Obsessive About Pizza
By TAMMY LA GORCE

Robert Cino does not claim that his pizzeria is the only one in this part of New Jersey that uses a wood-burning oven. But he says that his 1,600-square-foot restaurant Ah’Pizz, which he has been gradually opening with two partners since February, is the only one using it correctly.

“Other people are cooking their pies at 500 degrees,” said Mr. Cino, 23, of Scotch Plains. “I cook mine at 1,000 degrees, which gives them that great, smoky flavor.”

cont...Ahpizz

There was a recent show (repeat??) on either the Travel channel or Food network that discussed the beginnings of American pizza and the different styles of Chicago and NY. NY was judged to have the better pizza but one of the famous Chicago places was Lou Malnati's. They do special order and look intriguing.
Lou Malnati's

I had pizza for lunch yesterday. Here's something to keep in mind: Pizza and 99 degree heat with 90% humidity don't mix. Haven't eaten anything since.

I bought my class pizza from Pizza Hut, the first time I've eaten bought pizza in quite a while. It was good, but the sauce was awful sweet.

I HATE DEEP DISH PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure I see your point...

Yes, DT, could you be more specific?

Speak up,son. Sound off like you have a pair!

I tried the Malnati Pizza. Ehh, it was ok but certainly not the best deep dish I've ever had. The crust was light and tasty but it had a bit too much cheese and not enough toppings. It was also a little wetter than I like.
The sauce was pretty good though. But all in all, frankly I could have gotten almost equal quality from Jet's. I wonder if Uno's does mail order.

Lilo, have you ever had a REAL (NJ/NY) pizza??

Does Sbarro's count? Cause I like their pizza.

And in Ann Arbor there are a few places that claim to be NY style that are decent-Bella Italia is one of them.

http://www.bellaitaliapizzaandpasta.com/

Review with pics

Pizza - the perfect food.

No, it doesn't. Sbarro's (here) is only found in mall food courts and highway rest stops. 'nuf said. lol


Exactly! Pepperoni and/or sausage pie, for instance, represents all the classic food groups!

There used to be three Sbarro's locally. One of them I no longer go to and the second one I went to closed. But if it hadn't closed I wouldn't have discovered Bella Italia. So it worked out ok.

The ONE & ONLY Difara
1424 Avenue J
Brooklyn, NY

Dom IS the GODFATHER of pizza!
If you don't mind waiting an hour for a pie....................................

...and paying $5 for a slice...

Do any people here make their own pizza? If so, here's a tip:

There's no way you can get a good crust in a home oven using those perforated aluminum pans. You need a stone, and it should be about 3/4" thick. The cheap ones sold in Target, etc., are worthless. The good ones cost $60 and up on the Web. BUT...

Flooring and tile stores often have remnant Saltillo stones that are the right size (14 -16" square) and thickness. You can get one for $3 or less if they have one. Heat it in the oven at 200 degrees for several hours to break it in. Let it cool, then heat it at 450 for an hour before you're ready to make your pie. Makes a perfect crust. Don't wash it afterward--just scrape it off.

DO NOT BUY A GLAZED STONE!!! They can give off toxic fumes if heated.

Ridiculous, TB. Yeah, it's great, but gimme a break.

I was at IJ about 2 months ago visiting my old buddies, and Di Fara is only about 20 (short) blocks from Flatbush Avenue, straight down Avenue J, so we took a walk.

It was delicious, but no better than Totonno's OR John's OR Patsy's OR any of the other famous brick oven joints in the city, all of which are MUCH more reasonably priced.

As PB correctly stated, there are so many great pizza places in NYC, I really don't understand how any place can generate that kind of demand. I've never eaten there, but I'm sure it's quite good. However, an hour for a pie? $5 a slice? No way.

TB, I started using thin crust Boboli this year for my pizzas. They're so good that I don't bother with my own crust anymore. And it's a great way to use up leftover sauce, meatballs, even eggplant or chicken parm.

You're gonna shudder when I say this, but...

I used extra-sharp Cheddar as one of the toppings for my pies. The sharp taste makes a nice contrast to the bland Mozzarella.

Last time I was in Brownsville (ten years ago), the original IJ on Church and Rockaway Parkway, which had been abandoned and graffiti'd two years earlier, was taken over by Brookdale Hospital (which owns practically everything else in the vicinity).

Egg noodles and ketchup can't be far behind.....

LOL, nah... some of the best Jersey pies use cheddar mixed in!

Before my time, TB, but there are some GREAT old pictures of that building hanging on the walls of the present location on Flatbush Avenue (Between Alton Place & Avenue L).

I too like to blend cheddar with the mozzarella. It enhances the flavor, texture and appearance of the pizza.

Madonne! Che pazzo!

Okay, I tried a couple times but (besides the toppings) failed miserably. Maybe it's that grocery store bagged "pizza dough" but I couldn't work it much at all. Sure, there's a skill involved, but I tried the tricks yet still ended up with a blob of dough that wouldn't cook through.

My friend said to get pizza dough from a pizzeria, which I will try, but until then, it's back to Boboli!

Used one of their thin-crusts which was awesome. I used what I had on hand: Light on the sauce, shredded asiago, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives, little cheddar, heavy mozz, parm, italian seasonings = awesome.

Sure, it's not quite the same as from a pizzeria, and God knows in NJ we have the best pizza outside of Italy, but it's cheaper and quicker if you have the ingredients. Just as good as DiGiorno!

You shoot down all your credulity with a statement like that, but you're from a Jersey so I guess you can't know any better.

Try Brooklyn pizza for the best in the WORLD.

I don't want tomato pie, I want real pizza!

Hmmm, you talk out of your ass. I'm afraid to ask from where you fart.

I'm not referring to Spumoni Gardens pizza, which I think you are.