2023

 

San Francisco: Okay, it's actually East Bay (more specifically Berkeley) Pt:II

As we checked in at the the Hotel Shattuck Plaza, the desk clerk asked, "And what brings you to Berkeley?"

My wife instantly shot back with one word - "Pizza!" An incredibly puzzled reaction overtook the clerk.

That was pretty much the end of the conversation. What appeared to be a first in Hotel Shattuck history, someone declared their sole reason for visiting this storied college town.....was for pizza.

The first leg of my "Day O' 'Za" would begin with lunch at Gioia Pizzeria over on Tompkins street. This small slice house serves up - in my humble opinion - one of the better slices you're going to find out on the west coast. Now keep in mind, I've got some pretty good advice on a couple of places in Los Angeles, but as of today Gioia is one of my faves.

There might be eight seats (maybe six) in the place, but the rate of ordering, the heating of slices, and devouring food seems to meet some sort of comfortable equilibrium where no one is really left without a seat.

Spinaci Aglio [2013]

 The dough here has a toasted (not charred, except for the massive char bubble you see in my picture) appearance to it, with a crust that has a moderately airy crumb. Since I have a proclivity for unique topping combos, I went with the Spinaci Aglio (mozzarella, spinach, garlic, and olive oil). While the description sounds a bit bland, the garlic and - the unlisted in the description - red chile flakes pumped up the flavor factor.



The specialty slices all weigh in at the $3.50 price point. Since I didn't want to take up too much room for Saturday's main pizza event, it was only a one slice lunch. Although I haven't been, a second store has been opened in San Francisco if you can't make it across the bay.

Gioia Pizzeria
1586 Hopkins St
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 528-4692
http://www.gioiapizzeria.com/

San Francisco: Okay, it's actually East Bay (more specifically Berkeley)

One of the things I really enjoy about flying into San Francisco is that its airport is well connected to public transportation. As subways go, Bay Area Regional Transit (BART) is one the more well run public transit agencies in the country. The trains are clean, the operators are easy to understand, and maps were very easy to read. The cost from the airport (South San Francisco) to Berkeley? $8.80 per person. A taxi (for one person) could easily run you 10x that depending on the time of day. Total travel time was about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Our destination was the Hotel Shattuck Plaza (#1 rated hotel in Berkeley on Trip Advisor), which conveniently enough, stood a mere block away from the BART station. Since it was a Saturday we were able to get an early check in.

The hotel itself is a beautiful hundred year old building - but you'd never know it. Unlike many older hotels, there is no musty smell, creeky flour boards, or outdated interiors. The rooms are a comfortable size with modern bathroom fixtures and comfortable beds. Our room with tax was in the $160-170 area.

A Deluxe Queen room

Our main reason for choosing Hotel Shattuck Plaza:

1.  Absolute best location - Close to transportation, dining, university, shopping. Most everything is within reasonable walking distance. No need for a car.
2. Beautiful - HSP is a truly smart looking hotel. One would never know this was a hundred year old building by walking through its halls. Bed bug fear? None. However, all bets are off once you walk out onto Shattuck Avenue.

Should you find yourself in these parts, the Hotel Shattuck Plaza - for my money - is the place to stay in Berkeley.

San Francisco: It all starts with a map

When it comes to travel, some people love to wing it. They simply get on a plane with a suitcase and let the chips fall where they may.

I can't do that.

I've got to research the hell out of anywhere I go. I've got to find out about the hotels, the restaurants, the attractions. I want to know how long it lasts, what it costs, inside info - whatever I can find out. If there's anything that drives me nuts - it's a wasted opportunity.

I think I've talked about the necessity of the Google map before, but this San Francisco trip took it to a whole new level. This time around, there was a genuine effort to try and go to a neighborhood and shop/eat  as efficiently as we could. Much time was invested double checking hours of operation, days they were closed, eating lunch early enough to where you missed the lines (not to mention allowing enough time to be hungry for dinner).


View San Francisco 2013 in a larger map

Since we hadn't been to the Bay Area for a couple years, there was a lot we wanted to see this time around. We stayed in the same two hotels we did last time, but ate breakfast or got coffee from all new locations. This trip was less focused on pizza, and more so on sandwiches.

In the ice cream arena we got shot down twice, but found some fantastic two new bakeries we didn't know about.

The two of us came back from San Francisco very inspired. The weather was in the mid - upper 70's every day, and I don't think I saw a cloud the entire week we were there.

In the coming weeks I plan on posting some quick hits on many of these noteworthy places. Since I found so many posts on blogs, Yelp, or where ever, so helpful I think it's only fair that I add to the body of knowledge already out there.

