Bite Me! Said The Pizza
Just about everyone agrees that they like pizza. Just about everyone agrees pizza is delicious. Just about everyone agrees pizza is perfect at any time of the day or night. What they don't agree on, is what exactly is pizza. I'm not talking about toppings. I'm talking about the different styles of pizza.
There is a guy in San Francisco at Tony's Pizza Napoletana, that serves 12 different styles of pizza (13 counting the Gluten-Free) cooked in 7 different kinds of ovens, with 6 different kinds of doughs. He is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
Tony Gemignani is the Tony and he has won numerous awards for his pizza making, including being the World Pizza Champion 13 times. He knows a thing or two about pizza. It seems he is trying to please everyone and he has achieved some success at that.
Then there is a guy in New York City who is more of a purist. He makes only one kind of pizza, Neapolitan - style pizza. He is even more of a purist in that he is certified by the Italian "Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana" as serving true Neapolitan Pizza. For this there are strict guidelines for the ingredients that can be used, the dough and its fermentation, shaping, cooking and appearance. There are only 94 current certified members in the United States.
Currently, there are about 75,000 pizza restaurants in the United States, which is a lot. They are divided 56% independent to 44% chain. The chains make more money because of their scale, marketing, consistency, and operational efficiency. People know what they are going to get. The independents typically put out a better product and garner a loyal local following or they are not around very long.
Pizza restaurants tend to have a better survival rate that other restaurants. They also have a higher profit margin (7%-12%) than other restaurants (3%-5%). They can survive economic downturns better because they are viewed as an affordable comfort food.
The history of pizza is a long one, dating back over 6,000 years. Pizzas are documented in civilizations in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. They were called flatbreads. Ancient Greeks ate "Plakous", a flatbread topped with onions, garlic, and herbs. Ancient Romans ate "Picea", a flatbread topped with cheese, honey, and bay leaves.
Throughout history flatbreads with toppings have been a food for the poor especially in southern Italy. It spread throughout southern Italy because it was inexpensive, easy to make and delicious. It became popular in Naples in particular because it was a port city and had sailors and traders that brought a diverse number of different toppings to the game.
In 18th century Naples street vendors sold flatbreads topped with lard, garlic, salt, anchovies, and cheese. The tomato didn't arrive from the Americas to Europe until the 1500's and originally it was thought to be poisonous. It was poisonous when the tomato acid interacted with pewter plates of the wealthy. It wasn't a problem on the ceramic plates of the poor. It didn't become a topping for flatbreads until the 1800's, mostly in the areas around Naples, where a lot of tomatoes were raised. The use of the tomato was the birth of Modern Italian Pizza.
Another key moment occurred in 1889 with the formation of the Pizza Margherita legend. I say legend because this probably never happened. According to the legend, to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy, pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito created and served to her a pizza with tomatoes (Red), mozzarella (White), and basil (Green) - representing the colors in the Italian flag. I find it hard to believe that a queen is going to be eating what at the time was poor peasant street food, but what do I know. The legend persists and for many this is the only true Neapolitan Pizza.
Pizza came to the United States with the Italian immigrants in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It remained mostly an Italian immigrant food item and stayed in the Italian communities that sprang up in mainly Northern and Midwestern cities, like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago. In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi opened Lombardi's Pizza in New York City and it is recognized as the first licensed pizzeria in the U.S.
It wasn't until after World War II, that pizza became widespread across the United States. It's rumored that returning G.I.'s having eaten pizza in Italy, brought back a craving for it. I find this hard to believe. There couldn't have been that many G.I.'s in southern Italy during the war and pizza ingredients would have been hard to find in the depressed Italian food markets. Plus all the bombing would have destroyed most of the wood fired ovens. I think the majority of the soldiers were exposed to a lot of different kinds of food which made them more adventurous eaters. Nevertheless, pizzerias spread all over the Northern part of the country, not just in Italian-American neighborhoods. This was due in part to the number of Italian immigrants and the opening of American culinary minds.
The South had a long history with pork barbeque, fried chicken, cornbread, and biscuits. In the South, there were very few Italian immigrant communities, so pizza popularity would have to wait until the late 1950's with the development of pizza chains and frozen pizza in grocery stores.
I lived mainly in the South growing up. The only pizza I remember as a child was the ersatz Chef Boyardee boxed pizza. It came with a container of pizza flour mix to which you added water, a can of tomato pizza sauce, and the infamous cheese that didn't require refrigeration.
