Cincinnati Pizza Week 2017 by Cincinnati CityBeat

J O I N U S I N PAY I N G HOM AGE TO ALL T H I N GS ‘Z A!

# C I N C Y P I Z Z AW E E K C I N C I N N AT I P I Z Z AW E E K .C O M

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P R E S E N T E D B Y:

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Small Dishes * Salads * Burgers * Pizza

Across from Findlay Market

CONTENTS

1739 Elm St. Cincinnati , OH 45202

Great Toppings Make the Pizza PAG E 05

Official Pizza Week Locations & Menus PAG E 0 8

Pizza Week Commandments PAG E 11

The Past, Present and Future of Pizza PAG E 13

at MadTree Brewing

Serving our beer inspired, wood-fired specialties for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday at 3301 Madison Road. catchafirepizza.com

Private event catering available on site, or let us bring our FOOD TRUCK to YOU!

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For seven straight days, restaurants across the Tristate will bake up their own spin on the wheel — from signature pies to secret menu specialties and more — for only $8! It’s an amazing deal, no matter how you slice it!

Catch-a-Fire Cafe

Authentic Irish Pub Outdoor Dining Live Music NFL Sunday Ticket FREE Shuttle to Reds & Bengals Games EPL Soccer mollymalonesirishpub.com

112 east 4th street • covington, ky 41011

(859) 491-6659

WATCH ANY GAME OR HOST AN EVENT

This is Neapolitan Done Right Cincy Pizza Week: Enjoy the classic Margherita -or- the Buffalo Chicken & Bacon for just $8! Pair with a Braxton Pint, on special all week! Plus: Plus: -Wide -Wide Selection Selection of of Fine Fine Wines Wines -Signature -Signature Cocktails Cocktails and and Full Full Bar Bar -Coffees -Coffees and and Espresso Espresso Imported Imported from from Italia Italia -Authentic -Authentic and and Creative Creative Desserts Desserts

• Great Beer Selection • Large Food Menu • Private Party Room • 47 TVs • Great Outdoor Patio with City View

houseoforangesportsbarandgrill.com

Visit during pizza week to have the carbonarza for only $8

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Rich, s w ee t h o u se - made ‘s outheRn c Re am’ sau c e an d mozzaRell a base . t o p p e d wit h hand pulled R o ast e d c h ic ke n b Reas t, s m o ke d an d se aso n e d poR k belly, an d sl ic e d c h e RRy tomatoes

Read us on your phone when you’re at the bar by yourself.

23 E. 6th St., Downtown on Fountain SquarE

(513-639-3733

(513) 351-0064 Liberty Way | 7240 Outfitters Way West Chester, OH 45069 (513) 755-0678

the all-new

CItYBeat.COM

Oakley | 3208 Vandercar Way Cincinnati, OH 45209 (513) 351-0064

modpizza.com

Great Toppings Make the Pizza BY S T EPH EN N OVOT N I

Local pizzarias offer up a wide selection of tastes and styles of pie to please their patrons. But whether a pizza is exotic or simple, consistency and quality remain the No. 1 goal. Variety is the soul of great pizza.

too much of a hassle to stay as a regular menu item, Westrich says. Another unusual pie Westrich created and still serves is his Cincinnatus Pizza. “People love it,” he says. “That’s the one with Cincinnati chili on top. Cincinnati chili pizza. A cream cheese is the base, and then Cincinnati chili with no beans and sharp cheddar cheese on top. You can get it with red onions or without. It’s a dynamite pizza.” Even though he enjoys presenting a kaleidoscope of flavors, there’s a limit to how much he can load onto his crust. Westrich says his rule is no more than eight different toppings. “We’re a thin-crust pizza place,” Westrich says. “That’s about what I can get on it before it starts to break down.”

