Daily Slice: Finger Lakes Flat Bread, Ithaca, New York

Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.

[Photographs: Erin Mosbaugh]

Leslie Muhlhahn, chef and owner of Finger Lakes Flat Bread stationed at the Ithaca Farmer's Market, is turning out thin crust, wood-fired pizza that Farmer's Market patrons can't get enough of. Leslie's so-called "flatbreads" are more than worthy of the "pizza" title. The dough is leavened with yeast and the crust, despite being thin, has a nice chew to it. But what's intriguing and out of the ordinary about this pizza operation is Leslie's "oven-on-wheels". She's working with a mobile, wood-fired pizza oven (shipped in from Cali) that reaches 800 degrees to produce an even char on the crust.

Leslie gets creative with toppings, offering a Southwestern Flatbread with blackened corn, black beans, chipotle-tomato sauce, and cheddar from Cuba, NY. The Garlic Herb Flatbread is topped with a blended oil of chopped basil, garlic, oregano, and a healthy portion of Asiago cheese. Leslie offers weekly flatbread specials inspired by whatever produce her fellow vendors bring to the market.

If you find yourself near Ithaca, and more specifically the awe-inspiring Ithaca Farmer's Market, I highly recommend dropping by Finger Lakes Flat Bread, not only to ogle Leslie's awesome mobile pizza oven, but to enjoy a great slice of pizza from a truly talented pizzaiolo.

Finger Lakes Flat Bread

Saturdays and Sundays; Steamboat Landing, Ithaca, NY 14850 (map) Tuesdays and Thursdays; Dewitt Park, Ithaca, NY 14850 (map)
607-273-7109; ithacamarket.com

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