Watch David Johnson, the Department of Defense employee who won Pizza Hut's 'Top This' jingle contest, in his 30-second rap debut. The commercial will premiere just before the Super Bowl, but here's a sneak peek. I like the line:
"Take it from your boy / if you order from those other places / you'll just get annoyed."
Is that annoyed or a noid? Some clever rival pizza punning there, DJ.
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
There were a lot of hubbub about wings overtaking pizza as the official food of the Super Bowl in the pre-game hype this year. But let's see what the real eaters out there say. What was your official Super Bowl grub?
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
VIEW SLIDESHOW: Pizza Preview: Don Antonio in Midtown Manhattan
Don Antonio, the latest Neapolitan pizzeria to come to NYC,* is set to open Tuesday, February 7, in Midtown Manhattan. It's a partnership between Kesté's Roberto Caporuscio and his mentor, Antonio Starita of Naples' Pizzeria Starita. Caporuscio learned the ropes under Starita, who is vice president of the Naples-based Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, an organization that trains pizza-makers. (Caporuscio is head of the APN's U.S. branch.)
It's no surprise that the menus at Kesté and Don Antonio are similar, but there are some exciting new pies at the Midtown joint — including the Montanara Starita, a version of the deep-fried pizza that's been cropping up among the newer Neapolitan places. Slice got a sneak peek at some of the items exclusive to Don Antonio. Peep the slideshow above to get the skinny.
Caporuscio will split his time between Kesté, and Starita, who is in town through March for the opening of Don Antonio, will eventually cycle through town to work at the pizzeria according to a schedule as yet to be determined.
The slideshow above is just to whet your appetite for some killer video that Slice/SE videographer Jessica Leibowitz shot. (She also did this great Pieman's Craft video with Caporuscio in late 2010.
Don Antonio opens Tuesday at 11am.
309 West 50th Street, New York NY 10019 (near Eighth Ave.; map)
646-719-1043; donantoniopizza.com
See also...
The Pieman's Craft: Making Neapolitan Pizza Dough with Kesté's Roberto Caporuscio »
Naples: A Trio of Pizzas at Pizzeria Starita »
How Pizza Delivery Was Done in Naples »
Scenes from a Pizzeria: Antonio Starita's One-Night-Only 'Secret Show' at Kesté »
* But not the last. Stay tuned for Seattle import Via Tribunali.
VIEW SLIDESHOW: My Pie Monday: Frankenpizza, Sfincillian, Salmon, and Much More!
Happy MPM folks! A day late, but there is nothing short of excellence in this week's roundup. The dedication to pizza in this group is pretty hardcore. I'm talking vigilante-flour-smuggling-across-borders hardcore. And beyond that there are new hyrbrids cropping up, like dmcavanaugh's Sfincillian, some kitchen chemistry from the first lady of pizza experiments, Ms. Norma427, and the topping ingenuity that we have come to expect from amusebouche1. Girl Loves Pizza shows a simpler, and equally delicious side, to her pizza making and Jimmyg gets back to his New York roots after his hiatus into Bonci-landia. TXCraig1 continues to heat things up in the Lone Star State. Things get fancy-pants in BHKitchen's dough department, and equally fancy when it comes to Shantillypicnic's toppings. And check out Crystaldragon's cure for a bacon craving, and the pickled pepper fix from Atmast.
If you make pizza at home, join the My Pie Monday fun, just take one snapshot of a pie you made recently, describe your cooking method (in 80 words or less), and follow these instructions to get it to us by 8pm (EST) Thursday. Be sure to let us know your Slice screen name.
Want to see more inspiring pizza made by Slice'rs? Right this way »
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
Valentine's Day is around the corner, so it's about time we pulled these guides from the archives for you ...
Video: How to Make a Heart-Shaped Pizza ̱
Make Heart-Shaped Pepperoni »
Happy VDay, pizza-lovers!
Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
My local friend ordered us his regular—a medium with olives and eggplant ($11.25). The pizza arrived studded with firm green olives and slabs of breadcrumb crusted eggplant. It's by the far the best eggplant I've had on a pizza. Golden and slightly sweet, it retained its crunch in the pool of oil. The sauce was bold, full of dried herbs and acidic tomatoes. Some may call it "over seasoned" but you need a fiercely present sauce to hold up to the massive globs of gooey mozzarella.
