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.
[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
My daily loyalties lie with tomato pizzas, but a great white pie always wins out. Why do I love white pies? Let me count the ways.
- Crust has fewer places to hide. On a tomato pie, mediocre crust can slink under, and be excused by sauce. On a white pie, it has to go big or go home.
- I love me a crisp exterior on my slice, but I love a tender bite even more. A white pie can afford to be more tender without the risk of tomato-induced-soggification.
- White pies usually mean really creamy, tender, flavorful cheese. Like, "I want to sleep on a pillow of this" cheese.
So it's no surprise I enjoyed the hell out of The Mootz ($13) from Paulie Gee's, the best white pie I've had the pleasure of eating in a long time. It plays a simple tune, but damn it's a good one: fior di latte for creaminess and Pecorino for punch, garlic for personality, and basil for verve. There is, of course, olive oil all over; it is excellent.
Paulie's pies are plenty tender but carry a wonderful backbone, and this one doesn't disappoint; it's a great cradle to carry this pile of soft, creamy cheese. Let's not forget that garlic—not enough to give you a serious case of garlic breath, but just the right amount to make you fall in love with this slice.
Paulie Gee's
60 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11222 (map)
347-987-3747; pauliegee.com
About the author: Max Falkowitz is the editor of Serious Eats: New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @maxfalkowitz.