Slice: A List of Regional Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

Slice - slice.seriouseats.com

Hola, Homeslice! You need a Serious Eats account to comment on Slice. Log In or register to add your 2¢.

A List of Regional Pizza Styles Posted by Adam Kuban, January 24, 2008 at 6:00 PM [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styles.html]Last week on 1194 Serious Eats [http://www.seriouseats.com/], community member HeartofGlass diggs [http://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/HeartofGlass] asked: "How many different kinds of regional digg it varations of pizza exist? [http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/01/how-many-different-kinds-of-regional-variatio.html]"

I figured I'd compile a list of all the styles I've eaten or heard or read about. Sorry it took so long, HeartofGlass. It's a long list, and it appears after the jump.

[] NEAPOLITAN Small (about 10-inch diameter), thin-crust made in a wood-burning oven. Usually have a puffy "cornicione" (lip or end crust) and marked by use of the freshest ingredients applied sparingly for a careful balance. Perhaps the most popular is the —topped with fresh sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo or fior di , and a little bit of basil. Other traditional variations include the marinara (just sauce and maybe a sprinkling of an aged ) or the Napoletana (a marinara pie with anchovies). This style, of course, is known the world over.

Related Pizza Photo Gallery [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2006/02/photo_gallery_robert_sietsema_visits_naples.html] [Slice] Naples: Pizza at Its Source [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2006/02/a_slice_of_heaven_naples_pizza_at_its_source.html] [Slice]

[] –NEAPOLITAN Once the Italian immigrants brought their Naples-style pies to the States, it evolved a bit in the Italian neighborhoods of New York to something I've seen referred to as "New York–Neapolitan." This is basically what all the coal-oven [http://slice.seriouseats.com/tags/Coal-Oven] pizzerias of New York serve. It follows the tenets of Neapolitan style in that it's thin-crusted, cooked in an ultra-hot oven, and uses a judicious amount of cheese and sauce (sauce which is typically fresh San Marzano tomatoes, as in Naples). It deviates from Naples-style in that it's typically larger, a tad thinner, and more crisp. New York–Neapolitan is rarely found outside New York City. However, I believe this style eventually evolved into ...

[] NEW YORK–STYLE The round, thin-crust stuff that most people in the U.S. think of as "pizza." And don't anyone give me guff on this. Go ahead and think of a pizza. Nine out of ten of you thought of something round and more on the thin side than the thick side, right? Even the major chain stuff, with all their variations in crust style, I'd say that their default pizza is closer to regular NY-style than, say, deep dish or Sicilian or what not. A true New York–style pizza ideally has a crust that's at once crisp and chewy. Can be topped with whatever you want but is best with only one or two toppings applied (so crust remains crisp). New Yorkers generally fold it while eating. Also referred to in New York as a "regular" pie or a "regular" slice. The default regular slice is a "plain" slice, i.e., no toppings, only cheese.

[] SICILIAN-STYLE A rectangular pizza with a thick crust. Cheese may or may not appear under the sauce, though it's my understanding that Sicilian traditionally used to feature the cheese under the sauce. Often marked by the strong presence of . Also known as a "square slice," because it's cut into squares (or rectangular shapes close enough to square to merit the name). Usually the same price or a quarter more than a regular slice, so get this if you're broke and hungry. Doesn't seem to be as popular in New York as the regular slices and pies, primarily because only a few places really do square pies right. Those places are treasures and should be appreciated.

[] GRANDMA-STYLE (AKA 'NONNA PIZZA') Essentially a thin-crust Sicilian. I've gotten guff for saying that in the past, so if any of you out there want to correct me and argue for a workable definition of this style, please comment. It was sort of a Long Island thing until the past couple of years, when it started making inroads into the boroughs of New York City. Typically has a fresh, lightly seasoned sauce.

[] NEW HAVEN–STYLE Cooked in a coal oven, has a very crisp crust that is thin but still typically thicker than New York pizzas. Marked by a characteristic oblong shape, often served on a sheet of waxed paper atop a plastic cafeteria tray. Thought to be the place where clam pizza was developed (Frank Pepe's). The two biggies here are Sally's and Pepe's, but there are others (notably Modern) with their adherents. New Haven partisans often argue that pizza was invented here, but I

1 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

believe NYC has them beat on this claim.

[] GRILLED PIZZA Grilled pizza was invented in Providence, , by George Germon at Al Forno [http://www.alforno.com/]. Grilled pizza has a thin crust and is cooked quickly—directly on the grate of a grill. Contrary to what you'd think, it does not fall through the grate, instead setting up quickly over the intense heat before being flipped and topped with sauce and thinly sliced toppings. (Toppings must be thin so they heat through in the short time—typically a minute a side. or anything needing thorough cooking need to be prepped beforehand.)

Grilled pizza has since moved beyond Providence—there are at least five such pizzerias in New York City, and the in the last three or so years we've seen this dish move from obscurity to backyard grills nationwide, thanks to the annual grilling coverage in magazines and newspaper food sections that crops up around Memorial Day.

Related Grilled Pizza archives [http://slice.seriouseats.com/tags/grilled%20pizza] [Slice] Grilled pizza [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grilled_pizza] [Wikipedia]

[] BAR PIZZA Ed Levine goes into this in his book, and you can read an excerpt about bar pizza on Slice [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2007/06/a_slice_of_heaven_bar_pizza.html]. Ed says, "It's usually very thin-crusted to (I'm guessing) leave plenty of room in the eater's stomach for beer. It's baked in a gas oven that may have replaced a coal oven if the bar is old enough. Bar pizza is made with decent, commercial, aged mozzarella and comes topped with canned mushrooms, standard and, if you're lucky, house-made sausage." The bar pizza Ed describes and that I've had is very similar to something I call "Midwest-style pizza [#midweststyle]."

[] TRENTON PIES In the capital city of , pizza does not exist. Here, they're known as "tomato pies." As Slice correspondent Rich DeFabritus wrote in his review of the two dueling DeLorenzo's [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2005/01/delorenzos_toma.php] there, "There is a body of myth and lore attempting to distinguish tomato pie from pizza. The generally accepted explanation is that a tomato pie is built as follows: , cheese, toppings, and then sauce." Trenton tomato pies would then seem to have much in common with a sauce-last grandma pie or a Detroit-style pizza, but tomato pies are round.

[] OLD FORGE–STYLE I know the least about Old Forge–style pizza but am including it here in the interest of providing a wide range of styles. On Pizzamaking.com, user IlPizzaiolo describes it thusly [http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1082.0.html]: "My friend studied a type of pizza from that sounds close to what they are talking about. It is like a medium-thin Sicilian dough, the pan oiled with peanut oil, so the dough sort of got a fried consistancy like from . The cheese [was 100% white cheddar.]" I think I need to take a three-day weekend and investigate Old Forge pizza.

[] DETROIT-STYLE I don't think I was even aware of a "Detroit-style" pizza until digging in and doing some research on this topic, but Wikipedia has an entry on it [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizza], where it is so described: "... very close to the Sicilian-style pizzas, or is also known in other places as 'Italian bakery style pizza'. It is a square pizza, with a thick deep-dish crust (sometimes twice baked), and with sauce put on the pizza last."

