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Pizza Tours: On the Pizza Road with Scott Wiener, Part 1

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For this leg of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 we headed to New York to sample some of the World's Best Pizza . We hopped a train and headed to Spring Street to hook up with Scott Wiener, host of Scott's Pizza Tours . What can you say about a kid from New Jersey who has a passion for all things pizza, and in particular New York pizza? You gotta love the guy. He has the heart of pizza. He has energy. He tells great stories. He has done his homework. He even has a pizza pen. Scott truly loves sharing all he knows about pizza. I immediately connected with him. How could I help it. He is my pizza brother from a different mother. The tour began at the exact spot where pizza started in America. The home of the original location of Lombardi's pizza . ( Albert's Side Bar: For more information on the history of Pizza, please check out Legends of Pizza, Volume 3, The Lost Interviews of Evelyn Sloman Parts 1 and 2, here .) We started our trek, by heading to an Ita...

pizzetta: The Other Mystic Pizza

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pizzetta pizza: it's all about the crust. Louie and Mark Esposito had raved long and hard about a pizzeria in Mystic, Connecticut. They were so persistent about how good the pizza was, I listed pizzetta on the Best Pizza in Connecticut page . Here is what Louie said about the pizza: "thin crispy crunchy and the combination of toppings are mouth watering delectable. The first bite literally stopped me in my tracks. Truly the guy makes an exceptional pie.." Mark echoed his words by explaining: " Chris Owens certainly is on a noble mission and makes an equally noble pie. Chris makes a thin crispy crust that holds up very well with all the fresh and natural toppings. Pizzetta Pizza is a cut above, another star in the constellation of great pizza pies." As part of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 , I stopped by and ordered a pizza. The Espositos were not exaggerating. The pie was thin, crispy, and excellent. I was most impressed with the simplicity o...

Back in the Saddle at Pepe's...

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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...

Bruce Willis Bumps Pizza Therapy Out of Brooklyn...

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Pizza Therapy is Shut Out of The Brooklyn Pizza Tour I know what your thinking. Why would Bruce Willis ever mess with Pizza Therapy ? I mean the guy is from New Jersey, right? He probably loves pizza. And he would never have any reason to bother with Pizza Therapy . He is after all a mega star. Yeah, that's what I thought, too. But read on. This is a true story. Let me explain... As you may know, I was schedule for the The Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour . I had reserved my tickets way in advance. I paid on line. I had printed up my e-ticket. I carried it all the way from Hawaii. (You can read all about it here .) As a matter of fact, the Brooklyn Pizza Tour was going to be the highlight of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 . Emphasis is on the word was... I just got a call from Tony Miua , the host and creator of the Brooklyn Pizza Tour . "Albert", he said "we're going to have to cancel the tour for the day you are booked." ...

apizzo: The Next Rising Star of Pizza

This is the second episode of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour, 2009. For this part of the tour, I went to apizzo , located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. OK let's set the record straight. First: the official name is actually apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana. Second: while apizzo is located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut , you can cross the streeet and be in Westerly, Rhode Island . With that said, our party arrived, expecting a fairly good pizza. Pawcatuck , is after all, the home of noted pizzaiolo, Jon F. . If Jon F. says a pizza is good, its good. What struck me immediately, was the ambiance of the place. Stefan Ambrosch the co-owner, and operator, explained to us, that the restaurant was completely designed with his own personal vision of what a great pizzeria should be. Next, I was amazed at the ornate wood fired pizza oven. Imported from Italy, it is, very attractive, yet functional. The entire restaurant was re-designed around the oven, once it had been installed. Discover a ta...

Recovery Room: Sail on to Pizza Paradisio

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A mushroom Pizza from Recovery Room, New London Connecticut New London, Connecticut is known for being a safe harbor. The place is steeped in sailing tradition. You can find a wide range of incredible seafood at the World Famous, Captain Scott's and other clam shacks. But, New London also is the home of great pizza. One of the best kept pizza secrets is served at the Recovery Room . Located on 445 Ocean Avenue, the Recovery Room is right down the street from Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. The pizza is thin Neapolitan, with a crispy, yet light crust. We opted for the basic mushroom and a pepperoni. The pizzas were memorable. I have long been a fan of the Recovery Room and whenever, I'm in town, it is one of my first stops. The crust has just the right amount of char. The pizza almost tastes as if it came out of a brick oven. The Recovery Room Crust The toppings are fresh with just the right combination of spices. The taste is consistently good. The Recovery Room has a number...

Dad's Pizza Dough Recipe from Jb-a

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Jb-a sent the follwoing pizza recipe... DAD’S PIZZA DOUGH GOOD FOR ONE 12-13” PIZZA 1. Prepare the YEAST BLOOM - 1 package -yeast - 1 teaspoon sugar - ¼ cup 105 deg RO water - Allow to develop a froth-foam 2. PLACE THE LIQUID INGREDIENTS BELOW IN BREADMAKER ON “DOUGH” SETTING - 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil - ¾ cup 105 degree water - Add the above yeast bloom 3. NOW ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS: - 2 ½ cups bread flour - 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese - 1 tsp garlic powder - 1 tsp salt 4. START THE MACHINE ON THE DOUGH CYCLE IT SHOULD TAKE APPROXIMAGEL- 1 HR/20 MIN NO-COOK NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA SAUCE INGREDIENTS - 1-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice - 1-6 oz can of tomato paste - 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil - 2 tsp dried basil - 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano - 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar - 1 teaspoon diced minced garlic - 3/4 teaspoon salt (or 1 1/2 t. kosher salt) - 1/8 tsp baking soda DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, olive oil, basil, oreg...