Pizza Debate to go along wih Bagel thread.

[bigjohnmilford]

Why even make an argument here. I'll take just about any kind of pizza and a couple of beers. Anything but Dominos.

 

[vfinch]

If I'm going to eat thin crust, I'm a big fan of my cornmeal pizza dough. I prep the dough similar to a regular thin crust dough, and it turns out very crispy. Then I make a fresh garlic butter sauce and add sauteed egg plant, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, a couple of ingredients I can't remember right now and then a full pound of mozza on top.

I love eating meat pizza, but this veggie one is really good...

 

[Rhoobarb]

... Everyone knows that the best pizza is in Phoenix... Even the NY Times agrees

That's because Phoenix is just a suburb of Chicago. It's where retired Chicagoans go to die. Seriously! When the Bears play the Cardinals, they have home-field advantage.

Deep dish can't be beat. Lou Malnati's, Giordano's stuffed, Gino's (the original, not the franchised stores), Connie's, Louisa's, Edwardo's, Nancy's.

I like thin crust from time to time, but NY and Connecticut stye is really lacking. The reason people fold it in half to eat it is so they can squeeze some flavor out of the thing!

 

[cheezydemon]

Honestly I hated to pick one. Can't we all just get along?? A pizza shouldn't be judged by it's appearance, or it's taste....., or it's texture......WTF am I saying???? Yes it should.

But any brewer worth his salt, if offered a delicious thin crust pizza, or a luscious deep dish pizza, should eat and enjoy it.

Anyone who eats it and grumbles that it isn't his or her favorite style, or, (god forbid) refuses to eat it, is a great fool.

 

[Great_Neck_Brewer]

If you ever get a chance to visit New York city, please try Lombardi's. It is located at 32 Spring street between Mott and Mulberry street. It has been around since 1905 which makes it the oldest pizzaria in the country. Their pizza is by far the best in the world. If you're in Brooklyn try Di Fara pizzaria at 1424 Ave J. As far as pizza ouside of the New York and Chicago areas ,cardboard with no soul.

 

[olllllo]

About 50/50 so far. I enjoy both myself, but NY style #1. Can't get any decent pizza in NM, but while traveling have found a few great places. Greasy Tony's in AZ, Old Chicago in CO, TX, Edison Pizza in NJ(Local :rockin:"...

Greasy Tony's in Tempe is closed. Not sure about Tucson.

 

[Turkeyfoot Jr.]

My favorite pizza would actually be somewhere in the middle of the two choices but I voted deep dish since if I had to choose that's what I'd take. I hate thin, crispy pizza crust.

Since people are talking about their favorite pizza joints I'd vote for The Mellow Mushroom in Athens, GA. Best pizza I've ever had, hands down.

 

[RICLARK]

Deep Dish all the way!

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

If I am going to eat, I like to eat something with substance. crackers and tomato sauce is not my idea of pizza. Load it with toppings and give me something to eat!!!

 

[blacklab]

Canadian bacon and pineapple rocks!!

In Hawaii we called that a Haole pizza.

 

[stever]

crackers and tomato sauce is not my idea of pizza.

well duh. This on the other hand is..

 

[Orfy]

Thin crust every time. I want pizza not bread.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

well duh. This on the other hand is..

Stever.. .where's the ingredients?

Oh... and it's sliced wrong too. :cross:

 

[Rhoobarb]

Oh... and it's sliced wrong too. :cross:

Thin crust MUST be sliced in squares. Any other way is just wrong.

Here's all you need to know about pizza. This thread can now be closed!

 

[stever]

Stever.. .where's the ingredients?

Oh... and it's sliced wrong too. :cross:

I think you choose the wrong nickname.

 

[JMD87]

I like thin crust from time to time, but NY and Connecticut stye is really lacking. The reason people fold it in half to eat it is so they can squeeze some flavor out of the thing!

Are we talking thin crust like brick-oven style? Because NY is known for good "regular crust" pizza, thin crust (like from Domino's) is pretty bland.