I never got exposed to real pizza until I went to East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. I was poor so needed to work while in school. I worked at the Fiddlers Three Restaurant and Taproom as a waiter and bartender. At the Fiddlers, they had pizza. It was cooked in a deck oven, and was about 16 inches across. It came with limited toppings, but it was quite tasty. I got an employee discount, so I would occasionally take a pizza home at the end of my shift. If there was any left over, I would have it for breakfast the next morning. I liked it cold and with cold beer. When I lived in a fraternity house, it was a perfect combination for Saturday or Sunday mornings while watching cartoons on the house television. This was back in the day when there wasn't a television in every room.
In the early days of my food career, there were lots of new and interesting things to try. I don't remember pizza standing out among them. Pizza was definitely one of the things I ate but not one of the things served in the restaurants where I worked other than the Fiddlers Three.
I do remember this one pizzeria that was in Frenchtown New Jersey when I was working at the Golden Pheasant Inn in Bucks County. It was just over the Delaware River that separates New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We got pizza there on our days off. This particular pizzeria was always packed and with an unusual amount of pregnant women. It seems that it had a reputation for inducing labor for overdue women. I don't know if this was truth or myth but they sold a lot of pizza.
I don't agree with this, but what do I know? If you are going to eat it and you want to call it pizza, I'm okay with that. You are entitled to your opinion. I'm not judgemental. Just don't expect me to eat it and call it pizza. I was in the hospitality business for a number of years, so I'm aware of what comprises hospitality. I have gone to many people's homes and been served what they call pizza. I might not have agreed with the term but I ate it, not wanting to be rude or hurt someone's feelings. I also like to keep an open mind.
Of course there are some people who take things to the ridiculous, like the Altoona Pizza. It's cooked in a rectangular pan with a thick crust topped with tomato sauce, salami. a ring of green pepper and sliced american cheese. It is cut into squares the size of the american cheese slice. To me, this is not pizza.
For me there are only 2 kinds of pizza, Neapolitan - Style and New York - Style. The rest are... I don't know what to call them but I don't call them pizza. If it's cooked in a deep pan and it's not round and it's 4 inches thick, to me that's not pizza. I have eaten some of these concoctions but I wasn't happy about it and I have never been impressed by any of these pizzas. In most cases, to keep an open mind, I try it.
While working in the wine business for Winebow and visiting Campania, Italy, I ate in an Italian pizzeria. It was not like a typical pizzeria in the United States. It was an upscale white tablecloth establishment that served antipasti, pasta, desserts and had a very nice wine list. Pizza was the focus but they were small in size (11 to 12 inch). Each person got their own. They had a minimal amount of toppings. It was more about the crust and the quality of the topping ingredients. They were cooked in a domed wood fired oven at an extremely high temperature (750 to 900 degrees) which made the crust light airy and crisp. It also caused the dough to acquire black dots which are called leopard spots or leoparding. The pizza acquires a slightly smokey flavor. They cook in 60 to 90 seconds.
Because each person gets their own, these pizzas were served uncut. You eat them with a fork and knife, cutting them yourself. I fell in love with this kind of pizza. It was delicious.
I saw a smaller version of them being served out of carts in front of some of the take away shops. They were called pizza a portafoglio or wallet pizza. They were folded in half or quarters and wrapped in paper. It is the quintessential street food, originally sold on the streets of Naples to busy people who needed a fast and portable meal.
The Romans have pizza also and I have talked about the Pizza Bianca I got from the Forno Campo de' Fiori. It was more like a bread than what I consider pizza. It is baked in long rectangular shape and brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. You indicate how much you want and they cut it with a large knife. A variation comes topped with tomato sauce. This is the quintessential Roman street food. The Forno is located off the street that leads to the Vatican.
The toppings are of an endless variety, often with complex, gourmet combinations featuring seasonal and high-quality ingredients. Toppings are spread edge-to-edge. Bonci keeps most toppings to 3. He is often called the Michelangelo of pizza because of his different rather unusual combinations like Mortadella & Pistachio Cream, Foie Gras & Cherries, Porchetta & Salsa Verde, Potato & Mozzarella, Zucchini Blossoms & Anchovies, Gorgonzola & Pear, and Buffalo Mozzarella & Anchovies. It is estimated he goes through 1500 different combinations in the course of a year.
Bonci is rather adamant that "this is not fucking street food". Even though his customers (no tables or chairs) end up standing in the street (some walking) eating his pizza, he doesn't like the lack of respect the term "street food" has attached to it. I can understand that.
He opened his shop after my last trip to Rome, so I never have had the opportunity to taste it, but in looking at the selections online, I definitely will try it on my next trip to Rome. It might make me change my definition of pizza.