I D E A S COM E FROM E V E RY W H E R E

Josh Freid is chef and owner of Mac’s Pizza Pub in Landen, near Loveland and Mason. Freid draws on all of his life experiences to come up with interesting pizza ideas. Mac’s locations are offering a pizza topped with meatballs, pepperoni and banana peppers for this year’s Pizza Week. “Ideas come from everywhere,” he says. “Seasons. Commercials on TV and radio. Magazines. Past trials. What my kids like.” Freid says he has no bad stories about trying out new topping combinations. “I don’t order things I know I don’t like,” Freid says. “My thoughts are, if I’ll eat it on bread, in a burrito or in a pita, it’ll be good on a pizza crust. I did have a designer pizza once in L.A. that was finished with a shaved fennel salad topping. It was not good. But, I also despise fennel, so it’s all I remember about the pizza.”

TR AV E L IS G O O D FO R TH E S O U L , BE T TE R FO R TH E PIZ Z A

The eponymous Mac Ryan, who founded Mac’s, says he travels frequently and gets his ideas for pizza topping combinations from sampling the pizza in every city he visits. “I was just in Italy a couple of weeks ago and came back with a notebook full of ideas,” Ryan says. One notable pizza Mac’s presented recently was the Bee Sting Pizza, which was topped with locally sourced honey, spicy soppressata salami and jalapeño peppers. Besides being an entrepreneur, Ryan is very much a bon vivant and speaks matter-of-factly about how he experiments with one taste or another when away from home. Maintaining a lively palate is second nature to him. “I had never had (honey) on a pizza, either,” Ryan says. “But I was in New York, had it on a pizza and it was really good.” Mac’s also offers buffalo pizza — not buffalo sauce, but actual buffalo meat. He says he’s interested in ingredient quality over how unique it is, but often these go hand in hand. “We also use real Kalamata olives,” Ryan says. “It’s just a better flavor. It’s European and it’s the real deal.” The Mac’s Clifton location has a buffet on the weekends and will try to make almost any type of pizza that can be imagined. Ryan says one of his more unusual requests was for a Reuben-style pizza. “One guy, a student, for a while, he kept bringing in sauerkraut,” Ryan says. “I thought that was weird. He was having us make an imitation Reuben with some corn beef and some carraway seeds in the dough, and thousand island dressing. We can make anything.” ©

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Newport Pizza Co. owner Mike Westrich’s deep, gravelly voice is reminiscent of Johnny Cash. He’s been in the restaurant business for going on 40 years and you can tell he’s been around the block by the way he speaks. Westrich says he makes high-quality pizzas by rolling up his sleeves and preparing the food on site. Nothing frozen or canned. Whole foods are processed in the kitchen of the Monmouth Street restaurant. “Besides being the owner, I’m also the manager,” Westrich says. “We grate our own cheeses; we make our own sauce. I buy whole produce and actually cut it every day. I don’t buy frozen toppings for my pizzas. I buy raw meats and then cook them. So, I cook the sausage every day for the pizzas and then cut it up and use it that day. I cook the hamburger for the toppings and use it that day. Besides the pepperoni, all my meats are cooked. Being a restaurant owner, you just have to be there all the time to make sure you know what’s going on.” Westrich’s pizza for Pizza Week is called The Wiseguy. It’s Newport Pizza Co.’s gangster pizza, he says, covered in salami, capocollo, pepperoni, feta cheese, provolone, mozzarella and parmesan and finished off with fresh basil and Westrich’s homemade pizza sauce. “It’s a really good piece of pizza,” Westrich says. “People really like it. At Italianfest, it was our bestreceived pizza.” And while he enjoys experimenting with unusual toppings, Westrich says he wants to make his pizza accessible to everyone during Pizza Week. This is why he chose one of his most popular pies and didn’t go with something exceptionally exotic. Newport Pizza Co. once offered a goetta pizza that included fresh goetta, gravy and scrambled eggs. It was delicious but labor intensive to get right. It was

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k i c k- o ff pa r t y N OV E m b E r 1 5:30pm-8:30pm Br a xton Brewing company pizz a Sa mpLeS Mac’s Pizza Pub, Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, Pies & Pints, and more!

