Chicken, bacon and ranch is a great combo, as far a taste is concerned.

Calling it Tuscan means a minimum wage, minimum skilled employee came up with the name because they have to come up with specialty pies every day.

F

CRISPY rabe?? Really?? Rabe, like most veggies in italian cooking, is cooked far more than what is considered "in". Italians aren't concerned with retaining the color at expense of flavor. Check out their veggies.....not brightly colored, but cooked well done, because most veggies have MORE flavor when cooked well. In Sicily, rabe is cooked slow and low, u til it is almost a purée....a bit much for me, but you get to understand Italians stance on veggie cooking

I've never gone to one of these...BUT for all those saying they won't be going based on the setup........put a wall up in front of the sevice line.....and the process is 99% the same as your favorite pizza place. Instead of telling the server what you want on your pie, you tell a line guy........it's really not that big of a deal

As usual a fantastic article, Kenji.....a few thoughts

First...I have NEVER worked in a pizza place that uses a different dough in making "sicilian" pizza than they do in making their "NY" style thin crust pizza....I not saying some places don't, but I can't see a busy popular place doing two different doughs. The sicilain, at least in what I have experienced, is simply their NY dough panned and allowed to rise slowly at room temp, usually topped with a bit of sauce. I have read your article on experimenting with the sicilian and I DO see the difference and even agree with your results, its just that I don't think its practical for a commercial establishment to do this because I just don't see 99% of the customers noticing a difference......again, agreeing with you that a wetter dough has a lighter structure.

Also, MOST places I've experienced have used shortening at the bottom of the sicilian pan. This allows the dough to be brought out to the edges without springing back (something that is difficult to do, even with a thoroughly relaxed dough) Now, the top of the dough does get a nice healthy pour of EVOO......

As far as a NY style being baked for 12-15 minutes, I agree with you that some places do indeed do that. But, that would mean the oven temps would be around 450-500 tops. One of the best pizzas in Connecticut, Zuppardis does just that. And the pizza was absolutely phenomenal. But, I beleive the majority of "NY-NH" are fired up at around 550 which will consistantly give you an 8-9 minute baking time. However, I do know that the real NY freaks like a 4 minute bake, which says to me that the ovens have to be at around 650-700.....a temp MOST deck ovens find hard to reach, let alone maintain.....that is why a coal oven can do a 4 minute bake and is usually considered superior. I had the pleasure of eating a pizza from Pizzatown in NJ, and while they use deck ovens, they are fired high enough to produce a 4 or 5 minute pizza whose crust is EXACTLY as you describe in your article. The longer baked pie at Zuppardis had a much crispier, crunchier texture, which I prefer and think most of the general public does, but one that I think most NY "nerds" (with respect)would find inferior. I really can't see how a 12-15 minute bake could leave you with a non crispy, crunchy pie UNLESS its got a real generous dose of oil in its recipe.

I do have one question, I hope you or anyone else could answer. It concerns Siciian pizza. When places DOUBLE BAKE their pies, is it because it makes for a quicker bake when actually ordered or is the pie superior "twice baked", like fries.......I have tried both, and I prefer a pie baked just once....but I could be simply doing it wrong. In places where I've worked, it is parbaked simply because its quicker to produce during service.
Any thoughts?? Thanks again for a great article.

Someone above mentions their slice being covered with just a dusting of "parm"....just curious....do many people use the term "parm" meaning simply grated cheese or is it ACTUALLY reggiano parmigiano or a domenstic type or parm?

I ask because in every single pizza place I have ever worked Reggiano or any kind of parm was NEVER used (except for sprecialy pies that utilized cream or a cream sauce).....it was ALWAYS fresh greated Pecorino Romano. I used to think this was becasue PR is about half the price, but NOW I realize that, with a few exceptions, Romano with its saltier more aggressive taste does a much better job of bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients (kinda like salt itself).

I bring this up because I read "parm" almost all the time to describe pizzas and hardly EVER the term Romano. Anyone?? Thanks.

ANd I find it hard to believe that a pie would take 10 minutes in a 600 degree oven. New haven deck ovens 8 minute at 550.....almost all.

Best fast food burger?? Fast food meaning SPEED OF SERVICE or quality. Cause speed of service isn't that fast and quality wise...its far behind Shake shack or five guys (though neither of these are fast either).