Cooking: Tonkotsu Ramen

One of the big reasons I enjoy cooking is because I am genuinely interested in how things work. To know what goes into making something is to appreciate the craftsmanship involved in the final product. On a personal level I have ruined my fair share of perfectly good ingredients (or if I'm Teresa Giudice "ingredientses"), trying to replicate something I had elsewhere. From the first foray into a recipe, to making the final nip and tucks to suit my tastes, the journey is as much a part of the fun as the final product.

Last winter I spent a solid week in Honolulu eating at ramen houses by day and izakayas by night. Some were obviously better than others, but to truly understand what you're eating I think you've got to have some kind of idea about what goes into cooking it. I knew I wanted to make a broth that was opaque, had creamy well emulsified appearance, and most of all had the same kind of stickiness you get on your lips after you've eaten a handful of good chicharrones.

Armed with a stash of the best noodles made in this country, I looked high and low for something worthy enough for my Sun Noodle no.22's. One of the first recipes I found was from www.norecipes.com. What I was looking for is not found in a foil packet. It isn't cooked in one pot. It certainly can't be made in two minutes. The recipe by Marc Matsumoto is one of foundation.

Here's the recipe link:

norecipes.com/blog/tonkotsu-ramen-recipe/

Tonkotsu Ramen with Kalua Pork and Salted Egg

 Since you've made it this far and can clearly read, I'll assume you can peruse the recipe yourself. Here are some of my thoughts on how things went:

I actually used chicken feet instead of a carcass. I think it's a nice blend of collagen and marrow. I switched it out 1:1 with the chicken bones.

Using Marc's method I ended up with onions that were more fried than caramelized. Next time I'll slow roast the onions beforehand. I think it would certainly add another dimension to the broth.

I need to give more thought to what I want to add to the bowl. I was so wrapped up in making the broth, mayu, and tonkotsu base - the other stuff seemed a bit of an afterthought. Some meaty mushrooms would have been the ticket.

We had this two nights in a row. The first night I used a barbecue pork. The chunks of meat were just too much. The second night Regina pulled out some kalua pork from the freezer - perfect choice. The smokiness of the meat and the ability to pick out small portions shredded meat worked beautifully. 

Ham bones cut into 2" sections fit the bill for "leg bones". You can call around to butchers doing their own sliced ham. The pigs feet, chicken feet, and pork cheeks can be found at a good Asian grocery. The pork cheeks will end up being your hardest thing to procure. (My Asian grocer was sold out, but I found a pack at my local farmers market (New Creation Farms).

Get quality noodles!

The pigs feet will be semi cut in half. Get a cleaver and lop those things completely in two. The goodness is in the middle. 

Make the mayu! It tastes like ass on its own, but there's something about the little flecks of burnt garlic that really do taste good.

Is it something I would make on a beautiful summer day in Cleveland? Not really (but I did). Will I be busting this out when the snow is flying outside? You bet! The Marc's tonkotsu is an absolute keeper.

Cleveland : The Katz Club Diner

Doug Katz has opened a new spot out in Cleveland Heights in the old diner car space formerly occupied by a revolving door of tenants. The location has always needed to be one that is supported mostly by those living in the immediate area due to its distance from any highway access.

I stopped in with Regina for dinner a couple of weeks ago. A dessert counter greets you when you come to the front door. The dining area is to the left.

The dessert counter has a wide variety of desserts. Some of the stuff is a house made version of things like Twinkies and Ho Ho's, while others are more of the diner variety pies and cakes. Prices were reasonable starting at $2 or $3 and heading upward. Didn't buy anything, but then again I usually eat dessert at home.

Sitting at the Counter

The dining area consists of lunch counter seating as well as a decent number of tables and chairs. Waitstaff is dressed in smart black "diner-ish" outfits. 

I ordered the roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry stuffing. I thought the turkey was moist, the stuffing was good, and the chutney was solid. I don't know the provenance of the turkey, so it's hard for me to say what the price of something like this should be. 17 bucks seemed a bit stiff for what was on the plate.

Regina had the Baked Trout with tartar sauce and coleslaw. She liked the fact they didn't fry the trout and the portion was healthy. Tastefully done. Good not great. At $18, again, little stiff for something relatively inexpensive.

Katz Club Diner certainly has its champions (I have a number of friends that adore the place). It's clean,  well put together, uses quality ingredients, and offers a wide array of menu items. These are all things which come at a premium. Everyone has a different way of doing the mental math on value. For me, it's just doesn't add up. YMMV.

