Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

Pizza has always been America’s favorite food. It’s been the subject of movies, books, and songs. Pizza is not only a food of sustenance, but for some has become an obsessive delight. And for many Pizza Fans, pizza is a sheer and utter passion. Pizza debate brings on an endless thirst for argument that cannot be easily quenched with just a slice or two. People discuss their favorite pizzerias with the same emotionally charged energy as they would discuss politics or their favorite sports team. Pizza has become so entrenched into the culture that it is easy to forget, pizza was once simply peasant food. Pizza was for many years, enjoyed by the lower echelons of society, who could afford little else. For most of Pizza’s long and romantic history, pizza was a regional dish. The great pizza in New York stayed in New York. The inside secrets of the best New York pizza remained in the boroughs and neighborhoods where it was created. There would be an occasional newspaper or magazin...

Frank Pepe's opened in 1925. Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana has been making pizza on Wooster Street in New Haven, ever since. Frank did not originally start out making pizza. He was a bread baker by trade. The pizza was actually an afterthought. Who in their right mind would pay for pizza? Lots of loyal pizza fans, that's who. Here are some of the comments, I have recived about Pepe's : "I've eaten apizza from coast to coast and in Italy and have found none better. Though living in PA for the past 30 years several trips a year to Wooster Street each summer are traditional. The crust can't be beaten. I am a loyal fan!" "Tastes better now than when I was a child in the 50's and 60's...I ate so much Pepe's pizza that I had no room to burp. It was almost disgusting....When I was a child, Sal was my waiter and I will never forget Sal, Pepe's or that great pizza!" "Pepe's is the greatest....my family once...

The Reddecliffs report exclusively for Pizza Therapy: I grew up in New Haven, (Connecticut) and thought that the whole world hade pizza like we did. When I moved away, I was shocked that no one could come close!  I went home to New Haven for this Thanksgiving. My husband and I decided that in order to finally figure out who had the best pizza, Sally's , Pepe's or Modern , we just needed to have them all side by side. Modern Clam Pizza                                                                Pepe's Clam Pizza Sally's Apizza  Well, the stars aligned and we were able to get 2 mozzarella pizzas from all three restaurants. We had a blind taste test with...

Rick, Director of The Pizza Therapy Western Region Alliance , reveals an incredible pizza made in his hometown of Boulder Colorado ... He reports: "So, I wanted to try this pie again before I emailed you. The name: Pizzeria da Lupo . Website: Pizzeria da Lupo . Address: 2525 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder,Colorado. I was hoping to speak with Rob, who I mentioned to you the other day, but he was not working. I thought he was an owner, I guess not. The place was really busy last night and I did not see an owner there. Impressive since they've been open just a couple of months. I had a business card of yours and a print out of a couple pages of Pizza Therapy   to pass on to Rob. I'm going to see him on Wednesday as he works then. THE PIE - Fabulous! I compare it to Pepe's because for me, it is the best! And they have a Pepe's pizza box mounted on the wall. Wood fired oven. The pie dough / crust is exceptional and much like the Pepe's , though different....

Believe in your pizza, believe in yourself... In my car, I have a battered copy of The Magic of Believing by Claude Bristol I have read this book many times and I always seem to get something new out of it. If I know I need to wait in a line, such as at a bank or food shopping, I will take the book along to read. This seems to make the line move faster. Simply put, The Magic of Believing states, the energy of the subconscious mind can help individuals achieve any goal. If you believe it, it will happen. This book contains countless examples of the hidden power of the subconscious mind and how it can influence our lives. Bristol speaks about two people cooking an item using the same ingredients, and the same recipe. One item turns out to be a failure while the other is a successful culinary achievement. The successful cook, saw the finished product in their mind's eye. This successful cook, baked their heart and soul in to the finished dish. They created a spiritual li...

Shhh. Listen: It's me, Albert Grande, The Pizza Promoter . I try to keep a low profile. Sure sometimes I tend be a little loud. And I have gotten carried away occasionally...but that is my personality. I can't help it. I'm Italian. I guess its a genetic thing. Most of the time, I just try to remain anonymous. Now don't get me wrong, I love eating pizza. I love writing about pizza and I love making pizza. But most of all, I love talking about pizza. Hey, don't get me started.  For most of my pizza adventures, I quietly enjoy my pizza. Anonymously. The other night while eating pizza with some friends I got a tap on the shoulder.... "Are you that Pizza Therapy  ( http://pizzatherapy.com/ )  guy?" "Well, yeah", I answered sheepishly. "I have to tell you... you changed the way I look at pizza." "Are you kidding me? I changed your pizza perceptions?   Pizza Therapy , changed the way you look at pizza? I asked. "Absolu...