25 years later, Bill still tosses a mean pie. He has even invested in an outdoor pizza oven. We get invited over for some of his weekend pizza parties, but he doesn't do the extra large "Slices As Big As Your Head" size. The smaller ones he does are really good.
I have some friends who are involved in the pizza business. Joe Archambeau bought a place called Blue Moon Pizza this year. It's part of a small chain of 4 units based in Atlanta plus the 1 unit in Fort Myers that he bought.
They have a large menu of appetizers, salads, wings, pizza, sandwiches, desserts, cocktails, beer and wine. They have several round sized pizzas going from a personal (12") to an extra large (18"). They also have a square Sicilian Grandma Pizza (16"). Their pizzas are New York Style except for the Grandma, which is rectangular and cut into squares. They cook everything in Canadian made Zesto Deck Ovens. He sells a lot of pizza and beverages.
Johnny Feagans, my ex-stepson has a concept called Captiva Crust in the collection of restaurants at Tween Waters Resort and Spa on Captiva Island. He is the Executive Chef of the 3 full service restaurants, casual dining concepts (Including Captiva Crust), and the catering services. Captiva Crust serves only one style of pizza and it is a 10" personal pizza that is a cross between Neapolitan - Style and New York Style. You can build your own or they have several signature pizzas. They are cooked in a rather expensive Italian made Volare conveyor oven. It is a popular resort and they serve a lot of pizza.
When my son-in-law Bill Mahler was in college at FSU in Tallahassee, he worked at Momo's Pizza. Their claim to fame is "Slices As Big As Your Head". They serve different size pizzas but their biggest seller is their "Extra Large", which is made from a 3 pound dough ball and is over 30" across. They sell this mammoth pizza by the slice as well as the whole, hence their slogan.
Bill says learning to stretch and toss that huge dough ball is an art form. Looking at some of the videos online, I have to agree. Momo's pizzas are New York Style. You can build your own or they have several signature pizzas. They have 3 locations. Their pizzas and beer specials keep them packed with local college students.
25 years later, Bill still tosses a mean pie. He has even invested in an outdoor pizza oven. We get invited over for some of his weekend pizza parties, but he doesn't do the extra large "Slices As Big As Your Head" size. The smaller ones he does are really good.
The only time I had pizza on my menu was a brief period after a 1987 trip to California and a visit to Chez Panisse. The early 1980's is when California Pizza was born. It started with Alice Waters, as did a lot things back then. She had taken trips to Italy where she tasted focaccia and pizza out of wood fired ovens. She came back and wanted the same flavors in the Cafe she was building upstairs at Chez Panisse. She got a local craftsman to build her a wood fired oven. He wasn't Italian but German so he built her a German wood fired bread oven. Not the same thing as a domed Italian wood fired pizza oven but it didn't matter because she was going to make pizzas her own way with fresh local products. This was in 1980. Her flatbreads were a cross between Neapolitan Style and New York Style but small in size. She cooked other things in that wood fired oven too, like pork, lamb, whole fish, vegetables, whole chickens, and fruit tarts.
Wolfgang Puck tasted some of these flatbreads, which is what she called them. He wanted them for Spago, the new restaurant he was opening in Los Angeles in 1982. He hired the same craftsman Alice had used, to build his oven. He also hire Ed LaDou to be his pizza chef. Wolfgang knew a lot about flavors but nothing about pizzas. Ed helped make Spago and Wolfgang famous. He left after a couple years and worked with the folks that started California Pizza Kitchen. The California Pizza or as some called it the Gourmet Pizza was now a food phenomenon.
When I came back from that trip, I purchased a countertop Bakers Pride Deck Oven. Inside, it had 2 decks so I could bake 2 flatbreads at a time. This was at the Sunshine Cafe and we were small, about 35 seats. It was perfect. I didn't call what I made in that oven a pizza. Instead I called it flatbread, just as Alice did. I didn't have the space or the money to put in a full sized wood fired oven. If I need wood flavor I already had a smoker and a wood fired grill. I would pre-cook the items in the smoker or on the grill and then top them on the flatbread dough before cooking it. It worked great.
I never really got deeply involved in the dough making process and I should have. We made a small New York Style pizza. I had fun with it and enjoyed the different unusual combinations I came up with. This was right before I left the food world and entered the wine world. Johnny was working with me at the Sunshine Cafe and remembers that Bakers Pride Oven to this day.
People ask me, "Where do you go for pizza?" If we are in northern Virginia visiting family, I go to Pupatella in Arlington. It's one of the 94 current certified members of the Italian "Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana". They make a great pizza. We usually eat it there because pizza doesn't travel well no matter what style it is. That's not to say I haven't had it to go, because I have. It's best right after it comes out of that wood fired oven. I like things when they are at their best.
