Windsor-style Pizza
Windsor-style pizza is characterized by its medium-thin, crispy crust, baked on a thin layer of cornmeal in stone-deck ovens. It is topped with whole milk mozzarella, fine-cut shredded pepperoni, and canned mushrooms as opposed to fresh mushrooms.[1][2] One of the most common topping combinations is called "The Super", which is available at most Windsor-style pizzerias under that name or a similar one.[3]
History
According to the City of Windsor website, “Windsor is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse communities in Canada.”[4] Known as the automotive capital of Canada since 1904,[5] many immigrants came to Windsor drawn by the employment opportunities in the automobile manufacturing industry between 1908 to 1928.[6] With the influx of immigrants, especially Italian and Greek immigrants, came their food traditions, which played a hand in the creation of Windsor-style pizza.[1]
Windsor-style pizza developed in the late 1950s.[1] According to Windsor Public Library, it is difficult to pinpoint who exactly invented Windsor-style pizza.[1] Many Windsorites attribute its origin to Volcano Pizzeria which was opened in 1957 by Frank Gualtieri and Eugenio Manza, Sams Pizzeria, or Mario's Restaurant.[1]
Eugenio Manza immigrated first to Manitoba from Figline, Italy.[7] After a few years of working there for the Canadian Pacific Railway, he moved to Windsor to be closer to his brother Stan Cundari.[7] After seeing his brother’s success as a pizzeria owner in Detroit, Gino decided to open his own restaurant in Windsor.[7] Volcano Restaurant and Pizzeria, named after Mount Vesuvius, close to Naples, Italy,[8] first opened in 1957.[7] Volcano Pizzeria started serving pizza when they installed pizza ovens in the early 1960s.[8]
Mario's Good Food was a restaurant that opened in 1940 and has a long history in Windsor's pizza community, but again the word "pizza" is not named in the Windsor Business Directories until the year 1964.[1]
Another possible origin is Sam's Pizzeria and Cantina which opened in 1946, though not under that name.[9] "Pizzeria" was added to the business name in 1960.[1][9] Capri Pizzeria is also listed in the 1960 Windsor business directories.[10]
Years later, local pizza restaurants that serve Windsor-style pizza include Capri Pizzeria, Arcata Pizzeria, Armando's Pizza, Naples Pizza, and Antonino's Original Pizza.[3] Windsor-style inspired pizza is being served across Canada, with Ambassador Pizza Co. opening on Bloor Street West at Delaware Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, in February of 2021,[11] and Windsor Pizza Co. opening on 10822 Street SE in Calgary, Alberta, in January of 2016.[12]
Windsor-style pizza has been packaged and shipped nationally to Regina[13] and Vancouver Island.[14][15][16]
Characteristics
Windsor-style pizza features a medium-thin crust[1], and is baked on a thin layer of cornmeal in a stone deck oven.[2] It is also characterized by its special spice-blended tomato sauce.[1] Bob Abumeeiz, owner of Arcata Pizzeria in Windsor, ON, states that, “sauce counts for 50-60 percent of the taste on a pizza.”[2] He continues to state that while it regularly contains oregano, Windsor-style pizza sauce is a well-kept secret that the pizzerias do not wish to share.[2]
Windsor-style pizza traditionally uses canned mushrooms as opposed to fresh mushrooms[1]. Joe Ciaraviono, owner of Antonino’s Original Pizza in Windsor, ON, notes:
The flavour profile of a classic Windsor-style pizza calls for canned mushrooms. And frankly I think it goes better especially on the classic super: pepperoni, bacon, mushroom, green pepper.[2]
Dean Litster, Canadian Pizza Mag’s 2018 Chef of the Year[17] from Armandos Pizza in Windsor, ON, explains that the use of canned mushrooms as opposed to fresh is both practical, and has geographic origins:
There wasn’t a nearby mushroom farm back in the 1950’s, when the OG pizza place, Volcano’s, was training up the generation of dough slingers who would go on to open their own shops… and make this idiosyncratic topping combination the area’s signature style.[18]
Fresh mushrooms are noted to release a lot of moisture, resulting in a soggier pizza.[2]
A significant characteristic of Windsor style pizza is the use of shredded pepperoni.[1][2][3][19][20] In the past, pizzerias would first use a deli slicer, then hand-cut the sliced pepperoni to get a julienne cut.[2] Ciaravino mentions that as of 2017, pre-shredded pepperoni became available.[2] The use of shredded pepperoni is, “so you get some in every bite, and the oil is released over the entire pizza, not just in the ‘cups’ when you get it sliced,” according to Litster.[18]
Windsor-style pizzerias typically use locally produced Uniondale whole milk mozzarella made by Galati Cheese Company.[1] "Many pizzerias depend on the Windsor-made Galati Cheese Company Ltd. mozzarella and it isn’t true Windsor pizza without it."[1][2]
