You can measure friendship in a lot of ways, but She Eats has one good metric: Just how far will a friend drive or fly with one of your favorite foods? For her, friendship is best served by the slice -- of New York pizza.
And without true New York pizza here in Kansas City, that's quite a friend. Because of all the foods that I miss since moving to Kansas City, a New York slice is near the top of the list.
I've heard arguments that d'Bronx or Grinder's can fill the void -- and I think they're very good pies. They're just not New York pizza. Like a Philly cheesesteak, New York pizza is one of the foods that can't be replicated outside of the city. It can be imitated or modernized, but the slice that burns the roof of your mouth no matter how long you wait to take a bite won't truly be New York pizza.
Some people attribute the phenomenon to the water or the oven, but I see it as a simple function of geography and an overusage of the term "New York pizza." Consider me a strict pizza constructionist, believing that there is a narrow definition for what that term should encompass. Also, I'm biased. I grew up an hour outside Manhattan and my last mailing address was in Brooklyn.
In my definition, a New York Pizza is hand-tossed, thin crust, and cut into wide slices that require you to fold them and then lean forward slightly to avoid the runoff of tomato sauce, cheese and grease. The underside of the crust will be lightly charred from a wood-fired oven, but not taste burnt.
Now, whether I'm limited by taste memories or searching for something that doesn't exist, I'll open it up to debate. But in a town that houses a lot of pizza, I think it's more authentic to search for a Kansas City pizza identity rather than using a descriptor of "New York" that doesn't really fit.
[Image via Flickr: david owen]
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Gene, Kansas City is not New York city, I'm sure you can look up The Art of Pizza on your computer? I agree that The Art of Pizza located down town Kansas City is the best I've found so far.
So you rave about the pizza, but no address, no web site, no clue what part of town.
If you want to write a story, give the basics.
You're right. But on the other hand, based on evidence gleaned in my 8 years of living in NYC before I came back to MO, let me assure that the KC version of pizza is much less of an abomination than the New York version of BBQ.
I completely agree!!!!! I moved from Florida and have searched far and wide in the Kansas City metro and there is no REAL new york pizza to be found. Another one that can appease the craving(although not exact) is "The art of Pizza". SOmeone please open a true pizzeria
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