The Original New York Slice: The Pizza Show

Frankie, how many two or three, two, two, give me two? That's good, walk normal, come on, I have to walk like uh, cholta, man has to walk normal, come on, New York is the birthplace of

pizza

in America, as most people know it, with more than 2,000 pizzerias. Charcoal gas cakes,

slice

s and squares. The Neapolitan and more

pizza

culture here is so strong that you could even take a tour to learn the history of this seemingly staple food. Scott Weiner, who runs his own pizza tour company, is the most knowledgeable person in this field. by far false alarm this is not the first pizza this is the proof look at this ah it's hot so many people come to New York to eat pizza and there are so many stories about the origin of all these great pizzerias help us analyze this when people Come to New York, they totally understand that the city has a special relationship with pizza.

There's a deeper story I know when I first discovered there was a place calling itself the first pizzeria in America. I was speechless. I thought there is history, yes, how is that documented? How cool is it that this food has a story. The story is quite similar in all these places, like people had ovens where they used them to make bread. Bakers bake pizza at the beginning of the day. as a way to do a couple different dirty jobs with the oven and they're also using that dough to get rid of the leftover ingredients and all of a sudden you have this product that happened in April, it happened in Italy, it was just pizza it was junk Which I think a lot of people who are really interested in New York pizza culture understand, and that is that Lombardis is the first pizzeria in America and then there is a kind of New York pizza family tree that branches off from Lombardis and is responsible of some of the best pizzerias in New York is like this, maybe that's okay, here's okay, this is the most accurate way I can explain the whole family tree.

Okay, Lombardis opens in 1905. 1905 is when they received the first Mertile license to run a pizzeria, which is not a license. that I can find or has it ever really existed and then tones opens in 1924 and tones seems to have as much claim to New York pizza supremacy historically as lombardis now there is some controversy because some people say that, well, he was the pizza maker And Lombardi we don't know either, maybe there was another place that opened and then closed and no one had a photo of it. The answer to my question is a bit confusing.

CU there are so many people who have claimed to work in Lombardi without real concrete. The evidence here is the most likely story. Lombard's was the first Peter's licensed in the United States, where Janero Lombardi and Anthony Perro worked, but it later branched out and opened tones in 1924 in 1929. John Sasso, who may or may not have worked for lombardis op John's, the story evens out . more confusing when pis and Harlem enter the picture pasquali paty leri opens pis in 1933 after also working at Lombardi his nephew paty raldi opens paty's pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge in 1990, which then, four years later, changes its name to grail, you know what?

I mean, yeah, who knows, who knows, who knows, that's all, but those things don't even matter. What we know is that Lombardis was the first documented pizzeria in New York City in 1905. Janer Lombardi began serving pizza to local factory workers at his grocery store. on Spring Street, due to its popularity the shop quickly evolved into a full-fledged pizzeria and continued producing cold pizzas until the mid-1980s when it closed. Fortunately, Jano Lombardi III and John Breio, his childhood friend, reopened this iconic restaurant in 1994. Jano Lombardi is responsible for bringing pizza as we know it here to the United States and he started many of the RAS pizzerias because the I had working here, so you remember Jano, you remember the

original

, yeah, my father used to drop me off here when I was 6 years old and seven years old. old man and I bothered him by throwing dough balls at him with his grandson and uh, that's who opened this place but when he and the grandson reopened I'm the worker, that's as far as I got with the pizza and that's how I know good pizza.

It seems like Jano was a neighborhood defender that he was and these were all Italians who lived here. Soho was where the old factories were, so a lot of guys would stop there in the morning because L Body was open 22 hours a day back then. They would stop on the way to work, buy a cake wrapped in brown paper and twine, then reheat it in the oven that kept the place warm and have lunch. They were leaving here. One of the things that defines Lombardis is the charcoal oven. What's so special about a cold cooked pizza?

Let's take the cold temperature versus wood with a wood oven, it goes up very high and as the wood burns the fire goes down with the charcoal, it burns more steadily so you have a good constant heat. pizza. have high heat because the inside will be light and cool with all the nooks and crannies the toppings will cook in 2 minutes it will be juicy that's the key to a great pie that's the key to a great pizza can I treat you to some pizza Here, come on, wow, pepp, this looks good, this looks great, enjoy your

slice

of History.

