bake - Febuary 2016 - 54

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BEST PIZZAS IN AMERICA

Fired by Coal
Coal-burning ovens are becoming hot commodities again for
pizza makers. Coal-ﬁred ovens have a long history with pizza
makers in the US, as New York City was the birthplace of pizza.
Opened in 1905 in New York City, Lombardi's was the ﬁrst
pizzeria in the country, and it used a coal-ﬁred oven.
One of the main differences between coal and wood comes
from the intense heat that a coal ﬁre generates. Coal provides
about 13,000 BTUs of heat per pound, while wood provides
about 6,500 BTUs per pound. Oven temperatures in a coalﬁred oven exceed 900 degrees, which creates characteristic
char to the crust. In addition the higher heat, this method
produces a crispier crust.
Founded in New York City, Grimaldi's Pizzeria offers more
than 100 years of pizza-making traditions. Weighing 25 tons
and heated by 100 pounds of coal per day, the oven heats up
to 1200 degrees. The pizza place purchases special cleanerburning coal from Pennsylvania called anthracite. It has the
highest carbon content, the fewest impurities and the highest
caloriﬁc content of all types of coal.

The Daily Meal, the world's largest food and drink
lifestyle site, recently unveiled its annual list of
the 101 Best Pizzas in America. The top pizzas
featured were spread all throughout the country,
with this year's list featuring 24 states.
The Daily Meal started with a list of 800 pizza
places throughout the country, 100 more than
last year, before eventually narrowing down to
the 101 that made the list. The pizzas were chosen
by a panel of experts, including The Daily Meal's
own in-house pizza experts and city editors. The
rest of the 109-member panel was comprised of
a geographically diverse collection of American
chefs, restaurant critics, bloggers, writers and
pizza authorities. Panelists included "The Pizza
King" Dan Janssen, Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre
Foods, and Los Angeles Times restaurant and
Wine Critic S. Irene Virbila.
Of the 24 states that made the list, New York, the
birthplace of American pizza, claimed 27 spots.
After New York, the top five was rounded out by
California (11), Connecticut (nine), Pennsylvania
(seven), Illinois and Massachusetts (each six).
Among the cities represented, New York City led
the way with 23 pizza places included, followed
by Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia tied at
second with six spots each.
SOURCE: THE DAILY MEAL

Chicago's Coalﬁre, which was named as one of the top 10
pizza places in America last year by The Daily Meal, serves a

Crimini $17 - Mozzarella, mushroom, garlic, kale, smoked

thin crust, coal-forged pizza that emerges slightly charred and

mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil

bubbly from an 800-degree oven fueled by clean burning coal.
Their 14-inch pizzas come in 16 ﬂavors, not including build-

Guanciale $18 - Rosemary cream, mozzarella, potato, guanciale

your-own combinations.

(Italian cured meat)

Here are some of the more interesting pizzas at Coalﬁre:

For dessert, Coalﬁre also sells a variety of rotating ﬂavors

Honey & Salami $17 - Mozzarella, basil, spicy salami, honey

of cupcakes baked by local bakery Chicago Cupcake. The

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