Pizza Today - June 2017 - 20

with TONY GEMIGNANI

respecting the craft

Old Forge Style

ast month I told you about my
introduction to the little-known
"Old Forge" style of pizza that
originated in Pennsylvania. After my
first stop at a homey establishment that
really tempted my taste buds, we headed
to a pizzeria called Arcaro & Gennell.
Let me tell you - this place was also
really amazing. The cheese combinations
were different and so was the sauce.
When we talked with the guys running
the joint, Cosmo and Tony, they said all
of the places in Old Forge are a little
different despite the fact they all make
the same style. It was cool to see, and
everyone seemed very proud of their
pizzeria.
The kitchen was great, and we shared
stories with the two owners and talked
pizza. This place was big and included
outside bocce ball courts (which I loved).

There is a special feeling in Old Forge.
Is it the pizza? Well, it's a style of pizza
that isn't too known or respected in our
industry. Styles such as Detroit and St.
Louis are becoming more popular and
spreading across the U.S. Will this be
the case for the future of Old Forge
pizza? It could be, but you could never
re-create the deep culture I feel in this
town. Just being here and talking with
the locals makes the experience that
much better.
My experience with Old Forge pizza
and the two pizzerias I spent some time
in were great. The stories behind the
owners made my trip that much better.
One cooked in a gas brick oven at a low
temperature, and the other in a conveyor.
The sauces were on the sweeter side and
distinct. I personally saw a variety of different cans of tomatoes in the kitchen.

Cosmo told me that most of the Italians
who immigrated to Old Forge came
from Salerno. That's in the Campania
region. They mainly come from a town
called Felitto, Italy, which is just south
of Naples. I thought that was interesting
because I filmed a show for the Food
Network in Salerno years ago and tried
the pizza there. It didn't resemble the
Old Forge pizza I had just eaten at all.
The dough there is a little dense and
soft, but not in a bad way. It's very much
like the bakery-style pizza that started
more than 100 years ago, but with more
toppings. The oil from the pan left a
residual flavor in your mouth, but not in
a bad way. The type of oil they used in
the pan in Old Forge varied. Some say
they used a light peanut oil, while I saw
others use vegetable and olive oil.
A lot of operators are trying to achieve
holes in the structure (the cornicione) of
the dough. Well, that's the opposite for
this style. Not all styles need to look like
Swiss cheese in the middle of the crust
with lots of holes. The dough expert in
me would try to achieve more holes with
higher hydration and less density. On
the other hand, the purist in me understands that this is what it's supposed to
be, so don't change it. Sometimes if you
are trying to make something better it
may take the authenticity away, and I
don't want to do that for this style. I get
it, but if this style were to span across
the U.S. I'm thinking not everyone may
get it. Mostly because a lot of people in
this business, or customers in general,
don't have an open mind. For me, you
can't compare regional styles to other
regional styles. It's apples and oranges.
Old Forge has pride, dedication and
the people are hard working. It's a blue
collar pizza, and it's delish! ■

RESPECTING THE CRAFT features World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizza Rock in Sacramento. Tony compiles the column with the help of his trusty assistants, Laura Meyer and Thiago Vasconcelos. If you have questions on any kitchen topic ranging from prep to finish, Tony's your guy. Send questions
via Twitter @PizzaToday, Facebook (search: Pizza Today) or e-mail jwhite@pizzatoday.com and we'll pass the best ones on to Tony.

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Pizza Today - June 2017

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