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| Still shot taken by my mom (Kitzi) |
This past Sunday, (March 9th), I performed in my first ever one-man show called SLICES OF LIFE and, thanks to the overwhelming support of the audience, it won't be my last!
Drawing from experiences during Pizza Months 2002 - 2013, I told stories about the many people I have met, places I have gone, and pizza I have consumed. Topics such as the origin of pizza, the mafia, and even my own dating life were explored, and we wrapped up the evening with a pizza party in the lobby of the Magnet Theater!
I want to extend an extra special thanks to Megan Gray, the Artistic Director of the Magnet Theater for providing me the opportunity to perform as well as Joe Riggio, the owner of NY Pizza Suprema for supplying the post-show pizza.
Finally, I must thank my wife Robin Rothman Taylor for helping me conceive of the idea, her behind-the-scenes direction/encouragement, video coverage during, and assistance afterward (schlepping the pies from Suprema to the Magnet.)
Overall, I give the entire experience 5/5 slices. Thank you everyone for your continued support and interest in Pizza Month over the past 12 years. I will be posting dates and showtimes for future show here, so please stay tuned to my blog for updates!
PHOTOS:
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| Post show Pizza Party in the Lobby of the Magnet Theater |
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| Eddie & Val from NY Pizza Suprema |
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| Danica Lo, Jen Dixon, Eric Del Pozo and I after the show |
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| Me and Scott Wiener (of Scott's Pizza Tours) |
A timeless Brooklyn classic.
Louis Magliaccio, the current owner of Sam's, eats a slice of his own pizza nearly every night for quality control and, well, because he loves it. He is also constantly scouring the market for the best tomatoes for pizza sauce. The sauce on our pizza was the result of multiple types of whole peeled Italian tomatoes combined with rich tomato puree and infused with other herbs and spices. There was also copious amounts of it beneath the creamy Polly-O mozzarella. And the crust kept it all together (in more ways than one). It was firm enough to contain the toppings yet chewy enough to eat by itself illustrating one of the benefits of eighty plus years of food preparation.
4.17 out of 5
3.5/5
Since 1950, J&V Pizzeria has been setting trends for New York pizza and creating new ones of their own. The name "J & V" comes from the first names of founders, Johnny Mortillaro and Vincent DeGrezia. When the Sicilian born Mortillaro teamed up with the Neopolitan born DeGrezia, a perfect pizza union was born. Given their heritage, it is no wonder J&V specializes in multiple styles of pizza. In addition to Siciian (square) and Neopolitan (circle), J&V also offers their signature twice-cooked grandma pie. All are cooked in a multi level rotisserie oven.
The most unique pie on the menu is the signature grandma pie. Pushed flat into a cookiesheet with a layer of cheese, the pie is placed in the oven for the first time so the dough is not given time to rise. Then, after being loaded with sauce, herbs, spices, and olive oil, it is then re-introduced to the rotisserie oven. The final result is a crispy thin yet surprisingly filling packed-with-flavor square slice of pizza that will make you want to come back even before you've left.
4.02 out of 5