That's exactly what you said, you can tell it cooks quickly, the bottom is crispy but the top is still moist and you can definitely feel that it's from a charcoal oven and not a wood fired oven. Definitely the quality always

show

s well, it is always noticeable whether in the person or in the food. I'm around pizza every day. I love it, okay, I love eating it. It's nice to go out. here I remember how the last time I came here you had to like Dodge broken glass everywhere on the beach here we are on Cony Island on a scorching hot day, it's beautiful, we're all sweating and when you're on Cory Island you think about the beach You think of hot dogs, you want the other half of this, but when you're on Cory Island and you talk about pizza you think it's a tone, not only is it one of the best pizzerias in the country, but it's a big part of the history of the pizza in New York, the tones haven't changed a bit since 1924 and that's thanks to Anthony Perl's family, who has continued the tradition.

Antoinette and Cookie Perl's granddaughters have dedicated their lives to the business. The moment I walked in, Antoinette immediately greeted me. They invited him to a birthday party for his old friend Victor, he is like a fixture here they call him Tigre, who also calls himself Tigre and offered him a piece of cake, this is truly the definition of a family business, look what I'm doing, Victor, you're old. Victor, can we borrow you to sing Happy Birthday? We also like his birthday. Oh, you're kidding today. Great, come on, let it go, yay, oh wonderful, the only thing that's consistent here is the pizza, no, happy birthday, doll, these people walk in the door.

We have Victor's birthday right now we have another girl's birthday there is pizza flying out of the oven and there is a pizza waiting for me this looks amazing so now do you want something like cheese extra cheese or am I going to make it? It's just like that here I want you to eat it when it's hot wow delicious the pizza is delicious ah well I think you're a connoisseur so no, it is it's different it's not the same it has a different quality like the the dough itself has a little bit more of a consistency and you can really taste the tomatoes and the cheese and that sharpness.

Is there any other hard cheese besides mozzarella? You are asking a question that is not allowed here when you come. there is no doubt oh, would you pass that line no more questions, okay, I'm done, how does it feel when they talk that way like a legend? Emotions say now you mention Grandpa and I cry because he just stirs up feelings I can't explain, so he was a baker in Naples, Italy, and he came on a boat. I think he was the daisy and he worked for Lombardi and opened his own pizzeria and then he came here in 1924 and we are the oldest continuously operated family pizzeria in the world.

Wow, so we are here at this place. 92 years old cookies make a fabulous pizza. Mom always said women make the best pizza but she really is passionate this place could never survive if it wasn't for her she doesn't want any changes and I have to respect that this is the infamous cookie the love of my life did you get my card what card I sent you a beautiful card? She said she's talked a lot, that's all, I mean we did so many TV

show

s and I just keep saying the same thing over and over again. I'm tired of it.

Do you like your mother and do you like your father? I'm like my father, you're like your father, yes, and you say what you say all the time, which is to say, tell us something different, tell us something you want to come out, nothing different. I'm not telling you anything good about how different it was just when you got the old classic. If you stay with that, do you ever criticize the pizza guy? I know Mike has been here making pizza forever. Well, I trust Michael now, but you know, at first yes, it's hard work and he's been with you for 12 years.

Mike Michael's name is Michael, he's called Michael I love it I love that oven it's beautiful and it looks like that shell has been using that same shell for this for the same hundred years this oven here has been making pizza since 1924 the old lady, honestly , I liked it until I felt comfortable working with the oven because it is cold. Every couple of inches is like a different temperature, just a completely different feeling and you basically have to dance the cake and honestly, every day, I think I'm learning. Somewhat even at this stage of the game you know the fact that you and your sister were able to take it to the same level that your father and grandfather reigned at.

For me it's like every parent's dream comes true. I know that we continue with this because it is our passion and it is like a constant roller coaster and it is constant in fantasy lands, I love being with Allen babies, so we are the real ones with Allen babies, Michael, did I give you the cake of the West Village? It has so many great pizza places when I was in the neighborhood I decided to call my boy Mark to try some with me Are you hungry Yeah, I didn't eat all day Are you ready to have pizza I'm ready Let's go Alright, let's go Do it Are you ready to do this?

