So, let's talk pizza. As a teen in Bend Oregon, Shakey's Pizza Parlor on South 3rd was my favorite hangout. A Italian sausage with black olives was my favorite.
In the next couple decades, I continued to eat American pizza, it was never something I raved about, but I liked it fine. I had no reference, no comparison.
Then I went to Europe, then to Italy. Eating pizza there was a defining experience; I'd never had anything like it. It resembled American pizza in the same way a Ford Pinto resembles a Ferrari 350 GTO.
I stared at it, a simple margherita. could something taste like this, and be called something I'd been eating for years without notice?
Since that time, I've avoided pizza back here in the US. Until this week, when my friend L., who lived in Naples, took me to this place in Fullerton, an unpromising Orange County pizza joint.
Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana. Wood ovens, knowledgeable servers, and imported buffalo mozzarella cheese. It was damn close to Italy.
It was rather good.
Those are things of great beauty. My appetite alarm just grumbled in my belly. Cheers to those wood ovens!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The dough they used was from imported flour also, crusty combined with chewy, all in around 1/8th inch, blackened areas added to the flavor.
DeleteI could eat.
ReplyDeleteC'mon out, I'm here for another week.
DeleteYes, hooray for knowledge and wood ovens.
ReplyDeleteA good combo, indeed.
DeleteOh. yum!
ReplyDeleteYep. Hope you're doing well, Martha.
DeleteI think European food in general is better than ours and the key is freshness. It is harvested and cooked on that day...not some frozen product thawed or something from some can as many restaurants do.
ReplyDeleteWe noticed that in Germany, in the eggs we'd buy at the market. The yolks were a bright orange, and the white held together, very dense. Would not spread out when put in a pan.
DeleteThe one pizza I had in Italy (also a margherita) was fine but not spectacular. I have had some exceptionally goos wood fired pizzas with fresh basil and mozzerella here, though.
ReplyDeleteThe pizza place at the end of the piazza in Greve had pretty good pizza, the best I had was in Venice. Also a dish I had there and never saw anyplace else was cuttlefish pasta, amazing taste.
DeleteYou're right on target about the great difference between American pizza and genuine Italian pizza.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is also quite a difference between east coast pizza and California pizza.
Looong ago, many of the people in New Jersey used to call pizza "tomato pie" (a term unheard of nowadays).
My parents moved to Southern California when I was five and there VERY few pizza places back then. I think Shakey's was one of the first chain places. The first Shakey's I remember was in Pomona.
Hadn't heard that one, Jon. I've had the classic 'deep dish' pie in Chicago, ate two slices and was full for damn near 2 days.
ReplyDeleteIt's hot here in OC (Laguna Beach) today, way too hot for me.
If you were in Laguna Beach, you were VERY close to where I live. Let me know next time!
ReplyDeleteI'm clearly not a pizza expert, but in my book "deep dish pizza" ain't pizza at all. I would kill for some of pizza in your photos!