pizza doughnut

[invertedisdead]

Here's a picture of their undercrust I saved a few weeks ago. It's a very light brown color, like a sub roll, not dark like artisan bread. I'm not quite sure how to get such a light brown color other than a fairly low temp bake as its not spotty enough to indicate a quick bake. I've gotten very even screen bakes before, but it's always darker.

Harry,

Do these pies ever see the deck or do they spend the entire bake on the mesh? The mesh looks hand trimmed to me, probably custom.

[HarryHaller73]

Here's a picture of their undercrust I saved a few weeks ago. It's a very light brown color, like a sub roll, not dark like artisan bread. I'm not quite sure how to get such a light brown color other than a fairly low temp bake as its not spotty enough to indicate a quick bake. I've gotten very even screen bakes before, but it's always darker.

Harry,

Do these pies ever see the deck or do they spend the entire bake on the mesh? The mesh looks hand trimmed to me, probably custom.

They are undocked from mesh and finished on the stone.  Lower and slower.  The undercrust has a very nice crisp.

[invertedisdead]

Here's an example of one of my screen bakes which I would consider very evenly browned, but it's many shades darker than that golden crisp color. Should I assume they are not using sugar in their dough?

[HarryHaller73]

Here's an example of one of my screen bakes which I would consider very evenly browned, but it's many shades darker than that golden crisp color. Should I assume they are not using sugar in their dough?

Yeah try lowering sugar and bake it lower temp.  Are you baking the screen on stone? or on a rack?
The mesh probably has alot to do with the lighter color.  Notice the cheese is browned well.  Often you see the other way around at pizzerias, the undercrust is dark and the cheese is pale.

Also, these older joints use very little bench flour. 

[hodgey1]

The standout is the sauce.  Most pizzerias make a decent crust, but they pay alot more attention to sauce flavor.  You will find more romano and oil in the sauce. 

Do have a sauce recipe to share?

[hammettjr]

That is from Margherita Pizza on Jamaica Ave, Queens.

The slices look so good.

[TXCraig1]

They use a fine woven flexible metal mesh product, makes no screenmarks on the bottom.  I am researching what it is but can't find it anywhere, must be custom made or from different era.

Those look homemade to me. Look how different the ones in the oven look from each other. It some sort of wire mesh that's cut by hand and then folded by hand over at the edge.

Looks like the pull it out from under the pie mid-bake sometime?

[HarryHaller73]

Those look homemade to me. Look how different the ones in the oven look from each other. It some sort of wire mesh that's cut by hand and then folded by hand over at the edge.

Looks like the pull it out from under the pie mid-bake sometime?

Yeah and they're almost metal fabric like, unlike typical screen.  They undock from the mesh and finish on the stone. 

[TXCraig1]

Here you go: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/square-pizza-screen_60373903695.html

Whatever weave pattern and mesh size you want.

[jkb]

McMaster Carr and Grainger were staples for ss mesh in my pharma days.

[HarryHaller73]

The slices look so good.

Check out their old school menu.  Anchovy pie.

[bregent]

Check out their old school menu.  Anchovy pie.

Hmmm. Who orders a meatball hero without mozzarella

[jkb]

Hmmm. Who orders a meatball hero without mozzarella

Nobody. That's why they make the $1.50 upcharge look like it's your decision.

[invertedisdead]

I'm a firm believer that places with simplified small menus serve better food. That menu is great. I really like Walter's menu too. KISS!

