Scott's Pizza Tour Pizza News

A week before the closing of Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies, with Men Who Dine and Pizza Rules.

Last weekend marked the end of an era for Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies on Hudson Street in Trenton, NJ. It was one of the country’s greatest pizzerias, not only because of its  food but also as an iconic space that was enjoyed by so many over the course of its 60+ years in existence. But although Trenton’s pizza (err…. tomato pie) scene has taken a hit, there’s still refuge for those who dig an honest place for an honest pie that hasn’t been corrupted or modified since day 1. After my final visit to Delorenzo’s on Hudson St with Men Who Dine and Nick from Pizza Rules, we hit two additional spots to round out the trip. It’s obvious that the Trenton tomato pie lives on even without its most famous landmark.

Delorenzo’s Pizza on Hamilton Ave
First of all, notice the difference in the name: Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies on Hudson Street is the one that just closed (on Sunday) and Delorenzo’s Pizza on Hamilton Ave remains open. The two were started by brothers but the pizza is completely different. DTP (Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies) lays the sauce on top of the cheese while DP (Delorenzo’s Pizza) cheeses above the sauce. The crust is also different but I don’t want to go down this road or we’ll be comparing doorknob and toilet seat choices before long. Suffice it to say this is a place you can grab some good food and be comfortable while doing it.

I know, it’s empty. That’s because Nick and I got there as they were about to close. The line at DTP was long so we had only 30 min to stop by the remaining two pizzerias on our hit list (both are closed by 8:45pm). Just look at those beautiful red booths and classy wood paneling. Just in case you can’t taste it from a photo of the interior, here’s a shot of the pie…

All my Trenton photos look funny, but the crust really was this yellow. Is it semolina? Corn? I have no idea but maybe it’s a secret from the ancient pizza making rituals. Didn’t you know that Delorenzo’s Pizza is related to the origin of pizza itself? According to their menu, the pizza maker at DP was trained by a direct descendant of Domenico Testa, the pizza maker who allegedly served pizza to King Ferdinand II in the 1830s. Is it true? And if so, does it actually mean anything? (wow, I’ve been watching too much Ancient Aliens lately)

Papa’s Tomato Pies
This one’s my personal favorite Trenton spot. It has the same homey vibe as both Delos’ but even more charm in terms of its story. Joe Papa opened this place in 1912 after working at another tomato pie joint. His family has run it ever since, which makes it the oldest continuous pizzeria business in the USA. Don’t confuse this claim with Lombardi’s in New York City, which was the first dedicated pizzeria in the USA. Both these claims are different from Totonno’s, which has been run by the same family in the same location since 1924 (Papa’s moved), making it the longest running pizzeria location in the country.

Papa’s Tomato Pies is adorable. Nick Azzaro and his family take great care of you and there’s even a booklet with articles, reviews and history on each table. Again, it’s only empty in the photo because we got there late, but this is absolutely what a pizzeria is supposed to look like. Get a load of those light fixtures! And the pie ain’t bad either…

Classic NJ pizza at its best. Sorry it’s in a box, I’m really not into that, but they were closing and we had to hit the road. I should also point out that this is closest Trenton’s old tomato pie scene has to a New York pizza because the crust is a bit softer than both Delos and Papa’s cuts each pie into 8 slices whereas Delo’s cuts their into 10. Don’t ask me why.

It’s sad that Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies closed but there’s still plenty of action at these other Trenton landmarks. Just be sure to check their schedules before you go, I’ve taken drives down only to meet a CLOSED sign on more than one occasion.

It may not feel like Winter in New York, but there is no avoiding the deep chill that is sure to come. And when that day arrives, you’ll want nothing more than a cozy fire and a good book about pizza. Fear not, dear slice-o-phile, for there are several fantastic reads at your local book shoppery that promise to keep you warm while nature does her thing. Here’s a roundup of some books I’ve been spending time with lately…

1. Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoe Francois (St Martin’s Press)

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day is exactly what it sounds like. This is the latest in a series about hassle-free bread baking and it’s totally awesome. Baking pizza is an extremely practical way to feed yourself AND heat yourself. The book makes you feel like a jerk for wasting so much of your life not making pizza at home with its ridiculously simple dough recipes. No complicated steps or fancy words, just simple ingredients that combine to make dough that sits in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.

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These amazing SPT holiday cards went out to pizzerias, folks who took private tours and other pizza buddies.

(image by Kristina Sacci)

I was on 101.9 FM News today talking about coal-burning ovens. FUN!

All pies go to heaven.