Katz Club Diner
1974 Lee Rd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

(216) 932-3333
www.thekatzclubdiner.com

The Ingredient Hunt

It all starts with a recipe. In this case it would be the tonkotsu broth from norecipes.com.  I have to say, there's nothing I like more than an ingredient scavenger hunt. It's not so much a function of the chase as much as it is learning where to find this stuff.

The recipe calls for 2# of pork leg bone cut into mulitple pieces, 1.5# of chicken bones, and 2 trotters cut in half. 

Let's start with the leg bones cut into multiple pieces. A call around numerous butchers in the Cleveland area yielded jack squat. Since I was heading out to Miles Farmers Market I figured I'd give it a shot. As luck would have it, Bo at the meat counter said he was going to have some ham bones ready in a few hours. News to me. You want pork leg bones? Ask for ham bones. BAM!!! One down.

Trotters (pigs feet) cut in half are actually pretty easy to find. I went with D&R Meats in Maple Heights simply because it was in the general vicinity to Miles Market. BAM!!! BAM!!! That's two down. 

The recipe calls for chicken bones, which I could have easily broken down a whole chicken, but I wanted to actually use chicken feet simply because I think the broth will benefit from the collagen in the feet than it would marrow in the bones.

By this time it was 7:00 o'clock and the butcher shops were closed. My options were dwindling when I realized....duh.....where does one buy ingredients for an Asian dish? An Asian market! I stopped over at CAM Asian Market over by the now desolate Randall Park Mall. BAM!!! BAM!!! BAM!!! That's three up, three down.

I was hoping they had a couple of pork cheeks for chashu, but the butcher told me they had sold out this afternoon. I've got enough to get my broth rolling, but tomorrow's will be another hunt....

Cleveland: The Oak Barrel

The Oak Barrel is in the old Hoggy's location at Cinemark's Valley View location. With Hoggy's, the overall feel to the place seemed totally out of scale. Sound seemed to reverberate throughout the entire restaurant. The task of filling this place would be a tall one.

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to drop in for the first time for dinner at The Oak Barrel and was surprised to see Ben and Sarah from Heights Eats having dinner with their son.  After a little chat with two of the Heights Eats Three (the third wasn't really feeling the conversation) I headed off to find out what this place was about.

Decor and Space 4/5

The interior is a vast improvement over what used to be there. Gone is the mausoleum feel of the old place. The new owners have successfully portioned the massive space into several smaller scale 'rooms'. I was skeptical they would be able to do it, but it seems to work. Imagine my surprise when the owner told us capacity is 450!

Food 3/5
First off, the beer list is very good. The Oak Barrel offers a broad selection of well known as well as lesser known drafts as well as bottles. I'd be able to bring my old man here and not have to worry about him being put off just drinking 'fancy beers', as he calls them.

For dinner, I had the Turkey Burger and Stuart Spivack (foodie about town) ordered the ribs. I thought the burger could have used some kind of special mayo/sauce concoction. The burger itself was a little 'peppery' but probably would have been better if it had something else besides LTO to play off of. It was cooked all the way through and the bun was money. The fries were also above average.

Das Turkey Burger and Fries

Stuart liked the ribs alright. You could tell just by looking at them, they had a decent amount of smoke put to them. They were probably more KC style than a Memphis or Carolina, but he seemed to like them. Again, the fries caught props as well.

The Ribs and Fries

One strange thing I noticed was the sourcing of the pork noted on the menu. While I am interested in knowing where the food comes from, I probably don't need to know the pork is from Daisyfield Farms. People that don't care, aren't going to...well....care, while people that are obsessed with that sort of thing will know that Daisyfield is factory pork. I'd just leave it off the menu. It's been my experience that non-factory meat gets called out on a menu, while factory does not. Picky? I know, but just an observation. I actually don't mind factory pork for things like ribs; for the money there's just not a big enough difference for me to pay the premium for heritage.

Service 3/5
I believe Heather was our server. Service got a little harried at the end simply because there was an older group that seemed to be packing up 3/4 of what they ordered to take home. She was doing the best she could for as busy as the place was and the avalanche of "to go" containers she was bringing out. She was doing a really good job until Mamaw started packing up the half the kitchen.

Overall 3/5
I thought the experience was a good one. Since I'm on the east side and I have people on the west, it would be a perfect compromise for lunch or dinner. Prices are in line with the setting and the portions. The Oak Barrel offers a little something for everyone while providing a nice setting, good service, and a solid value.

