tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post348892570801391121..comments2024-03-27T15:38:44.063-04:00Comments on Pizza Quixote: Defining the Tomato PiePizza Quixotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17883928558644129413noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-59624618193554587492023-01-09T22:18:07.096-05:002023-01-09T22:18:07.096-05:00Lovely! I hope to get back to that region at some ...Lovely! I hope to get back to that region at some future pointPizza Quixotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883928558644129413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-20676629869202249072023-01-08T03:16:52.558-05:002023-01-08T03:16:52.558-05:00Tomato Pie in and around Utica, NY has a very spec...Tomato Pie in and around Utica, NY has a very specific meaning and it is very similar to what can be found in and around Philadelphia, PA. Only three ingredients: crust, sauce and sprinkled hard grated parmesan and/or romano cheese. Can be found in pizzerias, grocery store bakeries and Italian provisions shops and other bakeries throughout the region. They are rectangular and are usually cut "party-style" into squares as they tend to be popular at birthday parties (I ate many slices at many classmates' birthday parties as a kid!), football parties and pretty much any house gathering where food is served. Loved by many and detested by some (Many in my family no longer eat it as they just burned out on it over the years, while I still LOVE it and now I no longer worry about missing out on a corner slice.), locals will debate which place makes the best version. For me, the tomato pie at Roma Sausage & Deli on Bleecker Street in Utica, NY is the yardstick by which I measure all others. Chewy, focaccia-like crust, sweet chunky sauce and a liberal sprinkling of hard, grated cheese are the perfect trio for days-long snacking. Most places in the region only sell by the half or whole sheet and some require 24 hour pre-ordering, so it's best to phone ahead. Oh, don't even think of popping in 30 minutes before closing and finding any left as most places sell out long before the end of business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-12611138779473813222021-08-10T20:08:22.322-04:002021-08-10T20:08:22.322-04:00Doc, See this blog for my loving tribute to Rose&#...Doc, See this blog for my loving tribute to Rose's, the tomato pie that defined "pizza" for me. RHS '74Pizza Quixotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883928558644129413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-22517842449307519642021-07-28T20:44:53.775-04:002021-07-28T20:44:53.775-04:00I grew up in a small town in South Jersey [Riversi...I grew up in a small town in South Jersey [Riverside] on the Delaware River not far from Philadelphia across the river. In the 1940's and early '50's we regularly got tomato pies from Rose's Tomato Pie, a small little one man operation. The thinnish crust was a bit "leathery" on the bottom and there was always some nice char on the top crust. The pie had a rich, generous tomato sauce and a nice amount of mozzarella cheese. No other toppings. I never even heard the word "pizza" until my freshman year at Rutgers in 1959. To me, I rarely ever see or taste a "pizza" that combines the same trinity of taste--great crust, wonderful [and enough] tomato sauce, and a quality cheese crisped with tiny burnt points! Only in a coal-fired pizza place in NYC, a place in Brooklyn, a local pizzeria in San Francisco, and a local place in Vincenza, Italy, have I ever appreciated a "tomato pie" so much. Doc Rockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07493409113882770314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-21318840905243640362016-10-03T10:15:09.937-04:002016-10-03T10:15:09.937-04:00Great post about tomato pies! I've only had Pa...Great post about tomato pies! I've only had Papa's but it was excellent.Steve Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11967780189283530277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-51793546442157995792015-01-22T23:18:13.734-05:002015-01-22T23:18:13.734-05:00You didn't actually have the Tomato Pie at Pep...You didn't actually have the Tomato Pie at Pepe's if what you ate what is in the picture. The Tomato Pie with garlic and oregano has no cheese, maybe a dusting of parm, and it's heaven on earth. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-13174635236312930492013-11-25T16:57:36.427-05:002013-11-25T16:57:36.427-05:00Emilia, Thanks for that - learned something today!...Emilia, Thanks for that - learned something today! I had a Totonno's pie and didn't realize it. The key is to let the cheese peek through - if the sauce buries the cheese, the texture will never be right. PQPizza Quixotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883928558644129413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-44253106287859993802013-11-25T15:40:52.043-05:002013-11-25T15:40:52.043-05:00I love the love for Trenton pies! But....
"...I love the love for Trenton pies! But....<br /><br />"The Trenton version of tomato pie...does have important characteristics that make it different from...other legendary pizzas like Totonno's of Coney Island...the assembly is reversed...the cheese...goes on before the "sauce" which is mostly crushed tomato."<br /><br />Actually, Totonno's is the same in this regard. Check out this blog for pics:<br /><br />http://thefoodienista.blogspot.com/2012/06/totonnos-pizzeria-napolitana-new-york.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-29018027327670941922013-08-28T08:10:12.290-04:002013-08-28T08:10:12.290-04:00Jimmy,
Thanks for sharing that! I went to their FB...Jimmy,<br />Thanks for sharing that! I went to their FB site and can tell from the pics that this is a great pie. I'm surprised that they haven't yet gotten attention from the pizza cognescenti at Slice - SeriousEats. CT is a long way from home but I'd love to get there for that pie. Here in PA and in NJ, we get fresh local tomatoes all thru Sep and even into Oct. Maybe they won't run out so soon?Pizza Quixotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883928558644129413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216600486003762392.post-84440201897571411182013-08-27T09:27:15.237-04:002013-08-27T09:27:15.237-04:00You must make the trip to Salerno's Apizza in ...You must make the trip to Salerno's Apizza in Stratford, Connecticut. Every year around this time they offer an off the hook fresh plum tomato pizza that is sui generis, in my opinion. It may not qualify as a true tomato pie in the strictest sense of the term because it includes mozzarella and grated cheeses as well as pesto but it is divine nonetheless. And those fresh plum tomatoes!<br /><br />Unfortunately, this week might be the last week these gems are available until next year but sometimes the fresh tomato supply lasts until the first week of September. I'll be picking up my sixth and seventh pie of the season tonight.Jimmy Cantiellonoreply@blogger.com