Entries tagged with 'Company'
Grub Street checks in on the recent gaggle of new pizzerias to see which is busiest (and presumably best—or at least most hyped) on a Friday night between 8 and 9 p.m. From least- to most-crowded: Tonda, Veloce, Pizza Mezzaluna, Spunto, Kesté, San Marzano, and Co. Company.
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 18, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Chicago Upstart Great Lake Has Country's Best Pizza
Alan Richman (left) and Lucali proprietor-pizzaiolo Mark Iacono (right) hold a copy of the June 2009 issue of "GQ" in front of Iacono's Lucali (the No. 2 pizza in the U.S.) at press event celebrating the story's May 19 publication. The issue contains Richman's "American Pie," a list of the top 25 pizzerias in the country.
In the June issue of GQ, food writer extraordinaire Alan Richman ranks the top 25 pizzas in the U.S. after visiting what he considers the top 10 pizza cities in the country.
The story is much too monumental to really do justice here. (Richman sampled 386 pizzas at 109 different pizzerias.) Go read it for yourself on GQ.com—or do yourself a favor and buy the magazine on the newsstand. It comes out tomorrow (May 19). For pizza freaks, this one really is worth having in print. Here are the salient points:
Italians Do Pizza Wrong; the U.S. Gets It Oh So Right
I totally agree with Richman here:
Pizza was created by the Italians—or maybe by the Greeks, who brought it to Naples, but let’s not pile on the bad news. Right now it justly belongs to us. We care more about it. We eat more of it, and unlike the Italians, we appreciate it at dinner, at lunch, and at breakfast, when we have it cold, standing up, to make hangovers go away. Italians don’t really understand pizza. They think of it as knife-and-fork food, best after the sun goes down.
Pizza isn’t as fundamental to Italy as it is to America. Over there, it plays a secondary role to pasta, risotto, and polenta. To be candid, I think they could do without it. Not us. Over here, it’s one of the few foreign foods we’ve embraced wholeheartedly, made entirely our own.
Oh, snap. Suck it, Italy. [More analysis, after the jump.]
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Posted by Adam Kuban, May 4, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Per the Eater blog:
A trusted tipster tells us that a friend was approached last week for a position at a new branch of Jim Lahey's fanatically adored Chelsea pizza place Co.. She tells us it's "somewhere downtown" but can't provide further intel.
Related
Co. Company Pizza Soft Opening Photo Gallery
First Taste: A Preview of Jim Lahey's Co. Company Pizza
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 21, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Two threads have been started in the last 30 hours on Chowhound dissing Co. Company.
Co. Pizza—Too Tarte: "These pizzas are more like gallettes or, at the risk of further pissing off Lahey, pissaladieres."
Co. Not So Hot (Longish): "The pizza was strictly ordinary.... The previous week I had a way better pizza, handmade with the freshest ingredients, with exquisite personal service by the owner and his family in, of all places, Germany."
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 10, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Co. Company's Jim Lahey (above) is not happy about his one-star review in the New York Times. He tells the New York Observer:
"We've been open only 90 days," he said. "We have not had a chance to even breathe in 90 days. What the fuck are we being reviewed by the New York Times for, you know, 90 days into being open? It makes no sense.
"If I knew we were going to be under the microscope, I would have possibly treated the opening of the restaurant a lot differently," he continued. "I didn't open this restaurant to get reviewed by the Times. Otherwise, I would have made the food a lot differently. I would have bought really nice plates and beautiful stemware. And we would have done slightly less informal service, know what I mean?"
Lahey was responding to Frank Bruni's criticism that the toppings weren't quite there yet.
Hey, it's like the old saying, "I may be fat, but you're stupid—and I can go on a diet!"
In this case, toppings are easy to tweak. It's the crust that hard to get right. And Lahey pretty much has that part down. Of course, I guess Lahey would argue that he doesn't need to tweak the toppings.
On a side note, Lahey also calls his much-lauded pizza bianca "dogshit." Apparently, it's not up to his own standards.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 8, 2009 at 3:53 PM
The paper's restaurant critic gives one star to Jim Lahey's Co. Company pizzeria. He mostly likes it but has some criticism that's fairly accurate:
But he could indeed improve upon his pizzas somewhat. Although the best of them are outstanding and all pack the pleasures of a serious crust with serious blisters—Mr. Lahey uses an oven that generates heat in excess of 900 degrees—he hasn’t yet nailed the toppings. It’s as if he’s too focused on, and maybe too confident about, what lies beneath. A pizzaiolo-come-lately, he needs to sweat the cheese and the rest of it a little more.
