Tuesday, October 24, 2006

THINGS THAT I LOVE- PART IV

I love pizza. I don’t think this makes me a particularly unique person whatsoever. I think most people like, if not love pizza. What is it about a mess of bread, cheese, sauce, and toppings that makes people so happy? Is it that bread and cheese are some of the best foods in the world? Probably so. Is it that with pizza, the consumer has a choice and they can always have it the way they like it? Probably so. Does it make sense that a food so customizable, so potentially different would be so universally loved? Probably so. The only question that remains then is; why do I care? Why am I so fascinated with pizza? I guess it is because I am just like everyone else.

Currently I live in Chicago, so I’ll start by talking about pizza here. I tend not to be a huge fan of the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. It isn’t bad; it’s a pizza. Something about it though isn’t quite right with me. I think that the crusts are typically delicious. The cheese, however, tends to get lost to me since it is at the bottom of the pizza rather than the top. The sauce tends to also be delicious, nice and chucky and full of tomatoes but I find it generally overpowering. I read somewhere that this style of pizza started in the depression when casserole (or hotdish as weird Minnesotans that are not me call it) was king. They just threw a bunch of stuff together and baked it. Makes sense to me. However it is no longer the depression (although it feels like it sometimes) and we don’t have to eat that way anymore. It reminds me of the question, why do people still eat chitterlings when they have more options than the leftover remnants from the butcher? Some things we may never know.

Another Chicago-type pizza is the stuffed pizza. I love this type. Some people may question how it is that I love stuffed pizza when I don’t like deep-dish but others will understand it. My explanation is this; the stuffed pizza is all about the cheese. You won’t have to search for gooey goodness in this dish. I will go out on a limb and say that my favorite stuffed pizza is from Pizza Capri on Belmont and Sheffield. However, I haven’t had it in years and it is possible it is no longer as good as I remember so if it got bad don’t blame me. In case you don’t know. The stuffed pizza has a relatively thick bottom crust, a thick layer of cheese and whatever toppings you so desire, a very thin top crust, and sauce on the top. Part of what make Pizza Capri’s dish so wonderful is the crisp and flaky buttery delicious crust.

I am also a fan of thin crust pizza. I don’t generally love the super thin cracker crust type pizza but some places do it well and I won’t complain. What I will complain about is how many Chicago pizzerias have the audacity to cut their thin crust pies in squares. Maybe I am the nut here but pizza is supposed to come in slices, each slice with its own crust that you can hold onto (important if you eat your pizza like a normal person which I don’t but that will come later) not in a bunch of squares so that the middle pieces have no crust and although they are deliciously cheesy and toppingy they are undeniably messy. The best thin crust pizza in Chicago I will hand to Ranalli’s. They have a crust with a good thickness and a mighty fine sauce that can stand up to the many toppings you will have on your pizza. Why so many toppings you ask? Because all toppings after the fourth are free!!! You heard it folks, top all you want, we won’t charge you. I will often get pizza with like eight toppings on there and it is so incredibly yummy. Plus they have a colossal list of ingredients so you truly have everything to choose from.