Beer SpeciaL S Live entertainment from INHAILER and Artists & Models

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O F F I C I A L L O C AT I O N S C A M P O ROSS O WO O D FI R E D P IZ ZE R I A Camporosso.com 2475 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, KY

H O US E O F O R A N G E S P O R TS BA R & G R I L L HouseOfOrangeSportsBarandGrill.com 433 Johnson St., Covington, KY

12” Margherita: Long-proofed Neopolitan dough, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, housemade mozzarella, fresh basil, EVOO, finished with Parmegiano Reggiano

12” Bitterballen Flatbread: Housemade curry ketchup base covered with our delicious homemade Bitterballen mix, green peppers, and gouda cheese. Topped with panko sprinkle and whole-grain mustard drizzle

12” Buffalo Chicken & Bacon: Housemade buffalo sauce, Amish free-range chicken, applewood smoked bacon and mozzarella

C ATC H -A- FI R E P IZ Z A CatchAFirePizza.com MadTree Brewing, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley

BR A X TO N BR E W I N G COM PA N Y BraxtonBrewing.com 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, KY Buy a beer and have Mac’s Pizza Pub delivered to the Braxton Taproom!

B R I C K OV E N LOV E L A N D BrickOvenLoveland.com 390 Loveland Madeira Road, Loveland Delivery available 16” Large 1 Topping : Housemade dough and our own red sauce prepared with fresh tomatoes, topped with our three cheese blend and your choice of one topping 12” Teriyaki Chicken Pizza: Housemade dough with teriyaki sauce, mild cheeses, chicken, onion, fresh mushroom, red bell pepper and shredded carrot topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. (Vegetarian option: sub pineapple for chicken.)

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B R I X X WO O D FI R E D P IZ Z A BrixxPizza.com 9640 Mason-Montgomery Road, Mason 10” Cincy BBQ Pizza: Thin crust artisan-style pizza with housemade BBQ Sauce, smoked gouda cheese, smoked pork, topped with candied bacon and garlic dill pickles 10” The Veggie: Thin crust artisan-style pizza with a basil pesto base, fresh Roma tomatoes, housemade mozzarella, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and broccolini

B ROW N D O G C A FE BrownDogCafe.com 1000 Summit Place (Summit Park), BlueAsh 12” The Flyin’ Hawaiian: House-smoked pork belly with pineapple, red onion, cheddar, and Texas-style BBQ sauce

10” Buffalo Soldier: (Buffalo Chicken) signature buffalo sauce, spiced chicken, red onion, four cheeses + gorgonzola topped with celery and ranch 10” Natural Mystic: (Margherita) traditional red sauce, basil, roasted tomato, fresh mozzarella, sea salt

D E L I C I O C OA L FI R E D P IZ Z A DelicioCoalFiredPizza.com 3701 Montgomery Road, Norwood 13” Cheddar Mac: Zesty creme fraiche base, cavatappi pasta, sharp cheddar, formaggio-fusione cheese

D I C K M A N N’S K E N T U C K Y S P O R T S C A FE DickmannsCafe.com 479 Orphanage Road, Fort Wright, KY 12” BarnFire: A shout out to our firefighters who came up with this recipe. The BarnFire is a thin-crust pizza topped with marinara sauce, ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, Franks Red Hot sauce, crushed red pepper and mozzarella cheese

GOODFELLAS PIZZERIA GoodfellasPizzeria.com 1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine 603 Main St., Covington, KY 12” Frankie Pickles: Spicy pepperoni paired with zesty dill pickle chips finished with a buffalo ranch drizzle. Pickles and pizza is not traditional, but it packs a punch in flavor and will leave your taste buds watering for that next bite 12” Zucchini Gagootz: A “crazy in the head” Italian or a delightful yummy hanging squash? Thinly sliced zucchini layers rest on a bed of 100% whole milk mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with airy, crisp panko breadcrumbs, fresh parsley and finished with a dusting of parmesan. This pie is GAGOOTZ!