The Oak Barrel
5975 Canal Rd
Valley View, OH 44125
(216) 520-3640
www.theoakbarrel.com

Cleveland: Piada Italian Street Food

I've eaten a lot of Italian food in my lifetime, but never have I heard the word piada. I had absolutely no idea what "Italian Street Food" was. I had never heard the term. Do you know what it means? Didn't think so.

The old shopping center at Cedar and Warrensville Center Rd (where the old Anatolia was) got torn down a couple of years ago. Now standing on the old site is a brand new shopping center. Piada Italian Street Food (PISF) is the most intriguing of all the new food establishments now housed there. Started by Columbus native Chris Doody (former co-owner of Bravo Brio Restaurant group), Piada is a relative unknown to most everyone I talk to.

Having now been indoctrinated, I can tell you that a piada is basically an Italian burrito. If you were to switch the clean, sleek, white decor of Piada for corrugated metal and lacquered plywood, you would be in a Chipotle. It is a very similar setup to the Chip - very similar. Both have  style of service, choices, and level of value that are nearly identical.

 Chipotle?

Decor and Space 5/5
As a designer all I can say is "wow". I don't know who did their concept, but PISF is by far the sharpest interior architecture I've seen in a fast casual restaurant. The space just screams modern Italian design. Everything is pretty much some variation of white or some kind of play on negative space using light and shadows. I was genuinely blown away at how well put together the visual concept was.

Food  1/5
Here's the summarized version. A piada is the equivalent of an Italian tortilla. Just like Chipotle, you can forgo the piada and just get everything in a bowl (my recommendation). Anything they have on Italian food, they have as a choice for your piada/bowl. Unlike Chipotle, many of these combinations simply don't work. My normally reliable food karma failed me miserably during this trip.

 I ordered a piada with Italian Sausage, Diavalo sauce (spicy), angel hair pasta, fresh mozzarella, peppers, and onions. Salty....very salty. Was it my fault? Sure, I picked all of the items. I'm sure if I were to go multiple times I would eventually figure out a combo that works for me. At Chipotle I know what all of those things taste like on their own, and I know what will probably work with what. Here? You have no clue until you actually taste it.

 Piada Italian Street Food!

Service 1/5
Unfortunately you're going to have to run, walk, slowly limp this gauntlet at least once to know what the whole thing is about. (It took me 25 minutes from the door to the cash register.) The staff seemed incredibly disorganized and overwhelmed. Usually you can tell who the manager is; in this case I had no clue (and neither did they). The line was literally backed out the door because they were completely out of sausage, chicken, etc. (To their credit the cooks kept testing the meat to check if it was up to temp. To their discredit, open ovens don't cook meat very quickly.) The best advice I've heard came from Ben over at Heights Eats: Order it for carry-out. You've been warned.

Overall 2.5/5
I could easily drill this place and say skip it. The fact is, the concept as a whole is pretty new and as time goes on I'm sure they'll work out many of those service and food related problems. I would like to see them devise some 'suggested combinations', otherwise there is always the very realistic possibility that you'll end up with too damn many flavors in one dish.

Piada Italian Street Food
13947 Cedar Rd
South Euclid, OH 44118
(216) 862-8872
www.mypiada.com

Cleveland: Mizu Sushi

Today is another installment of "Lunch with the Vegan". What's that you say? You love these because they don't pertain to pizza? Well lucky you. Actually, the new job has me in Southwest Cleveland (Brooklyn Heights to be specific) and I must say - it's one hell of a jumping point. Tremont, Parma, Independence are all within a ten minute drive.

Let's get back to lunch sans animal products....

I've heard good things about Mizu Sushi in Parma. That's right - Parma.If I learned anything while in Hawai'i last month, it's to not judge a Japanese place by it's rent. I can't tell you how many izakayas, sushi places, and noodle houses take up residents in what amounts to the outward charm of an old mini-mart. It almost seemed like they were in competition create the best restaurant in the ugliest building.

Decor and Space 3/5
  This was a very clean, stylish, little sushi spot (wedged between a convenience store and a Subway). Who knows, they might be entered in the aforementioned competition. Mizu doesn't even register on the "Chinese Takeout Sticky Scale". The dining room was tastefully decorated and a very clean, simple setting. Two rows of seating move toward the sushi bar situated in the back of the space. At this price level I think they hit the mark.

Food 3/5
   I ordered the Chicken yaki udon which was pan-fried noodles with chicken and vegetables. I guess what I like about ordering udon is that it's fairly hard to screw up. Since the noodles are very soft to begin with, it's very hard to pick up on whether they're overcooked. I guess what I'm trying to say is that unless they're undercooked, they aren't going to detract from the overall experience than if they're overcooked a little.