Related West Pizza: Fricano's and Mr. Scrib's [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2006/12/west-michigan-pizza-fricanos-mr-scribs.html] [Slice] Detroit-style pizza [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizza] [Wikipedia]

[] DEEP DISH I don't know if I need to elaborate much on deep dish, since, like New York–style, you already know what it's about. And I'm not trying to knock it here, but it is more like a casserole than, say, . It's cooked in a deep pan, with a deep, thick, buttery crust, and a chunky tomato sauce. Lots of cheese, lots of (and/or copious amounts of) toppings.

The crust is parbaked in the pan before toppings are added, usually a layer of sliced mozzarella, followed by meats and veggies, then sauce, then grated cheese. Unlike New York–style, it's eaten with a knife and fork. How 'bout a neat little clip from a story in the July 20, 1997, edition of the Chicago Tribune:

Chicago-style pizza may owe its existence to a bad . When partners Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo planned to open a restaurant, Sewell, a native Texan, wanted to feature Mexican food. But one of the sample meals the partners tested made Riccardo so sick that he rejected Mexican food entirely. Riccardo suggested pizza, which he had encountered in --as indeed many American servicemen were doing during World War II. Sewell's complaint with pizza was that it was insubstantial, little more than an appetizer--and readily available in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood besides. Sewell wanted a substantial, meal-size pizza. After some experimenting, the partners devised something with a thick crust and plenty of cheese. Pizzeria Uno opened on this date at the corner of Ohio Street and Wabash Avenue. Chicago has contributed many dishes to , among them shrimp DeJonghe, chicken Vesuvio and the Italian beef . But none has been so widely imitated, nor so closely identified with the city, as Chicago-style pizza. Pizzeria Uno, however, was not an overnight success. In the early days, bartenders distributed free sample slices to introduce customers to the new pizza. "Fortunately," Sewell said, "we had a very good bar business."

Like Neapolitan–style and New York–style, deep dish has traveled far from its birthplace. Although, with a few notable exceptions, good deep dish is still hard to find outside Chicago.

[]

2 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

STUFFED PIZZA Another Chicago specialty that is often confused with deep dish because of its similarity. It's assembled and cooked in a similar manner to deep dish, but it has a top layer of crust and is usually taller and more densely packed with toppings.

[] CHICAGO THIN CRUST Another form of pizza prevalent in Chicago, though it seems that folks outside the Windy City mostly overlook this style when talking about Chicago pizza. It's thinner than New York–style and crunchier, though it's also more tender and flaky. Almost pastry-like. I think this crust style of this pizza has much in common with the bar pizza or tavern pizza I've had in New York City and also with the independent pizzeria pizzas I've had in Milwaukee. The Chicago thin-crust has a smooth, highly seasoned sauce. Toppings are added under the cheese, which is typically mozzarella. Often cut into a grid of square pieces (instead of pie-shaped wedges) in what's known as the "party cut" or "tavern cut." (See also "Midwest-style," below.)

[] MIDWEST-STYLE Variations, I believe, are found throughout the Midwest—from Ohio to Milwaukee to Chicago to wherever. I'd even go so far as to say that the "Chicago-style" pizza just above is really a variation of "Midwest-style." The Midwest style is round, thin, very crisp yet tender-flaky, and is party- or tavern-cut into the grid. Sauces and topping preference may differ from city to city and region to region, but this style seems to crop up often in the heartland.

[] SAINT LOUIS–STYLE Might be mistaken for a Chicago thin crust at first, just on looks—and maybe for the fact that Saint Louis and Chicago are only a few hundred miles apart. But this style's very thin, crackerlike crust is unleavened. And it's topped with a special three-cheese blend (, Swiss, white cheddar) called Provel that's used in place of mozzarella (and sometimes, but not often, in addition to mozzarella). Like Chicago thin crust, it's usually done party cut. Imo's Pizza [http://www.imospizza.com/] is thought to be the originator.

Related Imo's Pizza [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/imos-pizza-in-st-louis-missouri.html] [Slice] Saint Louis–style pizza [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis-style_pizza] [Wikipedia]

[] CALIFORNIA-STYLE The crust is more a vehicle for unique toppings and striking flavor combinations not typically found in —say goat cheese, or avocado, or egg. Given California's access to produce, fresh vegetables often make an appearance. Ed LaDou [http://slice.seriouseats.com/tags/Ed%20LaDou], who made California pizza famous at Spago in Los Angeles and then later developed the original menu at California Pizza Kitchen, is typically thought of as its inventor.

And even though I think this might be a variation of the Midwest-style, I like the description of the following ...

[] OHIO VALLEY–STYLE If Trenton can have a style based on a couple places why can't the Ohio Valley? Here, the blog Mine Road describes it [http://www.mineroad.com/2005/03/29/ohio-valley-pizza/]: "The first thing that you’ll notice that is odd about our favorite pizza is that it’s square. Square as in it’s made in a square pan and then cut into square pieces. Then you’ll notice that the cheese isn’t melted all the way. The uncooked toppings are put on after the sauce, base cheese (minimal), and dough are cooked. You always have to make sure to have a slice ASAP before everything melts on the drive/walk back to your place. You’ll also notice that our pizza sauce isn’t really much of a sauce at all as much as it is just . Also the crust is a mix between a deep dish and thin crust. It is very much focaccia bread, if you’ve ever had that. Oh, and the best part is that you buy it by the slice."

So, to answer your question HeartofGlass, there are 17 or 18 regional styles happening in the U.S. alone. That's before you go global. Or before you go into "chain-style pizza," which who knows. Updates The following have been added to this list after getting feedback from the comments below.

[] NEW ENGLAND GREEK–STYLE I had either never heard of this one or had heard of it at one point and pushed it to the back of my mind because I rarely visit New England, but K2kid [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styles.html#99612] commented about its absence in the original version of this list. Luckily, Serafina chimes in with some hallmarks of the style:

Thin crust with a firm, but not crackerlike, bottom, which is often oily enough to saturate the Tomato sauce heavily spiced with oregano Thin layer of cheese, sometimes a blend of mozz and cheddar Cooked long enough for the cheese to become molten, slippery, and sometimes separate, coating the entire top of the pie with orange oil

And one side note, you can also tell you're in a place by the all-Greek decor, offerings, and a Greek salad that's 85% feta cheese. Oppa!

And MikeNYC says [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styles.html#99747]:

This type of Greek is not to be confused with "Greek" pizzas with olives, feta and other Greek ingredients. The dough is pressed out into olive-oiled

3 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

pans with a small rim. The dough is pressed flat and then sauced. The pans are left out to rise, but only a little. We would then cheese them and toss them in the cooler. That would stop the rising. You would then draw on those throughout the day. If you ran out, no more pizza! The base cheese was a mixture of provolone and mozzarella. If you wanted a "mozzarella" pizza, the pizzaman would sprinkle another layer of mozz over the base and toss the pan in the oven. Other ingredients went on top of the cheese. When it was done the pizza was scooped out of the pan, dropped onto a flat cardboard round and sliced, always with a long flat curved blade that pressed into the pizza and sliced as the blade rocked on its curved edge. I never saw roller cutters and I'm not sure they would work as well on the slightly thicker, crisper pies. Best things about this style: The crust gets very firm and crunchy due to the in the pan. It's a little thicker than NY style, but because it's risen it seems a little lighter. That crisper crust would support the extra cheesy "Mozzarella" pizza, and rarely got soggy.