H A RV ES T P IZ ZE R I A OT R HarvestPizzeria.com 1739 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine 9” Any House Specialty Pizza

I N C L I N E PU B L I C H O US E InclinePublicHouse.com 2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill 10”-12” BBQ Chicken Pizza: BBQ sauce, red onions, grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese, house blend cheese, fresh cilantro (pizza available every day except Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

M AC K E NZI E R I V E R P IZ Z A , G R I L L & PU B MackenzieRiverPizza.com 2905 Dixie Highway, Crestview Hills, KY 12” Fresh Tomato Basil: Classic tomato sauce, fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic and mozzarella

M AC’S P IZ Z A PU B MacsPizzaPub.com 205 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights 6309 Wooster Pke., Mariemont 2920 W. US-22 & 3, Mainville 604 Main St., Covington, KY Delivery to Braxton Brewing Co. 12” The Don: Fresh handmade pizza dough topped with red sauce, housemade meatballs, pepperoni, banana peppers, fresh basil, and a hand-shredded mozzerella and provolone cheese blend finished off with a brush of garlic butter on the crust

M O D P IZ Z A ModPizza.com 7240 Outfitters Way, West Chester 3208 Vandercar Way, Oakley 5225 Cornerstone North Blvd., Centerville 11” Mad Dog: Artisan thin-style crust, housemade red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, mild Italian sausage, and ground beef 11” Dillon James: Artisan thin-style crust, housemade red sauce, mozzarella, garlic, fresh chopped basil, tomatoes, and asiago cheese Top either pizza off with a fountain drink or hand spun milkshake. The choice is yours!

• $ 8 P I ZZAS • ci n ci n n at ipi z z Aw e e k . c o m • M o l ly M a lo n e’s I r i s h Pu b & R es tau r a n t MollyMalonesIrishPub.com 112 E. Fourth St. Covington, KY 6111 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge

P iz ze l ii Pizzelii.com 7639 Wooster Pike, Mariemont

T wo C i t i es P iz z a C o. TwoCitiesPizza.com 202 West Main St., Mason, OH

10” Spiral Margherita: Red sauce, housemade basil infused mozzarella finished with garlic-infused olive oil

12” any Pizza: Our hand-tossed dough and sauce are made fresh daily and baked in a brick oven for the perfect thin-crust pizza

P iz ze r i a Lo c a l e PizzeriaLocale.com 7800 Montgomery Road, Kenwood 9540 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason

12” The Cabbie-Thin Crust: Gouda, bacon, red onion, potato, scallions, chipotle aioli drizzle, and garlic crema drizzle on our housemade New York-style crust

N e w p o r t P iz z a C o mpa n y NewportPizzaCompany.com 601 Monmouth St., Newport, KY 12” Wiseguy: For the gangster in all of us! A combination of salami, capicola, and pepperoni with feta cheese, fresh basil and a three-cheese blend atop a New York-style dough 12” Pepperoni: A traditional pepperoni New York-style pizza

Pa lomi n o Palomino.com 505 Vine St., Downtown 12” Fresh Roma & Mozzarella: Housemade San Marzano marinara, fresh basil, shaved garlic 12” Incredible Pepperoni: Aged mozzarella, housemade San Marzano marinara 12” Housemade Hot Italian: Sausage & Mushroom, Aged mozzarella, red chili flakes, housemade San Marzano marinara

P i e o lo gy P iz ze r i a Pieology.com 128 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights 7578 Beechmont Ave., Anderson 11” Custom Pizza; Unlimited Toppings + Drink, Pie Rise Thick Crust or our Original Thin Crust. Unlimited toppings of your choice. Pizza deal includes an Alta Palla organic craft soda

10” Any one-topping pizza

P iz z a C u ci n ova PizzaCucinova.com 8060 Montgomery Road, Kenwood 10” Craft Your Own: Craft your own pizza with unlimited toppings and a chocolate chunk cookie

P os t O ffic e Pl ac e (P O P) PostOfficePlace.com 3923 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum 10” BBQ Chicken: A crispy, thin-crust pizza topped with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, blackened chicken, and red onion

R a pi d Fi r e d P iz z a RapidFiredPizza.com 12096 Montgomery Road, Loveland 720 Eastgate South Drive, Eastgate 3583 Dixie Highway, Middletown 7555 Mall Road Florence, KY Any Craft or Build-Your-Own: Choose any craft or buildyour-own pizza with your choice of toppings on thin, pan or No-Doh crust, plus a medium fountain drink. Glutenfree crust is available for an additional charge

