ProVarinati Diner & Saloon and Beyond

newyork13

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Make it three. My ex-mother in law was second generation and showed me the wonders of home made polenta and gnocci.
She must have been Northern Italian then. My other home. Polenta and gnocchi (mind your spelling Geezer! LOL) are truly great.
 

newyork13

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Your Italian ancestors would probably cringe at what we call pizza too. I ate pizza in Naples and Milan many lives ago…crust, tomatoes, basil, oregano, fresh mozzarella!
Not at all. Although my incestors came from the farther north, where pizza was less common in the old days, they still enjoyed it.
I'll be in Rome soon, where the pizza is very thin and when you order slices they'll cut it with scissors. It's also not round or square, but laying in an oblong. Good stuff.
 

GeekyGeezer

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...where the pizza is very thin and when you order slices they'll cut it with scissors. It's also not round or square, but laying in an oblong. Good stuff.

A few years back my summer mission was to find the best pizza in St Louis. One place that came highly recommended was in the basement of a home, though with full health department approvals. From where I sat, I watched a little old man (had to be in his 80s or older) lovingly saucing the pie I ordered. The sauce was out of a mason jar-looking container and I am not exaggerating when I say it took him at least 5 minutes to get the sauce applied exactly to his standards. When it was served, it wasn't on a round pizza pan but a rectangluar sheet. And yes, I watched it be cut with scissors.

As much as I was taken with the elderly couple and their methods, I sadly have to report it wasn't the best I found. Perhaps just due to forgetfulness, the crust was seriously overdone. I'm not talking about those wonderful crust bubbles you get with good dough, but just cooked to the point of being like Wheat Thins. The sauce from the jar was amazing, as was the cheese and sausage.
 

Bronze

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Which reminds me of my favorite pizza…the famous Uno pizza…mmmmm!!!

I need me some next time we're in Orlando :)
I dined at the original Uno several times (Dues too). Truthfully, it was better than the franchises. We had one here and it is gone already. People here in NC buy pizza on price factor only. :) There are dozens and dozens and dozens of places like Unos throughout Chicago.
 

stols001

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I wish I could say the same about Mexican food. I grew up on Tex Mex, but Tucson's pretty "authentic." I will say, if I never reluctantly (my coworkers were always bringing it in for pot lucks and I think they knew I hated it because they always made sure I "got some" LOL) taste menudo again, I really, truly won't mind. LOL.

I am of the opinion that Taco Bell (although I never ate it much) is "spiced up" a bit around these parts...

Anna
 

Bea-FL

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I dined at the original Uno several times (Dues too). Truthfully, it was better than the franchises. We had one here and it is gone already. People here in NC buy pizza on price factor only. :) There are dozens and dozens and dozens of places like Unos throughout Chicago.
Spinoccoli was my favorite! Yumm!
 

FringeChief68

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:cool:
Judge caught vaping his way through high-profile murder trial

xYNcGHz6
 

stols001

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Yeah, well that smoking legislation was batted about MD (on a state level) at one point.

I believe in not smoking in cars with children. I was not able to implement that with my own child, however.

I can't help but feel that any possible health "gains" might be mitigated by an increase in motor vehicle accidents with upset, nic needing parents and whiny toddlers and etc.

I have mixed feelings on the topic. I QUIT smoking while pregnant and nursing but MAN the car thing... even the pull over to the side of the road thing.... Meh. I couldn't make it "go."

I will likely be avoiding parents with kids in the car now, I can add them to the list of the drunk, the elderly, the snowbirds, and the uninsured and unregistered and at times illegal drivers.

So, since I'm in Tucson, I will pretty much be avoiding any and all cars on the road.

The law of unintended consequences.... So, even if I stay home, I won't be summoning an Uber, either. LOL.

Anna
 

newyork13

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A few years back my summer mission was to find the best pizza in St Louis. One place that came highly recommended was in the basement of a home, though with full health department approvals. From where I sat, I watched a little old man (had to be in his 80s or older) lovingly saucing the pie I ordered. The sauce was out of a mason jar-looking container and I am not exaggerating when I say it took him at least 5 minutes to get the sauce applied exactly to his standards. When it was served, it wasn't on a round pizza pan but a rectangluar sheet. And yes, I watched it be cut with scissors.

As much as I was taken with the elderly couple and their methods, I sadly have to report it wasn't the best I found. Perhaps just due to forgetfulness, the crust was seriously overdone. I'm not talking about those wonderful crust bubbles you get with good dough, but just cooked to the point of being like Wheat Thins. The sauce from the jar was amazing, as was the cheese and sausage.
I've also made pizza at home in my oven. Even with one of those ceramic slabs beneath the pizza. Ok, but just.
That's one of the insurmountable advantages a good pizza bakery has: the oven. Commercial pizza ovens are engineered to get the crust done right without messing up the toppings.
 

ENAUD

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Dug out my old Grundig G5 shortwave receiver today...the rubberized coating had degraded into a sticky gluelike mess :nah: frickin' chineesium crap:evil: took about an hour or so to scrub the degraded rubber coating off using 99% isopropyl and a bunch of small rags...
Saved that great lil radio from the trash:thumb: sitting here listening stations from outside the wall :lol: I miss my shortwave surfing sessions, back down the rabbit hole I go ...
 

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