I can see why people compare the crust to cardboard. Ultra thin and rigid, it showed no signs of buckling under the massive weight of the toppings. The crust was cooked to a cracker crisp, yet maintained a tender buttery texture as it approached narrow charred edge. Considering how long Casa Bianca has endured the ever evolving Los Angeles landscape, it's perplexing that there are no imitators. Though I doubt any newcomer attempting this style in LA could compare.
About the author: After nearly a decade in Brooklyn, Kelly Bone landed back in Los Angeles where she writes The Vegetarian Foodie. She spends the rest of her time designing office cubicles... you might be sitting in one right now! Follow her on Twitter at @TheVegFoodie
Those plugged into the pizza blog scene may already know Michael Berman from his own project, Pizzacentric. Now let's see what makes this pizza-loving man tick. —MS
Name: Michael Berman
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Photographer, Writer
URL(s): Twitter @michaelberman; seriouseats.com/MichaelBerman; pizzacentric.com; msbphotography.com
What type of pizza do you prefer?
It depends. For a benchmark, I like to try plain tomato and mozzarella, and I usually prefer the quality of fresh mozzarella to that of low-moisture mozzarella. But plenty of places have toppings or combinations that stand out above and beyond plain.
The Pizza Cognition Theory states that "the first slice of pizza a child sees and tastes ... becomes, for him, pizza." Do you remember your first slice? Where was it from, is the place still around, and if so, does it hold up? On that note, has your taste in pizza evolved over time?
I don't remember my first slice. But growing up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, there were two pizzerias that I had often: Pizza Oven, in Rockville; and the Pines of Rome, in Bethesda. I'm pretty sure Pizza Oven is gone (they made rectangular pies with thin crust and elevated edges), but the Pines of Rome is still there—and still making great pizza, I should add. (If you go to the Pines of Rome, try both the red and the white pizzas.)
What's your favorite topping or topping combination?
Usually plain. But I like sausage when it's good, fresh garlic and basil are great, and mushrooms when they're thin and not canned. At Luigi's in Brooklyn (Fifth Avenue and 22nd Street) they bring amazing tomatoes from the father's Staten Island garden—unbelievable as a topping. I also love clams, so I am a sucker for good clam pizza.
Also, don't overlook condiments! South Brooklyn Pizza makes a couple of good ones in house (roasted garlic and marinated hot peppers). In Italy, if you ask for hot peppers, they give you hot pepper olive oil. It's great. I think Paulie Gee has that in Brooklyn.
You are in serious pizza territory with lots of great options, but do you have a go-to in your area?
My regular pizza for delivery is the "grandma" from House of Pizza and Calzone. I order it with fresh mozzarella. (I also add a side order of spinach sauteed with garlic, which gets spread onto some of the slices.) I use the toaster oven to reheat slices. It works great and requires no maintenance.
Do you make pizza at home? If so, how? What recipes do you use?
I like to make grilled pizza at home. The dough recipe I use is from Chowhound (here's the link.) I find it needs more flour than the recipe calls for. And you can make it by hand (without a stand mixer) pretty easily. The trick in grilling is to put coals only on one side of the grill (or leave one half off, if it's a gas grill) to prevent it from burning.
What one thing should NEVER go on a pizza?
Spaghetti.
I know we've seen that here on Slice before, but have you ever been in a position to try a pasta topped pizza?
I've never had spaghetti on pizza, I answered "spaghetti" because I tried to think of something that would be most ridiculous. We live in a day and age where chocolate and eggs can go on pizza (hopefully, separately). Those things aren't my cup of tea, but I'd try them if the opportunity presented itself. I think I tried a Nutella pizza somewhere sometime. It was good. But, you know, I'm just as good with a crêpe.
So, what is the most unusual pizza you've ever eaten?
I guess I don't take too many risks. Or maybe I haven't been anywhere weird enough. I like toppings to be good quality. I'd rather avoid industrial foods—which is what I suspect most pepperoni is, for instance. Maybe I'm naive about the sourcing of much of the sausage, but I like to think that it could be "homemade" by some local place, and that therefore it's a better choice in terms of meat toppings. For sure, there's more variety in sausage.
But pizza's not the healthiest food, and I'm 44, so I do try to steer clear of extra artery cloggers as much as I can. I love clams. I'd guess that 100 years ago clams on pizza might have sounded unusual. In the last decade or so, I think we've become very flexible in the range of ingredients we find okay for pizza.
What is the farthest you've traveled for pizza?
I've been to Italy a number of times but I go mainly to see friends. Pizza is of course a natural byproduct of those visits.