The sauce was just enough to flavor the noodles, chicken, and vegetables and had a light sweetness to it. I actually appreciated the sauce restraint. Nothing sucks worse then getting a plate with noodles swimming in a puddle of brown. The dish came out piping hot and definitely hit the spot on a cold winter afternoon.

Brad ordered the vegetable udon, basically the same thing I had,  only his had no chicken and more veggies. He seemed to like it; in fact he thought enough of the noodles to take an order "to go" for his brother.

Service 3/5
   Our waitress was attentive, courteous, and accurate.

Overall 3/5
     It might actually go higher once I try their rolls. I'm not suggesting this is Masa, Uchi, or Nobu. Hell, I'm not even saying it's Pacific East, but it is a solid place. The price points here fall in line with the surrounding community. I know I'll definitely do back, if for no other reason than to test drive some of the rolls they offer. Sorry, no food pics. There are some things that just don't photograph well, and flesh colored noodles, glistening with a light brown sauce and light tan tinted chicken slices is one of them.

Mizu Sushi
10219 Brookpark Rd
Parma, OH 44130
(216) 898-0098
www.mizusushiparma.com/

Flour Water Salt Yeast

We're totally digging Ken Forkish's book Flour Water Salt Yeast. After eating at Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland last year, I couldn't wait for the book to come out. I don't proclaim to be some huge baker - especially when it comes to bread, but this book will go a long way in advancing your bread making skills. I initially bought the book for his opinions on pizza dough, but I found the bread sections to be very interesting and very relavent to understanding the mechanics of pizza dough as well.

Forkish masterfully explains the entire no-knead (stretch and pull) process of making bread. A good scale, plastic bucket, proofing basket, and cast iron dutch oven are really the only tools required. "No knead" to go out and buy an oven insert, or Kitchenaid.

I've pretty much started from the beginning the book and worked my way back. Right now I'm about halfway through the bread sections. I can honestly say that I haven't made anything that is merely average. The bread, especially the crust, is incredibly good.

The pictured loaf is the Overnight White Bread. Good stuff.

You want how much?!?!?

Like a jackass, I dropped the lid to our Le Creuset dutch oven and broke off the knob. Lovely. It couldn't cost more than five or six dollars, right?

How about $11 if I want the large plastic POS one that I just got done breaking. The more sensible thing would be to splash the cash and go whole hog on a metal one - $15. Then of course you've have the shipping.....

Enter Home Depot. One stainless steel drawer pull? $4. I admit the fact I had to grind down the screw packaged with it (or I could have just bought a smaller one), but still. Some of these things are absolutely ridiculous.

Cleveland: Rockside Thai Gourmet

A vegan friend of mine have made a point of meeting for lunch every Wednesday. The vegan consideration requires a little bit of forethought, but not as much as one might think. He works in Independence, I in Brooklyn Hts, so there is not shortage of places for us to try. Since it was Ash Wednesday, I was also looking for at least a meatless option. Rockside Thai Gourmet would be our destination.

Decor and Space 4/5
A fairly small space but for what I'll call "American Thai", it was very modern, clean, and comfortable. Not quite on the level of Ty Fun Thai Bistro, but close. Mostly two and four tops. The close quarters doesn't lend itself to high chairs/strollers. Not your typical Asian restaurant decoration.

Food 3/5
No judgements please - I had the 'spicy' Pad Thai (my friend had the same thing only vegan). It's a kind of measuring stick, I guess. The spice level was "American spicy". I'm sure if you ask for "Thai spicy" they will be happy to accommodate you. My friend was actually telling me about a place that was putting that very description of the spice level on their menus (good idea). Servings are not overboard.

Service 4/5
No complaints. Prompt. Professional. Attentive.

Overall 3.5/5
As far as these kinds of places go, I think it's one of the better ones. Very similar to Charm Thai in Seven Hills. If you're looking for authenticity - go someplace else. If you're okay with the American idea of Thai, then it's certainly worth a try. Hey that rhymes!

Rockside Thai Gourmet
6901 Rockside Rd
Independence, OH 44131
(216) 986-2828

LA: Sotto

    I'm always a sucker for a good list. Depending on the credibility of the source and any other supporting buzz I can find on these here internets, I typically file any little nuggets away on a food map for that particular city, for use at a time of my chosing.

    Within the last six months, Slice did a writeup on Sotto in LA. The pictures just looked too damn good to pass up. I mean really. There are things that you see and you think, "Oh wow, that looks cool." And then there's, "The next time I'm in [city name], the trip will be a total failure if I don't get to [restaurant, store, bar].

