Ed's Cosmic Pizza Blab: Sauce

What about sauce, the oft-forgotten or rarely mentioned pizza element? Sauce is most often mentioned as an unabashed negative. Canned pizza sauce is of course a no-no. But what is the yes-yes of pizza sauces? What makes good pizza sauce good? Is there only one truly righteous pizza sauce? What do the pizza gods say about sauce?

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23 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, September 20, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Tagged: Brian Spangler, Bruce Hill, Chris Bianco, Ed's Cosmic Pizza Blab, Mathieu Palombino, Paulie Gee, Pizza Sauce

Ed's Cosmic Pizza Blab: Can Serious Pizza-Makers Have More than Two Great Pizzerias?

Most great pizzerias are the product of one compulsive, obsessive person who lives and dies with every pie. Is it possible for a pizzeria to expand beyond two locations and maintain the quality that makes them great? It's like pizza-obsessed folks have decided that their collective ovens get too hot for them to consider adding a third pizzeria.

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57 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, August 9, 2011 at 3:30 PM
Tagged: Anthony Mangieri, Apizza Scholls, Brian Spangler, Bruce Hill, Chris Bianco, Delancey, Doug Horn, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, Frank Pepe's, Great Lake, Mathieu Palombino, Motorino's, Nick Lessons, Paulie Gee's, Pizzeria Mozza, Pizzeria Picco, Sally's Apizza, Serious Pie, Totonno's, Una Pizza Napoletana, Zero Zero, Zuppardi's

Pizzeria Bianco Opens for Lunch Today: Some Words of Welcome from Pizza's Poet Laureate

It's been almost ten years since Pizzeria Bianco has been open for lunch, and judging from the email owner-pizzaman Chris Bianco sent me this morning, both he and the serious pizza-loving community are incredibly excited at the prospect.

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16 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, April 12, 2011 at 11:50 AM
Tagged: Arizona, Chris Bianco, Phoenix, Pizzeria Bianco

Cooking with Chris Bianco of Phoenix's Pizzeria Bianco

Getting a table at Pizzeria Bianco is a challenge. On any given night, most diners will wait at least two hours. The most reliable strategy is to start lining up in front of the restaurant around 3:30 p.m. (on a weeknight that is—I've never had the courage to wait in the weekend lines). Getting into a cooking class with Chris Bianco can be just as tricky.

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6 Comments | Posted by tempepizzagirl, November 10, 2010 at 7:30 AM
Tagged: Arizona, Chris Bianco, Phoenix, Pizzeria Bianco

WTF: Chris Bianco to Costar on 'Bizarre Foods'????

From Andrew Zimmern's blog: Chris Bianco, my good friend and soon to be co-star on Bizarre Foods of Arizona coming your way in April/May, is also taking a leave...but the pizzeria is still open. W. T. F.? [via Landry]...

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1 Comment | Posted by Adam Kuban, February 1, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Tagged: Andrew Zimmern, Bizarre Foods, Chris Bianco, WTF

More on Chris Bianco Step-back Situation in 'Arizona Republic'

The paper of record for the Grand Canyon State has some more details on Chris Bianco's distancing himself from the pizza-building at Pizzeria Bianco. The paper talked to Ed Levine here for commentary: "For me, one of the most profound experiences I had eating anything was to see him, in the moment, living and dying with every pie."Levine, a longtime friend, said he and Bianco talked about the situation a few days ago. He said Bianco's hands-on absence will not affect quality."He always talks about the connection he feels between him and his pizza, and him and his customers,...

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3 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, January 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Tagged: Chris Bianco, Chris Bianco step-back, Pizzeria Bianco

Statement from Chris Bianco Regarding Absence from Pizzeria Bianco

There's been a lot of talk online in various forums and pizza sites, including here on Slice, about the status of Chris Bianco at Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. Is he retiring or is he not (For the record he isn't)? Is he there making every pie or is he not? We've known about some of the issues Chris speaks about below for some time, but out of respect for his privacy we have not gone public with them. But with the rumors reaching a new level lately, we asked if he would go on the record about what's been going...

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18 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, January 27, 2010 at 6:45 PM
Tagged: Arizona, Chris Bianco, Phoenix, Pizzeria Bianco

'There's No Mastering of It. You Engage'

I just caught up on Passion-4-Pizza's interview with Phoenix pizza man Chris Bianco. I love this exchange: P4P: I was always intimidated about making pizza. Growing up in Brooklyn I've seen a lot of pizza being made and I always thought, "I can't do that," and my wife and I have really just started making pizza. The initial stuff, making the dough and putting on the cheese and tomatoes, it seems like it doesn't take long to learn but I guess it takes a lifetime to master.Chris Bianco: You never master it, I don't care how many lifetimes, and that's...

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12 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, January 19, 2010 at 4:49 PM
Tagged: Chris Bianco, interviews, Passion-4-Pizza, Q and As

Quote and Comment of the Day: 'I'm Disturbed by This Movement'

I was one foot out the door, running to catch a plane yesterday when I posted a list of links that included Passion-4-Pizza's "Twenty Minutes with Chris Bianco" interview. But an interesting item from Cary and Lillian Steiner's chat really deserved the kind of time I didn't have to give it. Luckily, seriouspizza did my job for me in the comments: Twenty minutes with Chris Bianco. [P4P]: "We start to look at it, turn it upside down, check the upskirt, the downskirt, all this kind of crap, it's really disturbing. I'm disturbed by this movement." —Chris Bianco Me too. Particularly...

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9 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, December 21, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Tagged: Chris Bianco, Passion-4-Pizza, pizza wankery, seriouspizza

Another One from Norman (and Chris Bianco)

Norman, who is apparently at Pizzeria Bianco this minute, just sent this photo. I guess it makes up for his earlier taunting photo-email message. Awww, thanks, guys!...

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10 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, August 19, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Tagged: Arizona, Chris Bianco, Dear Slice, Phoenix, Pizzeria Bianco