He was forced to look for a grandfathered space in Brooklyn, which is the only way to use a coal oven within city limits these days. He had hoped to open in Manhattan, but by this time there was a ban on the use of the coal fired ovens that produce the intense heat and characteristically sooty crust of the Neapolitan-American style. Lanceri's nephew Patsy Grimaldi opened Grimaldi's in Brooklyn in 1990. Arturo's on Houston Street opened in 1957 and remains a largely unblemished example of the breed, not having caught on with the tourists who these days flood nearby Lombardi's and John's. Others followed suit serving this particular form of pizza. (Lombardi's closed in 1984 and reopened a decade later in a different space on the same block.) Lombardi's, John's, Totonno's, and Patsy's are all still around today and represent cornerstones of the original NY style of pizza. 1933 saw Pasquale "Patsy" Lanceri, reputed to have been a Lombardi's employee, open Patsy's in Harlem. Five years later, John Sasso, also an employee of Lombardi's, opened John's Pizza on Bleecker Street. In 1924, Lombardi's employee Anthony "Totonno" Pero opened Totonno's in Coney Island. Numerous employees struck out on their own, fanning out across the city and spreading the distinctive style of pizza. It was so popular that Lombardi soon dispensed with the groceries entirely and started selling pizza exclusively. Lombardi's thrived in Little Italy, feeding legions of factory workers and immigrants longing for a taste of home. The original NY pies were larger, averaging a 14"-16" diameter, and were cooked in coal fired ovens until crisp from edge to edge. Neapolitan pies are intended for one person and a knife and fork is required. In Naples, the pies are cooked with wood and the center of the pizza tends to be soft and amorphous. But they differ in cooking technique, size, and texture. The result was the most elemental form of NY pizza, often called Neapolitan-American, that shares much in common with the original Neapolitan type: a thin crust, a judicious covering of tomato sauce, and a smattering of fresh mozzarella cheese. Lombardi scaled this up to meet commercial demands. Pizza had unquestionably existed in America prior to 1905, but it did so in the domestic environment of the kitchens of Italian immigrants. The recipe had likely been handed down through the generations of the Lombardi family and adapted using local ingredients and cooking methods resulting in a form of pizza inspired, but distinct, from the original pizza of Naples. The story of pizza in America begins in New York City in 1905 with Gennaro Lombardi, who began selling pizza out of his grocery store on Spring Street for the princely sum of a nickel per pie. Neapolitan-American Pizza: The Original NY Pie Here is a look at the predominant forms of pizza found in New York City with information about how they developed over the years, and a glimpse at some of the more eclectic and disparate variations on the theme. While New Yorkers can certainly be parochial and protective of their home slice, they can also be open and accepting of different pizza points of view. Although New York City has long had a clearly defined and ubiquitous style of pizza, the city's appetite for the dish knows no bounds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |