A pizza ghost visited pittsburghisbeautiful and dropped off these pizza pins to send my way. Why the pizza ghost didn’t visit me kind of cheeses me off.
Here’s a few reasons why the pizza ghost should’ve visited me instead of pittsburghisbeautiful:
- In the past four days I’ve eaten pizza for 8 meals.
- Every time I burp a pizza bubble comes out of my mouth.
- My telephone only has pizza places stored in my contacts list.
- I have a pretty dope tablecloth as seen in the photos above.
- I have a pizza blog dedicated to pizza. I mean, come on.
Since being featured on Tumblr Tuesday, I guess that means I’m certified to answer all your pizza questions. So don’t hesitate to ask me anything about pizza.
Today is the kind of day I’m getting nostalgic for Di Fara’s Pizza over in Brooklyn. While I’m only a few hundred miles away, it’s all I think about.
Like a chump I tried to capture my visit through the wonder of video, but it hardly translates the flavors and essence. There’s nothing like watching an 80 year old guy take his sweet time to chop fresh basil over a pizza while 50 hungry New Yorkers drool on the counter.
Cheap City Pizza - Pizza For the People
Pittsburgh is often called the “most livable city” despite rampant Vitamin D deficiency. More recently, it won second place for having the most pizza places per capita, with a total of 9.9 pizza places for every 10,000 citizens.
But there’s something miss from the pizza places that dot Pittsburgh. They lack a certain style. The pizza places just don’t have a whole screen printing business attached to them. Finally, it looks like that could change.
After “acquiring” a “pizza oven” for their print shop, the printers at Common Wealth Press, Pittsburgh’s first-second-and-last-stop for shirts, decided to fantasize about an alternate reality where they opened a pizza shop.
Without hesitation they whipped up concept art for Cheap City Pizza - Pizza For the People.
Why the CCP theme? Is that an acknowledgment that everyone should have an equal amount of pizza every day? This would make sense. A one-size-fits-all type of pizza would streamline the pizza making process allowing for a slick, and greasy, efficiency.
Phone rings. Pizza is ordered. Pizza is made. Pizza is delivered. No questions. No substitutions. Just pizza.
But what sort of man would be capable of churning out pizza after pizza? Then being able to delivery that efficiency with the grace and speed of a gazelle? Well, there’s just one pizza aficionado that’s up to the task.
While Common Wealth Press may only be joking around, they’ve more than sold me on the concept. Combining a pizza shop with screen printing is the logical leap. It increases foot traffic and they can sell custom pizza bibs so you don’t spill the pizza all over your CCP shirt.
One day I hope I can phone up Common Wealth Press and order a Common Cheese with a side of shirt. Because that would be the absolutely only thing on the menu.
Dispatch From The Polar Pizza Vortex
The Polar Pizza Vortex has consumed the Mid-West and North Eastern portions of the United States. Above, you can see critical satellite imagery of the coverage. The Pizza Vortex is traveling East, slowly but surely.
Its surface-area is that of 1.5 millions large 16'inch pizzes gathered side by side. It’s as though Mother Nature ordered an extra large pizza for the globe, forgot to heat it up, and plopped it onto the United States.
During the icy, flash frozen nature of the Polar Pizza Vortex, it’s advised that you do not succumb to frozen pizza. You will only instigate the Polar Pizza Vortex further and cause it to expand and rob more of the globe of heat. Instead, you’ll have to order a fresh pizza.
But please, consider the human who has to deliver the pizza to you. They are risking their lives to fight through the Polar Pizza Vortex to bring you a piping hot pizza. Though, in -33 wind chill temperatures you must wonder how warm the pizza will be when it arrives on your icy stoop. Instead, venture out into the Polar Pizza Vortex and retrieve the pizza yourself.
Equipped with some delicious pizza, huddle inside your home and wait for the Polar Pizza Vortex to subside.
This is the only way to survive the Polar Pizza Vortex. Me? I’ll be enjoying a large pizza from the one and only Spak Brothers Pizza.
Pizza Code With Me
A long time ago, before I got into this pizza lifestyle, I was into coding. I would quickly choke down a slice of pizza on Wednesday lunch during high school and sprint to the math room to get back to programming.
I programmed a robot to pick up beepers. I programmed an elevator simulator. For fun I created a visual calculator you could actually click on (including the use of decimal points!). My most impressive feat was getting a single sprite of Mega Man to flash on screen for three seconds.
This year I think I’m ready to return to the programming. And I have an idea for something really cool to build from scratch. I don’t want to spill too many beans yet, but I think it’s time I contribute to the rising pizza community.
You can see proof of me practicing my coding skills by examining this screenshot. It’s me exposing all the awesome methods I could perform on the word “pizza.” For some reason pizza.eat doesn’t work. Yet.
I could “chop” pizza, but I’m not sure what that does. Actually, Pizza.Slice would work. Let’s see what that returns.
I think we’re onto something!
I’ll continue to update you as I develop this killer pizza app. I hope it’ll be something fun, because I find programming so rewarding. Building a program from scratch is just as rewarding as mixing together some flour, yeast, and water to get that soft, cushiony pizza dough.
