Finding the right pizza to satisfy your craving, well… It’s all about the “base,” which in this case is the crust.
Growing up in New York, the daughter of an Italian pizzaiolo (pizza maker), cutting my first teeth on pizza crust, I thought I was an authority on real pizza. You know, the New York kind with the wonderful, pliable thin crust. It’s made from hand-stretched dough and you where taught to fold it in half before bringing it to your lips. This pizza, slightly charred (blackened puffy spots from cooking in extremely high heat) on the cornicione (crust edge or lip) is a trademark of NY and Napoletana pizza. This style of pizza “pie” (because it’s cut in triangles), cooked in a deck oven is the signature at Transfer Pizzeria Café, Calderone Club, Classic Slice and Pietro’s Pizza. If you’re looking for a Naples-style thin crust wood-fired pizza, then head to Salotto Zarletti, Pizzeria Piccola, Wolf Peach or Anodyne to mention a few favorites.
When I started traveling to Italy and tasted true Napoletana pizza, learning of the Verace Pizza Napoletana (a prestigious organization entrusted with protecting the methods and ingredients used in making the famed Pizza Napoletana), I found three restaurants in this area that are certified by VPN: Café Porta Alba and Naples 15 in Madison, and IL Ritrovo in Sheboygan. These restaurants adhere to the strict key qualifications. First: the proper 900-degree wood oven. Second: the proper ingredients, including imported Tipo 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes grown in southern Italy’s volcanic soil and all-natural Fior di latte or Bufala mozzarella. Finally: the proper technique, kneading, stretching and shaping the dough by hand (sometimes an approved low-speed mixer qualifies for mixing).
Brian Zarletti of Salotto is a VPN-certified pizzaiolo. Speaking with him about his certification, passion for pizza and good-quality ingredients, he says, “It all started with Napoletana-style pizza and then the variations came after. It is the healthiest style of pizza using only fresh ingredients.” That’s what you will find at Salotto: house-made mozzarella and burrata cheese, the finest imported Italian ingredients—even their wood-fired oven was imported from Italy.
Moving to the Midwest, my love for the region grew, as did my taste for Milwaukee-style pizza. Usually served on a half sheet or round pizza pan, always cut in squares with sausage, mushroom and onions being the traditional topping choices. The cracker crust is thin, flaky, crunchy and slightly dry under a thin layer of tomato sauce and varying amounts of cheese depending on the restaurant. Zaffiro’s Pizza and Little DeMarinis are a little heavier on the cheese than Balistreri’s, and Pizza Man and Ned’s Pizza rest somewhere in between. A few things they all have in common are tradition, pride and the argument that theirs is the real pizza.
For some, the Chicago deep dish made in a high-sided pan coated with oil, the crust having the addition of cornmeal and the ingredients layered inside, has been a favorite. It was invented in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago, but you can find versions around town including Joey Buona’s or Rosati’s.
So, maybe I’m not the authority on pizza, but I do know that no matter how you toss it, top it or slice it, everyone can agree that Milwaukee has made the once humble pizza one of the city’s best-loved (più amato) gourmet eats. So, as the old song goes, “When the moon hits your eye…” think pizza pie!