The most popular pizza topping combination in the Windsor area is the Super,[21] with most local pizzerias offering it or some variation of it.[3] It includes sauce, mozzarella cheese, canned mushroom, shredded pepperoni, bacon, and green peppers.[2]
Windsor-style pizza comes in unique sizes. While a large is typically 14 inches across North American pizza chains,[22] a Windsor-style large is 16 inches and cut into 16 pieces. Windsor-style pizzerias also offer a rectangular queen sized pizza with 24 slices, and king sized pizza with 32 slices.[3][20]
Recognition
In September of 2021, a documentary about Windsor-style pizza showed at film festivals across North America, titled "The Pizza City You’ve Never Heard Of", presented by LRG Super, produced by writer and filmmaker George Kalivas, directed by Tristan Laughton.[23] It won “Best Documentary Feature” at the Silver Wave Film Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick.[24] Armando's Pizza won third place for best pizza in the world at the 2014 Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, also placing in the top five of all four categories they participated in.[25]
In May of 2022 Dave Portnoy, blogger at Barstool Sports, visited Toronto and reviewed Ambassador Pizza Co.’s pizza for his “one bite” pizza review series, giving the pizza a score of 7.3 out of 10.[26] Windsor-style pizza is featured in the novel "Undone", written by Phil Warner, a crime novel which brings readers to different locations in Windsor and Detroit, including Antonino's Original Pizza in Windsor.[27]
See also
- Detroit-style pizza
- Chicago-style pizza
- New York-style pizza
- New Haven-style pizza
- List of pizza varieties by country
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Cappacchione, C. (January 2019). "History of "Windsor Style'" Pizza". Windsor Public Library. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Hill, S. (Dec 29, 2017). "What makes Windsor pizza Windsor pizza?". Windsor Star.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Hood, Sarah B. (August 10, 2017). "Knead to know: 'Windsor pizza' is a thing, and it's delicious". tvo today.
- ↑ "Diversity". City of Windsor. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ↑ "CANADA'S AUTOMOTIVE CAPITAL WINDSOR-ESSEX". Perspective Marketing. March 19, 2021.
- ↑ "Windsor (Ont) | The Canadian Encyclopedia". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Volcano Restaurant and Pizzeria". Windsor Communities. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Pinto, Jonathan (June 10, 2016). "Volcano Pizzeria: A look into one of Windsor's most famous pizza palaces". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bonnici, Eric (2013-05-25). "The History of Pizza in Windsor Ontario". Eyes on Windsor. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ "1960 City of Windsor Directory". City of Windsor Directories: 1–846. 1960-01-01.
- ↑ Chen, Dalson (February 9, 2021). "Windsor-style pizza business opens in Toronto". Windsor Star. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ "Calgary pizza company brings a taste of home for Windsor ex-pats". Canadian Broadcasting Company. January 18, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Wilhelm, Trevor (January 27, 2015). "Pizza lover has pie delivered from Windsor to Regina". Windsor Star.
- ↑ Fraser, Kaitie (February 1, 2021). "Windsor pizza delivered some 4,000 km to Vancouver Island". Canadian Broadcasting Company.
- ↑ Goodyear, Sheena (May 6, 2022). "Why this B.C. man spent $600 to order pizza all the way from Windsor, Ont". CBC Radio.
- ↑ "Jack Knox: He lives in Colwood; he had five large pizzas delivered from a pizzeria in Windsor, Ont". Victoria Times Colonist. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Chen, Dalson (October 17, 2018). "Windsor pizza maker wins Canadian Pizza Summit title". Windsor Star.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Why Windsor-style pizza is your next regional food obsession". The Globe and Mail. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ "What makes Windsor Pizza". Windsor Star. February 27, 2018.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Cross, Colleen (April 18, 2016). "Expansion, Armando's style". Canadian Pizza Magazine.
- ↑ Guerrieri, Vince (September 23, 2019). "For uniquely Canadian pizza, head to Windsor, Ontario". Windsor Pizza Club.
- ↑ "What is the size of large pizza?". Gaming Section (in français). 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ "Documentary explores and celebrates pizza of Windsor, Ont". Canadian Pizza Magazine. 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ "The Pizza City You've Never Heard Of (2022)", IMDb, retrieved 2022-07-09
- ↑ Boyce, J. (March 30, 2014). "Judges agree Windsor has some world-class pizza". Windsor Star.
- ↑ Hindi, Rob (May 10, 2022). "VIDEO: Barstool Sports founder reviews Windsor style pizza". I Heart Radio. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ Média, Bell. "Morning Drive -". I Heart Radio. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
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