If you know what to order, you'll have a good pizza there. I'd recommend staying away from the béchamel pies. Mr. Bruni also says:
And those blisters sometimes multiply and spread into jarringly ashy, sooty territory. What’s a desirable sear and what’s no better than cinders? A few of the many pizzas I had at Co. left me wondering.
Co.
230 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10001 (at West 24th Street; map)
212-243-1105
co-pane.com
Related: Co. Company Pizzeria Soft Opening Photo Gallery
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 7, 2009 at 12:30 AM
While everyone else is talking about the four new pizzerias that opened in the last ten days, the New Yorker looks at Co. Company in this week's issue. For the most part I share writer Lila Byock's take on the pizza there. She loves the Boscaiola pie (mushroom, onion, sausage, chile peppers) and eschews the Santo pie ("what's with all the béchamel?") that many other (wrong-headed) critics and food bloggers have praised.
But she sets up a bit of a straw man, creating some sort of schism between two supposed sects of pizza-lovers:
There are the ascetics, who demand pies as thin and brittle as Communion wafers, versus the libertines, who prefer something they can sink their teeth into. If anyone can persuade the quarrellers to break bread, it’s surely Jim Lahey, of Co.
Where are these people demanding crusts as thin and brittle as Communion wafers? I think what most pizza purists agree on is perfecting a Margherita that's properly balanced and has a great crust. If a pizzaiolo can do that, we're willing to grant him or her some leeway when it comes to more inventive toppings.
Just not béchamel.
Co.
230 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10001 (at West 24th Street; map)
212-243-1105
co-pane.com
Related: Co. Company Pizzeria Soft Opening Photo Gallery
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 3, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got ...
Adam,
Went to Kesté last night and had a very, very satisfying meal. The place was packed, but we were able to get a table for four after less than 30 minutes. It seemed like every Italian-speaking New Yorker was eating there. Anyway, after having gone to Co. twice, most recently on Saturday, I think I can say Kesté is far better—in terms of value, authenticity (though I realize that's not quite what Jim Lahey is after), and taste. Despite being a bona fide pizza fiend, I could not finish my Margherita at Kesté, which is priced at a very reasonable $12 (albeit, this is after also getting to taste a slice of the PHENOMENAL "pizza del re"). I hope they do well, and I think it deserves a spot in the upper echelon of Neapolitan pizzerias.
Faithful reader,
Justin
Related
Kesté Pizza & Vino: What You Can Expect
First Taste: A Gallery of Co. Company Pizza
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 24, 2009 at 8:00 PM
On the New York Times's Diner's Journal food blog today, Frank Bruni has a pizza moment, saying that everyone lately has been talking about the crusty, saucy, cheesy stuff.
He then goes on to talk about, yes, Co. and Motorino.
Geesh, now even I am officially sick of hearing about Co., so I'm not going quote extensively from Bruni's post. Suffice it to say that he digs the Popeye pie there: "one of the most memorable things I've eaten in months."
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 24, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Today in the New York Daily News, Danyelle "Restaurant Girl" Freeman reviews Co.
I know some of you are getting sick of reading about Co., so had this been another stellar review, I would have skipped the reblog on it. But for all you Co. haters, you have a champion in Freeman:
Like all the crusts at Company, it's always perfect.
But it's the only thing that's always perfect at Company.
Unfortunately, pizza isn't just crust. And it isn't just sauce. And it isn't just toppings. It's the quality of these things and their ratio that make a great pizza. From day one, Company has been mobbed. Crowds hover near the door. They jam the tiny bar, waiting for a seat at one of the tables. They huddle around the hostess like Sullivan St. zombies. Which would make sense if the pizza were consistently terrific, but it's not.
People care about toppings, too. Where's the sauce? And where's the flavor, especially in the Margherita pizza—the true measure of any good pizza place? The Popeye pizza sounds like a good idea, but it's really just baby spinach leaves on excellent toast.
Of course, Freeman then says that two of Lahey's pizzas are spot on—the Flambé (which I found too heavy, actually) and the Boscaiola (the "woodsman" pizza, with sausage, mushroom, onion, and peperoncini). The rest of the menu, she says, is skippable.
