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Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Brian Chase Digs Di Fara Pizza

Posted by Adam Kuban, July 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got ... an email from a guy in some band or other.

Photographs by Brian Chase

Hi, Adam,
I posted a review of Di Fara's on my band's website, http://site.yeahyeahyeahs.com/, that I thought you would be interested in checking out.

Dom for president!

Best regards,
Brian

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Dear Brian,

Dom for president? I second the nomination.

Wow. Nice meditation on what makes Dom and Di Fara so special. Thanks for passing that link along.

I think you've nailed it with the bit about imperfections. To quote:

But, for me, what makes the pizza truly outstanding and worthy of genius status is its inconsistencies and 'imperfections.' A Di Fara's pie is not uniform all around. It's just the opposite. The crust is slightly burnt and darker on one side but cooked at a more moderate temperature on another; the cheese is more concentrated in some places and more spread out in others; on one side, the cheese would be cooked slightly longer than the other; the dough is thinner here and more dense there; large chunks of tomatoes poking through in some spots are absent everywhere else; the basil is scattered about. This results in contrasts in texture: some parts are gentle, soft, and moist and others are chewy, tough, and dry; flavors range from sweet and mild to bitter and fiery.

When you look at Dom's pies, you know there's evidence of the handmade about them—and, perhaps, evidence of a mind focused on flavor rather than some obsessive-compulsive need to make a perfectly round pizza with X-many ounces of cheese per quadrant.

And I have to say, you must have timed it just right. There's NOBODY in the background of your photos.

Thanks again for the link. And thanks for makin' great music. I am a fan of YYY.

Hasta la pizza,
Adam

4 Comments

Tags: Brooklyn, Celebrities, Dear Slice, Di Fara, Midwood, NYC, Yeah Yeah Yeahs