However, in my opinion, no matter how good a thin crust pizza is in Chicago, it has nothing on NY pizza. The huge floppy slices with the greasy cheese and the almost non-existent sauce and just varieties of pies at your disposal is absolute pizza heaven to me. The most common complaint I hear is the blandness of the sauce, that’s what the shakers of oregano, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan are for folks. The thing with a NY pizza is you can truly taste everything because nothing is overpowering. Plus I can order eggplant on my pizza and no one will look at me funny. Ranalli’s has eggplant as a topping option but not too many Chicago places will let you go there (unless they’re fancy). The thing with ordering eggplant in NY is that in some places you will get nice deli-thin sliced eggplant rounds, others you get chunks, and still others you get little cut up pieces of eggplant parmesan. All are delicious. Since I no longer live in NY, I will have to say the best place I can think of is down the street from Sister’s house on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. Their brick oven pizza was fantastic! The regular slices didn’t look too shabby either. The pie came out so nice and crisp yet still floppy in the right places and the eggplant was divine.
To finish off this post (I would really like a slice) I will talk about how I like to eat pizza. Those of you who have enjoyed pizza with me know it is quite an endeavor. I need a knife and fork to eat pizza, no matter what kind it is or how it is sliced. I will always eat the crust first and have before pizza hut stole my thing with their stuffed crust deal. Why, because it’s my least favorite part that’s why. Even the best crust doesn’t have cheese (well the stuffed crust does but that cheese tastes strange like they rolled some string cheese in butter and tries to pass it off as yummy). Then I will cut off the top of the pizza closest to he crust and eat that section first. I’ll work my way down a little bit from that end. Then, I’ll turn it around and work my way up thus leaving the middle section of the pizza to eat last. Why, because it’s my favorite part that’s why. I also like to take my pizza apart and enjoy the cheese and the crust separately. I often do this inside my mouth but sometimes I do it on the plate. Occasionally I will chew a bite all together just to see how it tastes. It usually tastes good but not as good as separately. I actually always save the best bites to eat last, no matter what I am eating. I hate it when someone goes for a bite of my food and they take my saved best bite, I mean I put it aside on the plate for a reason people. Anyway, this has been a really long post about pizza. If I were to have a pizza parlor what songs would be playing? Let’s guess and see.

1.The morn the morn the morn that I was born my old man beat up the Dr. he clocked the Dr. because the Dr. said I looked like Chewbacca.

2.Lady called the blue boy love she took him home made himself an idol yes so he turned to stone. Blue Boy, Joni Mitchell. Identified by Mom

3. In my little town I grew up believing God keeps his eye on us all. My Little Town, Paul Simon (and yes sung by Simon and Garfunkle). Identified by Mom

4. Now here’s a little story I got to tell about three bad brothers you know so well. Paul Revere, Beastie Boys. Identified by Brooke.

5. Standing on the corner of a civilization. There's a time there's a place for me.

19 comments:

Traveling Matt said...

I don't hate NY pizza because the sauce is bland. I hate it because there is no sauce to BE bland. Also, you know I don't like adding extra shit to my food (salt pepper seasonings condiments) after it's cooked. So NY pizza gets a NO form me.

I used to take so much flack for the way I eat pizza that I have changed it in public. The real way is: Toppings first, one chunk at a time. Next the cheese. Mm. Then some parts will have the sauce licked off and some parts will be bitten, sauce crust and all. and then the crust. I can only really enjoy pizza by myself obviously because it gets messy.

Anonymous said...

Hey, what about Minneapolis pizza? This town may not be a pizza heaven, but still. What do you think: Pizza Luce, Green Mill, Fat Lorenzo's?

There was a place in Ossining, NY that made such great pizza we used to call it "God Pizza."

Songs:
#2: Blue Boy by Joni Mitchell
#3: My Little Town by Paul Simon, performed, I believe, by Simon and Garfunkel.

I feel I should know #4, but can't place it...

Jules said...

Fav deep dish = Giordano's and Lou Malnati's.

Fav thin crust in Chicago = Ranalli's (Mike used to be a delivery guy for them, and the location on Montrose donated A LOT of apps to my theatre's benefit, so they rule)

Fav thin crust in Chicagoland area = Carmen's Pizza in Evanston. SO GOOD!!! I always order from them when we have pizza at work. Big honkin' slices, somewhat NY style. I think you'd like it. I think they might have a location in Edgewater too, so check them out!

Anonymous said...

#4. Beastie Boys - Paul Revere

Foofa said...

Mizzle- You eat pizza all messed up when i'm around. then again as I am busy taking mine apart maybe i don't notice you strangely licking sauce. I get the no NY thing, my taste buds just like it.

Mom- No one ever hears about Mpls pizza, bye. Those places are good and all but it doesn't deserve it's own "type of pizza" and isn't green mill from somewhere else?

