The Mom-and-Pop Pizza: A Neglected American Style

[Pete-zza]

JLP,

I've never had the specific type of pizza you made, but I, too, am surprised how fast you got there. I hope that you will keep us up to date from time to time as you tweak your dough formulation and methods.

Peter

[Jose L. Piedra]

I've never had the specific type of pizza you made,

BTW I hope I'm not creating any confusion with the pics I've been posting. I think it would be a smart bet that anybody on this side of the pond over age 35 or so, and who isn't actually a sworn, lifelong devotee of some provincial style or other (NY, deep-dish, etc.), has had the type of pizza I'm talking about in one expression or another. The problem, I think, is that my pies at this point are kind of "abstract"; they have the right taste, but not the right appearance, looking kind of grungy and burnt. Baked by a pro with pro equipment, the crust would look a lot closer to the various pics of higher-temp pies found here on this forum- namely charred and not scorched, and with sharper colour contrast between the charred spots and the rest of the crust than mine.

-JLP

[tinroofrusted]

The problem, I think, is that my pies at this point are kind of "abstract"; they have the right taste, but not the right appearance, looking kind of grungy and burnt.

-JLP

Actually I think that your photos look very appetizing. I would gladly tuck into one of those pies.  They actually look quite a lot like the pizzas I used to make at Zino's in Newport Beach. Fairly brown crust, browned cheese on top, a burn mark here or there... I'm getting hungry! 

[Jose L. Piedra]

Actually I think that your photos look very appetizing. I would gladly tuck into one of those pies.  They actually look quite a lot like the pizzas I used to make at Zino's in Newport Beach. Fairly brown crust, browned cheese on top, a burn mark here or there... I'm getting hungry! 

Thanks!

Is there any chance that, in the near (or distant) future, you'll try recreating the Zino's and doing a write-up about it in this thread ? It would probably be very illuminating, both for me and the people reading, to see what somebody with for-real experience working at one of these places could come up with. Feel free to disregard if you're too busy or are into making other styles these days...


Come to think of it, I'd like to extend the invitation to anyone who may be reading this, whatever their experience or skill level. Have a warm and fuzzy memory of some pizzeria your parents took you to as a kid ? Somewhere you went to hang out, play video games, and eat slices as a teen ? One whose pies you ordered to cap off a night of drinking with the gang as a youth ? Maybe there's an old-school holdout in the neighborhood right now that you order out from on poker night, or take your own kids to, right now ? Try recreating it yourself and post your results here! (or post pics of pizzas made by the old masters if you have any.)

Technical specs: There really aren't any yet! It should have a bit of char on it, perhaps some blisters (by both of which I really mean that it shouldn't have that kind of flawless, uniformly standardized look of the industrial conveyor places), and it should ideally have a fair bit of stuff (of whatever type, and however you or your favorite places define "a fair bit") on top. Beyond that, the door's wide open. Once there's enough entries, then we can debate what is and isn't authentic, the way people do concerning the NY and Neapolitan styles right now, and maybe hammer out a formal definition of the "specialita' traditionale garantita Pizza Americana" someday   

Let's help put the old-school American pie on the pizzamaking map where it deserves to be right alongside the NY, Neapolitan, Chicago, and Sicilian styles ! 

[Jose L. Piedra]

(or post pics of pizzas made by the old masters if you have any.)

Taking my own advice, here's one from a venerable and much-loved place in Notre Dame de Grace (NDG), Montreal. A highly personal expression (note eccentric shape and cross-cut pepperoni), but in both crust (note charred blisters) and general intent nothing less than paradigmatic for this style. This pic is several years old; I have no idea if they're still making them this way. I hope like hell they do.

-JLP