In the San Francisco area, I go to the Cafe at Chez Panisse and a place called A16. I have always been impressed with the simplicity and purity of the flatbread at Chez Panisse. At A16, they serve a Neapolitan style pizza that has a pair of stainless steel scissors under the pizza. That's a nice touch. I don't go to Tony's because his whole operation is a bit too much for me, but I'm sure he makes good pizza. His restaurant is always packed.
In New York, I've gone to Lombardi's for the history factor. They make a great pizza. Tom Ward, the maitre d' at the Golden Pheasant, was originally from New York and took me to a place in Greenwich Village called John's of Bleecker Street. It was on my first visit to New York and first time on the subway. If i had to get back there using my memory, I probably couldn't do it. That first trip was so fast (everything in New York is fast) with so many turns and so many instructions to get on here and get off here, I can't remember them all. Thank goodness, today we have Google maps. They had an old coal fired oven and classic New York style. I have never gone to Una Pizza Napoletana, but looking at the pizzas he makes, I would definitely give it a try.
The most popular pizza topping in the United States is pepperoni by a wide margin. It's Italian-American (not Italian) spicy smoked and dry cured sausage. Pepperoni is followed by sausage, mushrooms, extra cheese, onions, and green pepper. If you asked for a "pepperoni pizza" in Italy you would get one topped with peppers. Pepperoni is the Italian word for peppers. In Italy the most popular topping is the 3 ingredient combination of tomato, mozzarella, and basil on the Pizza Margherita.
Occasionally, I get asked, "if you could go anywhere in the world for pizza, where would you go?" A lot of famous chefs have expounded on this subject. Nancy Silverton, who was Wolfgang Puck's pastry chef at Spago and has opened her own pizza place, Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, swears by Franco Pepe's pizzeria Pepe In Grani, in Caiazzo Italy, an hour north of Naples. Several chefs have named Pepe as the best in the world.
Others have recommended the $12,000 Louis XIII Pizza created by Italian chef Renato Viola in Salerno, Italy. It is an 8" pizza topped with 3 different kinds of caviar, 7 different kinds of cheese including Buffalo Mozzarella, lobster from Norway, truffles, Murray River pink salt from Australia, and who knows what else (I heard they put edible 24k gold leaf in the crust). This pizza is served with a bottle of Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 1995 and snifters of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac. It is designed for 2 people. Yes, an 8" pizza for 2. You won't be folding this into a Portafoglio and walking down the street with it. This is more than a pizza, Viola and a team come to your house and cook this in your kitchen. They also serve appetizers, dessert and other beverage pairings.
Viola has come to the United States (Miami) and opened a 21 unit chain of Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza. They don't have the $12,000 pizza on the menu. Things are a bit more reasonably priced and without all the extravagance. They have plans to take the 21 to 29 by the end of the year and even have plans to build one close to me (5 minute drive). I will definitely be giving it a try.
Other chefs suggest the pizza multi-course meals from Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles, Marta and Biga Bite in New York or Miami Slice in Miami. To me this is getting away from the true spirit of pizza.
I don't have a good pizza place close to where I live so I have turned to my own kitchen and talents. I'm a former restaurant cook after all. My home oven can get to 550 degrees and I use a Lodge 15" cast iron pizza pan. They call it a pan but it has no sides so I call it a pizza stone even though it is cast iron. I use a recipe for dough I have adopted from the New York Times, Sam Sifton, and Roberta's Pizza in Brooklyn. I have changed a few of the ingredients and techniques to work in my kitchen.
I stretch the dough like they do, but I doubled the recipe and let it ferment a little longer. I stretch it out on parchment paper and cook it right on the paper which prevents any sticking issues. I have included the recipe at the end of this post.
To get back to the question, if I could go anywhere in the world for pizza where would I go? I could go to Chicago. Gabriele "this is not fucking street food" Bonci has opened a couple of locations there but no. I would go to the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn and to Lucali. Why? Because Mark Iacono, the owner, is the pizza man who breaks all the rules. Well, except for the most important rule. Make the best pizza you can by learning as much as you can about the process.
An Italian organization, 50 Top Pizza, lists the top 50 places in the United States for pizza. Lucali is not on that list. If you asked the top pizza chefs in New York (several are on that top 50 list) to list their top 5, Lucali would be on that list, probably at # 1. Lucali opens from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, every day except Tuesday. They take no reservations, are BYOB (bring your own bottle), and only accept cash. When they open, they have a a line that goes around the block. Taylor Swift, Jay-Z & Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, David & Victoria Beckham, Ed Sheeran, and Charlie Puth are among the people who eat there, which accounts for some of the line around the block. They have to stand in line too. Of course they probably have a person that does that for them.
