GOOD EATS #1: WELCOME TO SAL’S.
August 5, 2009
It's funny how the pizza has become this 'international standard' food. No matter where it seems you go in the world, it's like this culinary constant that you can revert to if you're not feeling that adventurous with finding something to eat. That said, it may be a standard of sorts but they never seem to taste the same in every country. In my experience, in Japan, they seem to be mostly devoid of herbs and taste rather bland, most places in South East Asia taste like horrible Pizza Hut fast food and here, they just can't seem to get the crust right. It's either too thick, or if you order the thin crust, they end up more "crispier" than thin.
This is Ciaran, a native of Queens NYC. He moved here in January, and I'm guessing he shared the same frustration as me with the humble ol' pizza, because he's the one who set up this joint - Sal's. 10 years ago he approached his favourite local joint in his neighbourhood - Sal's Pizzeria in Queens to talk about opening up shop outside of NYC. For one reason or another it didn't happen back then, but over the years he kept the thought in the back of his mind - and last year when he was back home he went back to Sal's with his idea, who ended up giving him their original recipe, the same recipes they've used for all their pies since they opened in 1975. Funnily enough, they didn't want anything for it, just to share good pizza with the world, so in return he named his own joint after them. Sal's Pizza, Auckland New Zealand.
The life cycle of the pizza pie - from dough, to the toss, to the oven.
Et voila. Fresh out of the oven, ready by the slice. Nothing beats the standard 18" size. I first tasted his pies a few weeks ago, and despite my hypothesis in the first paragraph, for the first time in my life it tasted just like the pizza that I lived on during my short tenure in the USA in '99. Especially the sauce - slightly tangy, definately nothing like anything local. This is certainly one of the best pizzas I've had in my 15 on/off years here in this country. So amazing, that we asked him to bring some pizza pies to our big birthday block party this Friday 07/08/09.
Be sure to check him out, on Commerce St, Auckland City Central (next to the White Lady), and tell him we sent ya so he can whip up a fresh pie out of the oven for you. Otherwise, you can sample the pizza, completely free of charge at our birthday party on Friday night. If there's any left over by the time you get there, that is.
Buon Appetito.
Great post and well written- Sadly since I am not living in NYC I can't get any authentic pizza at this hour of the evening so I will have to remain sitting in my computer chair salivating at the screen and that last image haha.