Julie- I think I have a Carmen's menu somewhere, it's certainyl on my list of things to try. Glad to hear you like Ranalli's too!!! Even though I'm not a deep dish fan Lou Malnati's is a fine pizza

Anonymous said...

OK, OK, OK.

Green Mill originated in St. Paul, so no it is not from somewhere else. But it's claim to fame is its "Chicago-style" deep-dish.

And you're right, there is no such thing as a Twin Cities style pizza. Oh, wait, yes there is!

It's a tasteless cracker-like crust, bland sauce laid on too thick, and about 8 pounds of nondescript cheese.

Cut into those awful little squares.

With probably one pepperoni on each square.

Just horrible.

Becca said...

I've never met a pizza I didn't like. My favorite in Chicago is Pizano's. It's a thin crust, not stuffed and it's always a little "over-done" by normal standards. The bottom is downright crispy but it's how I love it! Have you ever been there? They also have a skillet cookie dessert which I would probably run over small children to eat.

BionicBuddha said...

I love the extra sauce...I'll trade cheesy-goodness for spectacular sauce any day of the week!!!




www.bionicbuddha.com

Anonymous said...

My favorite pizza in the world: pizza from The Colony Bar & Grill, in Stamford, Connecticut. Happens to be an Irish bar, also known as Bohanon's or Jimmy Bobo's. Cracker thin. (My wife hates it.) People wait for hours to get it on a Friday night. Night before Thanksgiving? Packed. Your likely to see the mayor there. They feature a hot-oil pizza -- spicy hot pepper oils. The Colony. The place is a bit of a dump, but the pizza is flat-out (literally) The Best. I'm salivating for it.

KuPu said...

WOW....You touched my favorite topic ever. FOOD and PIZZA!!! YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!

I live in Canada, and I have to admit, I don't know of any "GREAT" pizza places. Maybe I need to move to Chicago!!!

But Boston Pizza does hit the top of my list and my all time favorite pizza is "Perogy Pizza". It's nice and spicy and just so yummy!

I could seriously eat pizza all day, every single day and probably will never get sick of it. My must do, is leave the crust till last, and then enjoy it to the fullest. It just sucks when the crust is too hard or chewy and then you wonder why you left that for last!
LOL
Kim

Michael C said...

I've never had true NY Pizza, but will before I die. When I do eat it, I expect to hear Billy Joel's New York State of Mind in the background. Man this post made me hungry!!

Anonymous said...

wobbly bits I used to work at Pizanos! it's the BEST place!

mmm...pizza...now i'm hungry.

dammit.

;-)

Anthony said...

Mouth....watering...must...have pizza...

Anonymous said...

OMG I LOVE pizza! It is my favorite food I have to say! The crust is my least fav too - I fold it over ontop of the top of the slice and eat it that way. Is that weird?

They don't have good pizza in Seattle. It's the topic of convo for a lot of my east coast friends and I. We are such whiners.

My favorite is the standby cheese and a less traditional pesto, feta and mozz. Yummm...

I hate being on a diet. :P

~ csmc via terra incognita

Matt said...

My personal pizza-eating style is to dimple it in the middle and fold it vertically and then chuck it in my mouth as fast as possible. I used to think it was pretty unique since people woudl stare while I was eating, but nowadays I see lots of people doing it. I still like to think that I was a pioneer in pizza-eating technique.

KuPu said...

I didn't know that there were SO Many different ways to eat pizza! I do like to eat mine with a fork and a knife, but that's about it. Then I think I eat it the most common way. From the tip, to the crust. But...maybe not? I think I may have to try eating it a different way next time!
mmmmmmm, My favorite!!!!

Anonymous said...

I now *NEED* to go to Chicago and to NY just for this pizza you describe. Every topping after 4 is *FREE*!?!?

That is *INSANITY*!!

Anonymous said...

i heart the pizza.

but i may be ODing on it.

Foofa said...

Wo- the pizza you made inspired this post you know.