    Nestled underneath the well known and more visible Picca, this cozy little eatery offers a stylishly comfortable setting. Tables made of re-purposed wood, vintage incandescent bulbs, and an aged wood slatted ceiling combine to give the diner a casual yet refined dining experience.

    Since we went into dinner knowing we were going to be stopping for ice cream afterward, we made the decision to limit ourselves to a couple of appetizer/sides and a pizza.

    On the recommendation of the server we started things off with the tomato braised octopus served with beans.It was probably a little more chewy than I would have liked it, but the braised tomato 'stuff', along with the char of the beautiful tentacle was noteworthy.

    The pork meatballs served on arugula and shaved english peas are not to be missed. With pecorino cheese mixed into the actual meatball, and a healthy amount of char on the outside, the tastebuds dance with joy. I really thought this was a really well thought out dish.

    For the grand finale, we were served the Guanciale pizza topped with ricotta cheese. The first thing that really jumped out at me was the uniform rhythm of minute spots of char (leopard spots). These aren't only visually striking, but more importantly deliver an evenness of char flavor to every bite. The upskirt actually had larger spots that were much more irregular in their overall spacing (thankfully they weren't large enough to the point where you get a mouth full of "burnt"). The cornicione had a soft doughiness to it that was closer to dense than airy.

Not to be outdone by the crust, the marriage of toppings was a finely tuned counterbalance to its companion. My hesitation with ricotta is that it can release a lot of moisture into the crust underneath, leaving a soggy mess. Sotto uses a cheese that holds its shape without being thick and grainy. We both thought there was another cheese on the pie, but our server said it was just ricotta.

    As far as guanciale goes, this rendition registered high on the flavor/texture scale. So many times you see long flaccid pieces of cured pork jowl just laying in a sea of cheese. Their pieces were cut a little smaller and chunkier which made them sit at an angle allowing them to crisp up (in many cases charring) in the hot oven. From a texture and taste standpoint I thought it actually mimicked the crust perfectly.

     If I have one criticism it's that there are no sides or appetizers that are primarily vegetables - namely those of the green variety. I'm not asking for a whole range of veggie dishes, but at least a couple to choose from would be nice. Lately it seems this is becoming more and more prevalent. I'm not sure why, but vegetables seem to be endangered species these days.

    As you can probably tell, I enjoyed my visit. The vibe of the space is very inviting, our server was helpful and attentive, and the food was excellent. If I had to compare it to someplace on the East Coast, I'd say it reminded me a lot of Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, Brooklyn - similar decor, vibe, and service (although not as heavy on the music). Sotto certainly belongs on any LA list for 'must try' wood-fired pizzas.

Sotto
9575 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 277-0210
www.sottorestaurant.com

The Evolution of the Pizza Oven: Wood

In the the last two months I've had the opportunity to fire up the pizza oven three times. Since I do not have a roof on it yet, the oven cooking only takes place on days that I have no rain in the forecast. We had a stretch there where I wanted fire it up, but couldn't really count on it not raining at some point in the afternoon. My better half has been on my ass to get a roof on it because she's tired of the "hillbilly chic" blue tarp system currently keeping things dry.

As was the case with my Big Green Egg, this has also got a pretty good learning curve to it. John Tutulo over at Biga Wood Fired has been very helpful in offering advice on the various aspects of timing all of this stuff (not to mention he's allowed me to pilfer some well-seasoned wood from him).

Unbeknownst to me, he said you have to really kick off the fire about 2 in the afternoon if you want to be ready to roll by dinner. The oven needs plenty of time for the brick to get saturated with heat (think along the lines of a long, slow, steady rain for parched soil as opposed to a deluge that last ten minutes). That heat saturation allows the oven floor to recharge itself after cooking a pizza.

The wood needs to be as dry as you can get it. This allows the wood to transfer as much of its potential heat energy into heating up the oven rather than wasting it on trying to evaporate the water that is still in an unseasoned timber. John said he aims for anything that is 20% moisture or less. At the moment I've been bumming dry wood from John and getting untreated oak floor leftovers from my brother-in-law.

Running on empty

The flooring leftovers are bone dry and will goose the heat on the oven dome by a good two hundred degrees after it's caught fire. Oak is also preferred for creating a coal bed because the oak coals last longer than something like cherry. A sizable bed of coals is needed to maintain the heat that has already been put into the oven. While flames licking the roof of the dome make for an exciting effect, the coal bed is really the workhorse maintaining the interior temp and heating the floor of the oven.

