"For ten years, this little missive was printed on the backside of out take-out menus. It was a mission statement of sorts. A meditation perhaps. Seems to me after ten years in business, our vision, pride and passion ought to speak for itself, so even though I replaced this missive with something a bit timelier, it’s important to me that the sentiment it expressed remains in in a prominent place." - Howie
What is Artisan Pizza?
The pizza arrives still steaming from the oven. The crust is thin, with a black blistered crown, chewy and crisp all at once. The soft, milky richness of the mozzarella yields to the sweet and sour finish of a fine sauce made from only tomatoes, a touch of oregano and good olive oil. Each bite sings.
Each ingredient tastes so much like what it is. The subtle sour of the dough comes through. The textures are a riot of soft, crisp and everything in-between. Even if you didn’t know that the fennel sausage is made from scratch with a Berkshire breed of naturally raised pork, even if I never told you that the dough is made with a sourdough starter, older than I am, you would nevertheless know that what you just ate was marvelously delicious. This my friends, is Artisan Pizza.
There are as many different styles of artisan pizza as there are pizza makers. Each artisan pizza maker has their own vision of what a perfect pie looks like, and that’s a beautiful thing. Some pay homage to old world traditions, some are creating new ones.
Some pursue the Neapolitan style with an almost religious fervor, while others think inspiration is better found locally. There are pizzas cooked in wood ovens, gas fired ovens and black steel pans. Some are sold in simple neighborhood joints with just a take-out counter and a coke machine and some are sold in fancy restaurants with wine cellars and cloth napkins. No two are exactly alike.
Their common thread is an artisan spirit, an unrelenting attention to detail and a dogged determination to perfect their craft. Each of them suffers the vagaries of yeast, fire, seasonality, and the restaurant business for their chosen métier.
Each one could be working less, perhaps making more money by selling a lesser product, but none do. I am inspired by them all.
- Howie