(Trenton, NJ) - DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies on Hudson Street in Trenton, NJ has announced its imminent closing on Jan 15, 2012. This is a sad moment for New Jersey pizza lovers who take pride in the small handful of “tomato pie” spots in the Trenton enclave of Chambersburg.

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ABC 7 did a story about the pizza tour for all New York metro area viewers but YOU get to see it here, thanks to the magic of the Internet!

Get your tickets, gift certificates and assorted holiday gifts at www.scottspizzatours.com.

That’s right kiddies, I’m doing another vegan pizza tour on December 10 starting at 11:45am on the Bowery in NYC. We’ll be hitting three pizzerias around the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village, each of which features a different animal-free pizza style. We’ll make our way to each stop on foot and everybody gets a slice per stop PLUS a sweet vegan-friendly goody bag, all included with your $35 ticket.

Tickets must be purchased in advance through our online ticketing agent, so please sign up if you’d like to join us. I’m keeping the group pretty small, so grab your ticket fast!

Fast Details:
Saturday, December 10
11:45am - approximately 2:30pm
$35 ticket fee (includes pizza and Pizza Tour Survival Kit)

NYC Vegan Pizza Tour - Buy Your Ticket Here

Most of my Ray’s menu collection.

At the end of the day today, a pizzeria will close in New York City. This kind of thing happens all the time, but today’s closing is a bit more significant than most others. It isn’t one of the ancient brick oven joints or a stand-on-line-for-six-hours kind of place, but a slice shop with a very familiar name. To anyone who has lived in New York or expressed any curiosity in the pizza landscape of this fine city, today’s closing will elicit both sadness and confusion. For today marks the closing of New York’s oldest Ray’s Pizzeria.

I knew I would get questions about Ray’s from day one of running tours of significant New York pizzerias, so I made it my mission to learn as much as possible about the history of Ray. Plenty has already been written about the confusing ownership of the various Ray’s locations, so I’m going to give as quick a summary as possible by tracing the lineage through a collection of business licenses and phone books I have collected over the years.

First Ray’s in 1960 Manhattan phone book.

Ralph Cuomo and his partners opened Ray’s Pizzeria on Prince Street in 1959. Not only does the restaurant’s awning say so, but so do the phone book and original business license. At this time, there was no other pizzeria in Manhattan with the name Ray. When asked why not call his restaurant Ralph’s, he is said to have replied that the name Ralph was too feminine. (Yeah, I don’t exactly get it either.) Considering a future where Ray would appear on pizzeria awnings all over the city, it’s truly ironic that Cuomo may have avoided using his own name because there was already a place in Manhattan called Ralph’s Pizzeria Restaurant (862 9th Ave). And so, the restaurant at 27 Prince Street was simply called Ray’s.

After just five years, Ralph Cuomo and his partners opened a second Ray’s Pizza location at 1073 First Ave, which they quickly sold to Frances Giaimo. Cuomo continued to run the Prince Street location, cutting any connection to the First Ave store, which Giaimo sold to Rosolino Mangano in 1968. With the entrance of Rosolino Mangano, Ray’s jumps into the forefront with an explosion of pizzerias across town. He gave ambitious family members and immigrants the opportunity to run his stores, resulting in the creation of a mini-chain.

Ralph Cuomo’s original business license for Ray’s Pizza at 27 Prince Street, dated June 24, 1959.

Name recognition grew for Ray’s, which some former employees used to their advantage. Mario and Lamberto Di Rienzo formed a partnership in 1973 to open a pizzeria called The Famous Ray’s Pizza at the corner of 6th Ave and 11th Street. In response, Mangano changed the name on his restaurants to Original Ray’s Pizza in 1976 (this may have happened sooner, but the earliest “Original” business license I have is from 1976). Meanwhile, the pizzeria at 27 Prince Street was still just called Ray’s.

Tensions escalated as more pizzerias started calling themselves Ray’s. It’s a common name, easy to fit on signage, and cheap to write in neon. In fact, Ralph Cuomo was getting so miffed by the hullabaloo over his name that he added a comment on a 1982 business certificate that states, “Ray is my nickname.” By this point, every Ray’s pizzeria was either “famous,” “original,” “real” or “world famous,” so Rosolino Mangano upped the ante when he combined the most popular adjectives and renamed his location at 204 Ninth Ave “Famous Original Ray’s”. He registered for a trademarked two years later and started bringing on the lawsuits. To this day, more unaffiliated Ray’s pizzerias open every year in New York, Arizona, California, London, Australia and beyond. The grand sum of these pizzerias does not constitute a single chain or franchise. It’s a real mess for pizza lovers and lawyers alike.