I'm curious if you (or anyone that went against NY pizza) have ever had NY pizza In NY? Also, to those of you who can eat more than 3 slices of NY pizza (the kind you have to fold), you're not human... I can rarely eat more then 2 (if they have toppings).

Bah humbug to you casserole pizza lovers. Less bread, more cheese (But not too little bread)

 

[arturo7]

well duh. This on the other hand is..

That is beautiful. I just finished lunch but I'm hungry again.

 

[CBBaron]

Good deep dish (I've had Gino's East pizza in Chicago) is NOT thick crust. It is however more like a meat and cheese pie with deep layers of fillings (not toppings). My favorite pizza so far is Gino's East. So i guess deep dish.

However given the examples of "deep dish" pizzas usually available I prefer the thin n crispy crusts. Most "deep dish" pizza's I see are usually like bread with a layer of pizza toppings. The thin crust pizzas have the same toppings but with much less bread.

I havn't had NY style at a good NY restaurant so I will with hold judgment on my favorite until then.

Craig

 

[Vatechtigger]

seems alot of people here confuse NY style pizza with thin hard crust "pizza"

and you fold it in half so you can channel the grease down your arm and not on your shirt!

 

[CBBaron]

seems alot of people here confuse NY style pizza with thin hard crust "pizza"

and you fold it in half so you can channel the grease down your arm and not on your shirt!

I think there is 2 confusions. One that NY style is crispy. Two that Chicago style is thick crust. I don't think most of the poster have had good examples of both styles, myself included. I've had great Chicago style but I don't think I've had the best examples of NY style.

Pizzeria Uno is a decent Chicago style for those outside of Chicagoland but I don't like it near as well as Gino's East.

For NY style I've only had chain stores in the midwest.

Craig

 

[c.n.budz]

I like thin crust from time to time, but NY and Connecticut stye is really lacking. The reason people fold it in half to eat it is so they can squeeze some flavor out of the thing!

Have you ever had Connecticut(New Haven more specifically) or NYC style pizza in New Haven or NYC, or have you only had the cheap imitations of it that are served outside these areas? Trust me they do not lack in flavor. Pepe's white clam pizza is about as packed with flavor as you will find

 

[Rhoobarb]

Have you ever had Connecticut(New Haven more specifically) or NYC style pizza in New Haven or NYC, ... Pepe's white clam pizza is about as packed with flavor as you will find

Yes and yes, although not specifically in New Haven. Lombardi's and it was... meh. White clams on pizza? Seriously, white clams?! WTF? :cross: That's just so wrong!!! You lost me there.

 

[c.n.budz]

Yes and yes, although not specifically in New Haven. White clams on pizza? That's just so wrong!!!

The clams aren't specifically white, it's called a white clam pizza because there's no tomato sauce on it. If clam ain't your thing, they make one hell of a sausage and pepperoni pie too

Damn, between this thread and the "last meal" thread I'm getting really hungry... I think a trip Pepe's may be in my immediate future...

 

[Rhoobarb]

... If clam ain't your thing, they make one hell of a sausage and pepperoni pie too

Well okay, then. That's more like it.

 

[k1v1116]

Im starting to think this thread is useless without pictures, I dont think everyone is on the same page when they say thin crust or deep dish.

When I think in NY pizza I think of stuff like this:

Does that look like it lacks flavor?

 

[Buford]

You want lots of bread? eat a sicilian pizza, that is thick crust.

Sicilian pizza exhibit a:

Sicilian is the best kind, hands down. One of those things can feed me for three days. :rockin:

Oh, and worst pizza? Papa Johns. NASTY. :cross:

 

[BlindLemonLars]

A few others have mentioned this, but it bears repeating: if you think a New York pizza is like a "cracker" or "crispy" in any way, you've never had a real NY pizza. The dough is thin, firm on the bottom but soft under the cheese, and remains elastic with a bit of stretch to it. It definitely should not be capable of supporting it's own weight, that's why you use two hands or fold it into a wedge! The cheese should be whole-milk mozarella, which is so incredibly rich that you don't need a whole lot of it. The sauce is slightly acidic, seasoned with oregano and applied sparingly. Just like a fine beer, it's all about balance.