S t ro n g’s B r ic k Ov e n Piz ze r i a StrongsBrickOvenPizza.com 336 Monmouth St., Newport, KY 1 East High St., Lawrenceburg, IN 1990 N. Bend Road, Hebron, KY 10” Pizza Alla Vodka: Strong’s famous vodka cream sauce, mozzarella, seasoned fresh mushrooms, spinach and prosciutto

Ta f t’s B r e w p o u r i um at Ta f t’s B r e w i n g C o. TaftsBeer.com 4831 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village 10” BBQ Pork Pie: New Haven-style Apizza topped with cherrywood amber pulled pork, housemade BBQ sauce, smoked white cheddar, fresh jalapeños, red onion, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and cilantro (Open Wednesday-Sunday)

Tag l i o EatTaglio.com 3531 Columbia Parkway, Columbia Tusculum 14” Bianco: Extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, fresh ricotta, aged mozzarella

Z a b lo n g Zablong.com 23 E. Sixth St., Downtown 12” Oblong CarbonarZA: Rich, sweet housemade ‘Southern Cream’ sauce and Mozzarella base. Topped with hand pulled roasted chicken breast, smoked and seasoned pork belly, and sliced cherry tomatoes

S n a ppy To m ato P iz z a (22 lo c at i o n s) SnappyTomato.com Alexandria, 8248 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria, KY Bright, 2005 Jamison Drive, Lawrenceburg, IN Burlington, 6111A Burgundy Hill Drive, Burlington, KY Cold Spring, 4140 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY Dent, 7074 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati Downtown, 330 Walnut St., Cincinnati Dry Ridge, 118 School Road, Dry Ridge, KY Eastgate, 960 Kennedy’s Landing, Cincinnati Erlanger, 643 Stevenson Road, Erlanger, KY Fairfax, 6016 Wooster Pike, Cincinnat Fairfield Township, 3917 Tylersville Road, Hamilton Falmouth, 1300 Ridgeway Ave., Falmouth, KY Florence, 8450 U.S. 42, Florence, KY Ft. Thomas, 1177 S Ft. Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, KY Ft. Wright, 485 Orphanage Road, Ft. Wright, KY Maineville, 6647 Ohio 48, Maineville New Richmond, 1041 Old US 52, New Richmond Richwood, 311 Richwood Road, Walton, KY Rising Sun, 624 N High St., Rising Sun, IN Ross, 3755 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton Walton, 3 N Main St., Walton, KY Warsaw, 310 E Main St., Warsaw, KY 12” (Medium) Loaded Potato Pizza: The Loaded Potato Pizza begins with a base of creamy ranch dressing, topped with thick pieces of potato, crisp bacon, and topped with extra cheese. (Excludes gluten-free crust)

= Bra x ton Special

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P i es & P i n t s PiesandPints.net 56 W. Freedom Way, The Banks, Downtown 5901 E. Galbraith Road, Kenwood 7621 Gibson St., Liberty Township

11” Pepperoni & Budino: Personal pepperoni pizza and budino pudding dessert

9” Pepperoni-Deep Dish: Chicago pepperoni, fresh chunky tomato sauce, and whole milk mozzarella on our housemade Chicago-style crust

e Pizza l y t S n e v a H & New n e v O d e r i F l Coa eryWeek Only! w e r B A n I g n Liviecialty Pie for Pizza ork Sp $8 BBQ P

4831 Spring Grove Ave Cincinnati, OH 45232

www.taftsbeer.com

390 Loveland Madeira Rd Loveland, OH 45140 brickovenloveland.com (513) 677-1234

NEAPOLITAN PIZZA IS THE BETTER PIZZA

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Enjoy it the true Italian way, with a knife & fork. Coming Soon to Downtown Cincinnati 595 Race Street | 84.51 Building | 513-273-4333 MidiCiCincinnati

mymidici.com

Pizza Week COMMANDMENTS

Cincinnati Pizza Week creates such strong, lusty — even insane — feelings that we decided it needed its own manifesto. Please read on…

TH E Y W I LL RU N O UT We expect that these restaurants will be extremely busy. So, if a place runs out toward the end of a shift, please handle it like an adult: Go back the next day, earlier, order your pizza, and thank them for working so hard to do this for you. Please be nice to our restaurants.

