New York Style Pizza, what makes it one?

[jhlurie]

I take your point on Quattro Stagione, but you seem to have misinterpreted my comments as negative toward Neapolitan pizza. I do not think that Neapolitan pizza is oversauced! I do, however, think that the crust is too thin and soft and there is too much sauce on the pizza for it to be appropriate to eat it without a knife and fork. Have you tried eating Neapolitan pizza with your hands on the street? You made a mess, right?

Dude... paper plate and folding in half--folded it's twice as thick, twice as strong. Of course you need to be prepared for the line of cheese grease running off it, but that can be handled. Knife and fork? I'm shuddering just reading that.

[Fat Guy]

What's wrong with eating pizza with a knife and fork? I'll listen to anybody who was born in New York City who takes the position that it's wrong to do so, but otherwise I'm not sure what the problem is. Pizza in whole-pie format -- which is how much of the city's best pizza comes -- is too hot and too liquid to eat by hand right away.

[Chad]

Dude... paper plate and folding in half--folded it's twice as thick, twice as strong. Of course you need to be prepared for the line of cheese grease running off it, but that can be handled. Knife and fork? I'm shuddering just reading that.

Jon, I think the pizza that Pan and Docsconz are referring to is Neapolitan pizza -- as it's found in Naples. Pan made the remark that the pizzas he had in Naples didn't lend themselves to the NY fold-and-eat-standing-up treatment. They were more suited to knife and fork.

Damn, I'm getting hungry.

Chad

[Pan]

Dude... paper plate and folding in half--folded it's twice as thick, twice as strong.  Of course you need to be prepared for the line of cheese grease running off it, but that can be handled.  Knife and fork?  I'm shuddering just reading that.

Jon, I think the pizza that Pan and Docsconz are referring to is Neapolitan pizza -- as it's found in Naples. Pan made the remark that the pizzas he had in Naples didn't lend themselves to the NY fold-and-eat-standing-up treatment. They were more suited to knife and fork.

Exactly, Chad.

And ditto for the restaurant whole pizzas you get in places like Li'l Frankie's, which have the same thickness of crust as Neapolitan pizzas, and some other similarities to them.

[jhlurie]

Dude... paper plate and folding in half--folded it's twice as thick, twice as strong.  Of course you need to be prepared for the line of cheese grease running off it, but that can be handled.  Knife and fork?  I'm shuddering just reading that.

Jon, I think the pizza that Pan and Docsconz are referring to is Neapolitan pizza -- as it's found in Naples. Pan made the remark that the pizzas he had in Naples didn't lend themselves to the NY fold-and-eat-standing-up treatment. They were more suited to knife and fork.

Damn, I'm getting hungry.

Chad

Okay... pardon my confusion since we are in the NY pizza thread and NY pizza is often (inaccurately, I know) called Neapolitan.

As for knife and fork with the real deal NY... it's fine if you are sitting down, there are plenty of toppings (as we've said... a rare circumstance with what we are talking about) and you are having dinner conversation where a big greasy triangle in front of your face is intrusive. Otherwise... it's more a sense that it's a waste of time to use a knife and fork than outrage. To me it's like using a knife and fork with a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich. You can do it... but why?

Feeding kids can be another exception I guess.

[wesza]

There is "NO" NY Style Pizza anywhere in Italy. I tried attempting to find it several times without any success.

NY Style Pizza can be made anywhere in the World, but it takes a love and understanding of the Dough and a dedication to sustaining the quality over time that hasn't been done successfully.

I've helped startups in many places including Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Honolulu, Seattle and San Francisco that opened with a very close proximity of the Real thing but weren't able to sustain it for the long haul. It's not the Water or the Flour it's mostly the people. The best judges are American Italian Grandma's who know how to pinch cheeks and pull ears. They are the real Mavens of Pizza in my opinion.

It takes dedication, quality control and persistancy that doesn't seem applicable to most small business operators who are well intentioned but don't have the chutzpah to make it work, weather it's Bagels, Deli's, Barbque or Pizza Joints it takes more then good intentions to succeed for the long run.

I realize that if it something that's served all over we take it for granted, but it sure doesen't seem applicable to our favorite Apizza or Pizza places.

I love eating Pizza and have learned to find the best wherever your at and adjust to making do until your've returned to your basic sources and even they seem to change with time.

Dream Pizza and always keep us upto date about whats happening so wherever we go, we can thank you all.

Irwin