I have been lurking for a while, and pizzamaking.com seems like a pleasant place to hang out. I was googling thin crust pizza, and that's how I found you folks.
Living in a very rural area, getting a quality, fresh pizza at the house is tough. I think we all know what 40 minutes in the insulated bag does to a pizza crust. Plus, I wanted the pie I grew up with in the 50's & 60's, around NYC and Northern NJ. Only thin crust and crisp crust allowed!
My best pizza memories go back to an old road house in Bergen County, NJ, maybe 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge into NYC. It was way out in the sticks in those days, (now the area is full of $1 mill + houses, but thats beside the point). Although I was only 7 or 8, at the start, I can still remember the place and the pizza.
When my sister or I performed well at a school play or concert, or the report cards exceeded expectations, we all climbed into the '55 Chevy Belair, and drove down to Jersey to the Blue Hill Restaurant. Now remember, I'm just a little kid, but driving up this long, narrow driveway, 60' pines flanking our car, gave me a thrill of the unexpected! A classic roadhouse, Gangsters, Wanton Women, who knew!!! I was just a kid, and this beautiful world was opening up to me.
As was usual at the time, you walked into a dark bar, to pass into the dining room. I would try not to stare at the suited men and the beautiful, well dressed women sitting with them. Too quickly, we entered the dining room, where we waited for the pizza I had been craving since the last trip. 45 minutes of agony, (that seemed like five hours). The only relief was the 8 oz. glass of Coke, that would only be refilled once, if you didn't fuss too much.
Then Heaven arrived. And it came in waves. My Dad, or the owners set it up so the pizzas came in a series. So once the first one came, you knew back-up was coming shortly. 20" pies, cut first in half, then perpendicular slices. I have never seen a pie cut like that since, but hey, if thats the way they do it in Heaven, who am I to complain!
Paper thin crust, with a crisp texture and flavor I can only remember, but not duplicate. They were very conservative with the sauce, but the full rich flavor balanced the cheese on top.
Even at my young age, I remember thinking, this is more like a pastry, than a meal. Crisp, light, and flavorful.
Blue Hill is long gone, but the memory of this pizza lives on in my heart. Partially because of the pie, but also memories of good times with my Mom and Dad.
I still haven't duplicated this pizza, but I have worked on a whole lotta doughs. If you like, I would be happy to share them with you.
In fact, when I'm done with this, I have my special dough thawing in the kitchen. I make extra when I do dough, and don't find a loss in quality after freezing. Time to go- Gotta do Pizza... Know what I mean?
Remember our Men and Women overseas,
Acciuga