[] WASHINGTON D.C. While this one sounds like it's merely a style based on size, I've seen arguments for it in the comments (here [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styles.html#99607] and here [http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styles.html#99712]) and over on Boing Boing [http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/25/taxonomy-of-regional.html#comment-112084].

While I'm not sure it's going to be a widely recognized style, It's in the interest of Slice readers to know about it, even if it, so ...

Yes, the jumbo slice of D.C. is mainly known for its size. There are many competing places offering this style. The link to the article below tells about the development of the jumbo slice, the competing claims of who has the "First Oldest Original Jumbo Slice," a laboratory-based nutritional analysis, and the fact that people only eat it when they are drunk.

Jumbo Slice Lore of D.C. [https://secure.washingtoncitypaper.com/cgi-bin/Archive/abridged2.bat?path=q:%5CDocRoot/2004/041105/CHEESE] [Washington City Paper]

Related Washington, D.C., archives [http://slice.seriouseats.com/tags/Washington%20DC] [Slice]

84 Comments | Tags: California, California-style pizza, Chicago, Detroit, Midwest-style, Neapolitan-Style, New Jersey, NYC, Old Forge pizza, regional pizza, Saint Louis, Trenton

84 Comments: http://www.matthewspizza.com/Home.htm Matthew's in Baltimore is pretty distinctive. coconutlime at 6:16PM on 01/24/08

Cool. Matthew's looks good, but I think what I'm going for here is a list of regional styles. So my criteria would be that at least a handful of pizzerias would have to be making a style. Is there a Baltimore-style pizza? Adam Kuban at 6:20PM on 01/24/08

I grew up in Altoona, PA and there was yet another style I haven't seen outside of that region. It's served at the Altoona Hotel (actually a restaurant) and consists of a thick, Sicilian-style crust topped with tomato paste, a ring of green bell pepper, pepperoni and covered with . It's cut into squares and people swear by it. I'm sure I ate my fair share of it growing up, but I seem to have repressed the memory. punkin712 at 6:59PM on 01/24/08

One more thing...this style, in one version or another, is served at about 4 other establishments in Altoona - all square, with thick crusts and a single slice of pepperoni on each square. Most others use the more traditional "" blends rather than American cheese. punkin712 at 7:01PM on 01/24/08

Wow! That sounds interesting, punkin712. So Altoona has a style. Very interesting. Maybe I'll put Altoona Hotel on my list if/when I head out to Pittsburgh. Adam Kuban at 7:07PM on 01/24/08

Chicago thin crust is the only pizza that I acknowledge. All others wish they were Chicago thin crust pizza. (Ducking to avoid the New York slices that might be thrown at my head.) maered at 7:28PM on 01/24/08

Wow, I'm truly honored that my post became an entry on Slice--this made my night! Also, it showed this Jersey girl that there is a whole, wild wacky world of Midwestern pizza out there the Pizzaria Uno's she visited in Boston didn't do justice to--my favorite comment was from the Ohio Pizza blog, though: "nothing quite says, I’m from the middle of nowhere like making up your own style of pizza." HeartofGlass at 7:35PM on 01/24/08

Also worth noting is the jumbo slice of Washington D.C. Similar to NY-style, but sold in huge, quarter-pie-sized slices, the jumbo slice is pretty good for eating, and much better for throwing. jessohackberry at 7:45PM on 01/24/08

New England Greek? The House of Pizza's that dot the landscape? k2kid at 8:16PM on 01/24/08

k2kid: Thanks for the tip. Will investigate New England Greek–style! Adam Kuban at 9:00PM on 01/24/08

I grew up in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The most common "style" of Pizza around here is, well, I don't know--I just call it Oregon-style. But it is mostly about the crust--it's fairly thin, with a wide, very puffy, hollow brim that's always painted to the edge with sauce. Toppings tend to be light to moderate, and the bottom of the crust is always crisp, very sturdy, never floppy at all. Toppings tend toward the traditional, though on occasion, some California-style toppings

4 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

creep in. This style is common to a number of regional chains, but seldom seen elsewhere. I've never had it outside of Oregon... antrobin at 9:43PM on 01/24/08

I wonder if New England Greek style pizza is similar to the Greek style pizza found in Queens, New York (I'm thinking specifically of the Singas chain). kathryn at 9:53PM on 01/24/08

I'm glad you included some Detroit-style pizza! If anyone here has ever been to Buddy's (a small chain of pizzerias in the Detroit metro area), their pies are the perfect example of this style. jazspin at 10:41PM on 01/24/08

Antrobin: Is that like what Pietro's or Abby's serves? I lived in Salem for a couple years and am (somewhat) familiar. At the time, I didn't really pay as much studied attention to the pizza I was eating there. Jazspin: The Wikipedia entry on Detroit style mentions Buddy's—and also Cloverleaf Pizza as the originator of the genre. How do the two compare? Adam Kuban at 12:00AM on 01/25/08

In SE Pennsylvania one of the more common styles in the Greek style pizza. I'm more a thin crust Italian style fan myself but around these parts folks for the most part thinf the Greek style in the way pizza is supposed to be made. Commonly the name of the establishment will give a clue as to the style. Boston, Royal, or after the namer of a Greek God like Appollo, Diana, etc. These are done in a pan with a side about a 1/2 inch in height and the sauce tends to be more acidic as opposed to sweet. The cheese blend is different too but I couldn't tell you what the make up difference is. I've even see (The horror!!!) toppings underneath the cheese. Stiv61 at 6:27AM on 01/25/08

I've never seen another pizza quite like Matthew's, but there's another Maryland-style pie best exemplified by the pizza at Ledo's: rectangular; thin, buttery crust; sweet sauce; and smoked cheese of some kind, usually provolone. (It sounds somewhat similar to the description of Old Forge, which I've never had, and that would certainly make some geographical sense.) In addition to the original Ledo in College Park and the local franchises of same, I've had very similar pizza at a number of bars around the area, although the only specific one coming to mind right now is the Stained Glass Pub in Olney. matt8313 at 7:22AM on 01/25/08

And, I wasn't aware there was a "Detroit Style" pizza either until I moved out of Michigan and couldn't believe there was not a single place you could get a "deep dish" like you could get at pretty much any pizzeria or party store (convenience store) around town. I especially miss Buscemi's as a blast from High School. longtimegeek at 8:26AM on 01/25/08

Adam: Matthew's is pretty much the only independent pizza place in Baltimore City proper, so we have to take what we can get. Apparently there used to be more places that sold that style but urban blight and all that pretty much wiped them out. coconutlime at 9:07AM on 01/25/08

I've had St. Louis-style many times, and the cheese they use (Provel) is a monstrosity, much like processed American cheese. In fact, it can't be labeled as simply "cheese" since it does not meet the FDA's moisture content requirements. Given that, and the matzoh-like crust, I think it just barely qualifies as "pizza." foobar at 10:11AM on 01/25/08

