Paulie Gee's
06/11/10 13:38 Filed in: Pizzerias
Isn’t it amazing the things you learn about on Facebook? One of my friends on FB shared a nice article about a pizzeria owned by a man named Paullie Gee, AKA Paul Giannone.
Although I haven’t been there, (it is in Brooklyn, NY and I’m in Arcata, CA) this appears to be a near perfect pizzeria. Why perfect? Well, it comes down to ambiance, ingredients, menu, and proprietor.
Explore the photos of the interior of this Greenpoint eatery and you’ll see what I mean about the ambiance. Rustic walls, great displays of glassware, wooden tables and an enormous Stefano Ferrara pizza oven all tell you this will be a warm, cozy place to hang out.
The ingredients Paulie uses stick to my favorite approach: keep it simple with the best quality ingredients you can. His top secret tomato sauce is simply the best tomatoes he could find after a 2 year search combined with Sicilian sea salt. His dough is well aged tipo 00 flour fermented dough similar to Peter Reinharts. (and perhaps mine) These ingredients, along with fresh local veggies, meat and fruit, remind us all that the best food is often the simplest, made with top quality ingredients.
Paulie’s menu is a joy to see. Old favorites like the margherita pizza are given great titles like “Regina”. Interesting combinations such as the pizza made from Fior di Latte, Baby Arugula, Olive Oil, Fresh Lemon Juice and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano is called the “Greenpointer”. Seasonal specials like Anise and Anephew are made from Fior di Latte, Braised Fennel, Anisette Crème Drizzle, Berkshire Guanciale and Fennel Fronds. Vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike can delight in his menu. His constant experimentation and love of food create constant unexpected combinations.
Finally, the proprietor, Paulie Gee is an inspiration. Obviously driven by his love of food to leave the world of technology for a humbler, more analog experience, he took a chance with this restaurant and hit a home run. His enthusiasm and love for making the best possible pizza come through immediately without pretense. He did not set out to make ‘pizza napoletana’ or any other gentrified adjective. He wanted to make great food in the form of bread with toppings that we call pizza. In my book, Paulie deserves to get his wish to be considered with heavyweights like Chris Bianco, Tony Gemignani and Anthony Mangieri. Perhaps most inspiring, he started as a blogger and technology guy like myself. When I told him I dreamed of quitting my day job and doing what he did, he asked, “What are you waiting for?” Indeed. Carpe diem, everyone.
Although I haven’t been there, (it is in Brooklyn, NY and I’m in Arcata, CA) this appears to be a near perfect pizzeria. Why perfect? Well, it comes down to ambiance, ingredients, menu, and proprietor.
Explore the photos of the interior of this Greenpoint eatery and you’ll see what I mean about the ambiance. Rustic walls, great displays of glassware, wooden tables and an enormous Stefano Ferrara pizza oven all tell you this will be a warm, cozy place to hang out.
The ingredients Paulie uses stick to my favorite approach: keep it simple with the best quality ingredients you can. His top secret tomato sauce is simply the best tomatoes he could find after a 2 year search combined with Sicilian sea salt. His dough is well aged tipo 00 flour fermented dough similar to Peter Reinharts. (and perhaps mine) These ingredients, along with fresh local veggies, meat and fruit, remind us all that the best food is often the simplest, made with top quality ingredients.
Paulie’s menu is a joy to see. Old favorites like the margherita pizza are given great titles like “Regina”. Interesting combinations such as the pizza made from Fior di Latte, Baby Arugula, Olive Oil, Fresh Lemon Juice and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano is called the “Greenpointer”. Seasonal specials like Anise and Anephew are made from Fior di Latte, Braised Fennel, Anisette Crème Drizzle, Berkshire Guanciale and Fennel Fronds. Vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike can delight in his menu. His constant experimentation and love of food create constant unexpected combinations.
Finally, the proprietor, Paulie Gee is an inspiration. Obviously driven by his love of food to leave the world of technology for a humbler, more analog experience, he took a chance with this restaurant and hit a home run. His enthusiasm and love for making the best possible pizza come through immediately without pretense. He did not set out to make ‘pizza napoletana’ or any other gentrified adjective. He wanted to make great food in the form of bread with toppings that we call pizza. In my book, Paulie deserves to get his wish to be considered with heavyweights like Chris Bianco, Tony Gemignani and Anthony Mangieri. Perhaps most inspiring, he started as a blogger and technology guy like myself. When I told him I dreamed of quitting my day job and doing what he did, he asked, “What are you waiting for?” Indeed. Carpe diem, everyone.
It's Never Too Late to Make Pizza: Paulie Gee's from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.
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