Well, how you been fantastic, yes, first stop is John's on Bleer Street, which is known for its cold popsicles. The last time you were in this neighborhood eating pizza before my pizza place opened, I think the last time I was here there were probably five names on the wall that I look at and I'm dying to get back here, so what for you is like the classic classic New York pizza classic, I mean go back, I mean if you go back to the beginning of time. You know, Lombard is this place, the cabs are in the Hollow Co classic oven pie and then you know it moved on to Joe's Faris Princh Street gas oven pie and now we have all the newcomers to the Neapolitan style, the neo Neapolitan that we are getting.

We're getting the second wave of the Italians, you know, come on guys, beautiful, well, I've been waiting all day, this smells good, what do you look for when you grab a slice of pizza, uh, the stretch of cheese and like You know, right there? Crack and that crunch usually like the little diamond on the bottom yeah, yeah, it really is, the simplicity of the cheese and the tomatoes, yeah, you know, I mean, that's what you get in this block, right? you just get pizza, you get pizza plain as a cross. it's amazing cross it's really good like you know your place in your neighborhood for brookly.

I would have to say NEOS from a traditional slice now it's Joe's Joe's is the quintessential New York slice absolutely 100% you got the words out of my mouth and you know what I love about Joe's it brings me back to my childhood that was great, that was a good man from Joe's, let's do it, what do you want to do? Mark, a couple of slices, two, two slices, so you put red pepper on the slices. on my slices red pepper black pepper in the cold oven black pepper overall OV this guy is a real guy of yours let me tell you and then you don't use a fork or a knife do the old New York fold fold how it stands up I love it this is every time he says the quintessential portion of New York you know what always bothered me was the movement of the napkin you know what they take when you when you take yes for the oil for the oil and if you and you put the napkin it tops off the so up oh no I don't know another napkin what are you talking about your thumb there and then fold it this way so it stops the oil the white t-shirt those are the ones you see, those are the ones the Swaggy guys made that soz they didn't want to ruin the set you never did that I never did that I'm not a gentleman like you and then it gets hooked look look how it gets hooked to the end that's perfect what about the posture you don't know the posture what the posture is you stand with your feet up one side and make sure the pizza doesn't drip on your sneakers your outfit The choice was risky hey, it's risky but you know what, but look if you know the posture rules you don't have to worry no, you don't see oil on my fresh sneakers this could This is like a New York self-service Melike a normal cake when it comes out of the oven fresh out of the oven when you reheat it that's where you get that crunch from, that's when it really makes it nice and crispy.

Sometimes guys like to heat it up too much. Sometimes guys don't heat it enough and then you burn the skin on the roof of your mouth. Do you specify when you order your slice as not too spicy not too spicy not too spicy? I don't like spicy. I have my cousin. He's like.he's like eating like he ran out of oil the next day oh, I can't eat, I've taken everything out of my mouth here we are, the famous Prince Street always lines up here, while Prince Street seems to have been here forever, actually opened in 2012 The space used to be home to the

original

Rays Pizza, one of the many Rays on New York's Prince Street, has a nice slice, but what you really want here is a square, eh, two square pepperonis, that's what you call the spicy prin leaf.

Okay, so we do it. two of those give me how you're doing well doing good doing good how many of us are here for the uh Square slice which one the spicy spring what else what else that's the best seller right thank you very much man thank you guys enjoy it guys we'll be back this is you settling in anywhere in New York that's it you make it work you set up a store and make it work pepperoni is amazing yeah the pepperoni looks sick New York bacon the Sicilian always takes a backseat to the slice And if you ask me, He's like the unsung hero of pizza.

