Message: | This was going to be a brand-new taste sensation. Based on a 3-year old post on the New York Outer Boroughs Chowhound pages (link below), I went late on Friday night to Patsy D'Amore's in Farmers Market, at 3rd and Fairfax. Almost deserted because everyone knows that Farmer's Market closes at 7 PM Friday nights. I called Patsy's ahead of time and discovered that on this particular night, for some reason, they were going to stay open late until 8 PM.
We got there around 7:45 and the only person behind the counter was the Latino pizzaiolo who actually makes the pizzas himself. Yes indeed, this guy is an authentic pizzaiolo, a nearly extinct profession. I had seen him on many previous forays to Patsy's and had always gotten a friendly smile from him back there where he was tossing and preparing the pies. It didn't hurt that every once in a while I asked the cashier to slip a dollar bill to the guy making the pizza. God, is that cheap, or what? I should have made them fivers each time! Nobody tips at Patsy's. This is a fast food joint where you stand there at the counter, order the pie, pay for it, and stick around around until they nod to you about ten minutes later that your pie is ready. They do sell slices, but two of us have always ordered a full pie and then plopped down at one of the nearby formica tables for some topnotch pizza gorging.
Well on this occasion, I decided to go with the East Coast Chowhound recommendation. I asked him if he could make an upside-down pizza. That is, put the cheese on the bottom, and the sauce on top. After a faintly fearful and doubtful expression on his face, he said, " I don't know, I never make it before." I said, "That's OK, I never eat it before. Just try it for me as a spearmint." After this many years away from NY, I practically consider myself a native Angeleno (I hate that word) and by now instinctively know how to talk native. He agreed to try it. Ten minutes and a small tip later, we were practically inhaling this delicious concoction. It brought back memories of the pie at the Alps Inn out on Jericho Turnpike back many years ago. A big thumbs up to the pie maker - he was watching us gobble up his creation - elicited a satisfied grin on his part.
Thanks, East Coast Chowhounds, for the new discovery - upside down pizza. |