Yes, the jumbo slice of DC is mainly known for it's size. There are many competing places offering this style. The link to the article below tells about the development of the jumbo slice, the competing claims of who has the "First Oldest Original Jumbo Slice," a laboratory-based nutritional analysis, and the fact that people only eat it when they are drunk. jumbo slice lore of DC pantsravaganza at 10:48AM on 01/25/08

I now live in St. Louis. I moved there from New Jersey, where they do a perfectly passable New York style pizza. My wife and I, after moving there, unwittingly went to Imo's and ordered a St. Louis style pizza. It was so godawful that we decided there must have been some mistake. So a week later we went to a different Imo's and ordered another one. There was no mistake. ajthornton at 10:53AM on 01/25/08

I don't have anything against Altoona, but I wanted to point something out. If you happen to be in Pittsburgh, Altoona is still pretty far away. If you are in Pittsburgh, the pizza to try is: 1. Fiori's 2. Aiello's Fiori's and Aiello's both have what I would call Pittsburgh style pizza: Sweeter sauce, and crust that is crunchy on the edges, and with more texture and flavor than the typical New York style pizza. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Those two shops do it the best. mikes at 10:56AM on 01/25/08

foobar: Making every attempt to not give a true pizza fan a typical verbal thrashing on a message board, I can only simply say that i completely disagree with your statement about St. Louis style pizza. is a gift to the cheese world and to pizza lovers. Every time I am in St. Louis, i buy a 5lb. block of the stuff to bring back to the tastelest pizza world of Texas. Everyone that has tried the cheese that i brought back has asked how they can buy some.. There are several websites that offer it online and will ship it to you. Everyone is entitled to there opinion, but..... dallascorbin at 11:01AM on 01/25/08

Imo's pizza is the best ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO IMOS.... KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

5 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

dallascorbin at 11:03AM on 01/25/08

Right on, New England Greek Style! My husband grew up north of Boston, and he has a childhood photo of the same small, orangey, grease-laden pie you can still get today at such a place. Distinguishing points: * Thin crust with a firm, but not crackerlike, bottom, which is often oily enough to saturate the pizza box * Tomato sauce heavily spiced with oregano * Thin layer of cheese, sometimes a blend of mozz and cheddar * Cooked long enough for the cheese to become molten, slippery, and sometimes separate, coating the entire top of the pie with orange oil And one side note, you can also tell you're in a Greek pizza place by the all-Greek decor, gyro offerings, and a Greek salad that's 85% feta cheese. Oppa! :) serafina at 11:07AM on 01/25/08

mikes - Good point about the of the sauce. If I recall correctly, the local sauce (DelGrosso's) in Altoona is a bit sweeter than the nationally bottled brands. Do you think that's a PA thing or just to that region? Adam - Altoona is about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, but a worthwhile side trip if you can swing it. OT, but I also suggest stocking up on Benzel's at their outlet store and maybe a case or two of Mallo Cups from Boyer Candy. punkin712 at 11:33AM on 01/25/08

Adam, That's exactly what I'm talking about. Pietro's (I don't even think there are any Pietro's left, actually), Abby's, Papa's (not Papa John's--Papa's, regional chain with about 7 locations), Tracktown, and several other Eugene/Salem area joints all serve pizza that is more or less the same. As I mentioned before, it's really a crust issue, though most of the chains mentioned keep the toppings pretty standard. Most of the "Oregon" pizza I mention also tends to be a bit heavy on the sauce. antrobin at 11:36AM on 01/25/08

I grew up in Buffalo, and we had chain of pizza places called Bocces that supplied most of the locals with their pizza; and somehow, it somehow always comes up when I run into other former Buffalonians... The crust was maybe on the thicker side, kind of chewy, and usually a little more doughy (read: slightly undercooked). The sauce was simply tomato paste; and until I moved to NYC I thought that's what I thought everyone put on their pizzas. Lydia9 at 11:44AM on 01/25/08

Well I'm glad to see someone from Pittsburgh with some sense- suggesting Aiellos rather than the much propagandized Mineos (ugh!). Aiellos does indeed have some tasty pizza, though the new place in the same neighborhood (Squirrel Hill) by the name of Luccis gives Aiellos a run for their money, at least to my mouth when I'm craving a non-margharita pizza. Also worth mentioning is Paparazzi's on the South Side. Often seen selling slices on the corner outside their establishment on bar-hopping nights, this small local bar and eatery makes a surprisingly good 'Pittsburgh style' pizza as Mikes describes a few comments above. Still and all, nothing quite compares (for me) to Hot Mama's in Seattle. By far my favorite pizza (the Chef Special in particular), it was the bane of my existence back in my Vegan days (their sauce contains some cheese it seems), but oh man- now that the animal products are back in my diet those slices are the stuff that dreams are made of! If only pizza mail-ordered well... EtherMaiden at 11:48AM on 01/25/08

I grew up in SE CT and grew up on "New England Greek," though I never heard it called that. I also worked a few, Botchis Pizza, Niantic Pizza and Flanders Pizza in East Lyme, CT. This type of Greek is not to be confused with "Greek" pizzas with olives, feta and other Greek ingredients. The dough is pressed out into olive-oiled pans with a small rim. The dough is pressed flat and then sauced. The pans are left out to rise, but only a little. We would then cheese them and toss them in the cooler. That would stop the rising. You would then draw on those throughout the day. If you ran out - no more pizza! The base cheese was a mixture of provolone and moz. If you wanted a "Mozzarella" pizza, the pizzaman would sprinkle another layer of moz over the base and toss the pan in the oven. Other ingredients went on top of the cheese. When it was done the pizza was scooped out of the pan, dropped onto a flat cardboard round and sliced, always with a long flat curved blade that pressed into the pizza and sliced as the blade rocked on it's curved edge. I never saw roller cutters and I'm not sure they would work as well on the slightly thicker, crisper pies. The places I worked in and ate at did not, as I recall, have an acidic taste. But there may be variations. Best things about this style: The crust gets very firm and crunchy due to the olive oil in the pan. It's a little thicker than NY style, but because it's risen it seems a little lighter. That crisper crust would support the extra cheesy "Mozzarella" pizza, and rarely got soggy. I really miss that style and I wish there were a place in NYC that made it this way. MikeNYC at 12:07PM on 01/25/08

Bocces is pretty lousy pizza, but Buffalo, and in fact Western and Upstate NY, do have a regional style, with a crust about halfway between NY style flat crust and Chicago deep dish and copious amounts of mozz, cooked at a lower temp than thin crust, which may account for the undercooked dough at Bocces--the temptation is to take the pizza out too soon. Also, here in Lockport NY, there are places that serve sweet sauce, others that serve "traditional," and still others that offer sweet, semi-sweet, and traditional. That might be the case elsewhere in WNY but I haven't checked. barbarosa at 12:18PM on 01/25/08

I haven't seen anyone else comment, so I'll offer my two cents, being from Massapequa, LI, where was king (also, we called it Gramma Pizza). Grandma pizza actually differs from Sicilian in a few ways (although that's probably the easiest way to describe it). The crust is somehow a little sweeter, maybe for being so thin (or maybe it's actually different -- my Grandma used to use a sweeter dough for her pizza). Also, there's less cheese, used in a thinner capacity -- not heaps of ooey-gooey cheese, more like the way fresh mozzarella is used -- and garlic features much more prominently than in a regular slice of Sicilian. Oh, god, now I want a slice so badly I can actually taste it! karatemonkey at 12:48PM on 01/25/08

