Pizza Today - December 2017 - 20

Respecting The Craft

TONY GEMIGNANI

A: Today standard is 18 to 20 inches.
A: What other sizes do you see in NY?
Q: In the old days most places that

sold slices made one size. If you needed
more or less you could order slices. The
no-slice places, including bars and restaurants that served pizza, would often
have a 12- or 14-inch available.
SCOTT WEINER
SCOTT'S PIZZA TOURS
NEW YORK CITY, NY

New York Slices
I ask some other pros for their take on the quintessential slice
"How many slices should my New York
slice pie be cut into, and what size should
this pie actually be?"
I get questions about this all the time.
Can it be an 18-inch cut into six slices? Or
should it be a 20-inch cut into eight slices?
Maybe even a 22-inch cut into four slices?
I asked a few of our industry heavyweights
and here is what they had to say.
SALVATORE VITALE
JOE'S PIZZA, NEW YORK CITY, NY

This place is legendary in our industry.
Many operators around the world look at Joe's
as the example of true New York-style pizza. I
sat down with Salvatore Vitale.
Q: When did Joe's open and when did
you start working there?
A: My grandfather started in 1975. I
have been going and helping since I could
remember. I'm 32 and started full time at
17. But I worked weekends since way before
that.
Q: What size are your whole, round, slice
pies - and how many slices are they cut
into?

A: Our house is 21 inches with eight
slices each.
Q: What do you hate when you go into
other slice concepts or see what other concepts are doing?
A: Pineapple on pizza. My grandfather
would smack me upside the head just for
thinking about it.
JOHN ARENA
METRO PIZZA, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

John is a pizza industry guru, New York
native, pizzaiolo, consultant and contributor to
Pizza Today.
Q: When did you get into the pizza
business?
A: I started making pizzas professionally
in 1967.
Q: What size are your whole, round, slice
pies - how many slices are they cut into?
A: When I started a large pizza was 16
inches. Our current slice size is 18 inches,
cut into six or eight slices depending on
location.
Q: What would you call the standard
New York-sized slice?

Pizza Today's "Man on the Street",
Scott is an all-around pizza enthusiast.
This New Jersey native celebrates all things
pizza.
Q: When did you get into the pizza
industry and what is your occupation?
A: I officially entered the pizza industry when I launched my company, Scott's
Pizza Tours, in April 2008. I currently
run Scott's Pizza Tours, a tour company
featuring over 50 independent pizzerias
in NYC. I also run the nonprofit Slice
Out Hunger, which funds hunger relief
organizations through events and campaigns at pizzerias around the U.S.
Q: What would you call the standard
NY size slice?
A: A standard NYC pie is 18 to 20
inches round (and) cut into 8 slices.
Q: What do you hate when you go
into slice concepts or see what other
concepts are doing?
A: Not much hate, but it's not typical
New York to have a thick triangle slice
or one that isn't foldable. Heat lamps are
not legit. There has to be a cheese slice.
Pepperoni is NOT the default in NYC. I
think that's about it."
Thanks to these three for sharing
their experiences on NY slices. At my
Slice Houses, I prefer a 20-inch cut into
six slices. I like my slices a little bigger.
As for pet peeves, adding pepperoni and
cheese on top of a slice that's already
been cooked and then reheating it for a
minute is a no-no for me. ■

RESPECTING THE CRAFT features World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizza Rock in Sacramento. Tony compiles the column with the help of his trusty assistants, Laura Meyer and Thiago Vasconcelos. If you have questions on any kitchen topic ranging from prep to finish, Tony's your guy. Send questions
via Twitter @PizzaToday, Facebook (search: Pizza Today) or e-mail jwhite@pizzatoday.com and we'll pass the best ones on to Tony.

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JOSH KEOWN

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Pizza Today - December 2017

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