January 28, 2008
And what a post I was directed to by Andrew Sullivan -- a rather thorough listing of various varieties of pizza, classified in so complete a manner as to virtually have them classified with phylum, genus, and species.
Last week on Serious Eats, community member HeartofGlass asked: "How many different kinds of regional varations of pizza exist?"
I figured I'd compile a list of all the styles I've eaten or heard or read about. Sorry it took so long, HeartofGlass. It's a long list, and it appears after the jump.
I’ve got to tell you – the listing itself is mouthwatering, with enough variety to fill a couple of weeks of dining pleasure (assuming you could do all the travel necessary to eat them all).
My personal favorite? The Stuffed Pizza.
Stuffed PizzaAnother Chicago specialty that is often confused with deep dish because of its similarity. It's assembled and cooked in a similar manner to deep dish, but it has a top layer of crust and is usually taller and more densely packed with toppings.
YouÂ’ll sometimes encounter this with a layer of toppings on top of that top layer of crust, for a great gastronomical experience. And the Deep Dish Pizza right above it in the listing is a near second in my book, and is done admirably down here in the Houston area at J. ChristopherÂ’s on Atascocita Road in Humble and Northpark Road in Kingwood, as well as at their sister restaurant, OÂ’BrennanÂ’s on Marina Bay Drive in League City (near Kemah).
And then there is this pizza heresy, a cursed concoction that I pray never to be confronted with again – Saint Louis-Style Pizza.
Saint Louis–Style
Might be mistaken for a Chicago thin crust at first, just on looks—and maybe for the fact that Saint Louis and Chicago are only a few hundred miles apart. But this style's very thin, crackerlike crust is unleavened. And it's topped with a special three-cheese blend (provolone, Swiss, white cheddar) called Provel that's used in place of mozzarella (and sometimes, but not often, in addition to mozzarella). Like Chicago thin crust, it's usually done party cut. Imo's Pizza is thought to be the originator.
Let me add that it is every bit as awful as it sounds, and is one of the few things that I do not miss about my years living in the St. Louis area.
Anyway, folks – dig in to your favorite!
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