I don't remember a world without grandma pizza, I'm 40 and grew up on Long Island right down the block from King Umberto's... so its been around since at least the late 80's early 90's, when my tastebuds kicked in
For anyone looking to make some good authentic NY pizza, Charlie Anderson did an excellent series on it. He even has a spreadsheet available for calculating ingredients and stuff at different quantities. I was able to make great classic NY pizza at home in my ooni following his guide. Things that I wouldn't have been able to figure out myself, but which made a huge difference in getting the authentic taste, were a little sugar in the tomato sauce, watering the sauce down a bit, and adding some provolone to the cheese blend. Highly recommend!
Sometimes I wonder what people think about kenji when he's talking into thin air. As a new yorker, we probably don't think very much of him LOL but it's still a mildly amusing thought.
I don't live in New York but there are so many media people and influencers there that I can't imagine that many people are shocked to see someone taking at a camera there when they say it
It originated ON Long Island, Kenji. I was lucky enough to grow up close to Umberto's where the grandma slice supposedly originated. I always go back for a slice whenever I go back to visit my folks.
I definitely remember grandma slices in the 90s. Another thing they do on long island more than NYC are slices with pasta on them. Usually rigatoni a la vodka or baked ziti slices. Both really good. If yall are ever in Brookyn and want a solid slice get the grandma pesto from Not Rays in Fort Greene
I grew up on Long Island in the '50's- 60's and there was a restaurant named Damone's in Island Park that made a square thin crust pie in a pan. Kids would line up around a big stainless steel table in the kitchen and plunk down quarters for a slice.
I took a look at Modernist pizza and found the grandma style crust in there, so it's interesting to know about. I didn't grow up anywhere near NY, but I enjoyed my one trip there.
As someone who lives on Long Island and has an Italian grandmother, I can confirm that grandma slices are the type of pizza they've been making here for decades. First time i saw a grandma slice in the wild, I legit thought someone stole her recipe.
Grandma is the best. Gosh that might be the biggest thing I miss about living in New York. I can still taste the neighborhood pie, the crispy edges, the blistered tomato sauce... You can get decent triangle slices in Taiwan but the squares those are hard to find, and even rarer to have a good one.
The best Sicilian I’ve ever had was in Pelham Manor, NY just outside of the Bronx. They made the crust like garlic bread, then sauce, then cheese. I haven’t found anything like it in the decades since.
I've lived my whole life with grandma's style as my favorite NY pie, and I had no idea it was regional and developed on the doorstep of where I grew up! Its been around since at least the mid-90s, even if it gained popularity in the 2000s. Anyone looking for grandma's, try da Angelo's in Albertson on Long Island, its my favorite.
kenji, if you're still around u should make a trek to long island city - beautiful neighborhood, and try out Centro pizza ! i think they have one of the best grandma's slices in the city :)
5 месяцев назад
Would love to see a recipe for the perfect grandma slice!
Until Kenji has a recipe have a look at Mile Zero Kitchen's "Better Than My Grandma's Pie! A Quest to the Perfect Sheet Pan Pizza with 100% Biga". Ian Spampatti's "Pizza Ad Alta Idratazione Super Leggera Con Poolish - Ricetta Completa" also looks good, but probably isn't technically a Grandma Pie. Both will require using subtitles.
I've never been to NYC but it's definitely one of the top places to visit in my "bucket". Are there certain areas of NYC that are good to visit for great pizza? Or can you find them just about everywhere?
Grandma pizza did not originate on Long Island. You’ll see this in any Italian home kitchen. It’s been around in multiple states made by Italian Americans for many generations.
The thing about Sicilian at MOST NYC pizzerias is that the center is uncooked, not risen and gummy. I stopped eating them at most places. Bens in Soho has a great one with onion and fresh tomato.
"Most" places are absolutely not serving uncooked dough lmao. Are you going to $1 slice places or something? Everyone knows if it costs less than a subway ride it's no good
Sicilian style is great. More and more pizza places are doing them "upside down" with the cheese on the bottom and sauce on top, I think the first place I've had that kind of pizza was 25-ish years ago at L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. Really popular spot now. I personally prefer them rightside up with the sauce on the bottom and cheese on top. Easier to eat imo.
I’d say if I’m categorizing major NY pizza styles that you’re missing a Lombardi’s or patsy’s style (and there are others who do this) NY traditional pie. These are somewhere between a Neapolitan and a modern NY slice. The history of pizza in NY goes back to at least 1905. I’m surprised grandma’s is newer it was everywhere on Long Island in the 90s.
Yup, the Grandma slice does come from Long Island. Umberto's in New Hyde Park takes credit for its inception, but I'm sure its been floating around the Island before that
Kenji.. I don't know if you are old enough, but did you ever try Square Pan Pizza (a pizza chain) when they were around? I think they were West coast when you were in the East coast but not sure. Curious how it would compare to Grandma style. I was in San Diego when I ate there. I think there were several in LA too. "Square Pan Pizza Co was a chain based in San Diego. Mostly inside shopping malls in southern california, but had a few independent restaurants also. The owner was Gregg Motsenbocker." I saw someone post on them and said they were in Oregon too. Don't know if they were in Seattle or not.
@@THE-X-Force The actual answer is that it is a hyphenated double last name. It tends to be more common in Hispanic cultures (though not exclusive to it) and when he got married, he combined his family name (Alt) with his wife's family name (Lopez) and put the two together.
I always think it funny that some new yorkers refuse to acknowledge chicago’s deep dish as pizza. They’ll call it a casserole and in the same breath wolf down a slice of Sicilian
I know it probably seems obvious, but thank you for not uploading this in pillarboxed 16:9. So many RU-vidrs, musicians and more Kesey uploading their not-16:9 videos in 16:9, and they look terrible on anything except a 16:9 screen
Oh Kenji. That crunch is everything!! I love Detroit style pizza. But I DREAM of going to NY to have REAL NY pizza. Thanks for going out and showing us these different styles ❤
@@CubsWin2012 nope. I tasted Giordano's deep dish in Chicago and NY pizza from Johns of Bleeker Street. The difference in taste it's crazy. Chicago one feels over hyped. While Nyc pizza was top tier .
@@ActionAlligator I guess I did, but I am saying that both styles of Chicago pizza are better than a typical NYC slice. John's of Bleeker Street is not typical, that's why they are popular. They are closer to Chicago tavern-style than NYC slice-style.
That subtle "flex" using the Meta/Ray-Ban smart glasses to film this is excellent. We're all used to the head mounted GoPro, and at first I assumed we were getting handheld footage. But then seeing Kenji in the reflection filming hands free and without a visible camera. _chef's kiss_ Only downside is that people on the street think you're crazy and talking to yourself! LOL
