Interesting article, although Sietsema seems oddly shocked by things that the network is pretty upfront about during their behind-the-scenes shows, especially the fact that the timed versions of the dishes aren't the ones served to the judges.
I've never seen another pizza quite like Matthew's, but there's another Maryland-style pie best exemplified by the pizza at Ledo's: rectangular; thin, buttery crust; sweet sauce; and smoked cheese of some kind, usually provolone. (It sounds somewhat similar to the description of Old Forge, which I've never had, and that would certainly make some geographical sense.)
In addition to the original Ledo in College Park and the local franchises of same, I've had very similar pizza at a number of bars around the area, although the only specific one coming to mind right now is the Stained Glass Pub in Olney.
Maybe I'm being deliberately dense, but are you mixing the chilies etc. into the now-flavored oil, or into the softened shallots and garlic?
I'll second (or third, or fourth, or whatever) the recommendation of Attman's in Baltimore. I took my groomsmen there the morning of my wedding -- guys from Brooklyn, Texas,Cleveland, and Knoxville -- and everyone was impressed with the quality of the corned beef and pastrami. For me, it's without question the best in the area (and I'm counting "the area" as all the way down through DC), and up there with even the best of NYC.
I moved away from Pittsburgh the Bay Area (where there is plenty of good pizza) and i STILL crave Aiello's!!!! Pittsburgh pies do have a unique taste- its the sweeter sauce.
Ohio Valley pizza certainly deserves its own category- its pretty unique.
If you want true Ohio Valley Pizza, you have to go to the Firehouse in Ambridge, PA on Merchant street. Only open on the weekends, the business is run by firemen to support the firehouse (we're talking real social capital here). Its not my favorite (really dougy crust) but its certainly an experience.
Another experience would be Tony R's pizza in Sewickley on Nevin Ave. A tiny pizzaria run by Tony (who does all the deliveries himself) and his two sons.
I have to disagree about Artie's. I've only eaten there once and the fries, hot dogs, and pastrami were all mediocre. It's nice to know the place is up on the UWS if necessary, but I'm definitely not putting it in the same category as Ben's Best, Sarge's, or Katz's. \
When I read "Ohio Valley Pizza" above, I knew immediately what you were talking about but there is only one chain who prepares it in that way these days, DiCarlo's. About 20 years ago there were several copy cats but they have long since closed down.
Honestly I'm not sure that the Ohio Valley deserves it's own pizza style category, but if it's all we've got we'd better hold on to it I suppose.
I'm a New Yorker born and raised. I make pizzas at home in a variation of the "grandma" style. After reading about Old Forge-style pizza, I tried mixing in a little sharp cheddar with my mozz. Ya know what? It's really good! It adds a nice "tang."
It pays to be open-minded :)
attmans: i concur w/ teh guy above; really, really good, but i do like arties better. (i've owned a house in balto since '97).
alas, been here 4.5 yrs, and have yet to get to Katz... sacrilege, i know.
I must also comment on the RI Pizza Strips - aka bakery pizza or party pizza. It was always served at birthday parties as a kid. It's simply pizza baked with sauce (no cheese - maybe a sprinkling of romano) and then sliced into rectangular pieces and served room temperature or cold. Heavenly. No one outside of RI has ever heard of this fantastic pizza. Such a shame. You'll find it in every Italian bakery in RI and in the grocery stores as well.
Caserta's, as someone mentioned, is another great pizza place in RI. We get ours well done. The pizza is a little on the thicker side (if you get a medium or large). The small tends to have a thinner crust. also not to be missed at Caserta's is the "wimpy skippy" (or spinach pie). Every single person that walks in to eat at Caserta's orders the wimpy skippy, in addition to their pizza. Twin's Pizza in Pawtucket is also great. Man, all this pizza talk makes me want to fly up to RI and eat!!!
The wonderful thing about growing up in New England/Northeast is that there are an abundance of pizza places and you really have the ability to get a variety of styles.
Iron Chef is just entertainment, just like Sietsema's article. Why be so serious? I wonder how he would've fared had he switched his undercover gig from the Iron Chef set to a slaughterhouse full of sick and abused cows.
Sietsema writes like a kid who just found out WWE isn't actually a sport, but is entirely staged. Is he completely unfamiliar with the show? And making a point that it can be easily disproved that the American chairman is not the nephew of the Japanese chairman? Come one, man! Even the Japanese chairman is not the chairman. (Though he is a fantastic actor, having starred as Jean Valjean in the Japanese production of Les Mis.) As for the timed dishes, had he never noticed on the show that the competitors only plate 1 of each dish? Of course there are a separate set of dishes for the judges. This is entertainment, not an actual sport. You would think he just broke a major league scandal.
Most of what Sietsema describes is indeed revealed in the ICA's Behind the Scenes show. And, there are plenty of articles on the internet discussing the same show details. The stand-ins make perfect sense and I had assumed such from the get go. No surprise there. Just my .02.
New York style pizza in NE ohio starts at Pisanellos in Alliance Ohio. One of the best I've had around the country. This place still has the woman who founded the pizza shop 53 years ago making pizzas every day.It's a thin crust and you can tell that the dough is made fresh every day. This 80 year old woman still hand tosses the dough, about 100 pies a day. She came to this country from Rome 58 yrs ago and has been making pizzas ever since.
Many people in Ohio have heard of Pisanellos in Bowling Green, but the one in Alliance was and is the original.. I stop and get one or two every time I'm in the area.
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