Late last year, Oak Parker Craig Priebe saw the publication of his “The United States of Pizza” (Rizzoli, 2015), a collection of insights about, and recipes for, America’s many regional pizzas. Of this book, Jane and Michael Stern, authors of the iconic “Roadfood,” said that it’s “a lavish soul-stirring tribute to replicating the best pizzas from all over America.” It’s a beautiful book, which is just what you’d expect from Rizzoli, a publisher of many fine art books. The photos, says Jane Stern, are “so overwhelmingly beautiful that we wanted to lick the pages.”
I had some questions for Priebe about pizza, locally and across the country.
What accounts for the abiding popularity of the pizza pie, probably America’s most popular “ethnic” food? What makes pizza special?
Pizza has always been a food of the people. Pizza draws people together to share with each other. It’s one of the only foods that everyone decides to order and then cut up and share. Getting together with family and friends to enjoy a dish that we all share is part of the fun of pizza. Also its versatility is one of the great appeals of pizza. With an endless array of toppings and sauces, all kinds of cuisine can be built on a pizza crust. Virtually anything goes on pizza in America, and this makes it fun for everyone.
In “The United States of Pizza,” you cover pies in different regions of the country. Could you please single out two or three regional pies – not including Chicago varieties – that are big favorites of yours?
One of my all-time favorite pizzas is one from Impellizzeris in Louisville Kentucky called the Hot Brown. It’s a take on a famous sandwich from the Brown Hotel. It has a creamy Swiss cheese sauce, with roasted turkey, bacon and fresh tomato. It is divine.
I also enjoyed The Pierogi Pie from Jigsy’s Old Forge in Enola Pennsylvania. It’s truly a miraculous feat to stuff 3 pounds of potatoes and Havarti cheese into a crust that’s as thin as parchment.
Grilled pizza is thin, chewy and crispy with delicious smokiness. AlForno in Providence Rhode Island has to be given credit for their crispy calamari Grilled Pizza. Cracker-thin charred crust topped with deep-fried crispy calamari and spicy arrabbiata sauce. Squeeze on the lemon.
There are, of course, big differences between, say, Chicago deep dish and Neapolitan pizza pies. Despite those differences, are there any constant qualities in all superior pies?
Properly made pizzas must have balance. The right amount of dough is used and stretched out into the right sized diameter. The sauce and cheese must not over take the crust. The crust, sauce, cheese and toppings must be the proper proportion for the entire pie to work. The pizza must be properly cooked so that the crust is able to support everything on top. It’s all about balance.
Pizza pie seems to offer a flexible platform for adding many different toppings. Have you ever encountered a topping that really didn’t work on a pizza?
In Italy, pizza is very traditional and can only be made with two or three ingredients.
Pizza in America can be topped with anything the heart desires. In each region of America, you’ll find that whatever natural resources are in the area will be in the local pizza. There is no ingredient that won’t work if given the proper treatment.
You told me you’re a fan of Bertolli’s in River Forest. What is it that you find most admirable in Bertolli’s pies?
I like Bertolli’s because they make an honest Chicago-style thin crust pizza. The pepperoni is the best kind, the big sandwich pepperoni. Their sausage has a great flavor too. I order simple pies from them, and I like to ask for the pizza to be cooked well-done for extra crispiness. Sausage and onion is my favorite. Â
How about another local place with a different type of pie, Lou Malnati’s? Are you a fan?
Lou Malnati’s is better than the other places in Chicago that sell a deep dish pie. Deep dish pizza has had its time and place, but it is not my favorite pizza. That being said, Lou Malnati’s has been making incredibly consistent, fine pizza since 1940. That’s a long time and they’re still going strong. They have an amazing salad too, as well as thin crust pizza, which is good, but their best thing is the deep dish pie.
Much of your book is devoted to recipes. When making a pizza pie, what’s a common mistake that home chefs make?
Measuring improperly is a common mistake. If you use the wrong amounts of flour, oil or water when making the dough you’ll get a result that could be less than satisfactory. Follow the dough making steps in my book, which are easy, but you must pay attention. Proper dough making is essential for a great pizza.
Do you have any general guidelines for finding great pizza places? Let’s take the Chicagoland area as an example; are there any tips for finding superior pies that you might offer our readers?
New artisanal pizza places are popping up everywhere. Keep an eye on Yelp for reviews of places. Pick one that has consistently high reviews and go for it. I like to read “Chicago Dish” in Chicago Magazine for lots of tips on the newest places to try. I get tips for great places to go on my Facebook Page, “The Pizza Guy”. Look me up and share some of your favorites with me.