10” Pizza Alla Vodka Strong’s famous vodka cream sauce, mozzarella, seasoned fresh mushrooms, spinach & prosciutto.

TH ERE W I LL BE WA ITS People have been talking about Cincinnati Pizza Week 2017 for weeks. Don’t be surprised if restaurants have waits. In fact, be surprised if they don’t.

336 Monmouth St. Newport, KY 1990 N Bend Rd. Hebron, KY 1 E. High St. Lawrenceburg, IN

YO U W I LL TI P LI K E A PRO $8 brings out the cheap in all of us, but, really, you’re getting a $12-plus pizza — many restaurants go way overboard with ingredients, trying to outdo each other — so please tip generously. The people who are serving you are working harder during Pizza Week than during many other times of the year. A kind word will also be welcome — these people are our friends and neighbors.

YO U RE A LLY SH O U LD BUY A D RI N K A N D/O R OTH ER FO O DS Purchase of sides and extras is not a requirement. But we think it says a lot to those working to bring you an extraordinary experience. Grab some breadsticks, a Braxton brew and say thanks!

Visit during Pizza Week to have the 10" Spiral Margherita for only $8 Red sauce, house-made basil infused mozzarella finished with garlic infused olive oil 7639 Wooster Pike, Mariemont 513-407-3007

D I N E- I N These pizzas are amazing deals — many restaurants are making them dine-in only, unless the restaurant is carryout-only. So please check with the individual restaurant if you plan on carrying out.

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C H EC K T W IT TER/FAC EBO O K/I NSTAGR A M Restaurants are encouraged to post their waits and remaining pizza for the day. Go to cincinnatipizzaweek.com, and don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos and tweets with #CincyPizzaWeek.

Clifton USqUare: 128 W McMillan Street 45219 (513) 221-1300

anderSon towne Center: 7578 Beechmont Ave 45255 (513) 231-1919

w w w . p i e o l o g y. c o m

Specialty and traditional pizzas, salads, hoagies, appetizers and a large selection of beer and wine! 601 MonMouth St. newport, KY 41071 859-261-4900 newportpizzacoMpanY.coM

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Stay. Visit during Pizza Week & have our BBQ Chicken Pizza for only $8

Sit.

Savor.

BBQ sauce, red onions, grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese, house blend cheese, fresh cilantro (pizza available every day except Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

2601 W 8th Street • Cincinnati, OH 45204 (513) 251-3000

4335 Glendale-Milford Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45242 (513) 794-1610 • browndogcafe.com

The Past, Present and Future of Pizza BY S T EPH EN N OVOT N I

It is one of the most customizable, transportable, addictive and popular foods. You can get it by phone, app, on foot or drive-through. You can find high-end versions at fine dining establishments and glacial miasmas of sauce and bread caked in mountains of cheese in your grocer’s freezer.

You can get it on a train, on a plane and eat it on the sly in the bus and the car. You can reheat it or nuke it or gulp it down cold from the fridge on a late-night binge. You can make it yourself even if your cooking skills are limited to burning toast. It’s self-empowering, sharable, mobile and unique. And, in this way, pizza is the food that gave birth to the 21st century. Before there was video on demand or day-of-purchase deliveries by Amazon Prime, there was Dominos. Before the instant gratification of Snapchat, there was microwavable pizza. And before there was a cellphone in your hand, distracting you on urban streets, there was a slice of pizza. Life on the go, the way you want it.

W H E R E D I D PIZ Z A COM E FROM A N Y WAY?

PIZ Z A I N TH E U. S .