[waltertore]

To be honest I don't care what people call my pizza as we continue to get great reviews from young and old NY/NJ people as well as west coasters.  Last night we sold out of dough with our last customer and our business has doubled since opening a year ago.  I think of my pizzas as a combination of the best NY/NJ pies I ate growing up.  We got another wonderful Yelp review last night.  It is very moving to see people take the time to write such heartfelt reviews in todays world where people are relying more on icons and 1 sentence responses for written communication.  Walter

I haven't reviewed a place in a long time now but if any of you walks into this place, you will leave with the need to tell all the World about it, too.  The second one walks through the doors of this true Mom & Pop operation you feel the positive vibes; you quickly understand that this place is NOTHING BUT positive.  Go ahead....I dare you to even think of one negative thing about it!  Look at all the posts on this blog.  Who can say anything bad?  When you walk up to the counter, employees (and you'll immediately love them) warmly welcomes you and get you situated.  However, the first thing they warn us about is that they're out of small thin crusts so all they have left is large size pizzas (Ah, FINALLY, something negative I can say).  Problem is, it's just the wife and me.  Well, we really want to try this pizza so we order the large with intention of bringing some home for later.  Anyway, you're part of the phenomenon as soon as you walk in.  It's not hard to tell that this place is pizza with a cause.  I could go on forever about this part of the business but, well, I did come here for some pizza.

Ah yes, the pizza.  You can smell the authenticity from outside the restaurant and then you enter and hear them yelling orders and statuses back and forth in the tiny kitchen space.  You can see the perfectly browned crust of their pies as they come out of the oven and anticipate that you've made the right decision to give this place a shot.  Yeah, they do crust right.  Perfectly thin & crispy on the outside, little bit of chew once you take that first bite.  On their pizza oven, there must be a setting labeled "perfect".  Don't know how else to describe it.  You see them pouring sauce on the pie from the bucket as they make it and wonder, "What's the secret to that part?"  Then you taste it and realize....there may be no secret except for the use of great canned tomatoes.  Not sure if they added a darned thing to it but somehow, it's in perfect harmony with everything else on the pie.  I could say the same for the amount of cheese and all of the 4 toppings I ordered on ours.  By the way, I recommend that you make sure sausage is one of the toppings on yours.  It's made in-house and delicious.

Oh, and about that "out of small pizza" problem.  Turns out my petit 5'2" wife and I polished off the whole large pie and left nothing for my teenage son at home despite that we promised him we were coming home with leftovers.  We ended up having to get him In-N-Out.  It was that good.

Overall, this place is a small, hidden dive that serves great, authentic, New York style pizza, arguably the best.  Service is friendly, prompt and sincere.  I encourage you all to eat in and take in the art, the employees and the whole vibe to truly understand what this great business is all about.  Its name is appropriate:  When you leave, you'll be smiling because you just ate the best pizza in the Truckee Meadows.  You'll be Smiling with Hope because you've just been reminded that there are still good people left in this World!

[Loarina Vega]

To be honest I don't care what people call my pizza as we continue to get great reviews from young and old NY/NJ people as well as west coasters.  Last night we sold out of dough with our last customer and our business has doubled since opening a year ago.  I think of my pizzas as a combination of the best NY/NJ pies I ate growing up.  We got another wonderful Yelp review last night.  It is very moving to see people take the time to write such heartfelt reviews in todays world where people are relying more on icons and 1 sentence responses for written communication.  Walter

I haven't reviewed a place in a long time now but if any of you walks into this place, you will leave with the need to tell all the World about it, too.  The second one walks through the doors of this true Mom & Pop operation you feel the positive vibes; you quickly understand that this place is NOTHING BUT positive.  Go ahead....I dare you to even think of one negative thing about it!  Look at all the posts on this blog.  Who can say anything bad?  When you walk up to the counter, employees (and you'll immediately love them) warmly welcomes you and get you situated.  However, the first thing they warn us about is that they're out of small thin crusts so all they have left is large size pizzas (Ah, FINALLY, something negative I can say).  Problem is, it's just the wife and me.  Well, we really want to try this pizza so we order the large with intention of bringing some home for later.  Anyway, you're part of the phenomenon as soon as you walk in.  It's not hard to tell that this place is pizza with a cause.  I could go on forever about this part of the business but, well, I did come here for some pizza.