Greek style pizza also exists in the hudson valley (mainly at the four brothers chain) with many of the characteristics cited above: baked in a pan, thicker crust that is a bit oily and puffy, not too much cheese, cheese that seems to be some kind of a blend, not straight mozz. sloppy at 1:04PM on 01/25/08

Providence, R.I. is home to one very specific type of thin-crust Sicilian, and although I have never seen it anywhere else I can't figure out why. This style is my favorite thin-crust Sicilian. The pizzas, which are large and rectangular, have no cheese and no toppings; Instead of toppings the pizza has a thick layer of well seasoned sauce that

6 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

usually contains, among other things, a good amount of chopped garlic and pine nuts. After the pizza is baked it is cut into long rectangular slices and then refrigerated until cool. This type of pizza is served in different bakeries all over the city, and is always served the same way: The pizza is room temperature to cold and is almost exclusively sold by the slice. If you're in the area I highly recommend checking it out. You can get it in almost any bakery, but if you do go, got to any Crugnale's. To get a great, hot thin-crust Sicilian in Providence go to Casserta's on Federal Hill. Geoff_Prov at 1:07PM on 01/25/08

ohio pizza, as far as i'm concerned, has a thicker crust and a sweeter sauce than average pizza sauce. on the food network great pizza cookoff or whatever, that's what they said cleveland pizza was, and i've always believed it. i can barely tolerate pizza anywhere else. ;-) marahe at 1:09PM on 01/25/08

One style you are missing is the Mountain style, or High Altitude pizza found in Colorado, Idaho, and Montana. Beaux Jo's (http://www.beaujos.com/menu.cfm) provides a great example of this kind of pizza. The thick crust is almost always served with mountain clover honey. artifacting at 1:10PM on 01/25/08

Regarding New England Greek Pizza ... .. The crust is not really thin... but it is not as thick as sicilian... I heard that the crust is puffier than Neopolitan pizza because there is egg added to the dough... this seems to make sense to me. Note that almost all mom-and-pop pizza shops in the Boston area serve this type of pizza. It is not uncommon to see two or three pizza places all walking distance from each other serving this same style. As someone who grew up in New York, I would rather eat a cheesey roll with tomato sauce than eat this pizza. I have found it hard to comprehend why there is no Neopolitan pizza up here... Is it that it is too hard to install the oven? Or is it that all pizza makers get their ingredients from the same source? Or is it that when I see 2 greek pizza shops next door to each other... the second shop was opened by a disgruntled employee that learned how to make pizza then opened a store next door... Also... don't get me started on the lack of Diner's in the Boston area.... webguru at 1:23PM on 01/25/08

Connecticut has more than one style of pizza, btw. While the New Haven branch is great, my heart belongs to the medium crust, cooked in a greased pan, cut in squares pizza of my Hartford youth. The sauce is similar to the "Greek New England" style described by serafina, but with a thicker crust (not Sicilian thick, tho). Always commercial mozzarella, usually grated romano on top as well, and my favorite, fresh sausage chunks, put on raw, cooked as the pizza cooks, spreading the pork love over the whole pizza, none of those lazy slices of pre-cooked links! Have seen cheese put on top of other ingredients, but it's not common. Also, no selling of separate slices (the horror!). My family fights over which is better, the "corners" which have the maximum crust to innard ratio, or the inside slices, which have no edge crust at all. mmmm... haneway at 1:27PM on 01/25/08

Unfortunately in most of the country "chain style" pizza prevails. The upstate New York style mentioned above seems similar to a local Marlyand/D.C./VA based chain called Ledo's. As my login name implies, I grew up on and remain partial to Trenton Tomato Pies (used to go to Hudson Street at least one a week with my dad, who had been going there almost weekly since he was in high school in the early '50s). Delorenzosfan at 1:29PM on 01/25/08

The making/cooking method that MikeNYC describes is exactly the kind of crust that I'm talking about as non-New Haven "" pizza. haneway at 1:35PM on 01/25/08

No mention of DiCarlo's of Wheeling, WV? The originators of the Ohio Valley style make sort of a deconstructed pizza - they bake the bread - not thin New York Style, but certainly not Sicilian either - and then add cold tomato sauce and shredded provolone. Yes, provolone, not mozz or cheddar. The heat from the bread then warms up the sauce and cheese. As mentioned, the sauce is really just stewed tomatoes with minimal spices. tofoomeister at 1:38PM on 01/25/08

I have to ask for the inclusion of "sheet pizza", a staple in Binghamton NY and the surrounding area. Sheet pizza is cooked on rectangular cookie sheets. The sauce tends to be a little sweeter and cheese is a mozzarella/cheddar mix. It is very common to have "white" pizza in sheet form. White with broccoli is a classic variation. The classic topping for sheet pizza is another local delicacy, the spiedie (small chunks of highly marinaded meat - chicken & pork being most common). Nirchi's serves the best sheet pizza. mrvis at 2:22PM on 01/25/08

Adam, I'd like to know more about . I'm from New Haven and have eaten pizzas throughout Connecticut, NYC and near the birthplace of Domino's (:() where, in fact, we shared plenty of puffy square pies, crusts sprinkled w sesame seeds, in places that were originally run by Greek immigrants. I've had similar pies in Connecticut where I can't say I've discerned a clear difference between Giovanni's Pizzeria and Thanos. "Sicilian" strikes me as a misnomer. You say it's not very popular in New York and I see others refer to the type around the country. Do you know anything about its origins? Regional spread? If there's a genuine correlation between immigrants of Sicilian birth and the pie? * * * While this taxonomy certainly helps to distinguish Ray's slices from pizzas in New Haven and Chicago, I suspect there are quite a few other factors at play for some of the types identified here that have nothing to do with regionalism per se. I'm willing to acknowledge that a local tradition can be established quickly and develop idiosyncratic features even when sparked by a number of outside forces, but it's not like we're talking about long developments that endure in a way that's comparable to the pizza that emerged in Naples well before tourism inspired its dissemination throughout Italy. (In neighboring Puglia, "pizza rustica" refers to a double-crusted savory torte, usually packed with sautéed greens. There's also, of course, a relationship between focaccia and the doughy or deep-dish pizzas that Americans ate long before they heard the f-word.) Disclaimer: I haven't read much of anything on pizza in the U.S., so I'd find useful any dates, names, facts, etc. Eliz. at 4:07PM on 01/25/08

RE: New England Greek Pizza mom-and-pop shops in the Boston area. As with any type of food, there is a lot of variation in quality (and style) in the independent shops. One feature of a few Greek owned pizza shops is that they felt that the best olive was a Greek olive - when

7 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

you ordered a pizza with olives, they would reach over into the salad making station, grab a big handful of Greek olives, pit them and put them on the pizza. Places that did this tended to have the best pizza because they didn't skimp in the quality of the ingredients. [One place also considered "Peppers and Onions" to be one item but would still give you a full layer of each! We could order "Peppers and Onions and Black Olives" as a two item pizza. Very helpful to the budget in my student days.] My favorite restaurants are ones where the owner is watching the plates and not just the register. These places tend to build a loyal following. bml1212 at 4:32PM on 01/25/08

