Explore the Big Apple

Dear World,

I have what you might call an addiction to pizza.

Sure, when people think of New York City the Statue of Liberty might come up or the Empire State Building, Wall Street, Central Park, and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

My first thought when visiting New York was that I needed to try some great pizza. Believe me, I found it. Instead of recommending a particular New York city pizzaria, I want to describe the perfect pizza and what makes it that way.

First and foremost, a light and tasty dough...without that yeasty/too salty taste.

More important is fresh pizza sauce. The type I tasted was as if the tomatoes had just been picked from the vine and mixed with all the right seasonings....nothing overpowering. Next comes fresh mozzarella. Making it isn't that hard....I'm talking the type from curd not what you buy in a pre-sealed bag.
Of course, next comes toppings. I'm a traditionalist...and usually just stick with pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers. The fresher the ingredients the better.
Now for an added ingredient that seemed to have made all the difference. My pizza had a chiffonade of fresh basil sprinkled here and there. Try it and you'll love it!

Finally, I should talk about cooking methods. Sure most of us are use to the commercial ovens found in pizza joints...either coveyor type or front loading. As a true enthusiast, I find that a wood burning brick oven can't be beat. It creates high heat and a smoky charred crust that you just can't get in today's ovens.

Of course this is a traveling blog, so if you're in New York and hunting for that authentic neopolitan pizza, you will come across some of the cities best attractions. My quest took me through Little Italy, Times Square, lower Manhattan, and Midtown.

Unleash your tast buds when you visit a new city. Among all the attractions you might find the food just as memorable years down the road.

Time to jet,


George