Here in NYC I will get it in my mind to try pizza from some place I've read about and I might drive for half an hour in a rainstorm, having already eaten lunch, because I have to know what it's like right away.
We look forward to getting the first-hand report on your impulse investigations for sure! What about places in Italy? Any favorites?
I've been to Rome several times because I have friends who live there. Several years ago my friend Alexia brought me to a place on the outskirts—it's called Angelo e Simonetta—where she said I've gotta try it because they win awards in Rome. True enough, there are trophies and certificates scattered around the place. And they make excellent pizza al taglio. I go there every chance I get. (I wrote a piece, which includes video, on pizzacentric.
There was a place on Campo dei Fiori that's not there anymore. It was a little room on the long side of the square. An older woman cut your slices to size (as is customary with pizza al taglio), and their mushroom slice was incredible. Room temperature. But that place isn't there anymore.
I haven't been to Naples, but I plan to go this summer.
What do your family and/or friends think of your pizza madness?
They all like pizza too—except for one friend I have who hates cheese. But we do need a break from pizza now and then. It gets to be a little too much from time to time.
Thanks for sitting in the hot seat, Michael! It's been a real pleasure getting to know a little bit more about you, and we look forward to having more of your pizza insights in the future!
[Photographs: Michael Berman]
691 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map); 718-499-5052
Pizza Style: Charred, thin crust New York pizza, whole pies only, top shelf ingredients.
The Skinny: Like his brother Mark (owner of Lucali), Chris Iacono uses a gas- and wood-fired oven to produce thin crust New York-style pizzas with a Di Fara-inspired blend of three cheeses and impeccable toppings, all in a warm and romantic ambiance.
Price: Plain pie, $22; toppings $3 each except artichoke topping is $8; garlic and basil, free.
Notes: Dinner only. Closed Tuesdays. Beer and wine. Cash only.
I knew Chris Iacono could make good pizza. Before opening his own place last year, he made pies for about three years at his brother Mark's excellent pizza restaurant, Lucali. But as I headed for the first time to Giuseppina's, the place he opened last year at the corner of 20th Street and 6th Avenue in Brooklyn, I wondered how Giuseppina's would compare. Specifically, would Chris's dough and brick oven achieve the same level of thin, chewy-crunchy brilliance? (Yes.) Would the sauce be the same? (Yes.) Would Giussepina's, like Lucali, provide a candlelit experience worthy of date night?(Yes.)
With Lucali as small and busy as it usually is, Giuseppina's presents an excellent option for easier access to this brick-oven buffalo mozz version of New York pie—especially if you live in Park Slope or Sunset Park. Giuseppina's, in fact, (sort of) takes reservations. They suggest calling the same day, at 5 pm. When I called prior to going, they happily offered to hold a table for eight at 6 pm on a Saturday.
For the most part, Giuseppina's is very much like Lucali. The pizzas are sharable eight slice jobbies cooked in a hot wood and gas-burning brick oven until lightly charred on the bottom and along the edges. The cheeses used match Lucali's: a blend of Italian buffalo and American low-moisture mozzarellas, Parmigiano Reggiano, and an option for ricotta as a topping (more on that later). The sauce is also the same: a concentrated potion of sweet tomato magic. Most NYC pizzerias top round pies with an uncooked sauce; Giuseppina's and Lucali distinguish themselves by using a cooked sauce based on their grandma's recipe (some old school Italian-Americans would refer to this red liquid as "gravy"). The crust is very thin, almost cracker-like at times. And despite a preponderance of crispy air bubble pockets—especially near the edges—a Giuseppina's slice holds together when folded for New York-style eating.
But don't walk with this slice. You must stay for the atmosphere. With the pizza oven to his back, Chris works from behind a three-sided marble countertop and faces into the candlelit room. Arranged behind wine bottles and more lit candles on the front counter are pizza ingredients for all to see: white balls of buffalo mozzarella floating, crowded in a bowl of foggy white liquid, long-stemmed artichokes lined with grill marks, a messy-looking tin of Calabro brand fresh ricotta, portobello mushrooms, shallots, red bell peppers, onions—and a mandolin for thin slicing. With employees on either side, Chris controls pizza prep and watches over the results as they emerge from the oven. (Before sliding a pizza off of the peel onto a serving pan (or into a box), the pie finisher sprinkles the surface of each pan/box with bread crumbs. "It helps the pizza stay crispy," Chris told me. Crispy it is. Even after a pie has cooled, the crust—at least near the edges—retains its crunch. )
I tried three pies.
