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I personally prefer a well made margherita - but i've had both good and bad from VPN places. The standard doesn't call for DOP tomatoes - and I have not found a difference with non-DOP (except for price). It's difficult to follow all of the rules to the letter (they have now even banned standard spiral mixers (i.e. hobart). I think the stuff that Motorino, Bianco and Paulie Gee with the Neapolitan style is great.

You know what I think is the worst part about pizza?? Selling "by the slice"...or "in which I find that pizza by the slice sucks". Why would someone want a slice of pizza from a shop...it is basically old pizza that is reheated. We do a lot of fairs/festivals with our mobile oven and everyone wants to buy just a slice. Why have a reheated old slice when you can have a fresh made pizza?

@pizzaexpert is right on with his review - I can tell from that picture that the oven wasn't even close to being hot enough and they weren't using fior di latte. I have not been involved with daily operations of Campania as I have been building my Cane Rosso brand. If I am not making the pizza or standing over their shoulder, it is average at best. If anyone finds themselves in Dallas make sure to drop me a line jjerrier@ilcanerosso.com

Jay

I like to keep the oven violently hot so the pizzas cook for about 90 seconds or so...and I can do 4 at a time (which is a bit stressful). We run 50-60 per hour or so. The biggest event I've done is for 250 people. The main limitation is not oven capacity or throughput, but dough and ingredient storage. I don't have a refrigerated van yet and can only keep so much stuff at the proper temp.

Just made this for my kids and it was a huge hit! (I had leftover dough, San Marzano sauce, and fior di latte from an event on Thursday night).

Here's a link to another mobile oven video from a buddy in the Sacramento area with Bella Familia Pizza:

http://www.kcra.com/video/19801412/index.html?taf=sac

And here's one of our oven in Dallas:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/around_town/dining/Mobile_Pizza_Oven_Dallas-Fort_Worth.html

It's a lot cheaper than starting a restaurant (though navigating health code is a bit more frustrating) and these ovens really produce great pizzas.

Dallas Grimaldi's is VERY chain-like...meh. We have a local coal fired place called Coal Vines that is much better. Also one called Russo's (another chain) that is not good. We also have Cavalli Pizza (VPN certified also) and Olivella's (Neapolitan but not certified - although the original pizzaiolo, Salvatore, has ties to Trianon).

My hair hurts from reading that quote. Really sounds like he is getting into the pizza business for all the right reasons.

We have 2 rotating wood-burning ovens at our restaurant in Dallas and I don't like them at all. I turn off the rotation when I make pizza. They have crazy off-set fireboxes - kind of like a BBQ smoker. This pic looks like the fire is in the middle???

I've eaten numerous times at the Grimaldi's in Dallas' West Village and the one in Allen. I was really excited for them to open - but so disappointed practically every time I've been there. Granted they are still relatively new and it's not like they have lifelong pizzaiolos running the ovens - but overall the pizzas they turn out are pretty "meh". I can't imagine these are they same pies as the original in NY...these locations are CLEARLY chains - from the decor to the menus on placemats (complete with supplier logos...thank you "hormel"!) it is totally formulaic. Generally the pizzas are cooked to death - dry - with no char which means the ovens aren't hot enough. Most of these locations are in the suburbs and there are a lot of NY transplants in Dallas, but the suburbs don't seem to have a sophisticated palate and prefer a cardboard crust as a topping delivery device only. Over seasoned over cooked. Coal Vines in Dallas does a much better job of NY Style Pizza and Olivella's does a great Neapolitan. Sad but true - many Texans just don't get a good "char" or fior di latte...and god forbid you should actually taste a San Marzano tomato instead of a mouthful of dried oregano. I have pics of various pizzas on flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/canerosso/sets

I missed the hyperlink but read it after I had posted my comment...apologies. However, Hideaway makes their pizzas on screens and runs them through an impinger conveyor belt...so I'm not sure that they make a good pie. I wanted to like it after how much it was hyped by my co-workers in Tulsa - but ehh....

Judging from pics posted on Eater blog, it is a modular Renato oven. Judging by the looks of the pizzas - which look awesome - I'd say there is no gas used and it is all wood. Renato is just a couple towns over from me in the Dallas area. Neapolitan style is the only way to go!

Off topic, but just got back from a quick trip to San Antonio where we checked out Dough Pizzeria (www.doughpizzeria.com) - also extremely awesome neapolitan pies by a guy who knows what he is doing. Also made burrata to order. Texas is getting some good pie.

Glad to see Antica get a nod.

I had several really great pizzas at A16 back in early 2006. I know they want through some chef changes and heard it slipped, but now have heard it is back to greatness. The place is very cool too...they were actually roasting corn on the cob in the ovens - practically every table had some.