie, I can't say I've ever had a bad or even mediocre Neapolitan pie.

But an even more promising new place opened not long ago in South Philly -- Gennaro's. He's not trying to make a Neapolitan pizza, or a "New York" pizza. Owner Mike Giammarino operated the Philly branch of NYC's famed Lombardi's near Rittenhouse Square until 2005. Now he's back with what he calls "American" pie, a thin-crust pizza where the cheese goes on first. For background on defining tomato pie, read this primer.

The exterior at 1429 Jackson Street



Gennaro's has been getting a lot of press, and we feared a long wait.  But it's located in a part of South Philly that is, ummm, evolving. We arrived early, hunted for parking, and found very little of interest to occupy our time as we waited for the 5pm opening. As we sat on the stoop, a friendly staffer invited us in around 4:45. If I have any fear for the longevity of Gennaro's, it's the location. I hope that this neighborhood becomes the hipster destination it might be as center city rents go higher.

The counter and excellent staff on our Saturday visit

A 1940s theme inside
Inside, the place is small, tidy yet cluttered, and very inviting. There is a consistent 1940s theme, from the artwork right down to the Glenn Miller-ish music being played. I appreciate the notion that this place is a "throwback" but I'd be happy going back to the 60s, and listening to Rat Pack stuff. But that's an insignificant quibble!  

The pesto pizza

Three basic kinds of pies are on the menu -- a traditional red sauce tomato pie, a white pie, and a pesto pie. Knowing full well that we'd have plenty to take home, FEEP Jr. (Fellow enthusiast for eating pizza) and I selected two pizzas: a tomato pie with pancetta and red onion, and the pesto pie.


Pesto pie close-up
The pesto pie included both fresh whole-milk mozzarella and ricotta, and big swirls of olive-green pesto. Those toppings rode on a thin crust, pale in places but golden brown and darker along the edges, with a magnificent char on the bottom. The freshness resonated, and we both loved this pie, even though I rarely choose a pie without tomato.



Superb crust - no room for improvement!
When ordering the red tomato pie, we inquired about the onions. Some places cook them too little or cut them too thickly. Here, we were assured that the red onions were thinly sliced and more or less nearly melt into the pizza. That is what we wanted to hear!

This pizza, beyond being delicious, should serve as a lesson to any pizzaiolo about balance. Once again, the thin and crisp crust, tasty enough to stand on its on and sturdy enough to support its toppings. Then, top-line ingredients, such as the fresh mozzarella, thin-sliced pancetta, and thin-sliced onions. To make it all sing, the crushed tomatoes (so fine it seemed like sauce) were bright, vibrant, and good enough to eat with a spoon. And applied in the perfection proportions. This pie was a masterpiece.

Put a frame around this
When I go back, I will want to try it with pepperoni or sausage. The pancetta was excellent, but crust and cheese and sauce this good can stand up to a cured meat topping that delivers a bigger taste payload.


Close to perfection

The underbelly of the beast
So. We loved the look of Gennaro's, inside and out. We loved the service. The pesto pizza was wonderful and a worthy diversion, but the traditional tomato pie was the wizard and true star.  I can't fault anything here, or make a suggestion to improve. This pizza stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Tacconelli's (reviewed HERE) as Best of Philly. Both places are so good that I hesitate to rank them. Surely better than any Neapolitan pie, anywhere.


Even the take out box is cool
The crust gets a 10, the cheese a 9, the pancetta an 8, the tomatoes a 10.  Overall, this is 9.9 pizza. I can't say it's better than Trenton's (Robbinsville, now) DeLorenzo's Tomato Pie (reviewed HERE), but we can talk about them in the same paragraph. Best pies I've ever had include DeLorenzo's, DiFara, several New Haven pizzas, and now Gennaro's. 

We got a piece of Pineapple Upside-Down cake to take with us (after FEEP Jr and I ate 5 and 6 slices, respectively). Once we were finally hungry again, we enjoyed the cake too.

Gennaro's is destination, world-class pizza. I'd wait an hour in line for pie this good.

Gennaro's Tomato Pie on Urbanspoon
Viewing all 351 articles
Browse latest View live