Posted by Adam Kuban, September 29, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got ...
Adam,
I don't know if you've seen Ghostbusters II, but, there's a scene where Dan Ayckroyd's character is discussing what to eat with Harold Ramis's character:
"Chinese?"
"Thai?"
"Na, too spicy."
"Pizza!"
"Thick or thin?"
"Chicago." (Ayckroyd's character).
My question is, in 1989 (or even today), would there have been any place in NYC to get a Chicago style of pizza? I'm thinking that this was Ackryod's little joke on NYC.
Thanks,
Thomas H.
Saline, Michigan
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Thomas,
At one point, there was a place called Goldberg's that reportedly served a deep-dish pizza, but that was in the '80s or so—long before my time here in NYC (I moved here in June of 2000). But it may have coincided with the GBII timeline, so Ackroyd may have been giving a knowing nod to them. But, I doubt it.
As it is now, there are no real Chicago deep-dish-style pizzerias in NYC. Sure, there's Uno's Chicago Grill or whatever, but I somehow doubt that it does justice to the genre. I've had it a couple times, but it had a strange metallic aftertaste, something I don't remember from my visit to Pizzeria Due in the Windy City many years ago.
I've always said that the first person to open a real deep-dish pizzeria in NYC would make a killing because there are enough Chicago expats and deep-dish partisans in the Big Apple to support it—at least based on the number of emails I get about this subject each month.
Adam, I'm with you on the demand being in NYC for a Chicago-style pizzeria. Whenever I think about the gaping hole in New York's pizza scene, I'm always a bit shocked. Giordano's has franchise opportunities. and the name has established itself pretty well in Florida. I suspect they might be the first one in New York. Of course, they offer stuffed pizza, not deep dish.
Uno's is having serious financial problems these days, so I doubt they've got plans to open a real Uno's rather than a Chicago Grill, but maybe they'll get their act together.
I was working for at the WTC for The Port Authority in the early 80s and a Chicago style pizzeria opened up nearby on Thames Street between Church Street and Broadway in one of the Trinity Buildings. It was a little hole in the wall with no seats. It was called Big Al's Chicago Style Pizza. It was my first encounter with that style of pizza. To me it was a Sicilian slice cut in the shape of a regular NY slice, but it was good. I was in the area recently and wanted to see if it was still there and sure enough it is. Here's some information from Google:
Ah, it sounds like "Chicago" was merely being used (inarticulately) as a synonym for Sicilian in the section you quoted. I bet the pizza in the next scene had cheese on top, not on the bottom.
Clearly, that's why the film didn't make as much as the first ;)
Just a bit of insight for those of you who were'nt in NYC during the "Goldberg's Pizzeria" years. I grew up in Manhattan, and frequented Goldbergs in my teens in the mid-late 80's. It was really good za, but not being as well traveled at that time, I had no idea it was considered "chicago style", nor did they promote it as such. They probably figured they'd sneak it into manhattan as an new "original" concept. Anyway, I always dragged friends there, touting the great sauce on top of the cheese and the splash of fresh garlic thrown on top of each pie when just out of the oven. The sauce and crust were excellent, with my only major critique back then being that the pans were over oiled, hence leading to some grease issues. The original was on about 53rd and 2nd ave...witha sister location in my former neighborhood on 76th and york ave. The 52nd st was all wood paneled inside , with clutter memorabilia and photos, etc...clearly indicating that the owners had experience in Chicago's finest pizza venues, and were trying to recreate that vibe here in NYC. They had a nice 15 -20 year run, ending in the mid-90's like that other slicehead previously mentioned. With the low carb trend nonsense thankfully being over for years now, I think a real "Chicago Style" venue here would be a big sell !...or at least get the Golberg crew out of retirement!
The Goldberg in Goldberg's was the late Larry "Fats" Goldberg made famous by Calvin Trillin in the New Yorker. In the early seventies NY Mag named Goldberg's the winner in a Pizza tasting and out it on the cover. IIRC they pushed the "SMOG" pizza: sausage, meatballs, onions & garlic.
