T&R, where I often get my delivery and take-out pies.
For the last year, whenever I've ordered a conventional-gas-oven, mediocre-ingredients-laden, decent-crusted plain pie from my local pizzeria of choice, T&R, I have been specifying that my pie be well-done.
Why? Because uncooked, gummy pizza dough may be my No. 1 pizza pet peeve (also known as my "PPP"). Nothing ruins a pizza like a bite filled with raw dough. And you know what? Ordering well-done really makes a difference. My last pie from T&R was most excellent.
Am I the only pizza lover who uses the well-done pizza gambit?
Ed, you're not alone. Some pies are elevated from decent to great with a little well done love. What I learned about food while eating at the SUNY Binghamton Dining Halls was this: It's all about taking what you get and making more of it.
when ever I order a whole pie at one of my favorite Philly slice joints, Lazzaro's, I always ask for it both well done, and light on the cheese. It is a giant pie (delivered in two boxes) and always comes out better that way.
There's a spot in Boston called Same Old Place that has great slices but when you order a full pie it's horrible; it seems the act of cooking the pizza twice (once for the initial cooking and once again to re-heat the slice) brings it to another level.
Accordingly, I have ordered from them before and requested that the pizza be double-cooked.
I like how the cheese gets slightly burned and sort of "caramelized" on a well-done pizza. Almost all pizzas in the Midwest--at least when I was growing up--were "well-done."
This is absolutely true... even at the best places (Totonno's, Nick's, etc.) we always specify "a little well done" and it makes a difference. There is nothing worse than an under-cooked or gummy crust, or goppy cheese, even at an establishment that knows what it is doing. Granted, these kinds of places are not nearly as likely to disappoint, but Ed you are onto something here... "a little well done" works across the board.
Re: jakeyd - Pepe's may be the ONE place in the world where this is probably not necessary... "well done" pie at Pepe's is the equivalent of "burned beyond recognition" most other places I would imagine. Pepe's has got char down to a science. You just made me hungry, which I guess is what this is all about anyway.
Very good idea - there was a new place in my hometown, my boyfriend and I tried it and went "meh." We took it home, popped it in the oven for like, 15 minutes, and the doughiness went away, cheese melted, and boom! Good pizza. This place makes a bad habit of waaaay undercooking their pizza, so I tell everyone I meet who goes there to do this.
Ramon: the pies at the NH Pepe's may always be well done, but FF location is a different story, we've gotten several that needed more time in the oven.
Undercooked dough is definitely one of my biggest concerns about getting a pizza delivered. If it happens (and I am not too hungry upon delivery), I'll throw it on the stone and shove it in the oven for 15.
I usually order well dont too, but for take home pie, I prefer to preheat the oven when ordering and just slide it in for a few when I get it home. Ill admit I usually cant wait either so Ill sometimes sneak a slice as is.
How odd--I suppose I'm in the minority, but when I ate really crappy pizza, as in school square pizza or Lean Cuisine French Bread diet pizza, I would always eat it underdone, for the 'molten cheese' effect. To me, overdone pizza just tastes burnt--you might as well eat burnt toast.
The only kids who liked the burnt pizza in school were the kids who came to school high :p
I live in the pizza wilderness of SE Michigan and a place very near my house makes a passable NY Neapolitan style of pie. Passable, that is, when I say, "half the cheese and make it well-done." It's...good. Funny thing is, I know the owner and he was complaining about how much money he was spending on cheese. I said to him, "Just use half as much!", but he didn't hear me.
Well, I'm not from SE MI. I'm from NY Metro originally, which is why I comb SE MI looking for NY style pizza. It's not an easy job. Of course, I do love Buddy's pizza too. I'm currently living in the Ann Arbor area.
I order well done pizza all the time. So much so that I am banned from a local place after they messed up my order and I sent it back...enthusiastically.
@NYC Food Guy the Binghamton campus pizza was terrible wasn't it? For some reason slices in the food court were more thoroughly cooked than the sloppy underdone pies they'd deliver to your room.
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23 Comments:
Ed, you're not alone. Some pies are elevated from decent to great with a little well done love. What I learned about food while eating at the SUNY Binghamton Dining Halls was this: It's all about taking what you get and making more of it.
When I lived on the UWS last year, I canvassed as many slice joints as I could, finding the best UWS plain slice at Rigoletto on Columbus between 69th & 70th. You can see NYC Food Guy's UWS Slice Joint Coverage here.
NYC Food Guy at 12:52PM on 10/24/08
when ever I order a whole pie at one of my favorite Philly slice joints, Lazzaro's, I always ask for it both well done, and light on the cheese. It is a giant pie (delivered in two boxes) and always comes out better that way.
jaysus at 12:53PM on 10/24/08
There's a spot in Boston called Same Old Place that has great slices but when you order a full pie it's horrible; it seems the act of cooking the pizza twice (once for the initial cooking and once again to re-heat the slice) brings it to another level.