Feeling that flour between my fingers and picking dough off my skin the rest of the day is a sign of hard work done. That and the piping hot pizza I pull out of my oven. I guess I’m getting back into programming for that same reason; starting from scratch to make something that looks similar to the product a stinky dude could deliver to you in minutes is so inspiring.
The goal is to showcase some functionality as this grows and get some great input from the pizza community to build the app every pizza enthusiast will need. Stay tuned for more updates
Sending out 2013 with a slice. Let’s hope that 2014 has about 1000x more pizza slices.
Some photos from Menomalé pizza in Washington, DC. I interviewed the owner, a real pizzaiolo, back in November. It’s really a treat, maybe one of the best hidden gems of the DC area.
It’s in an unsuspecting neighborhood in a hidden building. But inside sits some impressive pizza activity. Not to mention the owner helps other pizza owners import pizza ovens from Naples!
It’s the real deal and I hope you enjoy these photos.
I want pizza so badly right now.
“Pizza looks good, Dan.”
The Pizza Underground Demo, by The Pizza Underground →
Macaulay Culkin opened his house up to some friends who came together to “pay respect” to the Velvet Underground. They’ve released a track which replaces lyrics from a classic Velvet Underground song with pizza.
For instance:
Papa John Says
I’m beginning to Eat the Slice
Pizza
I’m waiting for the delivery man
Cheeese Days
Pizza Day
Thanks to the 100 people that sent this my way this morning!
Reheating Pizza on the Skillet
In a rare turn of events, there was a single slice of pizza leftover from last night’s pizza adventure. I’m not proud. But, tonight I was able to take advantage of the sole survivor. But how am I supposed to take care of this POP (Prisoner of Pizza)?
Well, I don’t have a microwave like 99% of people. I don’t have a toaster oven. So, having leftover pizza is more of a burden than anything else. But I persevered. I found a somewhat inventive way to reheat pizza that keeps the pizza-integrity in check and doesn’t give you the weird mushy that you get when you microwave pizza.
As you can see above, it starts with a skillet. I turn it on medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. This is the most vital part of reviving a pizza form its refrigerated state.
Once you have your pizza up on your skillet, dancing in a little bit of hot olive oil you gotta do something crazy. Get a tiny bit of water and toss it on the skillet. Not the part of the skillet that has the pizza. Obviously. But around the pizza. This creates a ton of steam that cooks the top of the pizza while the crust is sizzling.
To capture that steam you’re going to need some sort of “lid.” In this case I used a ton of aluminum foil. This helped the top reheat at the same time the bottom was cooking in that oil.
After 10 minutes on medium heat you get…
A nicely melted pizza. It’s perfect. The crust is rejuvenated with that bit of oil. And the cheese on top is infused with that humidity and steam to make it more than edible. It’s a second chance at pizza life. Unfortunately, that only means it’s going to be eaten.
It’s the number one preferred way to reheat pizza. In a skillet! So go. It takes a bit more time, but it’s 100% better than reheating it in a microwave.
I interviewed a real-live Pizzaiolo in Washington, DC. A pizzaiolo is a rare breed these days. They’re trained in Naples and are true experts of the pizza craft. From the ingredients to the cooking process, they know their stuff.
I talked with Pizzaiolo Ettore Rusciano, the owner of Menomale. He imports everything from the heart of Italy to provide a legit pizza experience. I’ll have more info about the pizza and restaurant later, but for now enjoy the video.
Thanksgiving Pizza News, Imagery, and Thanksgiving Pizza Recipes
It’s Thanksgiving and I’m obviously thankful for pizza. It’s true. When I’m sitting at the Thanksgiving table getting ready to blurt out what I’m thankful for I’m going to say “Pizza.” There will be a few disgusted looks and chortles, but I’m sticking by my passion.
In honor of Thanksgiving I thought I’d compile some of the more inventive combinations of pizza and Thanksgiving.
This is as literal as you can get. Luckily, this nightmarish creation is from an Onion article about Domino’s foray into Thanksgiving pizza.
Have leftover turkey, stuffing, and other miscellaneous Thanksgiving treats? Combine them for an elegant pizza as seen above. This elegant creation is from Manhattan’s La Bottega Italian restaurant. Full recipe for after Thanksgiving pizza here.
Did you know that the day before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest pizza-selling days of the year?
Here’s another variation of post-Thanksgiving pizza. This one has more cheddar cheese and a biscuit pizza crust.
A vegan Thanksgiving pizza combined all the veggies and vegan-friendly products to create a mashup that borders on absurdity. There’s a comprehensive outline on how to create this vegan delicacy over at veganpizzafuckyeah.tumblr.com.
In the news, a Pizza Hut owner decided to shut down his store on Thanksgiving and was promptly fired. Luckily, the manager that was fired, Rohr, will have his job back after Thanksgiving. It’s kind of a shame that a) he was fired and b) this was considered a controversial and daring move by the manager. What a world!
Hope you have a blessed pizza Thanksgiving. And when it comes to story time, please don’t hesitate to share the true story of Thanksgiving and Pizzagiving in Pizza History.