Related
First Taste: A Pizza Preview of Jim Lahey's Upcoming Pizzeria, Co.
Co. Pizzeria Soft Opening Photo Gallery
Co. is now open for lunch. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's true. I'm there now. [via Danny]
Artichoke, Co., Motorino, and San Marzano are the candidates. Vote here.
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 3, 2009 at 4:45 PM
The Margherita at Co.
GQ's Alan Richman offers an entertaining take on two recently opened pizzerias, Co. and Motorino. (He says Mayor Bloomberg should stimulate the city's economy by opening more pizzerias.)
On Co., Richman says:
The pizza at Co. is produced by Jim Lahey of the revered Sullivan St Bakery and answers this question: If pizza is essentially crust, and if crust is essentially bread, and if Lahey is possibly the finest bread-maker in New York, shouldn’t the pizza at Co. be superb? This is not a trick question. The pizza is, for the most part, exactly that. The only flaw is an occasional wrongheaded harmonizing of toppings, annoying but far from fatal.
Richman's take on Motorino, after the jump.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 26, 2009 at 2:15 PM
The Martha Blog
Martha Stewart, who is, unsurprisingly, a fan of pizza, visited Jim Lahey's Co., where "one can eat delicious breads, cheeses, sausages, and pizzas." Ms. Stewart has a 20-picture photo gallery embedded in her blog post, and true to form, spends almost as much time discussing the design of the dining room (three photos of its handsomely designed lamps) as she does the food. Looks like she's even collaborating with Mr. Lahey on décor:
The shelves: We discussed, with the owner, what should be atop these shelves. No decision was made.
The wooden tables, glass carafes, and plain dishes and glassware, make the feeling "everyman" perfect, for now.
Ms. Stewart recommends getting the lardons on the escarole salad dressed with anchovies and herbs, but we're more interested in her take on the pizza:
The first pizza to emerge from the oven—cheese, mushroom, and sausage. It had thin crust—a great combination of wet and crispy—Jim talked to us about his philosophy about pizza and its texture. And look—the menus are printed on the place mats!
Martha signed a place mat for Lahey's wife (above right), with a message meant to placate her, I'm sure: "All chefs work too hard, too long, and if they are great, it's worth it." [via NYMinknit]
Related
Co. Pizzeria Soft Opening Photo Gallery
First Taste: A Pizza Preview of Jim Lahey's Upcoming Pizzeria, Co.
Martha Stewart Tries Cheesesteak for First Time, Prefers Geno's to Pat's
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 9, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Anyone not following the insanity in the comments of this post on Slice would do well to check them out. Here's Eater's take on the "Co.ntroversy":
It's a week old. A restaurant that opened over a year late after incredible build up on the blogs and the papers, with an owner and an investor who are much revered and well known in the food industry, was bound to be under siege upon opening. Wait it out, and eventually, the crowds will settle, the bad service staff will be culled, and the dough will be made in the right quantities. Hopefully. And if we were Jim Lahey, we'd be saving a pie for JGV too.
And, thanks, Eater, for recognizing the inanity of one of the most egregious claims in that thread.
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 5, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Photograph from Blondie & Brownie
I am outraged that all you pizza tourists are crowding my neighborhood spot. Go back home and eat the abominable pizza in your own neighborhoods.
Look at that line! (It comes from a Motorino-Co. head-to-head post by Blondie & Brownie.)
Granted, Co. is my work neighborhood, but still. You are going to make it impossible for me to enjoy a nice quitting-time pie.
Now, shoo!
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 2, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Raphael here in the office just asked, "I want to know, officially, is it 'Co.' or 'Company'?"
So I just called.
Co.: "Hello, Co."
Me: "Adam Kuban here, from Slice, America's Favorite Pizza Weblog."
Co.: "Um, yes?"
Me: "So there's been some confusion about your name. Are you 'Co.' or 'Company'?"
Co.: We're 'Co.' as in 'company.'"
Does that sort out any confusion, Raphael? It's still sort of a nonanswer answer. But we'll just make the call and say that we'll refer to it on Slice officially as "Co." and pronounce it as co.
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 30, 2008 at 9:45 PM
"Our pizzas are not always round."