Pizza was a pretty niche item in the United States during the Victorian era. It was popular among Italian immigrant communities in New York and Chicago but had little reach beyond those neighborhoods. During the Gangs of New York era, it was sold on the street by the slice and hadn’t yet earned its place as a respectable meal. The first American Pizzeria opened in 1905 — Lombardi’s in NYC. They sold it by the slice for 5 cents and are still operating today using the same recipe. Later, there was a divergence and a competition of styles — New York crust versus Chicago crust. Chicago’s deep-dish pizzas had heft and were derived from Sicilian-style pizzas. Even today, it’s almost a bread bowl filled with toppings. New York retained pizza’s

Neapolitan roots. It was another cultural battleground between the First and Second Cities. Pizzeria Uno (originally named Uno’s because it was going to offer Mexican food) opened in Chicago in 1943, serving deep dish, Chicago-style pizza. The nation’s pizza craze was really starting to ramp up during this time. The end of World War II brought soldiers home, along with their newfound taste for Italian food.

TH I RT Y M I N UTES O R LESS

The real modernization of pizza started with the innovation of pizza delivery. Pizzerias delivered before 1961 but typically only when they first started, as a promotional gimmick. But Dominos, located just outside of Detroit, took what was promotional and made it their mainline — they even invented the “30 minutes or less” delivery concept. And then pizza delivery became our country’s mainline, too. Pizza became part of the service economy and the convenience factor of the modern world. Dream of it, dial it up (or now punch it in on an app) and it arrives at your door, hot and ready. It’s the Caligulan/pax Romana/me-centered paradigm that is the forerunner of everything from Amazon to Uber. Snap your fingers and — bam! There it is. Today, pizza is nearly as American as the cheeseburger — an essential element of a movie night in with the kids or watching a ballgame with buds, or a night out at myriad styles of restaurants, from fast-casual to gourmet and beyond. The same tenets that made pizza a hit in the U.S. in the early 20th century — convenience, simplicity, deliciousness — have positioned the fare to be just as integral to the next century of U.S. life and dining. ©

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The first thing to resemble pizza is known to have been created in ancient times. The ancient Greeks made a dish called “plakous” — baked bread topped with herbs, onion and garlic. This was called “focaccia” by Italians. The traditional round shape of the pizza pie supposedly comes from the soldiers of Persian king Darius I, who, in the sixth century, baked bread topped with cheese on shields to make field rations. The idea was and is pretty simple: bread as a plate. Remember that tomatoes are a New World food, and because they are related to the deadly nightshade family of plants, they were first thought to be poisonous. Via the Columbian Exchange, the tomato found its way to Italy. The first thing Americans would recognize as a modern pizza originated in 18th-century Naples. It was a peasant food that combined cheese and tomatoes on a thin, round crust — Neapolitan pizza.

Street vendors sold this pizza to workers, who could pick it up and eat it on the go. Cheap, portable and no plate required. The Sicilians merged the tomato with the focaccia bread and birthed the thick-crust Sicilian pizza. Theirs was square or rectangular, but still portable. Pizzas were hustled entirely by street vendors until 1830, when Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba opened in Naples — the world’s first pizza restaurant. They served (and still serve) two types of pizzas: marinara and margherita. Marinara pizza is literally “the mariner’s” pizza because it was traditionally prepared by the families of fishermen. It was topped with tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil. The margherita omits the oregano and garlic but includes mozzarella cheese and basil. It was supposedly a favored dish of the 19th-century Princess Margherita of Savoy and bears her name.

POST PHOTOS/WIN PRIZES

#CincyPizzaWeek 202 W Main St Mason, OH 45040

twocitiespizza.com (513) 770-0000

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SEND RESTAURANT TIPS, NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES TO EATS@CITYBEAT.COM

Follow @CincyPizzaWeek on Twitter/Instagram Post pictures during the week using #CincyPizzaWeek Each hashtag is an entry to win gift certificates to participating Pizza Week restaurants BONUS: Tag yourself enjoying a Braxton with #BraxtonAndPizza and receive an extra entry to win gift certificates and more!

t o n s ’ t I , s u o i c i l e d t s u j ! o i c i l e it’s D

University Station at Xavier 3701 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45207 513.429.5855

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