RE: St. Louis Style Pizza I'm a NY'er married to someone from St. Louis, and I had heard so much about St. Louis style pizza and Imo's, so I was really excited to try it. The first time I had it, it was absolutely horrible. I would not stop ribbing everyone I met about the horrid quality of their pizza. However, for sake of argument, I tried Imo's again two nighst later, and it was really good. The provell has a slightly tangy, almost peppery taste to it, and I really enjoyed. I think a huge taste difference arises on when, and who happens to make your pie at Imo's. Also, Wikipedia has an amazing article about Provell. Difara it ain't, but St. Louis pizza can be pretty great. emilydickinson at 4:38PM on 01/25/08

Regarding St. Louis style, I have to agree with foobar and ajthronton. Provel is an abomination; to call it cheese is indeed a misnomer. I liken it in flavor and quality to , except when provel cools, it coagulates and takes on a tacky, gelatinous texture that sticks in a lump to the roof of the mouth. When ordering a pizza in a new neighborhood restaurant last week, I triple-checked with the waitress that it did not have any provel, to which she responded, "you're not from around here, are you?" slogger at 4:49PM on 01/25/08

St. Louis style pizza is disgusting to anyone who didn't grow up on it and the best thing ever to those that did. I live in St. Louis and thank god that not every place in town is in love with provel "cheese" I agree with above on the texture-very plastic like. gross. St. Louisians love it though, so I try to withhold my comments to friends, however, I can't imagine being so infatuated with such a fake "food" like provel cheese. Many people here do not even realize that it isn't cheese. Mozzarella and other italian win for me. And for one other type of pizza from when I lived in chicago that no one ever talks about that I loved. Double Decker. Two thin Chicago pizzas stacked on top of each other and baked. The crispy layer in the middle was fantastic! jardin32 at 5:28PM on 01/25/08

i cant find any sort of "baltimore" pizza style per se. but matthew's is its own unique creature. the crust is real buttery almost deep dish and always tons of cheese. i've taken a few pizza wolves there and they all mention its like no other pizza they've had before. the closest i've ever come across a pizza like matthew's was at zachary's in oakland california. pizzawolfmd at 5:45PM on 01/25/08

I think you do a serious disservice to St. Louis style pizza by leaving out Cecil Whittakers. Their St. Louis style pizza does not use provel but a 5 cheese blend. While I like imo's well enough, Cecil Whittakers' pizza is the far better St. Louis style pizza. It is also important to note that, in my opinion, St. Louis style pizza is meant to be injoyed with side dishes, especially toasted ravioli. Baron_Fel at 5:50PM on 01/25/08

There is an excellent pizza in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, Sammy's Pizza, founded in 1954 in Hibbing, Minnesota by Sammy Perella. I've never found another one like it. It has a very thin, cracker-like crust made, as far as I can tell, with unleavened dough, like the St. Louis style you refer to. It is topped with an interestingly subtle orange-colored tomato sauce and thin mozzarella slices. I remember reading a newspaper article in the 1960s in Duluth, saying that Sammy had traveled to New York or Chicago (can't remember which) and bought the recipe from Italians there for $300. Sammy's Pizza now has several restaurants, most or all of them run by family members, in several Minnesota cities. Wendell at 6:25PM on 01/25/08

Thanks for acknowledging Chicago thin-crust. Far more Chicagoans eat that style than deep dish -- that stuff's mainly reserved for the tourists. me3dia at 6:48PM on 01/25/08

I haven't been yet, but my boyfriend raves about Senape's Pitza in Hazelton, PA. It is apparently another type of regional Pennsylvania pizza. There is at least one other place that sells a similar style. There are pics and more info on this Roadfood forum. Might be worth checking out if you do a pizza trip to Pennsylvania, I've been promised one this spring and am looking forward to it! meguiar at 7:07PM on 01/25/08

Around Philadelphia, there is Italian pizza and Greek pizza. They're readily identifiable by the name of the business -- Italian is always an Italian place or family name, and Greek is named for the locale or some other quality. Marone's and Bella Italia are two superb versions of Italian pizza. Ardmore Style Pizza, Real Pizza, and Royal Pizza are all Greek. Italian pizza comes in varying sizes with a thinnish, flexible, chewy hand-tossed crust. (Mmm, with bubbles.) Because of the flexible crust, it can be hard to load it with a lot of ingredients. But the sauce, the melted cheese, the pepperoni and mushrooms. . . .The closest I've found in the San Francisco Bay Area is Pizza My Heart, which I adore beyond measure. Ideally, it's more Neapolitan and less crisp than a NY-style pizza. Then there's Sicilian pizza, which is square and bready. Greek pizza comes in one size -- 12 inches -- and has a thick, chewy crust, lots of very salty cheese, and lots of oregano. And I would drop everything to find a decent Greek-style pizza out here. In upstate PA, there is also Old Forge style pizza. With cheddar! I miss that, too. Wordweaverlynn at 7:16PM on 01/25/08

Adam - The story I heard many years ago is that the Detroit style started at an eastside (Italian) bar called the Cloverleaf by some enterprising bar chef. The pizza was a hit and the originator was hired away from the Cloverleaf (circa 1960's?) and over to Buddy's then Sheild's or vice-versa. The original Buddy's &

8 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

Sheilds were close to each other in the city. I used to stop at the original Buddys after softball - met Leon Spinks one evening. The style is readily available at both of these small local chains and is quite good. Buscemi's is similar on the eastside. It is unique and very different from Papa Del's that I started on. Good eats. det0321 at 7:36PM on 01/25/08

First, this is an excellent discussion. I grew up in New Haven county and was at first shocked to move to and be unable to get what I had known as pizza all my life. It got worse when I moved to NH and then visited Maine where clerks asked me questions like "what type of crust would you like?" - Because they had things like whole wheat... which is definitely not good eats in my opinion. I've eaten the real Chicago stuff and it's great, but arguably isn't pizza. One note is that a lot of the pizza places in New Haven refer to their stuff as Apizza, (pronounced "A-beets") in signs and in conversation. I think I'm going to take the 75 mile drive back to Pepi's... thanks for this post! omgwtfbbq at 7:51PM on 01/25/08

Pontillos, Batavia, NY nostudme at 7:54PM on 01/25/08

If your in Pittsburgh PA then you have to stop by Vincents Pizza. Thick crust, a lot of toppings, never round though they do try and enough grease for a year. They no longer feature the Vinnie secret ingredient, the end of his cigarette, but it is still good. andy stoops at 8:31PM on 01/25/08

New England bakery pizza. Pizza with sauce and no cheese, thick bready crust, served cold. I had this in San Francisco once, too, where they called it "focacia pizza". Served in grocery stores, bakeries, and even some convenience stores. jefchoice at 8:49PM on 01/25/08

