Trenton NJ Tomato Pie Pics - Select the best pie!

[petef]

I am posting several pics below of "Trenton NJ Tomato Pies" that I purchased for take-out from 3 different pizzerias in the Trenton NJ area. Each pic has it's file name defined as A.jpg, B.jpg, or C.jpg to represent each of the 3 brands.

Have a look at these pics and tell me which pie (A, B, or C) looks the best to you and briefly  explain why. If you happen to recognize any of these pies by brand, please don't say who's pie it is because you might unfairly influence others. Later in the thread I'll reveal the brand/pizza shop that made each one.

PS: I'm doing this partly for fun and also to help
define what is a "Trenton NJ Tomato Pie".

---pete---

[Bob1]

They all look good.  I only had Delorenzo's once but it looks like A might be theirs.  I say that because it looks like there is a little bit of shortening in the dough giving it a flatter look.  A is also cooked light and tender.  B looks very similar cooked hotter.  The dough is a bit puffier maybe it does,or does not, have the shortening in it and the higher cook temp gave it more oven spring.  C looks like a much softer crumb with no shortening and more cheese. 

[norma427]

---pete---

I like the tomato pie in the first picture.  The rim crust looks good, the cheese looks melted nicely and the tomato sauce ratio to the cheese also looks good.  I also like the bottom crust browning on the first pie picture. 

Norma

[Pete-zza]

petef,

I am going with B. When I was playing around with the clones of the De Lorenzo pizzas, which purportedly represented the classic Trenton style pizza, even though I never sampled one, I tried to capture the "look and feel" of the DeLorenzo pizzas as I had studied them through photos. I was also trying to capture the crust characteristics of the DeLorenzo pizzas as they had been described by members to be a mix or combination of crackery/chewy and tender as one went across the pizza from rim to center and where the shapes and sizes varied because of the party cut, which was also a feature of the style.

Here are a few of my representations of the DeLorenzo style:

Reply 73 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7841.msg44522.html#msg44522

Reply 93 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7841.msg44627.html#msg44627

Reply 122 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7841.msg45125.html#msg45125

Peter

[pizzablogger]

B here. A a close second.

I like the amount of sauce and cheese on both A and B (actually the cheese-sauce amounts on A look more appealing). The crust on B seems to be from a faster bake to these eyes.

C does not look appealing. Appears to be too much sauce and cheese and the pale topped crust looks potentially dried out as well, hinted at by the cracking in the under-crust in the bottoms-up pic.

Of course the rectangular, almost "tavern style" way the pizza is cut in B is a big tell as well. 

[scott123]

As has been mentioned, B.

On other note, the pizza I was served at Tomato Pie in Morristown last night was very close to C.  The only difference was that the rim had even less color and was noticeably more flat- maybe 1/3 the thickness factor.

[TXCraig1]

I'll go with B as well. I like the darker underbelly and wetter looking sauce. A also looks good. C does nothing for me.

CL

[petef]

Ok everyone, here's the key...

A = Corleones on Olden Ave, Hamilton - January 2010
B = Delorenzo's on Rt33, Hamilton - January 2008
C = Wildflower's in Pennington - July 2008


My personal favorite is A/Corleone's for overall great tasting sauce, good proportions of cheese to sauce, toppings that come close to the edge, and perfect crust.

The B/Delorenzo's pie was not my best choice because the outer crust had little flavor and was too hard and some of it not edible. To be fair, I should give them another try.

The C/Wildflower's pie was good tasting, but I'd rather see more sauce. Some people might think this pie does not meet all the criteria of a Trenton style tomato pie because the crust is not thin and crispy enough.

I believe that pies A & B best represent what a Trenton style tomato pie is supposed to be.

Thanks all for participating!

Feel free to discuss or post pics of your ideas what defines a
Trenton style tomato pie or your favorite pizzeria that serves them.

---pete---

[petef]

I'll go with B as well. I like the darker underbelly and wetter looking sauce. A also looks good. C does nothing for me.

CL

I think you are spot on regarding the wetter sauce in the B/Delorenzo's pie. I watched him making the pies and I was surprised how thin and watery the sauce was as he splashed it onto the cheese using a small spoon.


---pete---