The first was half-sausage/garlic, half-pepperoni ($26.50). Standard Hormel-type pepperoni is not my thing: it leaches too much grease and tastes processed. Not the case at Giuseppina's. This is an all-beef pepperoni and it tastes more like paprika-dosed actual meat than machine-made flavored meat. I much preferred the pepperoni half to the sausage.
Second was straight-up cheese and tomato ($22). Three cheers for a good plain pie anywhere. Because Giuseppina's sauce and blend of cheeses stand out as they do, a plain pie here is essential eating: zero distractions from good, simple quality.
I had to loosen my belt for the third pie: portobello mushroom, tomato sauce and mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, and basil ($28). Wow. (Like Lucali, Giuseppina's offers garlic and basil as gratis toppings. Do it.) As a topping, ricotta can elevate any pizza to higher plateau: its creaminess—almost like the cream component of a burrata—adds a dimension to the pie that leaves me wondering, "Why don't I do this more often?"
I live four blocks from Lucali, but getting a table there can be difficult. Giuseppina's offers essentially the same product: Grandma's sauce, cheese, and toppings. Simplicity. Great crust. Warm atmosphere. Oh, and excellent calzones.
Giuseppina's is closed Tuesdays.
Michael Berman is a photographer and writer based in New York. He publishes multimedia food stories on his blog www.pizzacentric.com; and more frequent, sometimes mundane Twitter observations at @michaelberman.
Note: For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here!
Paulie Gee's Red White and Greenpeace. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Breakfast: Tostada with beans and avocado.
Lunch: Spinach, potato, and caper empanada, black beans and rice.
Dinner: A few vegan pies at Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint.
In my Vegan Experience entry from a couple days ago, I drew a conceptual map charting my cravings. Along the bottom axis was how badly I wanted to eat something, and along the left axis was how meaty that thing was. In the far bottom right corner, at maximum crave and minimum meatiness level was one single word: pizza.
The word means many things to many people, but for most of us, the very first thing that comes to mind is a round disk of flat bread, baked at very high temperatures so that it achieves a crisp, lightly charred outer crust and a soft, pillowy, pliant crumb, topped with a sauce of minimally seasoned crushed tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and perhaps a bit of basil.
But the real question: can vegans still enjoy great pizza?
I've thought long and hard about this question and come to a couple of conclusions. The first, and most important, is that yes, indeed vegans can enjoy pizza every bit as tasty and satisfying as a non-vegan pizza. However, not all styles of pizza can be made in a satisfactory matter.
The key to great vegan pizza? It's exactly the same as the key to great cheesy pizza: it comes down to the pieman's craft, the tools being used, and the quality of the individual components, the most important of which is the crust.
When I asked Ed, he nailed it right on the head:
Can vegans still enjoy pizza? Yes, but it depends exclusively on the pizzaiola's skill and the ingredients being used. A great Marinara pizza (made at places at Una Pizza Napoletana in SF, Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. and Motorino in NYC), which has no cheese, is a wonder to behold and a treat to eat. Ditto for a great slice of pizza bianco, made in NY at Sullivan Street Bakery and at Grandaisy, which also has no cheese, but gets plenty of flavor from the rosemary, sea salt, and olive oil that go into it.
Some of the greatest pizzas I've had in my life—the pizza bianca at Forno Campo de'Fiori (here's how to make your own version at home), the marinara pie from Motorino, the Red, White, and Greenpeace from Paulie Gee's—have been 100% vegan, and I loved them without even thinking to myself that I was avoiding meat and dairy at the time.
What did all these pizzas have in common? Perfect crust and great ingredients, skillfully manipulated by a master craftsman.
When flour, water, salt, and yeast come together in the hands of a craftsman and get manipulated into perfectly bubbly, crisp, charred pizza crust topped well-balanced fresh, bright, flavorful vegetables, it's one of the most perfect foods out there.
I can hear you skeptics now: What about the cheese?
Well? What about it? I'm a firm believer in the idea that great pizza is defined by the quality of its crust, not by its toppings, and as such, by my personal standards of judgment, perfectly satisfying pizza can exist in a completely cheese-free realm.
That's great, you're saying, but don't you sometimes just crave that fatty, gooey, cheesy, greasy stretch? The answer is of course. Sometimes.