Accordingly, I have ordered from them before and requested that the pizza be double-cooked.
nicksherman at 12:58PM on 10/24/08
I like how the cheese gets slightly burned and sort of "caramelized" on a well-done pizza. Almost all pizzas in the Midwest--at least when I was growing up--were "well-done."
Adam Kuban at 1:02PM on 10/24/08
I do this all the time; the slices at Rosario's on Orchard in the LES are quite good when ordered well-done.
cmballa at 1:18PM on 10/24/08
I order the pies at the Fairfield Frank Pepe's well done.
jakeyd at 1:34PM on 10/24/08
This is absolutely true... even at the best places (Totonno's, Nick's, etc.) we always specify "a little well done" and it makes a difference. There is nothing worse than an under-cooked or gummy crust, or goppy cheese, even at an establishment that knows what it is doing. Granted, these kinds of places are not nearly as likely to disappoint, but Ed you are onto something here... "a little well done" works across the board.
Ramon Allones at 3:02PM on 10/24/08
Re: jakeyd - Pepe's may be the ONE place in the world where this is probably not necessary... "well done" pie at Pepe's is the equivalent of "burned beyond recognition" most other places I would imagine. Pepe's has got char down to a science. You just made me hungry, which I guess is what this is all about anyway.
Ramon Allones at 3:10PM on 10/24/08
Very good idea - there was a new place in my hometown, my boyfriend and I tried it and went "meh." We took it home, popped it in the oven for like, 15 minutes, and the doughiness went away, cheese melted, and boom! Good pizza. This place makes a bad habit of waaaay undercooking their pizza, so I tell everyone I meet who goes there to do this.
lo82070 at 3:14PM on 10/24/08
I've just been starring at that pie for about 3 straight minutes...I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!
DustinM at 5:11PM on 10/24/08
Ramon: the pies at the NH Pepe's may always be well done, but FF location is a different story, we've gotten several that needed more time in the oven.
jakeyd at 5:29PM on 10/24/08
my customers still don't understand that sometimes a burned pizza is the best thing evar!
tonecapo at 12:40AM on 10/25/08
Undercooked dough is definitely one of my biggest concerns about getting a pizza delivered. If it happens (and I am not too hungry upon delivery), I'll throw it on the stone and shove it in the oven for 15.
Pittzaburgher at 12:26PM on 10/25/08
I usually order well dont too, but for take home pie, I prefer to preheat the oven when ordering and just slide it in for a few when I get it home. Ill admit I usually cant wait either so Ill sometimes sneak a slice as is.
Slicey at 5:05PM on 10/25/08
How odd--I suppose I'm in the minority, but when I ate really crappy pizza, as in school square pizza or Lean Cuisine French Bread diet pizza, I would always eat it underdone, for the 'molten cheese' effect. To me, overdone pizza just tastes burnt--you might as well eat burnt toast.
The only kids who liked the burnt pizza in school were the kids who came to school high :p
HeartofGlass at 8:17PM on 10/26/08
I actually do this all the time, but instead of saying well done, I tell them "very, very hot!"
bionicgrrrl at 1:39AM on 10/27/08
I live in the pizza wilderness of SE Michigan and a place very near my house makes a passable NY Neapolitan style of pie. Passable, that is, when I say, "half the cheese and make it well-done." It's...good. Funny thing is, I know the owner and he was complaining about how much money he was spending on cheese. I said to him, "Just use half as much!", but he didn't hear me.
Summerfield at 11:39AM on 10/27/08
@Summer- where in SE are you from? I'm originally from Macomb County...
But I always ask for well-done pizza... my mom always did it and now I started.
smile at 1:02AM on 10/28/08
@smile:
Well, I'm not from SE MI. I'm from NY Metro originally, which is why I comb SE MI looking for NY style pizza. It's not an easy job. Of course, I do love Buddy's pizza too. I'm currently living in the Ann Arbor area.
Summerfield at 11:34AM on 10/28/08
When I want it well done, I order it "crispy."
Kerosena at 3:07PM on 10/28/08
Agreed!
1. Give it a nice crisp in the oven so the bottom of the crust chars a bit
2. Sprinkle some Maldon sea salt flakes
Rescues any mediocre pizza.
kathryn at 5:19PM on 10/28/08
I order well done pizza all the time. So much so that I am banned from a local place after they messed up my order and I sent it back...enthusiastically.
nhfoodie at 9:50AM on 10/29/08
@NYC Food Guy the Binghamton campus pizza was terrible wasn't it? For some reason slices in the food court were more thoroughly cooked than the sloppy underdone pies they'd deliver to your room.
bobbob at 12:55PM on 10/29/08