The Greek pizzas of New England are what I would call "House of Pizza" pizzas, because most "HOP"s are run by Greek families. I would add that the crust is usually undersalted, and airy if not downright spongy right below the topping. I've never encountered a Greek HOP pizza that had cheddar on it, thought. In my 33 years of eating pizza around N.E., it's always been straight mozzarella, if not a mozz/romano blend. BipolarLawyerCook at 9:08PM on 01/25/08

i'm surprised that i didn't see apizza from Bar in the New Haven style pizza section.... their pizza is just plain awsome, it's made up until 2 A.M. on the weekends, and i think that it falls more in line with traditional new haven apizza than Modern. I think Modern is delicious pizza, but Bar's pizza falls more in line with the New Haven style than Modern. the farther away from Wooster St. you go, the pizza gets rounder, less greasy, thicker crusted, and gets served on more run of the mill platters, until you end up in the suburbs with just crummy pizza. I think the best part of real new haven pizza is the fact that a lot of these places don't play games. Pepe's and Sally's for instance, serve pizza. and that's it. every pie's a large, they don't make or antipasto, you're there to eat the pizza, and if you're not, you can leave. plus there's always a line, and you meet some cool people waiting in line. ctdubbin at 10:37PM on 01/25/08

Old Forge Pizza--I grew up eating and loving the stuff. My favorite (long gone) was Vince the Prince in Scranton. Here are more specifics: it's always a rectangular pizza and it has a fried consistency. It's always served on a rectangular cafeteria-style tray on the kind of waxed paper you grab donuts with. The cheese is specifically Cooper if it's the real stuff. Purists prefer no more than one topping and usually have none. Best places to go: the bars along the main street in Old Forge but it's available through the whole Wyoming Valley (stay away from the mall places!). Wash it down with a Ballantine Ale--heaven. cloyd42 at 11:10PM on 01/25/08

There is also "Brier Hill" style pizza which is basically sauce, bell peppers, and a generous amount of romano cheese. You can read more about it on the wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brier_Hill TomH1976 at 11:11PM on 01/25/08

Hey, Adam. What a fine, comprehensive and scholarly review. Might I suggest you consider yet another style, one that isn't necessarily "regional," yet increasingly popular. I'll call it nouveau organic/locavoric. In my experience, Jules' Thin Crust, in Doylestown, PA ( with a recently added outlet in Newtown, PA...refer to my Slice review). LA area pizzavores might choose to add Wolfgan Puck and his disciples to the list of producers of NO/L pizzas. These pizzas are thin crust pies, using homemade sauce and toppings that are seasonal, local and often organic (thus, the locavore appellation). I choose locavore, the 2007 Oxford Dictionary word-of-the-year (http://www.locavores.com), to describe this style, as the pies often use locally-grown toppings. famdoc at 11:52PM on 01/25/08

I just wanted to add to the "california style" (it's a big state) by giving props to the cheese board in Berkeley. They feature only one kind of pie a day, with a thin sourdough crust, no tomato sauce, and some combination of cheeses, veggies(not overdone and sometimes including or arugula) and olive oil. presley at 11:54PM on 01/25/08

As a resident who lives near Old Forge, and having sampled many different styles of pizza around the country, I would have to say that Old Forge knows no competition. That being said, Old forge pizza is far more individually stylistic than any pizza I have ever had. I am not simply in the mood for Pizza. . . I find myself in the mood for Revello's Pizza, or Arcaro & Genell's Pizza. . . Each resteraunt is distinctly different in it's exact ingrediants. The style is idenitifed by the way it is shapped and cooked. There is controversy over the cheese. While some may argue that pizza requires mazzarella cheese, that is certainly not the case. Old Forge Pizza prizes itself on it's unique taste. There are only a few resteraunts that can claim to be original Old Forge Pizza and any bad experiences with the style are sure to be from an imitator. Don't believe me? Stop by and order a tray of pizza. Old Forge is only a few minutes away from Scranton and WIlkes-Barre. Just don't call it a pie. Harnao at 11:59PM on 01/25/08

As a lifelong Ohio Valley resident, I'd like to commend the author for recognizing the local pizza as a unique "style". tofoomeister writes above that the pizza is sauced cold, which is not correct. I know of none of the ten or so DiCarlo's that do this. DiCarlo's is the most widely known purveyor of the "square" pie which is typically baked in a square pan yielding 16 slices or in a rectangular yielding 28. There are several in my town (Wheeling WV) and all bake the crust

9 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

with a sauce on that most closely resembles a mild marinara. The pizza is spread with a modest amount of provolone that is either shredded or crumbled depending on the exact pizzeria that preps it and it is sliced and sold by the slice. Extra cheese and a few slices of pepperoni are added when the slices are boxed for the customer. The cheese is thus cool on a hot slice if it is immediately eaten in the parking lot (which it often is since most of the places that sell this style have no eat in facility). There are also several other notable and good shops that sell the squares besides the aforementioned DiCarlo's. These are Bruno's in Elm Grove section of Wheeling; Zontini's in Martins Ferry Ohio; Home Pizza in St. Clairsville, Ohio; and Osso's in Washington, PA. There are several north of Wheeling area in the Steubenville, OH / Weirton, WV area also but the names don't readily come to mind other than DiCarlo's which is a loosely affiliated little chain of independent shops. Almost all such places are difficult to find because these are small and locally owned operations adding to their quirky charm. All locals will know where they are so just ask if you are in the UPPER Ohio Valley where the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia lies jammed like a spike between Ohio and Pennsylvania. This is the only region that I am aware of that has this style of pizza. One final note: The Ohio Valley style is not for everyone. People either love it or hate it, deriding it as no more than on cardboard with a whisper of mystery cheese. Just remember the ancient Roman saying, "Where tastes are concerned, there can be no argument." scottrodo at 12:46AM on 01/26/08

Adam & everyone -- a couple of comments regarding Detroit pizza. I'm a native of the Detroit area and still reside in a suburb of Detroit. Just wanted to shed some light on our pizza. Det0321 has it just a little mixed up. The first square deep dish in southeastern Michigan was indeed Buddy's on 6 Mile & Conant, opened in the 40's. Some of the original pizza cooks that worked for them during their first 20 years eventually struck out on their own, creating most notably Loui's Pizza, Shields & the original Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant, located on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe (formerly called East Detroit, the city where I grew up). Now the Cloverleaf Pizza link that was provided above, in one of the other comments is no longer related to the original Cloverleaf Bar on Gratiot; the two locations on that particular weblink are basically carry-out places and carry both Cloverleaf square pizza and round pizza. The original Cloverleaf on Gratiot opened in the latter 50's or early 60's and only serves square pizza...... no rounds; the original is still the only location. Buddy's now has 20-30 locations, but most are carryout only; I believe there are only a few sit-down Buddy's Pizza restaurants (2-3 in southeastern Michigan area). Shield's Pizza has also developed into a chain, but I'm not sure how many there are total -- maybe 4 to 5??? But to wind things up, my personal favorite is Loui's Pizza in Madison Heights, only one location and only serving square. And the reason that I like it best is that their crust isn't as thick as the rest; it's created more like a Chicago-type thinner crust, formed into a 2" deep pan. It's not as doughy as Buddy's or Shields. Another plus with Loui's is the cheese blend that they use and the fact that they cube their cheese (about 1/2" diameter), instead of shredding. It really adds to the ooziness factor! So if you ever find yourself in our neck of the woods, please try Loui's, the original Cloverleaf, Buddy's and Shields...... in that order! Happy tasting. deedeemoski at 5:52AM on 01/26/08