They also did heart shaped pizzas.
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Adam,"Chinese?"
8 Comments:
Goldberg's closed in 1997 or 1998.
jakeyd at 12:51PM on 09/29/08
Adam, I'm with you on the demand being in NYC for a Chicago-style pizzeria. Whenever I think about the gaping hole in New York's pizza scene, I'm always a bit shocked. Giordano's has franchise opportunities. and the name has established itself pretty well in Florida. I suspect they might be the first one in New York. Of course, they offer stuffed pizza, not deep dish.
Uno's is having serious financial problems these days, so I doubt they've got plans to open a real Uno's rather than a Chicago Grill, but maybe they'll get their act together.
Daniel Zemans at 1:58PM on 09/29/08
A Ghostbusters walking tour with video that you can download to your ipod/phone
http://ghostbustour.net/
jmunchie at 2:32PM on 09/29/08
I was working for at the WTC for The Port Authority in the early 80s and a Chicago style pizzeria opened up nearby on Thames Street between Church Street and Broadway in one of the Trinity Buildings. It was a little hole in the wall with no seats. It was called Big Al's Chicago Style Pizza. It was my first encounter with that style of pizza. To me it was a Sicilian slice cut in the shape of a regular NY slice, but it was good. I was in the area recently and wanted to see if it was still there and sure enough it is. Here's some information from Google:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=pizza&ie=UTF8&cd=3&near=Thames+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York+10006,+United+States&f=l&geocode=FdQrbQIdN6qW-w&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&ei=iTnhSJiTNKTKMOKRoegF&view=text&attrid=&latlng=40708957,-74011811,9177149320176361441&sig2=BAItL894SVYylkb1h-Zd4g
Sorry for the gigunda link.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 4:26PM on 09/29/08
Ah, it sounds like "Chicago" was merely being used (inarticulately) as a synonym for Sicilian in the section you quoted. I bet the pizza in the next scene had cheese on top, not on the bottom.
Clearly, that's why the film didn't make as much as the first ;)
HeartofGlass at 7:40PM on 09/29/08
Just a bit of insight for those of you who were'nt in NYC during the "Goldberg's Pizzeria" years. I grew up in Manhattan, and frequented Goldbergs in my teens in the mid-late 80's. It was really good za, but not being as well traveled at that time, I had no idea it was considered "chicago style", nor did they promote it as such. They probably figured they'd sneak it into manhattan as an new "original" concept. Anyway, I always dragged friends there, touting the great sauce on top of the cheese and the splash of fresh garlic thrown on top of each pie when just out of the oven. The sauce and crust were excellent, with my only major critique back then being that the pans were over oiled, hence leading to some grease issues. The original was on about 53rd and 2nd ave...witha sister location in my former neighborhood on 76th and york ave. The 52nd st was all wood paneled inside , with clutter memorabilia and photos, etc...clearly indicating that the owners had experience in Chicago's finest pizza venues, and were trying to recreate that vibe here in NYC. They had a nice 15 -20 year run, ending in the mid-90's like that other slicehead previously mentioned. With the low carb trend nonsense thankfully being over for years now, I think a real "Chicago Style" venue here would be a big sell !...or at least get the Golberg crew out of retirement!
EJFoodDude at 12:21PM on 09/30/08
The Goldberg in Goldberg's was the late Larry "Fats" Goldberg made famous by Calvin Trillin in the New Yorker. In the early seventies NY Mag named Goldberg's the winner in a Pizza tasting and out it on the cover. IIRC they pushed the "SMOG" pizza: sausage, meatballs, onions & garlic.
They also did heart shaped pizzas.
jakeyd at 2:46PM on 09/30/08
Ghostbusters II is a cinematic masterpiece regardless of Ray Stanz's taste in pizza.
Also do they not have Uno's in NYC?
Not that I support Uno's.
jonny509 at 8:51AM on 10/02/08