"Let's just try not to look down on others for their food choices"

I think thats something that has been blowing up faster than autolysed, crescito fed, 00 imported flour based, diving arms mixed, room temperature bulk fermented, riposo slapped, stretch and folded dough ball in a hot kitchen in summer! Can't even be saved by a low domed mystery made imported Neapolitan oven!!!

Really....what is it with "digestablity"? AND, why would NEA pizza be more digestable?? Are there any studies to prove it? I don't think so, but, I may be wrong. I am so sick and tired of hearing NEA snobs ooohing and aahhing how "digestable" Nea pizza is.....even IF IT IS......SO WHAT??
I always thought that COOKING makes thing more digestible, like veggies....

I just don't get this trend. It feels ALMOST like proponents are trying TO TALK AMERICANS into liking Neapolitan pizza.....Like if you DON'T enjoy it....it is because you don't UNDERSTAND IT or your palette isn't "trained" enough....huh?

I've eaten Nea pizza in some of NYC best spots....and I still don't get it. I can taste the difference between a crappy Nea and a good nea because the crappy one is.......i don't know....CRAPPY....and a good Nea is............not crappy, but nothing to write home about.

Maybe Im wrong, maybe Nea is here to stay...but, if I had a crystal ball, I see this trend exploding for a few years and then ONLY the strongest surviving BECAUSE, the demand just wont be there. Americans like their pies different. Crispier, crunchier, more sauce, more even distribution of toppings (have you EVER seen how Naples places top their pies???? I mean..really.....is it so hard to distribute the FEW toppings they do offer in a even manner?? ), the American pie is almost opposite of what NEA is.

But, I HOPE that a few aspects of this Neapolitan craze stick. For one, the use of top notch ingredients. But, make them AMERICAN, not italian...in most cases. Buffalo mozz...get it in italy, the buffalo mooz biz in the USA is a bit iffy at the moment....but tomatoes? Does ANYONE really think San Marzano tomatoes are BETTER than our top of the line Cali tomatoes???? Use top American flour......herbs, just as long as its top notch...that much we can take from Naples. Great cheeses, Romano, Reggiano, buffalo etc, etc.....I admit, Italy is still the places to get them. WHy? Overregulation, climate...could be a lot of things, but I admit, our Italian versions of cheese isn't that great...BUT, our pork products are coming around!! If only the prices would come down, but we make some killer salume......except Mortadella is still a must import.

And the ovens......oh, the ovens are great. Not so much that they HAVE to be Nea ovens from FN or SF or they are absolutely worthless, but that the USA could use MORE WOOD FIRED PLACES. Theres something about a wood oven, drop the temp, get the cook time to around 3 minutes, get some color, some crisp, some melding of flavors.......thats good, real good.

Wait......I've kind of been describing Bianco, haven't I? American Pizza, there's no reason to think we have to take a back seat to anyone. But, I get this feeling that that is EXACTLY what the underlying theme is with this trend. Again, I could be wrong............but I doubt it.

You CANNOT steal a recipe. If it was illegal, not MANY pizzerias would be closed down..............almost ALL would be shuttered. Any restaurant with marinara sauce on their menu made with olive oil, fresh basil, garlic and canned tomatoes would be closed for "stealing recipes". Its just such childishness. So many more factors go into how a menu item tastes. You can have two places following the same recipe using the same name products and the won't taste the same.

Some restaurant owners just need to grow up and realize that USUALLY your BEST employees will someday be your competitors.....the same character traits that made them great employees are the ones that spur them on to greater achievement and succeses.

I would guess these were introduced to the American Pizza shop scene because for 95% of the year, they are far cheaper than red peppers....but compared, green really suck...even SUNTAN peppers are better, albeit a bit more moisture.

I've eaten this pizza also....my favorite of the evening.

But, I gotta ask....PAULIE....is there SOME reason why the dried cherries were NOT reconstituted? I mean, if I were thinking this pie up, I would think that the dry cherries would burn...but they didn't. But, I am sure the question of reconstitution came up, no?? And if it did, why did you decide against it.

By the way, thank you for a wonderful time, at your establishment as well as our trips to other pizzerias. I used to ADMIRE you, now I LIKE and ADMIRE you..........