I think people like it because it's a little thicker, they're afraid of it, but when you eat it it has so many different textures, it's so good that there's nothing like hot pizza in New York. On a hot summer night, for someone who has never been to a New York style slice place, there is quite a ritual when you walk in the door, the first thing you usually see is a big box full of pizzas and a couple of different cakes. I'll see a pizza guy in the back making pieces maybe flipping them in the air Luigi's on Quinta da is the quintessential slice when you walk in it's basically a place stuck in time Gio, the owner, has a lot of pride in his family . his culture knows everyone's name he knows the order of everyone his sisters work with him when you are a regular in a familiar place it feels like you are part of the family in 1973 Luigi Lanza opened Luigi's with his wife Theodora today Luigi's children Gio Lisa and Marissa works hard to honor her parents' legacy by maintaining their traditions at Al's Pizzeria and now I look at the photo album and I'm like perfect, yeah, you've seen this one.

I always put this because you know what without these two people. I wouldn't be here I wouldn't be here I wouldn't have anything to talk about alone my whole life because two people came here saying "We can make it in America" ​​otherwise I would have probably would have been skinny. My mother came here first. She started working in a factory where they worked. She earned 43 cents an hour. She goes, with 19 dollars a week. That shows that, as much as everyone thinks those were bad times, in reality they were great times because in four years my mother bought a house, my father worked in Italy, he had a mule, so he was someone like the Cadillac of Today, I had a mule and these are the photos I have of my mother going to Italy, marrying him, bringing him here and then would she also work in a sweatshop and she didn't like it so she went to work in a pizzeria, they saved everything and then they bought this building here's my sister now my two sisters yes yes yes we met before I love the way it's your sister in the front and then it's your other sister in the back cooking there's nothing better than being with your family you know and you they get along well together and it's that positive yes of course it's family it's family there's no little yelling going on something's wrong talking I know this has always been the case if you've ever been tempted to go in the direction other peteras went like you know the weird cakes or this or that no I'm not going to move away from what I was raised with that's what worked it's what they taught me to do it to the best of my ability and the people who shine and say it's well how many pizzas do you think you made here this board is the first board we started With the amount of Pies, this Bo had over a million Pi easily and if you notice, my father opened the store with two boards.

This was how it looked originally. He used to do this from the first moment I thought of it until now. I don't even have to look, I just know where it's going to go, that's what my dad always needs to get the sauce out of the way, there's no sauce in the middle and why is that? Because it's heavy and will stick when the crust is lifted, everything moves towards the center, yes exactly how old were you when you made your first pizza? I was 11 years old when I started making cakes, my first cake for a client.

I will never forget. I look back at the kitchen. He told my father Dad, no pizza. I was 13 years old. He said you did. It was just a regular cake, so it's a 16 cake. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so he made me make the first one. Wow, I'll go ahead and make my pizza. and then maybe you could give me some advice. Basically, I'm just trying not to touch the cross. No, they can stay out of the way. Don't don't push too hard. Yes, don't push too hard. Very beautiful, so walk above the upper deck. I don't think this is going to be as round as Gio's.

Mine are never round, but I try when you don't use flour, they are never round. Okay, Frank, you know what we do? you're going to do now you're going to eat one of my portions I'm going to eat one of your portions that you did well makes me nervous that makes me nervous okay let's see how I put things together I think I know which one is mine no, that's okay, that It's for you, Frank, okay, I'll go with Frank's cake. uh-oh, no, this is going to be good. I know when it's time to listen. I could walk into the pizza place and look and see what you did and notice it. 100% perfect the pizza is so good, so easy to chew, it's like when it comes to proportions, it's that the most important thing for you in pizza is the way you taste, when I say it's in the hands, my hands do it They do, I just know, it's okay, I reached my limit, it's like breathing, how much do you inhale?

It's not even just that I do it and that's it. I don't know if I've interviewed anyone who's probably made as many pizzas as you. I have no idea how many hands have probably made a million cakes, oh, easily, and I just love what I do. Know? It doesn't even feel like I've done one when you do something you love so much it's not a job people don't understand it's not work for me I come here to hang out you never get bored here it's like a dream come true that's all this you do is your program that's all this is my program it's already done, it's already done people are happy it's priceless totally priceless buo busy little me busy you make time for everything you do good job you're busy that's it that's it well Lenny is a staple on Ving she's under the train do people like to come here and ask you to do double?

Do you know what's funny? She had this young man who came in. He could have been about 15 years old. He dressed up as Tony Monero for Halloween and said to me: Can you please open the window so he can give me a double deck? I like it. How does this K know what a double deck is? I was hysterical.