11/05/24
January 17, 2021
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Hey NoMich, I took the next step in my lifelong learning path - I ordered a Detroit style pizza pan from online restaurant supply.
Once I get the hang of it, I'm going to do a little test with my Greek pals, who are the kings and queens of the local pizza and Mediterranean food scene. They don't know from Detroit. But they're interested.
I'll bring them a pie made with the proper dough based on the info you posted some days ago.
Then I'll take some of their dough which they make daily from scratch, and we'll see whose recipe works best.
Gonna have to beg for mercy going in - I'm not doing the pepperoni. Got to keep it basic.
But rest assured, that sucker will have fistfuls of cheese run all around the edges of it.
posted by beaverboard at 10:37 AM on January 17, 2021
Nice! I hope it lives up to my hype. Don't use too much sauce as that is not star of the show. I used a bit too much.
I saw a video of a Midwesterner and a New Yorker try different styles of pizza around NYC. He made fun of the Detroit style when he first saw it and ended up falling in love with it after a single slice. It's the crunchy/crusty focaccia style base from the oil and cheese that hooks you in.
posted by NoMich at 11:24 AM on January 17, 2021
I'm telling the Greeks it's like hockey. When the pie comes out of the pan and the puck drops, you want to be able to control the corners.
Also, I'm going to bring them an uncooked pie and let them run it through their commercial pizza oven and we'll see how that works out.
posted by beaverboard at 12:34 PM on January 17, 2021
Here's a Boston rendition - Galleria Umberto, with Ralph cutting the slices. I moved to the North End in 1984. Ralph arrived at Umberto's on Hanover St. shortly thereafter, as the Celtics were beginning their improbable run to the title just a few blocks away. In the old building.
When Ralph was younger, he did a lot of lifting. You could tell. Once he established himself, he was the undisputed king of the counter. He has cut a lot of pizza.
Someone grabbed the frosting knife out of the kitchen and brought it up front years ago. It's a critical part of the process.
posted by beaverboard at 12:49 PM on January 17, 2021
If anyone can text or phone jjzucal, I'm trying to reach them about our ESPN Fantasy Hockey league Koharski's Donuts, which drafts tonight at 9 p.m.
posted by rcade at 12:49 PM on January 17, 2021
Here's a Boston rendition
Once the world returns to some semblance of normalcy, I will have to try Umberto's for a Celtics pre-game meal. Pizza was an unknown exotic food until I was in high school. Our go-to then was a place on Revere Beach whose name now escapes me. The frosting knife trick is what I use to remove muffins from the cups. No paper cups for me.
posted by Howard_T at 02:27 PM on January 17, 2021
Howard it would have to be a Celtics day game. The Galleria closes around mid afternoon I think. It's a lunch joint.
You only need one or maybe two slices because they have other items which are worthy. Panzarotti, pizzette, arancini. No trip is complete without sampling those.
Years ago, there were two Umbertos. The other one was the original family bakery on Parmenter St. It was a three steps down storefront. They just made the pizza there. Along with lots of bread. No other lunch items and no sit down area.
Aficionados claimed to like that pizza slightly more than from the Galleria. It was somewhat under the radar. No tourists. The lines were shorter and moved quicker. You had to know where it was. And it was not far away from the Prince St. headquarters of the one and only Gennaro Angiulo. Hey - you get your slices, move along, mind your own business.
posted by beaverboard at 03:35 PM on January 17, 2021
Just found another short Umberto feature. Ralph is shown in it. He's become a legend.
It's cash only otherwise I would leave gift cards for Howard and yerfatma or any other SpoFites passing through. You can eat good and eat cheap. It's not that far from the airport by the tunnels.
posted by beaverboard at 03:43 PM on January 17, 2021
Nice video. That place looks amazing.
There's a lovely Italian couple that owns/runs a restaurant here in Cary that serves arincinis. Those things are incredible and when they showed one in that video, I felt like reaching into the screen and grabbing it.
posted by NoMich at 04:47 PM on January 17, 2021
It's not that far from the airport
Are you talking about Santarpio's? Along with Umberto's, it's one of the "big 3" of Boston Pizza. The third is Pizza Regina, which my son's employer, Trip Advisor, rates as the top pizzeria in the USA. Since my son does all the user experience research for Trip Advisor, this MUST be true. >;)
posted by Howard_T at 05:44 PM on January 17, 2021
I gotta admit I find Pizzeria Regina underwhelming. I also pronounce it like it's a Canadian city.
posted by yerfatma at 10:19 AM on January 20, 2021
He Just Wanted to Play Catch. They Got Relief From Troubled Times.