You may think you know pizza well. However, there are many different regional variations, proving that we all have a long way to go before we crown ourselves as pizza experts. If we’re stuck with the tough job of researching this cheesy endeavor, so be it.
Toronto has gone bananas for Neapolitan-style pizza, making it appear that if a pizza doesn’t have a blistered, 90-second crust and San Marzano tomatoes, then it’s not worth eating.
But Chris Getchell, owner and proprietor of Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is more than ready to change your mind.
Leslieville has a new restaurant in town — Photo courtesy of Jeff Hurst / Descendant Detroit Style Pizza
It’s not as if he grew up with this type of pizza. In fact, he used to work with Neapolitan-style pizzahimself.
Getchell merely conducted personal research after reading an article about Detroit-style pizza. After ordering the pans and falling in love with the result, he found himself with a new career.
A place that can hold a lot of pizza is a good place, in our book — Photo courtesy of Jeff Hurst / Descendant Detroit Style Pizza
“I knew after I made the first one that was it,” admits Getchell. “No one in Toronto was doing it.”
Detroit-style pizza takes about 10 minutes to cook rather than 90 seconds. (One may think of the quote, “Sex is like pizza. Even if it’s done bad, it’s still good.”) Getchell does agree that a lot of pizza is really good, but he argues that “nothing really differentiates one wood-fired pizza place from the rest.”
“Fior di latte, buffalo milk mozzarella . . . I am taking some of the traditional stuff away while using the best ingredients possible,” Getchell says.
Pepperoni with house ranch sauce — Photo courtesy of Chris Getchell / Descendant Detroit Style Pizza
If you like your pizza circular, this is immediately going to get interesting. Detroit-style pizza is square.
The original pans were used in the automotive industry, because the Detroit pizza-makers found that it was as close as they could get to the Italian style of pizza.
In fact, that’s how Getchell coined the name of his first pizzeria:
“Detroit is a descendant of the Sicilian-style pizza. It’s light and airy,” he states, as if constantly in the business of building hunger.
Mission accomplished.
We may never eat round again — Photo courtesy of Chris Getchell / Descendant Detroit Style Pizza
Some describe Detroit-style pizza as “deep dish,” but don’t say that to Getchell.
“I don’t care for that because it sounds heavy,” he says. “What I’m doing is different. It is not dense at all.”
If you still feel a sense of loyalty to your pie, then Getchell challenges you to take a very low-risk move.
“Everybody loves it,” he claims. “Crunchy cheese around the edge and fresh ingredients? There is nothing not to love. People are blown away by it. ”
You had us at “crunchy cheese.”
With the deeper pans, there’s ample room for cheese — Photo courtesy of Chris Getchell / Descendant Detroit Style Pizza
Original article here: http://www.10best.com/destinations/canada/toronto/articles/descendant-pizza-its-hip-to-be-square-in-toronto/