I prefer to make my own, using semolina flour with a touch of olive oil, and fresh buffalo mozzarella. The KitchenAid mixer makes short work of the dough. But when I want it quick, Mulberry Street Pizzeria (owned and operated by actress Cathy Moriarty, who is frequently there boxing up the pies!) makes a pizza virtually indistinguishable from the genuine item. They still hand-toss the dough, a skill I've not been able to learn. The water for their door is NY tap water that they truck in...as brewers, we don't need to be reminded of the importance of water.

Has anybody looked up pizza on Wikipedia? There are some unusual examples there. Like say, "pizza" topped with hamburgers, fries and bacon. Fascinating, but not really pizza.

 

[OregonNative]

I'd have to go with Chicago. Both NY & Chicago style pizza's are delicious, but I love a good deep dish.

 

[c.n.budz]

Well, the line at Pepe's was too long so I went to Bar to satisfy the pizza craving that this thread started. They've won a bunch of awards for their pizza and it is damn tasty. Incidentally, this is the same brewpub that I have been brewing at, check out the link and click on BruRoom and there's some good picks of the huge fermenters under FrontRoom too.

 

[stever]

As blindlemon mentioned New York is not thin and crispy. Here are your major pizza definitions and descriptions.

I have had New York Style, New Haven Style, Neopolitan Style, St. Louis Style and something I like to call Greek Style. Of all of them I can't get enough St. Louis Style. I lived in CT for 11 years and feasted on New York, New Haven and Sicilian Style for many years and once I tasted the uber crsipy, unleavened crust with Provel that is STL pizza, I was hooked.

Behold, the St. Louis Style Pizza:

 

[nugget]

I'm used to a midwest style of pizza, it is a medium-thin style of crust, that is what we have around here and where I work. I like both thin and thick, and I like lots of cheese. thick crust is good for some things, but thin is better for others. Just depends on my mood

 

[Rhoobarb]

What's the deal with every other pizza joint in NYC being named Ray's?

 

[Special Hops]

I like em both. But prefer thin crust. The thick crust is just way too filing and leaves less room for beer.

 

[zoebisch01]

I do like them both, but there is nothing like a slice of NY thin crust. Plus I don't like gobs of cheese either.

 

[uglygoat]

I think there is 2 confusions. One that NY style is crispy. Two that Chicago style is thick crust. I don't think most of the poster have had good examples of both styles, myself included. I've had great Chicago style but I don't think I've had the best examples of NY style.

Pizzeria Uno is a decent Chicago style for those outside of Chicagoland but I don't like it near as well as Gino's East.

For NY style I've only had chain stores in the midwest.

Craig

there's a slew of good pizza joints in the cleveland area. most make the sicilian style. angies, carminos, lazzinis, all are on the west side. excellent family owned businesses. i stay away from the chain stores with their frozen crusts, and spray on oils....

 

[Tenchiro]

I was in Chicago recently and ordered from what what I was led to believe a good pizzeria. It was pretty bland, kinda soggy and you had to use a knife a fork.

New York style on the other hand, while flavorful is a lot tastier to me. It cooks at a much higher heat for a shorter period so you get nice little golden brown bits of goodness. It can be eaten on the go and best of all you can put down a few slices because it isn't 50% dough.

Waterfront Pizza in Port Townsend, WA is one of the best I have ever had and is totally worth the trip from Seattle.

 

[Donasay]

what about the fold pizza in half vs eat it floppy debate?

 

[BlindLemonLars]

what about the fold pizza in half vs eat it floppy debate?

You only need to partially fold it...make a sharp bend in the center of the edge, and the resulting shape gives some rigidity to the slice, allowing it to better support it's own weight. You'll probably still have to support the tip of the slice with your other hand, until you're a few bites in.

 

[Melana]

Who likes to eat it floppy??? Oh, wait, this thread is about pizza... never mind...

 

[Soulive]

what about the fold pizza in half vs eat it floppy debate?

Folded in half every time...:rockin: