Pizza, Anyone?

It strikes me as strange that I can't seem to get a truly great slice of pizza here in Northern N.J. I mean, isn't this Sopranos country? We're so close to N.Y.C. that if we fell over we might land there. And Everyone knows that N.Y.C. is the pizza capitol of the world (well, except maybe Chicagoans... but Deep Dish, while delicious, is not pizza in my book, and so it is not in the running). So again, why can't I find a great slice? Besides, pizza is pizza, right?

In short, of course not. You wouldn't say champagne is champagne, or chocolate is chocolate, would you?

For starters, what makes a great slice of Pizza great to begin with? Well, you can start by throwing out all the fancy toppings. A pizzeria that feels the need to dress up their fare with the likes of taco fixin's or bacon and American Cheese probably shouldn't be calling itself a pizzeria. Pizza is bread, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. If the underlying slice is sub-par, then you can load on all the bell peppers, mushrooms, chicken parm, and anchovies you want, but you are still left with a sub-par piece of pizza. After all, isn't a Pontiac Fiero with a Ferrari Testarosa body kit still just a Pontiac Fiero? And don't get me started on the chains like Pizza Hut and Dominos. Hey, I even enjoy Dominos from time to time, but their pies are to pizza what Taco Bell is to Mexican food. It is more about convenience than flavor.

The most important component to a winning slice of pizza is the sauce. I suspect many people would vote for the cheese, but in my less than humble opinion, the cheese is the least critical part of the equation. If the sauce and crust are great, than you could top your slice with Polly-O string cheese, and it would still be wonderful. On the other hand, putting the highest quality, fresh mozzarella over a bed of Ragu Marinara sauce, and you'll be quite disapointed. And there is no single permutation for great pizza sauce.

In my life, there have been 4 restaurants that I feel had truly GREAT pizza sauce. Salvatore's was located, I believe, on East Main St. in Huntington, NY. They've been gone a long, long time now, but I will never forget the wonderful sweetness of their pizza sauce. Chef's of New York, which I believe is still located on Larkfield Rd. in what might be East Northport, NY, had an excellent sauce that was thinner than most I have ever experienced. Luigi's, which is located on 25A in East Setauket, NY, seemed to use more oil than any other pizzeria I've ever eaten in, and as strange as it sounds, it was a good thing. In fact, it was a great thing. Finally, Angelo's Pizzeria, located in Mount Laurel, NJ, had an outstanding sauce that actually contained chunks of tomato. Believe me, their pizza was outstanding. I know from experience. Over the four years that we lived a couple of blocks from Angelo's, I think it is fair to say that I consumed 400 slices of their pizza. Now that was great pizza.

So back to the definition of a great slice of pizza. Starting with the crust, it needs to be thin, but not too thin. Crisp, but not too crisp. Bubbles are part of the charm (I notice many upscale pizzerias pop the bubbles while the pie is cooking... definitely not necessary). It should have a flavor like a good bread crust, not be flavorless as cardboard or too doughy. On to the sauce... this is even less specific. The sauce can work in so many ways, as long as it tastes good. More basil, less basil... more oregano, less oregano... more garlic, less garlic... sweet or tart, chunks of tomatos or not... no specific guidelines here, as long as it tastes good. And when it comes to the cheese, I subscribe to the less is more philosophy (this might be the only case in the world of cuisine where I believe less cheese is desirable). Add a little black pepper on top, and enjoy.

Now, if I can only find a great slice here close to home. I guess
I'll just have to keep looking. Wish me luck. :-)