Chicago vs. New York City

Who makes the better pizza is the question.

Is it Chicago with it's signature deep-dish crust?

Or is it New York City with its traditional hand-tossed pizza?

I have had them both and perfer the windy citys best.

If you're talking pizza, I've got to go with NYC since there's nothing Italian about Chicago's pizza and, let's face it, that's what good pizza's about. Now, if you're talking sports ESP BASEBALL, don't even get me started. For starters, I'd love to wipe that smirk of Jeter's face. And they got that traitor Damon and look where that got them. NEways, ya, NYC for pizza; that's my vote.

What's pizza hut? Chicago or NYC? My favorite is Godfathers, but you can't hardly find them around here. Little Ceasers would be next, but same deal.
PIZZA PIZZA! hehehe
So Pizza Hut is what I'm stuck with.

What's Italian about pizza? Nothing you'll find in the US. I've had Italian "pizza" (Palermo, Naples, Florence, Venice, and a couple places I don't recall), and you won't find any of it here, anywhere. The rest is personal preference. No comparison to the "original", which is essentially "blah" and lifeless. Pizza was "invented" in NYC, born from the basic idea that, perhaps, originated in Italy. I prefer Chi-Town pie, myself.

DM007 wrote:What's Italian about pizza? Nothing you'll find in the US. I've had Italian "pizza" (Palermo, Naples, Florence, Venice, and a couple places I don't recall), and you won't find any of it here, anywhere. The rest is personal preference. No comparison to the "original", which is essentially "blah" and lifeless. Pizza was "invented" in NYC, born from the basic idea that, perhaps, originated in Italy. I prefer Chi-Town pie, myself.

"Invented" in NYC?

In Italy, way before you or I were a twinkle in our fathers' eyes, women would make their bread early every morning and bake them in communal ovens in the bakers' piazzas. The women would make a unique slash in their unbaked loaves, so as to distinguish their loaves from anyone elses. There would be leftover raw dough and rather than toss it out, each woman would take her piece of dough and shape it into a flat disk, and top it lightly with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, a touch of cheese and sometimes a hint of anchovies and olives. The women called these disks "pizza"- to press flat -as in pie.

The original pizza is most certainly Italian and the history is what's Italian about pizza.

Italian pizza is "blah and lifeless"? Pizza from Italy is delicate and simple and the real deal.

What you get in the US is certainly different than the incredibly simple, delicate pies of Italy. The closest to what I have enjoyed in Italy and to what my own family straight from Italy creates, is the pizza you will find in Boston's North End and New York's Little Italy.

In the US we have over-seasoned, over-spiced, over-sauced, over-garliced, over-cheesed, over-oiled and bastardized Italian food to the most vulgar point possible, and claim we like or dislike Italian food.

Most Americans have no clue about real Italian cuisine.

HotParadox wrote:

DM007 wrote:What's Italian about pizza? Nothing you'll find in the US. I've had Italian "pizza" (Palermo, Naples, Florence, Venice, and a couple places I don't recall), and you won't find any of it here, anywhere. The rest is personal preference. No comparison to the "original", which is essentially "blah" and lifeless. Pizza was "invented" in NYC, born from the basic idea that, perhaps, originated in Italy. I prefer Chi-Town pie, myself.

"Invented" in NYC?

In Italy, way before you or I were a twinkle in our fathers' eyes, women would make their bread early every morning and bake them in communal ovens in the bakers' piazzas. The women would make a unique slash in their unbaked loaves, so as to distinguish their loaves from anyone elses. There would be leftover raw dough and rather than toss it out, each woman would take her piece of dough and shape it into a flat disk, and top it lightly with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, a touch of cheese and sometimes a hint of anchovies and olives. The women called these disks "pizza"- to press flat -as in pie.

The original pizza is most certainly Italian and the history is what's Italian about pizza.

Italian pizza is "blah and lifeless"? Pizza from Italy is delicate and simple and the real deal.

What you get in the US is certainly different than the incredibly simple, delicate pies of Italy. The closest to what I have enjoyed in Italy and to what my own family straight from Italy creates, is the pizza you will find in Boston's North End and New York's Little Italy.

In the US we have over-seasoned, over-spiced, over-sauced, over-garliced, over-cheesed, over-oiled and bastardized Italian food to the most vulgar point possible, and claim we like or dislike Italian food.

Most Americans have no clue about real Italian cuisine.

You know, since their taste has been spoiled already, I really doubt if they would relly like it either. Linda and I would dearly love to take a tour of the various regions of Italy as each area has it's own unique way of cooking. I know I could never hope to equal their way of doing it, but I would sure love to have the opportunity to taste it.

I hope you and Linda get that opportunity someday, OT; I really do.

In the meantime, anything from Mario Batali is the real deal (for the ingredients that we can obtain from the US). Take advantage of his broad knowledge of regional Italian cuisine.

http://mariobatali.com/

In that same link, recipes by regions:
http://mariobatali.com/exploreitaly.cfm

Also, find him here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/mario-batali/index.html

HotParadox wrote:I hope you and Linda get that opportunity someday, OT; I really do.

In the meantime, anything from Mario Batali is the real deal (for the ingredients that we can obtain from the US). Take advantage of his broad knowledge of regional Italian cuisine.

http://mariobatali.com/

In that same link, recipes by regions:
http://mariobatali.com/exploreitaly.cfm

Also, find him here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/mario-batali/index.html

Thanks a bunch HP. Been looking for something like that.

Old Timer wrote:

HotParadox wrote:I hope you and Linda get that opportunity someday, OT; I really do.

