Back from the day in New York– Scott’s Pizza tour: this was super fun, holiday gift from Joel and Sarah. A cold sunny day with guide Scott Wiener who took us first to Lombardi’s, oldest Neopolitan/New York style pizza– (a margherita from the coal fired anthracite) ovens, then across town to a slice place, Joe’s on Bleecker and Sixth Avenue– a classic walk-in place with wonderful stretchy orange droopy tipped slices-- just what I remember from the street shops my first years in NYC, and finally John’s, also on Bleecker almost to Seventh with a long line to get in, and they brought it out to us, again coal fired, this time with whole milk mozzarella, great plain tomatoes and crust-- Sarah’s favorite, and I agree it was wonderful, but I’ll get a slice again at Joe’s when I'm in town to teach at NYU.
As to the tour and tour guide: this young guy Scott is a wild man: totally entertaining and personable and funny but also totally serious about pizza and beyond knowledgeable.
He provided little favor bags with notebooks and spices and candy to cleanse the palate between slices. He talked about history and the temperature of anthracite coal fires versus gas ovens, about the chemistry of wet and dry, part-skim and whole milk mozzarella. We got to look at Lombardi’s oven, and we visited a restaurant supply place on the Bowery that sells the gas ovens. We learned a lot. Joel and Sarah and Andy were all big winners on Scott’s questions. What a great tour.
That was Scott’s Pizza tour: but just be sure you get the genuine Scott. It's all built around his personality and his obsession.
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