Learn to Make Pizza at: http://pizzatherapy.com/ Let’s face it, when you go to Pepe’s you expect a quality pizza. You know your pizza will contain top quality ingredients. You expect the pizza to be cooked in a coal fired oven. You know you are in a for a positive pizza experience. So when 11 members of the official Pizza Therapy Taste Testers descended on Pepe’s we were expecting nothing less than a high quality pizza experience. And Pepe’s did not disappoint us. Because of the diversity of the group (both ethnically and ethically) we decide on three different pizzas. For the seafood lovers (hey, everybody in the group was a seafood fan), we ordered the original clam pizza. This was Frank Pepe’s signature pie. Hey, Frank Pepe invented the clam pizza. you can see the whole story right here. (BTW, you can also listen to more pizza interviews at this link) . The standard clam is not made with “mootz” (mozzarella), just a sprinkling of Parmesan. The pizza just oozes with cl...

The following video was part of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009. The news that Pepe's would be opening another location in South Eastern Connecticut created quite a buzz. Pizza fans were excited. This was the talk of the town as the local newspaper and radio stations added to the excitement. When would Pepe' s open? Would they have a coal fired oven? And the ultimate question was: would this Pepe's be as good as the pizza in New Haven ? We visited the day after they opened at Mohegan Sun Casino . We were hesitant to go on opening day for obvious reasons. This Pepe's location looks very similar to the location in New Haven . There was wonderful ambiance. The coal fired oven is there. The booths are there. They even serve Foxon soda. But how was the pizza? The pizza was great. We will definitely go back...as a matter of fact we ended going back two days later... The Pizza at Mohegan Sun was Incredible Here are some other Pepe...

Albert at Pepe's on Wooster Street Hey we knew it all the time. Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven , Connecticut, makes some of the best pizza on the planet. It's always nice to get global recognition, however. An article written by, Killian Fox from the Observer lists the 50 Best Things to Eat in the World . Right there at Number 31, is Pepe's! Here is what he said: "You could generate enough heat to fuel a brick oven with the argument over which country bakes the world's best pizza: Italy, where the concept originated, or America, where it was globalised. Neapolitan purists will make pilgrimages to hotspots such as La Sorrentina, outside Naples, whose chef has won the prestigious Naples Pizza Championship, but we contend that the upstart Yanks do it better. The best American pizza can be found, not in New York as is commonly assumed, but in New Haven, Connecticut , where the Pepe family has been spinning dough since 1925. Their white clam pie h...

The Mario Pizza Oven I just recieved the following email from Rick: "Hello Albert: If you want to see something really revolutionary in making pizza, check out this oven I am bringing into the US from Italy. It is all electric (220 volt, 16 amps); 2 feet square, weighs 100 pounds, and heats up to 830 degrees F. It cooks a pizza in under 2 minutes. I have demonstrated this to several professional chefs here in Houston, and all of them want it. Please check out the video on my website and watch the demo. It will take you to my partners site in Italy. I would like to have your thoughts. The end product is a perfectly crafted pizza that has the char, texture, flavor, aroma of a pizza made in an expensive and high maintenance wood burning oven. I am also bringing the dough and sauce in from Italy as well (fantastic product). I do know my pizza, having lived in NY, been to the great ones in New Haven, CT , ( Albert's side bar: Pepe's , Sally's , Modern ) and of course, Ita...

A slice of Pepe's clam pizza What can I say about Pepe's ? Pepe's pizza is like returning to an old friend you haven't seen in a while. You've both been through some new adventures but you still maintain that connection. The spiritual bond remains. And so it is with the pizza. Pepe's Pizzeria Napolitana was the third stop on the Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009. We knew what we wanted before we arrived. We were all dreaming about clam pizza. We talked about the clam pizza in the car on the way down. And not just a casual mention. It was the main topic of conversation. Pepe's is the home of clam pizza. Frank Pepe invented the clam pizza. You just hope against hope, that they are able to have clams on the day you arrive. They usually do, however, clam pizza is so popular, they sometimes, run out. Pepe's Pizzeria is all about the pizza and tradition. Pepe's continues to carry on the legacy of Frank Pepe by serving incredible world class pi...

"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today. I want to be part of it, New York, New York..." Ok so, I'm not leaving today, but I am leaving soon. I'm heading to the East Coast for a Pizza Tour . I'll be having some "abeets" at my favorite New Haven places: Pepe's, Sally's and Modern . I'm also going to New York to sample some of the best pizza on the planet. (OK, if you listen to Adam Kuban and Ed Levine of Slice , New York has the Best Pizza in the World !) All I can say is that I'll have to judge for myself. I've already made reservations for The Brooklyn Pizza Tour . Tony Miua is the tour guide and I had the opprtunity to interview him. Albert: Can you tell me how you came up with idea for the Brooklyn Pizza Tour? Had you thought about it for a long time? Was it a secret dream? Tony: I've been an avid traveler over the years and whenever I went abroad I would always meet locals who were nice enoug...