In the meantime, anything from Mario Batali is the real deal (for the ingredients that we can obtain from the US). Take advantage of his broad knowledge of regional Italian cuisine.

http://mariobatali.com/

In that same link, recipes by regions:
http://mariobatali.com/exploreitaly.cfm

Also, find him here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/mario-batali/index.html

Thanks a bunch HP. Been looking for something like that.

Pleasure, OT.

HotParadox wrote:

Old Timer wrote:

HotParadox wrote:I hope you and Linda get that opportunity someday, OT; I really do.

In the meantime, anything from Mario Batali is the real deal (for the ingredients that we can obtain from the US). Take advantage of his broad knowledge of regional Italian cuisine.

http://mariobatali.com/

In that same link, recipes by regions:
http://mariobatali.com/exploreitaly.cfm

Also, find him here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/mario-batali/index.html

Thanks a bunch HP. Been looking for something like that.

Pleasure, OT.

Be sure and let me know how the chili and ribs go over--honestly now.

I chose NYC because I favor the crust over deep dish style...

I did have a couple of hilarious food episodes in Florence...

I was staying with an Italian family, and we went to a wonderful cafe (the roof was all ivy, with the red and white checkered table cloths) I ordered a pepperoni pizza (thinking American) What I got was a crust, with marinara sauce, and sliced green peppers...No cheese ...After my initial shock wore off it turned out to be one of the best pies I can ever recall eating...

Pepperoni translates to green pepper in Italian?...Who knew?

Experience can be such a great teacher. If you are willing to learn. By any chance did you try the spumoni, the Italian ices.

Old Timer wrote:Experience can be such a great teacher. If you are willing to learn. By any chance did you try the spumoni, the Italian ices.

Oh yes OT, yes I did. The flavor shall forever be deep in my subconcience...I bring it up whenever I feel down

jigglepete wrote:I chose NYC because I favor the crust over deep dish style...

I did have a couple of hilarious food episodes in Florence...

I was staying with an Italian family, and we went to a wonderful cafe (the roof was all ivy, with the red and white checkered table cloths) I ordered a pepperoni pizza (thinking American) What I got was a crust, with marinara sauce, and sliced green peppers...No cheese ...After my initial shock wore off it turned out to be one of the best pies I can ever recall eating...

Pepperoni translates to green pepper in Italian?...Who knew?

Too funny and you are absolutely correct. Very recently, but only in Italy's tourist areas, you will find pizza with American style toppings such as pepperoni. They will make them for us. But they mock us. Hahaha!

I like the deepdish. Never could get into a thin crust. That's one thing I love about mid spring thru to fall, I can make my own pizzas with freash veggies and homemade sauce.

CarolinaHound wrote:I like the deepdish. Never could get into a thin crust. That's one thing I love about mid spring thru to fall, I can make my own pizzas with freash veggies and homemade sauce.

Good for you, doggieboy! That's Awesome. You should post your pizza recipe, and the recipe for the homemade sauce too!

HotParadox wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:I like the deepdish. Never could get into a thin crust. That's one thing I love about mid spring thru to fall, I can make my own pizzas with freash veggies and homemade sauce.

Good for you, doggieboy! That's Awesome. You should post your pizza recipe, and the recipe for the homemade sauce too!

That's the thing, I have to think it out. It's one of those things I just throw together, never measure anything and what goes in it depends on what's on hand. lol

CarolinaHound wrote:

HotParadox wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:I like the deepdish. Never could get into a thin crust. That's one thing I love about mid spring thru to fall, I can make my own pizzas with freash veggies and homemade sauce.

Good for you, doggieboy! That's Awesome. You should post your pizza recipe, and the recipe for the homemade sauce too!

That's the thing, I have to think it out. It's one of those things I just throw together, never measure anything and what goes in it depends on what's on hand. lol

Intuition and just feeling it. That's what the best cooks are made of!

HotParadox wrote:If you're talking pizza, I've got to go with NYC since there's nothing Italian about Chicago's pizza and, let's face it, that's what good pizza's about. Now, if you're talking sports ESP BASEBALL, don't even get me started. For starters, I'd love to wipe that smirk of Jeter's face. And they got that traitor Damon and look where that got them. NEways, ya, NYC for pizza; that's my vote.

I agree with you on wiping the smirk off Jeter's face. The dude is over-paid and over-rated.

Actually, I like both the Windy City's and the Big Apple's Pizza. It sure beats having to do the work yourself after a hard day of being retired. Man I gotta tell ya it sure can wear ya down. But for taste, I will go with my own home made. I make the crust and momma makes the sauce and we both pile it on.

Old Timer wrote:Actually, I like both the Windy City's and the Big Apple's Pizza. It sure beats having to do the work yourself after a hard day of being retired. Man I gotta tell ya it sure can wear ya down. But for taste, I will go with my own home made. I make the crust and momma makes the sauce and we both pile it on.

Pervert!

CarolinaHound wrote:

Old Timer wrote:Actually, I like both the Windy City's and the Big Apple's Pizza. It sure beats having to do the work yourself after a hard day of being retired. Man I gotta tell ya it sure can wear ya down. But for taste, I will go with my own home made. I make the crust and momma makes the sauce and we both pile it on.

Pervert!

Hey Dawg, now that is the nicest thing you have said to me in a long tome ya know.

Night-Reaper wrote:

HotParadox wrote:If you're talking pizza, I've got to go with NYC since there's nothing Italian about Chicago's pizza and, let's face it, that's what good pizza's about. Now, if you're talking sports ESP BASEBALL, don't even get me started. For starters, I'd love to wipe that smirk of Jeter's face. And they got that traitor Damon and look where that got them. NEways, ya, NYC for pizza; that's my vote.

I agree with you on wiping the smirk off Jeter's face. The dude is over-paid and over-rated.

And he probably likes Greek pizza.