It's hard to find a good shop in the Boston area. The best I've found is Sweet Tomatoes in Newton Center. I think there's a few other shops around. Besides that, my standard of excellence is Sal and Carmines on Broadway and 105th. That is a perfect NY slice right there. This is such a great list. mosled at 8:32AM on 01/26/08

Being from New Haven (which is near new york as well) and living around the corner from both Pepe's and Sally's, I've had all the major types of pizzas (NY, NH, Greek, Cicilian) and let me assure you that nothing is like new haven style pizza. But, it is not exactly like how it was described in the article. New Haven pizza is not thicker than New york style, it is THINNER! Sally's is extra thin and pepe's is inbetween NY style and Sally's. About all the other styles well, let me put it this way, if it ain't cooked in a coal fired brick oven...IT AIN'T PIZZA! If you disagree with that statement, then you dont' know pizza! kaptainsteve at 12:01PM on 01/26/08

Utica-style maybe a variation (Utica NY) this is more a variation than its own style maybe but all the toppings are under the cheese. I spent a couple summers in central New York and I have never seen it anywhere else. tjd1skier at 12:42PM on 01/26/08

artifacting, above, is correct. Colorado/Mountain style is very distinct. The crust is of medium thickness, but very sweet, and with honey. The toppings can vary from traditional to California-style. I'm from Jersey, by the way, but I live in Colorado now. So I have pizza knowledge. yesno at 2:27PM on 01/26/08

Almost all of the people I know in Chicago think of stuffed pizza when you say "Chicago Style." In my experience, it's only people outside of the area that think of deep dish - thanks mostly to chains like pizzeria uno. Stuffed pizza is a whole nother thing. spoke at 3:44PM on 01/26/08

i grew up in mt lebanon,out side of pittsburgh and i remember a place on washington rd that had a thin crust with seasonings on the bottom of the crust. oil would be dripping off your elbow in under a min. myvtol at 4:38PM on 01/26/08

Nice read :) I would like to add my own contribution to this great article. I hail from the small town of Hazleton PA, about an hour away from Old Forge, and about 2 hours from NYC. Hazleton has a long history of immigrants settling in Hazleton and we have a style of pizza that is one of my favorite foods hands down. Its called Senape's Pitza. yea... pitza, i don't know how spelling came to be so literal, but its a delicious food without a doubt. Its similar to sicilian pizza, rectangular in shape, but served at room temperature, after being cooked of course. I am no food connoisseur but i am only familiar with two different brands of "deli style pizza", Senape's and Longo's both from Hazleton, and i have never seen it sold anywhere outside a 20 mile radius of Hazleton. I had a teacher in high school who had a relative who was the coach for the Los Angeles Angels, and he was from Hazleton. When this guy would return to Los Angeles he would bring boxes and boxes of Senape's pizza back with him in which his players would devour, or so i am told. So if you are ever in the north east PA region, check out a local grocery store for Senape's Pitza :) Arudien at 4:42PM on 01/26/08

Old Forge style is awesome. We used to get it at a joint in Plains Township. I've also had it in Old Forge itself. The potato pies were awesome. Unfortunately, they use the peanut oil, which my oldest son is allergic to, so no more. I love Chicago style and this article makes me want to travel. The Utica style sounds interesting. Been to Altoona about ten times and don't recall the Altoona Hotel. Altoona is the only place where I've heard slices called "cuts." It's about a 2 1/2 train ride from Pittsburgh.

10 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM Slice: A List of Regional Pizza Styles http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/a-list-of-regional-pizza-styl...

Tomato pies (Trenton) are popular all the way up the Delaware River to the Lehigh Valley area.

maxpe at 5:45PM on 01/26/08

Throughout Long Island, New York, pizza's been evolving - one could argue devolving. Pizza joints are topping regular slices with all sorts of Italian American entrees - yes, a pie is topped with literally an full size entree worth of food. From baked ziti to eggplant parmesean. Last time I was back on LI visiting family, there was chicken marsala pizza, of all things. SFLboogie at 6:15PM on 01/26/08

Hmm...my photo of the LI pizza didn't stick to my post. Here's the link to my blog that has a pic of a half-ziti, half-eggplant pizza. Link SFLboogie at 6:17PM on 01/26/08

I am from Old Forge as well. People from outside the area either love it or hate it. We just had it for dinner tonight from a newer place called Mancuso's. I agree with the previous poster about having a craving for a specific place's pizza. Some have onions in the crust, some use a blend of cheese that sticks to the roof of your mouth more. Some use Cheddar and some use American cheese primarily, but most use a blend of different cheeses. Several places in towns hours away claim to have Old Forge style pizza, but it usually is a poor imitation. Old Forge is also known as the Pizza Capitol of the World not because its pizza is any better than anywhere else but per capita, it has more pizza places than any other place and they are all packed on a Friday night. rpp124 at 7:18PM on 01/26/08

See my description of Old Forge pizza on this thread: www.chowhound.com/topics/305174 guttergour at 10:08PM on 01/26/08

CHICAGO STUFFED PIZZA DOES NOT HAVE A LAYER OF CRUST ON TOP. it is not 'all dough' like many people i have met from NY tend to believe. its like a pie, sauce on top. many cant understand this simple concept. if you never had anything from here then i highly recommend ordering it online.. giordanos.com has it great for mailorder. be careful after eating this though..youll hate all other pizza forever. tehrok at 10:36PM on 01/26/08

by the way.. after traveling the US and eating almost only pizza.. you wont find good pizza outside of chicago, get over it! tehrok at 10:37PM on 01/26/08

Regarding Chicago stuffed pizza, there are two crusts, between the bottom and top crusts are the fillings, sauce and cheese are on the top. Crusts are not thin or thick. I am a native Chicagoan, grew up on excellent thin crust but like stuffed, less bread than deep dish. I received a shipment of Lou Malnatti's thick crust pizza from my sister (thank you), share it with friends in Houston, they now understand why I am not a fan of pizza in Houston. I am surprised not to see flame war regarding pepperoni versus sausage. Only non natives eat pepperoni pizza in Chicago - Italian sausage rules. Had "" in central PA (pretty good), had incredible sheet pizza in Hartford - toppings were simple, olive oil, garlic, clams and rosemary, it was amazing. Houston's pizza is a bit sad - Tex-Mex, Cajun, and Texas BBQ rules here. As I mentioned, you can order pizza from Chicago (and elsewhere) and have it shipped. coratx at 12:37AM on 01/27/08

Hi. Wikipedia has its entry for New Haven style pizza (under "Apizza") flagged to be deleted due to lack of citations. Just thought this might be a handy place to tell someone about it. Who might know how to do something, that is. Duane at 6:49AM on 01/27/08

Alright, I'm fully aware that I'm going to get my a*** kicked for saying this, but I just have to. Australia's whole fast food pizza industry is based upon the . Cheese, Ham and lovely lovely Pineapple on a thick doughy crust. Hawaii is in the States. America has to have invented Hawaiian Pizza's, right? :) Duane at 6:55AM on 01/27/08

11 of 11 27/01/08 08:35 PM