The key reason for that line is Lucali makes great pizza and calzone. That's all they make. It's a New York style cooked in a wood fired brick oven. Mark Iacona built that oven himself. He cooks his tomato sauce and adds spices and herbs. He has very limited toppings. He serves only one size pizza (18" Lg) but 2 sizes of calzone (Lg & Sm). He constantly tweaks his dough recipe. He is not a trained chef. His background is construction, marble and stone fabrication.
The Carroll Gardens location used to be Louie's Candy Store. Iacona has lived his whole life in this neighborhood and used to go to this candy store as a kid. When Louie died, his wife closed the store and wanted to leased the location. Mark wanted to preserve something of his neighborhood's character, so he leased it. The name is a combination of "Lu" from the candy store owner and "Cali" from his daughter Kalista.
During construction, he held a fulltime job and in his off time, he built a pizza restaurant. It took 2 years. Including the brick oven, he did everything himself, no subcontractors, no other craftsmen. The neighborhood people didn't think he would ever finish.
People call him "The Accidental Pizzaiolo". His interest in pizza came from observing and learning from others, especially iconic Brooklyn pizza makers. One major influence was Domenico "Dom" DeMarco of Di Fara Pizza.
Why BYOB? Lucali is designed to be a family friendly, neighborhood focused pizza experience. Selling alcohol would shift the vibe toward a bar-like atmosphere, which Iacono wants to avoid. The focus stays on the pizza. Locali lets you bring your own bottle of wine, one per table. This keeps the "less is more" concept of the restaurant, and helps avoid the liability and regulatory issues of selling alcohol. It also keeps the cost low for the diners.
His pizza is very simple. He rolls his dough out with a wine bottle (breaking rules) before he stretches it. He tops it with a cooked (breaking rules) tomato sauce, adds low moisture mozzarella (breaking rules) and buffalo mozzarella, then bakes it off in the wood fired oven. When it comes out he tops it with fresh basil (lots of fresh basil) and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Less is more.
To me, this is what pizza is all about. I think I would really like this pizza. I think it would be delicious. This pizza would be perfect at any time of the day or night. The only problem is, Lucali is only open from 5pm to 11pm every day but Tuesday. Of course, I could get a couple to go and keep them in the refrigerator. That way I could have some cold for breakfast. I still do that (cold pizza for breakfast) but without the beer. I've gotten too old for pizza and the beer too. In any case, I would definitely "Bite It".
"What the hell do you think Lenona really puts in that pizza?" - Mystic Pizza movie.
MY PIZZA DOUGH
1 1/2 - Cups Warm Water
4 - Tsp. Sugar
3 - Tsp. Active Dry Yeast
3 - Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 - Tsp. Kosher Salt
2 1/4 - Cups AP Flour + Bench
2 1/4 - Cups 00 Flour
Combine the 1 1/2 cups warm water (100 - 115 degrees), sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a KitchenAid 6 qt. mixer. Let sit until spongy (4 to 5 minutes). Add 2 Tbsp. oil and then 2 Tsp. salt. Mix with a whisk. Add the 4 1/2 cups of flour. Using the dough hook, mix starting slowly (you don't want flour everywhere).
Let the mixer run for about 6 minutes, until all the flour has been removed from the sides of the bowl and the dough is smooth and elastic having absorbed all the water.
Grease the bottom of a large container with the remaining oil. Remove the dough from the mixer and form into a ball. Add the ball to the container making sure all sides get a coating of oil. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until double in size (about 2 hours).
You can now place the container in the refrigerator and let it bulk ferment for 24 - 48 hours. Or you can sprinkle the countertop with the bench flour, dump the dough ball on the flour using a bit to coat the top so it doesn't stick, and cut it into quarters. Form the pieces into balls and let rest for 15 minutes.
At this point you can flatten and stretch the dough into 12 inch disks, add your favorite toppings and slide onto a pizza stone in a 525 degree oven that has preheated for an hour (stone and oven).
Or you can place the balls in a floured lidded container and place in the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours of fermentation. When you take it out, let it sit for a couple hours to come to room temperature.
If you went the route of the 24 to 48 hour bulk fermentation, remove the container and let sit for 2 hours to come to room temperature. You can the proceed as I have described above.
I constantly do variations of the above techniques, because pizza cooks are never satisfied and are always in search of the perfect crust.