Ah yes, the pizza.  You can smell the authenticity from outside the restaurant and then you enter and hear them yelling orders and statuses back and forth in the tiny kitchen space.  You can see the perfectly browned crust of their pies as they come out of the oven and anticipate that you've made the right decision to give this place a shot.  Yeah, they do crust right.  Perfectly thin & crispy on the outside, little bit of chew once you take that first bite.  On their pizza oven, there must be a setting labeled "perfect".  Don't know how else to describe it.  You see them pouring sauce on the pie from the bucket as they make it and wonder, "What's the secret to that part?"  Then you taste it and realize....there may be no secret except for the use of great canned tomatoes.  Not sure if they added a darned thing to it but somehow, it's in perfect harmony with everything else on the pie.  I could say the same for the amount of cheese and all of the 4 toppings I ordered on ours.  By the way, I recommend that you make sure sausage is one of the toppings on yours.  It's made in-house and delicious.

Oh, and about that "out of small pizza" problem.  Turns out my petit 5'2" wife and I polished off the whole large pie and left nothing for my teenage son at home despite that we promised him we were coming home with leftovers.  We ended up having to get him In-N-Out.  It was that good.

Overall, this place is a small, hidden dive that serves great, authentic, New York style pizza, arguably the best.  Service is friendly, prompt and sincere.  I encourage you all to eat in and take in the art, the employees and the whole vibe to truly understand what this great business is all about.  Its name is appropriate:  When you leave, you'll be smiling because you just ate the best pizza in the Truckee Meadows.  You'll be Smiling with Hope because you've just been reminded that there are still good people left in this World!

Been Reading and also Reserched your Pizza Journey. ....You are an Inspiration. ....!!!

[waltertore]

Been Reading and also Reserched your Pizza Journey. ....You are an Inspiration. ....!!!

Thanks Loarina.  I feel blessed to have found a place to put my life.  Each day I walk in to open the shop.  It is empty and quiet with smells lingering from last night.  I  look around, get the gears rolling, open the door/turn on the open sign, see our employees find meaning, watch customers eat/converse, at the end of the night clean and lock up.  I am so thankful the place is ours and give a thanks to the pizzeria for putting meaning and hope in my life.  Walter

PS:  And I can't wait for Tuesday to do it all again

[hammettjr]

... On their pizza oven, there must be a setting labeled "perfect".  Don't know how else to describe it.

That's awesome!

[waltertore]

That's awesome!

Our ovens are awesome.  They were the last bldogetts Frank Mastro designed before he died.  I feel his mojo on them all the time.  They are 50 years old and workhorses that never let us down.  I love cleaning them each night and I can work on them easily when need be.  The newer deck ovens stink in comparison performance wise. Walter

[Josh123]

I agree, screen use has always been seen as a crutch and only used by unskilled labor in chain joints, at least in my eyes. I probably sound stubborn on the screen topic and I know a place like this must use them mostly for the less bench flour aspect but I think that a highly skilled maker will be able to use next to no flour on the peel and the pie will still slide right off. To me, screen use is for emergency only (slowing down an out of balance bottom crust perhaps is a good example). However, that being said, it does not take away the fact that this place is packed, has been doing it's thing for many years and the pie looks legit. I'd love to stop by one day when I'm in the city for a slice. It's on the list.

I run a NY style shop and use screens for a few reasons -

I get better cheese melt. For me, whole milk mozzarella never releases its full flavor until it oils off orange. If you go on a hot deck, you can't always get a great cheese melt, especially if you're busy and losing a lot of heat in the oven.

I also make pies that are close to 20". I have a Blodgett 1000, which are more deep, but narrow. When its busy, it would be very hard to launch pies that size behind other ones. I also have cracks in my bricks which i havent fixed lol. Makes it hard to launch as well.

That said, I pull the pie off the screen after its about 30 percent baked, so the pie is still baked 70 percent on the deck. The difference in undercrust taste and texture is negligible and I get better cheese melt, plus, in Western Pennsylvania, not a lot of guys can launch thin crust pies that large off the peel, so when I have others launching pizza for me, its just easier to start on the screen, and move to the brick after 2 minutes or so.