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Wow !

Those pies look fantastic ! Great job, Paulie Gee !

Nice looking pie, ESNY ! Good job. Thanks for posting.

Of course, this is a subjective question.

When I reheat the slices that I baked, I "char" them slightly. Commercially, I make allowances for the type of oven ; for wood and coal , some char is great, and expected.

My wife, a Southern gal, hates the char, so I conceal my clandestine charring of reheated slices. It's a good compromise.

I was talking with Louie, my local pizzaiolo (good pie, natch) today . He was born near Rome. I was asking him about dough, etc at lunch.

Anyway , he told me he had never seen pepperoni until he came over here. He'd only seen thin salami on pies before.

He went back to Italy for a visit 15 years or so ago. He was in a house equipped with a wood-burning oven (bricks, etc). His hosts asked him to make pies (at this point we both had a good laugh). So , Louie proceeds to char the pies, and feels bad, and wants to trash the pies. No, no, the hosts say and proceed to eat the pies and end up praising Louie. Louie assembled the pies with simple ingredients gathered in the local markets. Yeah, just normal all-purpose flour , no NYC water, etc. Go figure.

After the publicity blitz, I tried a Domino's pepperoni pie (delivery). I liked the cheese, but the crust could be improved, perhaps by letting the dough rise for a bit longer in the cooler. I didn't like the sauce. Too bland. I can't remember if the pepperoni was good or bad. I reheated two slices a couple days later in my toaster oven, and the slices were not tasty; rather soggy even after 25 minutes reheating at 275 degrees.

Kudos to Domino's for trying to improve, though. I tried their "Brooklyn" pies a couple years back, and that product was a salty mess. Maybe they have a new development director these days.

There are two camps - Those who love brussels sprouts, and those who hate them.

I think they are little green balls of flatulence, and the cooking and digestion of same produces ghastly results.

I went on my second visit today to "Fired Up", home to the only coal-fired pizza oven in the wilds of Central Florida.

This is a comfortable place, with booths and tables. Most seats have a view of the aforementioned oven. The service is quick and friendly.

My pizza maven son and I ordered the 16" pepperoni pie ($11.99 plus $1.99 for the topping - reasonable).

The pie had a nice char and leopard spotting , but the corniccione and crust were weak and thin, and tasteless. Perhaps the dough needed more time in the refrigerator to rise ?

The pie was swimming in rendered grease from the pepperoni. The tomato sauce was acceptable , but the cheese was forgettable.

I'll visit this place again in a few months, but right now I wouldn't expend the effort/fuel for a pilgrimage (40 miles) anytime soon.

For those who may be visiting East Central Florida soon , these are my own personal pizza picks for this area :

1. DiLorenzo's, Cape Canaveral
2. Baci's , Rockledge
3. Brooklyn Pizza and Pasta, Viera

Nice job ! I applaud your effort. Great post, and thanks for sharing.

I appreciate the input/honest reviews. Thank you.

It's kind of obvious that some (majority ?) mentioned Mr. DeMarcos's craftsmanship and attention to detail.

To me, that's the essence of Italian cooking. The freshest and absolutely the best ingredients made with consideration/love for those about to partake.

Hmm. I once had a "Papa John's" pizza, years ago. Wasn't bad, but it had no "soul".

Are we celebrating the business genius of selling $4 of ingredients for $12 , or what ? I'm tired of seeing this dude in the TV ads already.

Wait until an Italian establishes a chain and drives these poseurs out of business. Mr. Varasano, please ?

With Jeff's intelligence, attention to detail, and dedication to the spirit of Italian cooking , I trust his restaurant will be a raging success. Atlanta , are you ready for this ?

C