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GenealogyBank.com (a subscription service) has been adding the Boston Journal. I went through it and found the following long, interesting article [subscription required] on pizza, from 1903. This is two years before Lombardi's establishment opened on Spring Street in New York City, the so-called first pizzeria in America.
Thanks yet again for some great research. I love getting these emails from you because they're almost always packed with some sort of nugget of newly unearthed historical information.
As someone who has adopted New York as his home, I'd have to say that 1905 is reportedly the first instance of a pizza license, which doesn't mean Lombardi's wasn't making pizzas prior to applying for the license. I would choose to believe this, just so that New York could keep its historical pizza supremacy over Boston as well as its ACTUAL present-day pizza supremacy.
Someone from Chicago's going to come in here soon and we'll have a three-way battle royale. And then an Italian will have to stop by -- preferably from Naples.
That's my cue, though I'm not going to claim that Chicago came first for two reasons: first has nothing to do with best (which is what I save my fighting words for) and, though it's a question we'll likely never be able to answer for sure, the chances are that an East Coast city, which is where Italians first settled in the U.S., is home to the first pizzeria in the country.
That said, it's definitely not a surprise that Lombardi's wasn't the first place to sell pizza in the U.S. Given that at least a million people immigrated to the U.S. from Italy before 1900, mostly from southern Italy, I'd say it's almost certain that somebody started selling pizzas in this country long before Gennaro Lombardi decided to get an official license.
Also, though this is getting a little off topic, it's worth noting that hundreds of thousands of Italians also immigrated to Argentina before 1900 and it's certainly possible some of them sold pizzas before anyone did in this country.
Egadman, arecheta (which would sound a lot like aregata in a napoletano accent -- the hard c often ends up sounded a lot like a g would to us) is an old Neopolitan word for oregano. Makes sense -- since the other terms used, as the article points out are from the Neapolitan dialect/language (I'm not taking sides!).
Dying to read the boston article -- wish it weren't subscription only.
My paternal grandparents migrated from Palermo to the Ybor City section of Tampa at the turn of the century where they worked making cigars before making the move to NYC in 1905. I'm sure someone was makin' pies down there too:
Today it'a a great place to dine and go club hopping. Especially since you can take your drink from one bar to another. At least I did. Be sure to check it out if you find yourself in the Tampa area. It's Bourbon Street with class:
I'm a former NYer living in Boston, and I'd love to know where you're finding this kick-ass pizza - I've been looking for it for 11 years now with no success. Passable? Sure. Kick ass (or even good...)? No way...
Don't even mention Santarpio's. That's barely edible at best.
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GenealogyBank.com (a subscription service) has been adding the Boston Journal. I went through it and found the following long, interesting article [subscription required] on pizza, from 1903. This is two years before Lombardi's establishment opened on Spring Street in New York City, the so-called first pizzeria in America.
13 Comments:
Adam,
Those are fightin' words, my friend. Boston has some kick-ass pizza...
juliebugsmama at 3:51PM on 01/05/09
I love to stir up s*** when it comes to pizza, JBM.
Adam Kuban at 3:52PM on 01/05/09
I am feeling cantankerous today.
Adam Kuban at 3:53PM on 01/05/09
"Boston has some kick-ass pizza..."
meh.
simon at 4:20PM on 01/05/09
Now you all are just trying to piss me off. I won't take the bait.
Both Boston AND NY have the best pizza in the US, hands down.
juliebugsmama at 4:30PM on 01/05/09
Someone from Chicago's going to come in here soon and we'll have a three-way battle royale. And then an Italian will have to stop by -- preferably from Naples.
Adam Kuban at 4:33PM on 01/05/09
New York? Boston? Neither. New Haven.
Wally East at 4:41PM on 01/05/09
The NYS article mentions an Italian herb called aregata. I couldn't find any info on it on "teh internets." Anyone know anything about it?
egadman at 5:00PM on 01/05/09
That's my cue, though I'm not going to claim that Chicago came first for two reasons: first has nothing to do with best (which is what I save my fighting words for) and, though it's a question we'll likely never be able to answer for sure, the chances are that an East Coast city, which is where Italians first settled in the U.S., is home to the first pizzeria in the country.
That said, it's definitely not a surprise that Lombardi's wasn't the first place to sell pizza in the U.S. Given that at least a million people immigrated to the U.S. from Italy before 1900, mostly from southern Italy, I'd say it's almost certain that somebody started selling pizzas in this country long before Gennaro Lombardi decided to get an official license.
Also, though this is getting a little off topic, it's worth noting that hundreds of thousands of Italians also immigrated to Argentina before 1900 and it's certainly possible some of them sold pizzas before anyone did in this country.
Daniel Zemans at 5:00PM on 01/05/09
thank you, wally! i was going to propose new haven as a way to split the difference.
sloppy at 5:03PM on 01/05/09
Egadman, arecheta (which would sound a lot like aregata in a napoletano accent -- the hard c often ends up sounded a lot like a g would to us) is an old Neopolitan word for oregano. Makes sense -- since the other terms used, as the article points out are from the Neapolitan dialect/language (I'm not taking sides!).
Dying to read the boston article -- wish it weren't subscription only.
ElaineG at 6:08PM on 01/05/09
My paternal grandparents migrated from Palermo to the Ybor City section of Tampa at the turn of the century where they worked making cigars before making the move to NYC in 1905. I'm sure someone was makin' pies down there too:
http://www.ybor.org/index.cfm?section=vs&page=17
Today it'a a great place to dine and go club hopping. Especially since you can take your drink from one bar to another. At least I did. Be sure to check it out if you find yourself in the Tampa area. It's Bourbon Street with class:
http://www.ybor.org/index.cfm?section=vs&page=1
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 8:49PM on 01/05/09
"Boston has some kick-ass pizza..."
I'm a former NYer living in Boston, and I'd love to know where you're finding this kick-ass pizza - I've been looking for it for 11 years now with no success. Passable? Sure. Kick ass (or even good...)? No way...
Don't even mention Santarpio's. That's barely edible at best.
kenjigoodeater at 4:00PM on 01/06/09