Guest Bloggers
On Pizza and Beer
Note from Brad: I was reading Part 4 of John Arena’s “Are You Ready to Turn Pro” series on our site and noticed an interesting comment from one of our readers, Kevin Szot. Well, truth be told, it was interesting in that the commenter owned a micro-brewery in Chile and loves to make pizza! I checked out his site and realized that he didn’t just love making pizza, but had…Read More…
Roberta’s – Mini Quest Part 2
Note: For a recap, scroll down the homepage past the halfway point, to read about Dave’s and my visit to Di Faro’s, which is Part One of our NYC Mini-Quest: Dave and I had to force ourselves to stop eating pizza at Di Fara’s. This was no easy task. You’re sitting there in front of what is a “perfect” pizza in a “perfect” place and you have to stop eating…Read More…
Are You Ready to Turn Pro, Part 4
Note from Peter: We’ve had great response to this series by John Arena, which has been a true reality check for all of us. For those who haven’t seen the previous three installments, or who may want to review them, they are all still here on the homepage (scroll down a bit), and also in the Guest Columns section. Thank you so much, John, for sharing your lifetime worth of…Read More…
Are You Ready to Turn Pro? Part 3
OK, so you have considered the physical challenges and demands of becoming a pizza professional. You are confident that you want to transition from being a great amateur to becoming a successful pizza operator. Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend…MATH! I know that many of you have a dream of escaping from the mundane business world and earning a living as a pizza artisan. Math may…Read More…
Di Fara Pizza
Di Fara Pizza – Part I of a 3 stop pizza quest: Dave Wilson (our very own Pizza Quest Director of Photography and Co-Director on our various webisodes) and I were working in New York together and realized that it looked like we were going to actually have a Saturday afternoon off. Time for ourselves! The wheels were spinning. What to do? Where to go? NY is limitless after all!…Read More…
Are You Ready to Turn Pro, Part Two
Note from Peter: Don’t forget to scroll down the home page for Part One of this new series from our friend John Arena, owner of the hugely popular Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. We’ve been getting some great response to this. Thanks John!!) There are many components to opening and sustaining a successful pizzeria, but for now let’s focus on essential pizza making skills. So here is lesson number one:…Read More…
Are You Ready to Turn Pro?
Part I OK, you’ve been making pizzas at home now for years. You invested in a great oven. You source the best ingredients. You stay up all night arguing on the internet about water sources and fermentation times. You obsess over every detail. Everyone tells you that your pizza is better than what they can get in any pizzeria. Well… even if no one else says it, you know that…Read More…
Montanara Starita
This is not a restaurant review! This is a selfish blog posting about being on my own little pizza quest and running into one of the masters in the world of artisan pizza. I had been trying all week, while I was working in NYC a while back, to fit in some pizza questing and I had the opportunity to visit one of New York’s newest ventures. Don Antonio…Read More…
Kneading Conference West 2012
I just finished attending the amazing Kneading Conference West 2012 here in the Northwest. It was the second annual Kneading Conference West and was held on September 13, 14 and 15 at the WSU Research and Extension Center in Mt. Vernon, WA. I was fortunate to be able to attend the class, “Pizza in the Wood – Fired Oven,” given by Mike Dash of www.rollingfire.com. He had his trailered Forno…Read More…
How the Internet Changed Pizza History
Pizza has always been America’s favorite food. It’s been the subject of movies, books, and songs. Pizza is not only a food of sustenance, but for some has become an obsessive delight. And for many fans, pizza is a sheer and utter passion. Pizza debate brings on an endless thirst for argument that cannot be easily quenched with just a slice or two. People discuss their favorite pizzerias with the…Read More…