It’s very likely that other pizzerias used the name Ray before Ralph Cuomo (I found evidence of at least two), but none lasted long enough to be affiliated with the current situation. The pizzeria at 27 Prince Street truly is Patient Zero for the Ray’s epidemic. After Cuomo passed away in 2008, the business fell into disarray. The family’s internal battle over the building’s ownership led to last week’s announcement to either close or relocate the pizzeria.

My friends and family know how interested I am in the whole Ray’s story, so I got quite a few calls and emails when the news hit last week. It seemed like everybody had heard about it, even if they didn’t know what it meant. But one person hadn’t heard the news until I told him a few days ago. Frank Spatola made pizza at Ray’s on Prince Street for 32 years before exiting three months ago. Perhaps he just needed a change of scenery, or maybe he saw the writing on the wall. But fear not, Spatola hasn’t retired. You can find him slinging pies above the West 4th Street subway station at Cafe Amore’s Pizza (6th Ave and West 3rd Street). The pizza may not be identical to that of Ray’s on Prince Street, but at least you know there’s a qualified pair of hands behind the counter.

Frank Spatola at his new digs.

Like Ray’s, Amore’s is a slice shop. In fact, Amore’s was once a Ray’s! Slice shops entered the scene as a way for young entrepreneurs to enter the food business without spending much on rent, equipment or personnel. In the late 1950’s, one could purchase all the necessary equipment for a few thousand dollars. A small place like Ray’s could serve just as many take-out customers as any dine-in restaurant with a fraction of the space. Few slice shops of that age remain, leaving just a handful to carry the torch.

It will be a real shame if the legacy of Ray’s on Prince Street is in name alone. The Ray’s name is so garbled at this point that most people will likely think of the controversy before considering the food. I had a pretty killer square there last month and I hope folks get a chance to stop by before the final slice is served. This pizzeria floats alone in a sea of confusion, as it isn’t part of a chain or franchise. It stood before all the others and will remain independent until the final day. The awning doesn’t need to make bold claims; this place has true fame and originality in a way few eateries will ever attain.

***RAY’S UPDATE***

Just after the 27 Prince St announcement came, The Famous Ray’s Pizza on the corner of Sixth Ave and 11th Street mysteriously shuttered. The windows are covered up, a FOR RENT sign hangs on the door and every instance of the letters R, A and Y are missing from the store’s signage. I personally didn’t like their pizza very much over the past few years, but this Ray’s is said to have been the shining beacon among NYC pizzerias. It was sort of a landmark, even if it clearly wasn’t the first of the bunch.

** A version of this piece originally appeared on the pizza blog Slice.

My three-part class on the history of pizza starts tonight at the Brooklyn Brainery and I couldn’t possibly be more excited. The course will cover the evolution of pizza from pre-origin to futuristic pizza machines via a cultural, economic, scientific, historical and gastronomic perspective. I’m splitting the course into three parts, beginning with tonight’s What is Pizza? class. There are just a couple spots left so grab them while they’re hot.

I should also mention that we’ll have FREE pizza at each session donated by local pizzerias whose products are historically appropriate for the evening’s class. Tonight’s featured pizzeria is Sottocasa, Atlantic Ave’s newest Neapolitan pizza purveyor.

Sign Up For The Class Here

Brooklyn Brainery
515 Court Street
$50 (pizza included)
Three Wednesdays, October 12, 19 + 26
6:30-8:30pm

I’ve been gearing up for next weekend’s Gluten Free Pizza Tour with some educational excursions throughout NYC. A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit a 100% gluten-free bakery right down the street from my apartment in Brooklyn. I spent some quality time with Predro Arroba and Bruce Bassman of Everybody Eats.

The company began about seven years ago when Arroba’s deep desire for bread became too much to ignore. Pedro has Celiac, an autoimmune condition that doesn’t tolerate proteins found in wheat, rye and barley. Quite unfortunate for a bread lover, the lack of these proteins has provided extreme challenges to the fundamentals of bread making. Gluten provides the elastic web responsible for capturing fermentation gases, so gluten-free bakers must find suitable replacements to hold their dough together. Pedro and Bruce seem to have figured it out, because their breads look like the real deal!

Everybody Eats has been making gluten-free pizza since the company launched so I had to stop by for a slice…

I was amazed at their simplistic approach, with minimal low moisture mozzarella and a lightly-seasoned crushed tomato. These guys know when to hold back and I thank them for it! If you’re gluten-free, look for Everybody Eats’ products in your local natural foods store. And if you can’t find it, demand it!