So how did everything turn out with the pizzas we made on Christmas Night? I was actually pretty happy with what we did. Pictured below are the pies we cooked, and in what order we liked them (I'm showing them from least favorite to favorite). I had Stuart Spivack (local foodie about town and owner of the world's slowest blog), Walter Hyde (co-owner of the now retooling mobile operated Fat Casual and brother-in-law), my other b-i-l Mike aka "Cheesecake" pictured here, Regina (my sous chef in life and dessert mavin), and of course my beloved dogs, Ladybug and Winston (cleanup crew).

I have to give credit to for the toppings to Regina. Right now I'm a hot mess making dough, stoking fires, chatting up the guests, and drinking beers. She went out and bought all of the stuff. Her knowledge of food stuffs is pretty amazing.

I was rocking the Overnight Pizza Dough from Ken Forkish's Flour Water Salt Yeast. What a great book. The dough is very easy to make, and doesn't overproof if you aren't starting at exactly at a certain time. The dough balls are very easy to work with and offer little to no trouble while stretching.As you can see they puff up nicely and would work well even in a home oven. Check out Ken's Artisan Pizza if you're ever in Portland, OR.

#5 Mushroom, Sausage, Gouda, Mozz/Provolone Blend, Olive Oil on the Crust

  Certainly the ugliest damn pizza I tossed all night, but I think the alcohol was running pretty close to dry by that time. Unfortunately we didn't have designated pizzaiolo in the house so I had to soldier on (I'm just glad I didn't drop the SOB). The pizza wasn't bad, but by then people were getting pretty full and to be honest, the gouda just didn't pop like I thought it would.

#4. Mushroom, Sausage, Red Sauce, Trader Joe's Mozz, Mozz/Prov Blend, Thyme, Pecorino Finish

    As you can see the crust looks a little dry.  I didn't put olive oil around the edge. Although it looked dry, it wasn't. Trader Joe's mozz is surprisingly good. I wouldn't mind trying some truffle cheese on this pie next time.

3. Roasted Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper, Mozz, Mozz/Prov Blend, Red Sauce

    Alright, now we're getting to the good stuff. After shoveling in a couple of pretty rich pies, this was a breath of fresh air. Very bright flavors. I wasn't sure how I was going to like the peppers, but they worked perfectly.

2. Benton's Bacon, Brie, Onions, Fig Spread, Olive Oil

   Everything tastes better with bacon. And everything that tastes better with bacon, tastes better if it's Benton's. The sweetness of the fig jam and the nuclear strength smokey, saltiness of the Benton's kicked ass and took names. To be fair the pizza looks pretty disgusting because the pizzaiolo went ape shit with the olive oil (don't worry, he got twenty lashes, but oddly enough seemed to enjoy it). Lesson learned - way less olive oil.

1. Benton's Bacon, Onion, Trader Joe's Mozz, Mozz/Prov Blend, Red Sauce, and Thyme

   Straight money. Simple as can be and was gone before you knew it. Next time I'd put more onions on it. When polled, everyone agreed this was the star of the night.

Cleveland: Crust

Crust is Jeff Fisher's recently opened sandwich/pizza shop located in Tremont. After fronting kitchens at Lago and Touch Supper Club, Fisher has apparently taken a shine to cranking out sandwiches and pies made with quality ingredients and hand-crafted dough.

Admittedly I have only had the pizza, but once I make the migration from my current job to my future job, I will certainly report back on the sandwiches.

My visit took place a little after the lunch rush. Even though it was after 1:30, there was still a decent amount of traffic rolling in. My first thought was that this is pretty much a carry-out place. Sure there are a couple of high tops that you could sit and eat at if you really wanted to, but with the smallness of the table and the cold air brushing past your back every time the door opened, I'm guessing most are going to take it someplace a bit more comfortable.

They offer whole pies that are either 12" or 16", as well as pizza by the slice ($3 for cheese, $4 for pepperoni or sausage). The slices which are cut off of what appear to be a 24" pie, are long and cut at a very acute angle. While resembling something more along the lines of a weapon than a lunch, the single pepperoni slice I bought was the perfect size for a moderate appetite.

The Slice that Doubles as a Dagger

The long sharp wedge had the thick crust that you find here in Cleveland. As I said before, the ingredients are of very good quality. As an example, the cheese actually had a flavor to it (I know, what a concept), the pepperoni had been cut off a stick on the bias, so as to let the large slices render their salty flavor into the cheese and crust. The fact that the slice is reheated gives it a nice crunchiness.

Crust is only open until 7pm Mon-Thurs, and 9pm on Friday and Saturday., so this is not a place you can hit late at night on your way back from the bars. I like the fact that they've upped the quality of what they're making without glamming up the space. Yes it's going to cost a little more, but I think you'll find an increase in quality comes with the price.