“Pizza was the focus of Thanksgiving until lobbyists got involved.” True story of Pizzagiving.
I’ve hit my stride as a pizza journalist. See ya in Vegas!
Pizza salad.
Friends and Pizza go together likes Pizza..and..More Pizza
What’s better than a pizza? How about like eight pizzas. Eight pizzas that are birthed at a house with the help if eight people.
Don’t get me wrong, pizza is great on its own. But there’s something melancholy about eating an entire pizza yourself then turning to your left and right looking for someone to brag about your achievement.
I guess social media fills that role, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less bloated. Which is why pizza + friends = P-P-PIZZA PARADISE
Last Summer I was invited to a pizza-making party at Chad’s place. Chad is real into pizza. Like legit pizza enthusiast. That’s him up above and his (blurry) pizza. His secret? A sauce recipe that’s passed down from his grandmother. A sauce formula so potent that it left his face mangled. Man. Poor Chad. He’ll never be able to open up a pizza shop with a mug like that.
I did my part to bring the annoyingly-traditional pizza to the party. As you can see it’s humble, tiny, and contains almost no cheese. Does a traditional pizza play in a party setting? You’d think someone who runs a pizza blog would know better.
It looked meager compared to Chad’s pizza bonanza, but sometimes great pizza comes in traditional packages. The gang was really wowed by my sauce, but I’ll never tell my secret…
I felt my pizza was exquisite, but it might have just been the company. Being able to share my favorite past-time with a group of pals only enriches the pizza experience.
I swear no one there is on the verge of tossing up their pizza. Totally promise.
A possible downside is that when you’re cooking up a hodge-podge of tiny pizzas you gotta slice and dice those suckers. Which means some people don’t get to handle the soft, pillowy crust.
My tactic has always been to elbow everyone out of the way and stack a plate full of crust. Let the wild dogs deal with the crust-less pizza in the middle. Those animals.
Bottom line: Pizza with friends is pretty legit. 100% of the time it’s better than eating alone because you get to share the cultural experience of pizza. As a team you can dismantle a pizza, discuss what destroys your tastebuds and how pizza makes you feel alive.
I’ve also noticed that when you have pizza coursing through your veins, your guard drops a little and you become way more honest. It’s like a naturally occurring truth serum. This probably happens because packed into every triangle of pizza are years of memories waiting to be absorbed into your bloodstream.
Pittsburgh's Proper Brick Oven and Tap Room - Pizza Review
As downtown Pittsburgh begins to revitalize, one of the driving forces behind its resurgence is pizza. In the past few years there have been a suspicious amount of restaurants serving "authentic" pizza in the area. Places like Winghart’s, Il Pizzaiolo, and Stone. It’s nice that in a half-mile radius you can grab a dozen different types of pizza. If you collect them all I can guarantee no two will be the same, but you’ll probably be barfing into one of the rivers. Maybe that’s why we have so many rivers? In case of our sudden gluttony.
The newest addition to Pittsburgh’s Pizza Club is Proper. Proper Brick Over and Tap Room, to be long-winded.
Proper promises a proper dining experience that any human should be proud of—a draft list that encompasses an entire alphabet of beer; a finely-tuned menu focused on pizza, pasta and sandwiches; and the option for incidental bacon. The latter surprised me. For sure I thought we were over the “bacon makes everything” better culinary phase?
Let’s talk pizza. When I visited I had the Margherita. It’s the most basic of pizzas and if you can’t make a margherita right you’re in trouble. And take a look! It looks like a pizza, but what are those charred bits on top?
The bacon isn’t just any bacon it’s house-cured black pepper bacon. And when you put it on the pizza-stage it only takes away from the experience. It’s a blemish on an otherwise ideal pizza. I resorted to picking off some of the bacon halfway through the pie, but the damage was done. Pools of grease dotted the pizza like boils on a victim of a plague. The melted mozzarella lakes were just a tad darker. The bacon had left its mark and it was a sad state of affairs.
Despite the bacon carnage, a mistake I hope you don’t make, the pizza was high-quality. The crust had a crispy edge, but pillowy-soft inside. It’s easy to shovel slice after slice into your mouth because it’s just so soft. It’s like eating rectangular bliss.
While the outside of the pizza was perfect, the middle was a bit undercooked. Resulting in a thin, floppy pizza. Great for folding, but I was hoping for a bit more of a crunch when my teeth penetrated the basil, sauce, and cheese. Pizza just taste better when it at least sounds like it’s putting up a fight.
The Margherita I devoured was prepared right on the premises in this wood-fired oven. The oven rests right in the middle of the restaurant. Pizza smell radiates from within, filling your nostrils with succulent scents. There are other things on the menu, but I’m not sure how you can not order a pizza in a place like this.
When the pizza had vanished I was in a pretty great mood. The Margherita was great, it has some character, but stays safely within the definition of what a Margherita pizza is. If you’re in downtown Pittsburgh looking for pizza from Italy, it’s a nice place to stop into. Chances are they’ll have a perfect beer to pair with it.