I stand by my assertion that cheese doesn't make or break a pie under certain circumstances—the skilled craftsman circumstances—but yes, there are certain styles of pizza that absolutely require cheese. Ed went on to say, "but ordering a vegan slice with no cheese at a regular NYC slice place is a very bad idea," and again, he's right.
That style of pizza—from the middle-of-the-road corner slice down to the frozen snack variety—needs the cheese to come together in a satisfyingly greasy, filling way.
A vegan pie with mushrooms, red onions, olives, and Daiya cheese.
The good news: there are a number of vegan cheese options out there made from soy milk or or other nuts.
The bad news: none of them come close to the real thing. Most vegan melting cheeses are abysmal. Grainy or bland, with poor melting characteristics, they may look vaguely like cheese, but they taste of sadness and sawdust.
At Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, an entire section of the menu is devoted to vegan pizzas (go Paulie!). The cheesy options are made with Daiya, the king of vegan cheeses, prized for its realistic melting characteristics and "cheesy" flavor. And indeed, the stuff does melt, though it's more in a Velveeta-esque manner than actual stretchy mozzarella.
It's the flavor that's terrible though. It tastes like the worst kind of American cheese with no freshness, no complexity, simply salt and fat. If you're really desperate for a cheese fix, it might vaguely satisfy you, but I cannot see myself ever wanting to let it pass my lips again, confirming my thought that when it comes to faux meat or dairy products, you can't help but compare it to the real thing, and in that comparison, the faux product comes up woefully short.
My advice? Forget about the cheese, and forget about eating the type of pizza that requires cheese to be good (hey, nobody said being vegan would be easy!). Instead, focus on what does work. If you take the time to search out the best of the best, you'll be rewarded.
For instance, the last pie I had at Paulie's, a simple marinara pie with extra garlic, basil, and a drizzle of aleppo chili oil was simply phenomenal. Bright, fresh, acidic tomatoes, garlic sweetened by a trip to the pizza oven, a nice smoky char on the intensely flavorful crust, a whiff of basil, a touch of heat, and plenty of richness from the chili oil.
An omnivore has a wide range of pizza options, mostly falling into the middle-to-low-end category. A vegan, on the other hand, has two options: excellent cheese-less pizza made by a craftsman, or poor pizza made with vegan cheese or no cheese at all.
As an omnivore, I spent a lot of time eating that mediocre pizza just walking down the street—either in the name of research or in the name of drunk-food—because it was an easy option. That won't happen as a vegan.
So while the total amount of pizza I consume may drop considerably, I can guarantee you that the average quality of the pizza I eat is going to go way up, for as a vegan, I won't fall into the trap of eating any pizza that's short of extraordinary.
By the way, I was dining at Paulie Gee's with my mom and my wife. At the end of the meal, guess which pies had the least leftover slices? That would be the two cheeseless, vegan pies.
About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.
[Photographs: David Kover]
6613 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608 (map); 510-655-CITY; rottencitypizza.com
Pizza style: New York
Oven type: Gas
The skinny: These pies have potential, but were undone on our visit by a crust that went soggy
Price: Pies, $22-$27
For most San Franciscans, Emeryville is known as the local home of IKEA, or possibly as the headquarters of Pixar. Well, purchasers of laminate furniture—and probably Buzz Lightyear too—need sustenance. While IKEA does serve pizza, we found ourselves more motivated to check out the offerings at Rotten City Pizza. Not just because it seemed a more likely option for a slice that would satisfy, but also because local mobile pizza entrepreneur Casey Crynes credits Rotten City as playing a small role in the development of his pizza skills.
Rotten City Pizza actually sits a couple miles away from IKEA and the mallscape that surrounds it, in a rather quieter part of town. As the traditional gas deck ovens behind the counter and the Times Square subway sign above the entrance indicate, they specialize in slices of New York-style pizza. You can get a whole pie, but plan to take it out. The restaurant has no tables, only a narrow counter along the wall that's too shallow to comfortably support a whole pizza box (we tried). The kitchen space, where Crynes worked a few shifts in order to refine his dough-stretching technique, takes up more than half the restaurant space.
At Rotten City, the basic plain slice comes with tomato sauce and a blend of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese, but when we stopped by for a late lunch, it appeared that many of the slices had spent a bit too long in the display case. We wanted to try Rotten City at its best and so made the majority of our meal from a fresh pie, going halvsies so we could get a broader sample of their wares.
On one side of our pie, we upped the ante from the traditional slice by ordering a Margherita, with fresh mozzarella instead of their standard cheese blend. This pie showed off the fact that Rotten City uses better-quality ingredients than your standard small-city pizzeria. They sure don't skimp on quantity of ingredients either. Our sizable pie had been generously covered in a layer of thick tomato sauce. The flavor of the tomato, spiked with garlic, dominated things. It had plenty of oomph, though became just a touch overwhelming by the end of a few slices.
For the second half of our pie, we ordered Rotten City's Calabrian pizza—housemade sausage, Gaeta olives, and Calabrian chilies. They augment the flavors of the nice sausage by sprinkling the pie with roasted fennel seeds. Boosted by the heat from the chilies, it all came together really well. Only olive haters should steer clear of this pie, as sections of briny fruit do dominate certain bites.
Though ordering a single pie limited our explorations at Rotten City, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't at least describe their Bianco Verde, with mozzarella, ricotta, and a concentric swirl of arugula pesto that tried to hypnotize me from the display case. Another pie, the Acciughe, bears mention because it sounds as if each topping tries to overpower the next. With red onions, chilies, anchovies, and ricotta salata, it's hard to imagine that the marjoram they also toss on this pie gets noticed at all.
The end-crust on Rotten City's pizzas stays crisp throughout. However, the lightly-charred bottom crust, which starts life pliant and foldable, had been stretched extra-thin, resulting in a very short shelf life. After only one slice, the more lightly-topped Calabrian side of the pie had gone limp. Meanwhile, the heavily-sauced Margherita had practically liquified, leaving the tip of the slices to slough off when we picked them up. I shudder to imagine what that crust might have looked like if we'd tried to take it home in the box.
With a creative approach to topping New York-style slices, and a clear interest in producing quality pies, I can find lots of things to like about Rotten City Pizza. If our visit was representative, the calculus seems to be about arriving at the just-right moment to receive a slice from a freshly-baked pie as it exits the oven.
About the author: David Kover is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and food enthusiast. He's willing to try any pizza topping combo at least once, even if it doesn't always leave him with a happy stomach. Follow him on Twitter (@pizzakover).
[Photograph: Marks & Spencer via Metro
Earlier this week there was a new product release from the British department store Marks & Spencer: Toaster Pizza! When I first saw the announcement, it seemed worthy of a mention; finally a product that would solve pizza's lack of toaster compatibility. The heat resistant sleeve protects the pizza and the heating elements. Just how many lubricated minds have attempted to revitalize cold pizza in a toaster without this? The sideways toaster method seems like a reasonable solution.
[Photographs: Flickr Patosohn]
In looking for photographic proof of all the toasters that must have fallen victim to this reheat scheme, I turned up a number of food stuffs over the decades that have attempted to marry the two. Having been raised in the era of the microwave, I missed out on these toaster treats. It seems that almost every major food manufacturer had a version. Here's Nabisco's...
Threads on pizzamaking.com and chowhound generated a lot of enthusiasm for Buitoni Tosterinos.
[Photograph: John666Steele on Flickr]
This one seems particularly ambitious. Not only are they going for the toaster angle, but Buitoni really pushed the envelope with the pizza burger angle. It doesn't work now and I'm sure it didn't work then, but clearly a multi-decade American dream.
For those whose reheating tools, supplies, detail, appointments, doesn't include a stove and a cast-iron skillet (for the best re-heat method ever), or a toaster oven (I just can't believe anyone is without both) then maybe the Marks & Spencer method holds some appeal. In which case you can just slip your favorite leftover slice into a reusable Toastabag. Just don't be like this dude:
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
[Image via Pizza Hut]
Oh, Pizza Hut, you finally have the answer to every girl's proposal fantasy! Check out this deal. Not only do you get a RUBY ring, limo, fireworks, flowers, a videographer and photographer to capture the magic, but you also get the NEW Pizza Hut Dinner Box, all for just $10,000. Wait, sorry, that actually doesn't include the Dinner Box. That'll be $10 extra. But if that doesn't say "Baby, let's do this thing!" then I don't know what does.
The fine print is the best part on this thing. Only 10 available—VERY exclusive. Must be purchased by 2/14/12, but you can get a full refund if not used by 3/31/12. Did someone say AmEX points? And only one per customer; polygamist need not apply.
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
Almost every time I'm on Staten Island, I pop into Nunzio's for a slice. And while I wait for the quick reheat I always stare at the photo above. It's from when Nunzio's was in SI's South Beach neighborhood, before it moved to Grant City, along Hylan Boulevard.
Nunzio's today is an uninspiring-looking beige stucco blok of a building with almost no character whatsoever. But, you know what? Who cares? The pizza there is great.
I've read online reviews and have even heard people mention that they think Nunzio's has slipped. Ladies and gents, that's just not the case. The most recent slice I had is identical to all the to-go slices I've had there over the years.
A minimally beautiful little slice. Life rafts of mozzarella float atop a bright-red sea of fresh-tasting, chunky sauce—it's little more than crushed canned tomatoes, some salt, and a some basil. The crust is crisp and pliant and thin. You'll probably want a couple.
I prefer the take-out counter to a sit-down pizza here. It's always seemed that the sit-down pies have more cheese than the take-out silces, throwing off the crust-sauce-cheese balance. Plus, the dining room lacks any kind of ambiance. It's not new and hip, nor does it have old-school charm. It's just very ... beige.
This longtime Staten Island favorite is located in an area that Jeff Orlick calls the Pizza Capital of the World. Maybe something nearby can sate the Nunzio's naysayers. All I'll say is that if the place has indeed slipped, I'd kill to have tasted it in better days. Because it is pretty great right now.
2155 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island NY 10306 (at Midland Ave.; map)
718-667-9647
About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice, where he has been blogging about pizza for more than 8 years. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.
[Image via marriedtothesea.com]
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
[Photograph: Meredith Smith]
Cornmeal makes its way onto the bottom of a number of pies. In the case of chain pizzas, the use of cornmeal makes the pizzas more foolproof so that there isn't as much skill required on the part of the employee. The ball bearing action of the course meal can make getting the pie from peel to pizza stone a much more successful affair at home. And there are styles where cornmeal is just part of the formula, like some of the best Chicago deep dish pizzas out there. The added texture and extra crunch on a thin slice can be part of the pizza's appeal. But adherents to the Neapolitan tradition would certainly frown on using anything other than flour to dust there pies.
Where do you stand when it comes to cornmeal on your slice?
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
[Photographs: David Kover]
Slow Club's grilled flatbread* varies by season and by meal. Sometimes you get sausage, other times apples and sage. When I visited for brunch, it was sheep milk mozzarella, bacon, shaved brussel sprouts, caramelized onion, and a baked egg.
My dining companion accurately labeled the crust on this flatbread as resembling pita, though it had some crunchy edges. It worked as a utensil for delivering the caramelized cheese and other toppings to one's mouth.
I wanted more brussel sprouts, and more moisture at the center of my egg, but you won't find me complaining about melted cheese, smoky-salty cured pork, and sweet onions during brunchtime.
2501 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
415-241-9390; slowclub.com
*I've been intent on exploring San Francisco flatbreads recently. Some turn out to be pizza by another name. Others, like this one, maybe less so.
VIEW SLIDESHOW: My Pie Monday: 'Cherry Jones', Scotch, Pickles, and More!
We have a mighty fine My Pie Monday here! Included in today's mouthwatering dozen is the last Top This recipe, Paulie Gee's "Cherry Jones", as done by dmcavanagh. Girl Loves Pizza dove into pickle territory a la dhorst, and also getting into unconventional topping territory, a scotch whiskey splashed pie from jimmyg. A warm Slice welcome to pizzamaking.com member CTMike, whose first time submission is in the mix. More incredible looking pies come from: Norma427, amusebouche1, forzapizza, billgraney, TxCraig1, Imwalkin, and paralleli!
If you make pizza at home, join us for next week's My Pie Monday!
Just take one snapshot of your homemade pizza, describe your cooking method (briefly!), and follow these instructions to get it to Slice HQ by 8pm EST on Thursday night. Be sure to let us know your Slice/Serious Eats screen name!
Want to see more awesome homemade pizza photos from previous weeks? They're right here »
About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.
Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
'Cathedral' slice at Signal Station Pizza. [Photographs: Jim Bonomo]
As most Portlanders will tell you, the St. John's neighborhood is not the most convenient place for anything, nevermind a slice of pizza. A clear schedule, an empty belly, and a cloudy afternoon created the perfect storm of St. John's-friendly travel circumstances. There I found the 'Cathedral' ($3.95/slice), a vegetarian melange of salty, savory garden fare.
Capers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and basil leaves provided the salad element. Mozzarella, provolone, and feta topped the olive oil and garlic brushed crust. The oil-soaked basil leaves crisped up beautifully under the heat of the conveyor-belt oven, and the capers, olives, and feta offered a satisfyingly briny contrast to the other cheeses on the slice. The pungency of garlic and provolone lingered. This was not a boring slice.