Clockwise from top left: Co. opened with a soft launch this evening; there were actual people from the general public in the dining room. As FOS Kathryn Yu said, from the outside, it looks less like a pizzeria than a fancy Asian restaurant. One of the stars of the evening, the Ham and Cheese pie. (You can click all images bigger.)
When I checked in late afternoon to find out if Co. really was opening on Friday, the gentleman in the dining room told me, "Yes—and tonight, too." It was a sort of soft opening. With the place just a couple block from Slice–Serious Eats HQ, my workmate Alaina and I went to check it out. We were joined by her husband and a couple friends.
I've already given you more Co. Pizzeria than you need, so I'll keep this one mostly to pictures. Ahead, photos of what we had—and the big menu reveal!
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I like the headline on this Grub Street post about Co.: "A First Look at Co., Jim Lahey’s Crusty New Pizzeria" Sorry, but it's been done, folks: First Taste: A Pizza Preview of Jim Lahey's Upcoming Pizzeria, Co.
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 4, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Target date was December 2. Lahey and company said December 5 or 9 were other possible opening dates. Stay tuned. Update: Time Out New York says it's been delayed till 2009. Possibly January 2. More on Co. here on Slice »
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 22, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Co.
230 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10001 (at West 24th Street; map)
The Skinny: Actual round pizza from Jim Lahey, the bread man behind Sullivan Street Bakery (as opposed to his Roman-style flatbread pizzas found at the bakery). And, oh, it is awesome
Pizza Style: A sort of Neapolitan–New York-style hybrid
Oven Type: Earthstone gas oven; Lahey may burn a couple logs of wood or add wood chips to aromatize the crust
Opening: Target open date is Tuesday, December 2, but Lahey says, "realistically the 5th or the 9th"
Related: Update on Jim Lahey's Co., Co. Is 'Pizza Hut Meets Blue Hill'
Wednesday, about 5 p.m., Ed Levine here in the Slice–Serious Eats office was like, "So, who's going to Co. with me to shoot the tasting?"
"Um, what tasting," I asked.
"I told everybody about it. In the group chat on IM."
"Uh, no you didn't."
Long story short, I volunteered myself to trail Ed to some sort of preopening oven test and tasting at Jim Lahey's upcoming pizzeria on Ninth Avenue and 24th Street. (Lahey and company have a target opening date of December 2, but, Lahey says, "Realistically, it's more like December 5 or 9.")
We arrived, and it turned out Ed had scored some sort of super invite, because it appeared to be a tasting primarily for Lahey's investor, Phil Suarez. I felt like I had crashed an intimate gathering, but the company was welcoming, and pretty soon everyone was concentrating on the food coming from the kitchen, anyway.
Below are some photos, along with some thoughts. But before I get into it, I have to say that as I was writing this post, I called Lahey to get some follow-up details, and he told me to just come over and fire away as he was experimenting with some new pies. So the set below mixes Wednesday and Friday evening. Just go with my flow, peeps. Mega pizza porn, after the jump.
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Posted by Ed Levine, August 12, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Lahey abandoned the idea of using this pass-through window. It's going to be more of a sit-down restaurant instead, he said.
After reading Gael Greene's post about Jean-Georges Vongerichten's involvement in Sullivan Street Bakery founder Jim Lahey's pizzeria, I called Lahey for a clarification. He said that Vongerichten and his partner, Phil Suarez, were investors in his pizzeria but they will have no involvement in either the management or the food being made there. The pizzeria will be called Company, spelled "Co." in the logo.
Lahey also told me that the equipment for the pizzeria hadn't arrived yet, and he doesn't expect it to be installed until the end of August or the beginning of September. Lahey is, of course, one of the city's and the country's great bread-bakers, so all serious eaters are eagerly awaiting the opening of his pizzeria.
He will probably not be making his trademark room-temperature Roman-style pizza at the new place (Lahey never says never). He will be making round, Neapolitan-style pies and perhaps other types of flatbreads. Lahey made some of these pizzas for a holiday party he invited me to the year before last, and I can tell you they were so good Lahey's place will likely make its way into my top-ten pizzeria list for the country shortly after opening.
Lahey is experimenting with all kinds of toppings, including a raw-corn-and-olive-oil purée. And, like the obsessive he is, he went around the country tasting pizza in preparation for his opening.
His top three pizzerias, after the jump.
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