Posts Tagged ‘deep dish pizza’

26th May
2012
written by Arthur

Not long ago, I was lamenting the absences of deep dish pizza in New York.  Well, take note New York, Los Angeles came through and delivered the king of pizzas.

Matt (NYC based friend and LA hotel co-habitant) and I stumbled on this pizza by complete accident.  After the wind down of  Saturday’s events, Matt and I retired to our hotel room and flipped through channels.  In between infomercials and even less watchable late night television, we stumbled on a food show that happened to be talking about deep dish pizza at Masa of Echo Park.  The next morning, a little Google map research revealed that Masa was just off our route to Beverly Hills.

We sat at the bar and ordered an onion and sweet sausage pizza.  During our 40 minute wait for the pizza (deep dish takes its time) we sampled a house IPA. When the pizza arrived, I knew we had found the real thing:

  • 2 inch thick crust, check;
  • diced tomatoes for sauce, check;
  • cheese under the sauce, check; and
  • a corn meal crust, check.

Matt and I were a little full because we had taken down an In and Out burger “snack” about an hour before arrival, yet we still managed to take down the whole delicious pie.

So simple, but so good.  I can only guess that its ignorance or fear of a 40 minute cook time or a perverse sense of pride that keeps deep dish off the streets of New York.

 

Masa of Echo Park

www.MasaOfEchoPark.com

1800 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 989-1558

15th April
2012
written by Arthur

Dear New York City,

We need to talk.  No, I’m not breaking-up with you.  But you have some problems you need to work on. Well, one BIG problem.

You have a huge pizza ego that’s writing checks your pizza ovens just can’t cash.  Sure, you can do thin crust like no other.  If I want to fold a slice in half on a paper plate while I’m on my way from one way to place to another, I know I can rely on you.  If I want a neapolitan style pizza, with a crust cooked to crispy perfection in a wood burning oven, either classic or with innovative topping, I know you’re there for me.  If I want to climb towards the sky with the crispy sponge of a Sicilian style pie I need not worry.

But if I want a Chicago style deep dish pizza… well…. where are you?  And don’t give me that Pizzeria Uno line.  You know I deserve better than that.  And I swear, if you try and pull a fast one on me again, like you did last week, by promising a Chicago style deep dish and giving me a Sicilian, you’re spending the next week sleeping on the couch.

I know you think you know it all, but here is the deal on a deep dish pizza.  Lets start at the top.  It’s chunky sauce or diced tomatoes .  Under the sauce is the cheese.  A deep dish pizza is a beast.  It needs to be in the oven for a good long time and we want that cheese to stay nice  and soft.  (In fairness there is a reasonable controversy about whether toppings go above or below that sauce, but you’re about 20 steps behind that.)  Under the cheese is 1.5 or 2 inches of doughy bread with a nice crisp bottom sprinkled with cornmeal.  Towering above it all is a pinched rim of crisp crust.

You tell me if I can make it here, I can make it everywhere.  Well deep dish is made everywhere but here.  Slow down, take your time, and make things right.

Now you know how I feel.

All The Best,

Arthur Latz-Hall