Crust
1020 Kenilworth Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 583-0257
http://www.crusttremont.com

One More Week....

Talk about going outside your comfort zone. This pizza oven has been one hell of an experience. As I alluded to before, posts here on the blog have been few and far in between due to inordinate amounts of free time being dedicated to pizza oven construction.

The bottom line is that this has been one big learning experience. Since I've never actually laid brick, formed concrete, built domes or arches, built with metal studs, laid out a roof, or put down shingles; I have been in one big zone of discomfort for the past two months.

Getting ready for the roof

Things are now getting easier. After getting all of the fire brick laid for the actual oven, things like the roof seem comparatively easier. Right now I'm just waiting for this rain to get up on out of here.

Before I can use the oven, I've got to burn a week long series of gradually larger fires in the oven so I can drive out any of the moisture that is left in the fire brick - this process is called curing. With my trip to the East Coast being cancelled this week thanks to the Perfect Storm that is brewing in the Mid-Atlantic I will be able to complete these fires before I have to go out of town again.

I'm excited. These are temperatures that are going to allow me to do a lot things I couldn't do before. We're talking about temperatures that are capable of going above 900 degrees. That is an absolutely insane temperature, people. The missus and I have been excitedly discussing the possibilities. I can take my Big Green Egg up to some high temps, but as soon as you pop open the lid...POOF!....there goes 200 hundred degrees. This oven is going to be a game changer.

The Inspector was a real stickler, but she approved

I'm looking forward to cooking in this oven. Hopefully this whole thing will be cured, roofed, and insulated by next Sunday. One last big business trip for the year and then I think I'll be getting back on the blogging horse. Who knows? Maybe once I get this whole process somewhat figured out I can have some of you over for some pizzas.

NYC: Fornino

A project on Long Island (Nassau County) has made for the perfect jumping point for my full on assault of the Brooklyn portion of the Ed Levine/Rachel Rae Pizza 64 List.

Fornino was on the hit list tonight. Located surprisingly close to the highway, the DiFara-esqe trek through the Brooklyn side streets was a nice change for once.

I slipped into this popular pizzeria with one thing on my mind - a nice hot pizza. The day had been long and I needed to eat and get out while I was still awake enough drive. My waiter brought me a beer and sensed my urgency for sustenance.

The menu had a good variety of classics which they called First Generation, riffs on those classics Second Generation, and the more modernized meat and cheese-centric type pizzas called - wait for it - Third Generation. Since I was a Fornino virgin, I figured I might as well start things slow. Margherita please.

As I waited for my pie to come out a tartufo pizza was laid down at the table next to me. Smelled like absolute sex. Sure, a small will set you back 35 bones (a large 50), but can you really put a price on that? Maybe. I guess.

The crust on my pizza had a nice chew to the exterior while maintaining a softness inside that only comes from painstaking fermentation. The sauce was sweet and simple. The mozz and basil were as you would expect on such a classic rendition - pretty straightforward .

Pizza Margherita

There are no lines to worry about or hipster attitude to be had here. This small narrow pizzeria cranks out classic napolitana with friendly service at a price in line with others serving this level of pie. The dough here  reminded me a lot of Flour + Water in SF.

Does it belong on the list of 64? I certainly think they make a good case. New York's a tough one because there are so many good napolitana places. (not to mention NY slices and grandma style). I swear, next time I'm getting that tartufo, though.

Fornino
187 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 384-6004
http://www.forninopizza.com/

Believe it or not, I AM alive

You're probably wondering what the deal is with Dine O Mite! I can honestly say that I've been traveling like a fiend. In fact, for the first time in six weeks I get to sleep in my bed for seven consecutive nights! (Might I say, it feels damn good to be home.)

More importantly, I've been slaving away at the wood fired pizza oven in my backyard. Progress has been slow because I haven't really been around long enough to really work on it. This is going to be the week that this thing really takes shape though. I doubt I'll be able to top out the dome before I have to leave on Sunday, but I've heard that once I get it past the arch things will fly.

Between work travel and the oven there hasn't been a lot of time for much else. I will say that the Pizza Page - one of the tabs at the top - has been updated. There is a complete list of pizzerias from the Ed Levine / Rachel Rae Pizza Challenge list from 2010. This is really THE list I use when I'm traveling around the country. There are a lot of posts left to do in that realm. By my calculations I've got pictures for over half of the places on the list.

It's an exciting time for us around here. Hopefully this will be the end of the long lulls for awhile. I'll keep you updated on my backyard progress!

Slow and Steady