Peter Reinhart, James Beard Award winner. The following is a review of Peter Reinhart's book: American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza . "Peter Reinhart starts his incredible pizza adventures in Italy and journeys across America in search of pizza perfection. To borrow a phrase from Bill Graham: “This book is not the best at what it does; it is the only book that does what it does!” Not only do we go on a quest to discover incredible pizzas, but we learn how to make them.! The first section of American Pie is the quest for pizza perfection. The subtitle should be “my search for the perfect “pizzaiolo” (pizza master), as Peter meets with a host of pizzaiolos who share ideas and philosophy about pizza. According to this book, there is more to pizza, than just throwing together flour, yeast oil, tomato sauce, cheese along with other toppings! The fact of the matter is that you must bake part of your heart into each pizza, to reach brilliance! (Albert's sidebar: "I ...

Fank Pepe in front of the famous Coal fired Oven Pepe's Pizza in New Haven has incredible pizza. Located on Wooster Street Pepe's is right down the street from Sally's Aipzza . Visit with Michael Stern of Roadfood as he goes to his favorite pizzeria: Pepe's Pizzeria Napolentana: New Haven residents are fanatics about their pizza. Don't even get in an argument about which pizza is better: Pepe's or Sally's. Here are some of the comments I have recieved about Pepe's: Chris explains:" Pepe's uses the freshest sauce and toppings to accent a perfect crispy dough. The restaurant itself is a great place to enjoy amazing pizza with friends or family. The best in the world." Jack Shalack remembers: "The crust is out of this world, I love the crispiness of it, and yet its not greasy like most other places. From the plain cheese to the clam sauce, its all amazing! I've been out on the west coast for13 yrs, just suffering, and I am going ba...

Pizza is a universal food. Most of us grew up with pizza. All of us have an opinion about pizza. If you are from New York, it's New York pizza. If you are from Chicago, it's Chicago Deep Dish. The West Coast pizza fans have their own traditional Italian pizza as well as New Wave pizza. Of course if you are from New Haven, Connecticut, you spend hours debating who makes the best apizza: is it Sally's or Pepe's? Then there are those who favor Modern Apizza. New Haven pizza fans are fanatics. Woven across the U.S. are small pockets of regional pizza favorites. For example, on Long Island, New York, it's a type of pizza called Grandmother's Pizza. If you are from a certain area in Pennsylvania, you favor Old Forge, pizza. There are types of pizza for every different taste: there is thin crust Neapolitan pizza, and there is thick crust Scilian pizza. Chicago deep dish, is a pizza unlike an other. California pizza can be thin with unusual ingredients for unique tastes...

I got an email from my friend Gary Bimonte , co-owner of Pepe's Pizzeria Napolentana . Gary was featured on Legends of Pizza, Volume 1. He explained how his grandfather, Frank Pepe created the legendary clam pizza. Gary was excited to give me the news that Pepe's had opened another pizzeria in Manchester, Connecticut. Here is the address: 221 Buckland Hills Drive, Manchester, CT. The phone number is: 860-644-7333. Pepe's has always been a family owned operation and it continues to be a family operation. During my Legends of Pizza, Volume 1. , interview, Gary discussed how the family had decided to take Pepe's in a different direction. Pepe's opened it's first restaurant outside of New Haven in Fairfield , Connecticut. It was an immediate success. Lines were out the door with loyal customers screaming for more pizza. For over 80 years, Pepe's Pizza , was limited to Wooster Street , in New Haven . Then suddenly they were in Fairfield . Now they ha...

I couldn't believe it. Here I was back at my favorite pizza place in the world, Pepe's Pizzeria. We could hardly wait to order. Of course, we ordered the famous clam pizza. We wanted to try something a little different so we got half pepperoni and have bacon. OK we had ordered this before, but it was like the first time! The pizza was as usual fantastic. I am always amazed at the incredible consistency and quality of Pepe's pizza. I just love the taste! I was able to vist with Gary Bimonte , a true Legend of Pizza. . Gary ,was his usual positive self. I even did a short interview with him. He explained Pepe's , will be opening another location in Manchester, Connecticut. I had to ask him about a Pepe's in Hawaii... he said that "would be a beautiful thing". I can keep dreaming about that one! I had to order a large pepperoni to go. We had it for breakfast. It was still great the next day... I am very excited to be back in New England. I plan on continuing...