Despite the level of culinary daring showcased here, the pie's essential foundation fell flat. The undercarriage bore that all-to-familiar crosshair grid pattern indicative of the aforementioned belt oven. The crust was flavorless and limp.
The remote location, an old gas station in a Bizarro arm of Portland, needs more than a slice with a slender spark of potential to make it a destination-worthy spot.
503-286-2257; www.signalstationpizza.com
About the author:Jim Bonomo was born and raised in Milford, Connecticut. He is currently eating and drinking his way through Portland, Oregon. Once all the pizza and beer is gone, he promises to go back home. You can follow him on Twitter at @goodbyeohio.
[Video: Jessica Leibowitz]
Last week we gave you a quick look at Don Antonio, the Neapolitan pizzeria that's a partnership between Kesté's Roberto Caporuscio and his mentor, Antonio Starita of Naples' Pizzeria Starita.
Here, we take you along as Starita and Caporuscio—along with Caporuscio's daughter, Giorgia—make some of the place's signature menu items.
On tap:
Video produced by Jessica Leibowitz with narration and interview by Adam Kuban.
VIEW SLIDESHOW: The Great Tupper Lake Pizza Party of 2012
So, this happened. On Friday, I met up with dhorst, dmcavanagh, Tupper Cooks!, and Aya Kristen Alt for what I'm calling the Great Tupper Lake Pizza Party of 2012.
It all started as a sort of pre–Serious Eats Day get-together for people in the Syracuse-Albany-Adirondacks regions of New York state. Dhorst came up with the idea, saying we should all meet up at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
My wife (aka "Girl Slice") and I were in. We booked tickets and accommodations in the Lake Placid area, and I suggested to the group that we all meet up at a regional pizzeria on one of the nights. We would all collaborate on a Slice review.
But then Tupper Cooks! came up with a brilliant plan. Remember Kate Martin's indoor pizza oven? She's a friend of Tupper's. He must have bent her arm, because next thing you know, he's organized a pizza party there. Peep the slideshow above for some party snaps »
That's what you're all probably wondering, right? Would you believe me if I told you they're all remarkably sane? I know, right? How could this group of pizza nerds be anything less than crazy? Well, they weren't.
Dmcavanagh (a certified Pizza Obsessive), who is very talkative in the comments here, is a bit more subdued in person—not necessarily quiet but just calmly intent on banging out pizzas while dispensing wisdom as he works.
And dhorst! I've read her mention her dog Miss Ellie's proclivity for "pizza bones" in the comments, but to actually hear, in person, "We left Miss Ellie at home, so no pizza bones for her"? That was a trip. Dhorst (also a certified Pizza Obsessive) used to work in a pizzeria making pies, and it showed.
Tupper Cooks! (yes, another Obsessive) is pretty true to his on-screen persona. The word "jovial" was made for him. He didn't really stretch any pies but handled the peel and cooked a number of pies that dmcavanagh and dhorst built. Between peel duties, he sort of played co-host of the party, since he straddled both the Slice world and Kate's world of friends and coworkers. He's quick with a joke, quick to beer you, and good at making sure everyone's having a good time.
Aya is good with topping combos and kind of a smart-ass (in a good way). She's not shy about jumping in, grabbing a pan, and cooking up some toppings for a pie. This all should come as no surprise if you know her little brother, Kenji. ;)
The party started at 4pm, apparently. Girl Slice and I were late in getting there, since our flight into the area was delayed. Tupper says they had a bear of a time getting the oven started since it was so cold outside and there was a heavy downdraft down the oven's flue.
But the fire was blazing about a half hour after the wife and I arrived. The oven can handle about one pie at a time. I believe it might be more of a bread oven than a pizza oven, but it gets the job done. The fire was probably a bit too hot at the beginning of the evening, and we were all burning pies at first. It didn't take long to figure out we needed to turn them quite often to avoid this.
I've only played around with a WFO a couple of times, and that was only after an experienced oven-tender had gotten it to temperature and told me where to place the pies. It's another thing entirely to work with an unknown set of factors, and you really get a newfound appreciation for the skill that goes into making a perfectly cooked WFO pizza.
Anyway, like I said, check out the slideshow above for photos of the evening.
UPDATE: See Tupper's photos of the evening on his blog »
About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.
