Gary, Indiana was first with Pizza

Gary, Indiana was the first or second in the U.S.A. to make and sell, Pizza. It was great. Do any of you remember this? Tell me of your eating Pizza in Gary, Indiana, in the 40's and 50's, for the old timers.

They were selling it in New York and CT far before that.

Says who?

Anyway for sure in all the midwest.

Polish Guy,

You've said before that the first American pizza started in Gary, Indiana. This must have been before 1905, when Lombardi's started in New York.

Do you have any more information about pizza in Gary around 1900? I haven't been able to find any information on the internet.

Searching for the history of pizza on Google usually points to Lombardi's as the first. I would be interested in more information on the history of pizza in Gary as I am sure would many other folks.

Dave

You could get pizza in Omaha in 1946.

Pizza History

Basic pizza most likely began in prehistoric times, with bread cooked on flat, hot stones.

Roughly 1,000 years ago herb-and-spice-covered circles of baked dough grew exceptionally popular in Naples, Italy. Known as focaccia, these rounds were served as an appetizer or a snack. (Source: Smithsonian)

Pizza developed in Italy in pre-refrigerator times. After focaccia, its most direct ancestor was "Casa de nanza," which means "take out before." Housewives would pound out dough into a thin crust and place leftovers on to bake. Pizza was a peasant food designed to be eaten without utensils and, like the French crepe and the Mexican taco, was a way to make use of fresh produce available locally and to get rid of leftovers.

But pizza as we know it could not have evolved until the late 1600s when Old World Europeans overcame their fear of a New World discovery - tomatoes. Native to Peru and Ecuador, a plant which produced yellow or red fruit (later called tomatoes) was introduced to Europe in the early 1500s. Brought back by Conquistadors to Spain, the tomato was thought to be poisonous and was viewed with suspicion. It wasn't until the late 1600s that Europeans began to eat the tomato. (Source: Smithsonian and PIZZA TODAY)

The peasants of Naples, Italy, who lived mostly off of bread and little else, were the first to add tomatoes to their focaccia bread rounds.

In 1830 pizza truly began with the opening of the world's first pizzeria. Named Port'Alba, the pizzas were cooked in an oven lined with lava from Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located on the Bay of Naples. (Source: Smithsonian)

Modern pizza was born in 1889 when Queen Margherita Teresa Giovanni, the consort of Umberto I, king of Italy, visited Naples. Don Raffaele Esposito, who owned a tavern-like place called Pietro Il Pizzaiolo, was asked to prepare a special dish in honor of the Queen's visit. Esposito developed a pizza featuring tomatoes, mozzarella cheese (a never before used ingredient made from the milk of water buffalo) and basil - ingredients bearing the colors red, white and green for the Italian flag. He named it the Margherita Pizza, after the guest of honor. Thus, the modern-day tomato-and-cheese pizza was born. (Source: Smithsonian and PIZZA TODAY)

Shops in the volcano-devastated city of Pompeii bear the characteristics of a pizzeria.

Marie Antionette's sister, Marie Carolina, wife of Ferdinand I of Sicily and Naples, had ovens built in the forest so she could enjoy pizza while the Royal Hunting Party feasted on wild ducklings and pigs killed in the hunt.

The popularity of pizza exploded throughout the country when World War II servicemen returning from Italy began opening pizzerias and raving about that "great Italian dish."

***In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi opened the first licensed American pizzeria, Lombardi's Pizzeria Napoletana, at 53-1/2 Spring Street in New York City. (From The Art of Pizzaiolo, by John Thorn.)

America is the new pizza renaissance leader in the world and is exporting our technology of pizza production and promotion on an ever-increasing basis.

Pizza restaurants are opening in such unlikely locations as the Caribbean islands of Curacao and Bonaire; the South Pacific atoll of Palau; and in most Arab countries. The deep-dish pizza was invented in Chicago by pizza entrepreneur Ike Sewell. His restaurant, Pizzeria Uno, is still going strong today.
**
Unless otherwise noted, all facts were supplied by PIZZA TODAY Magazine and the National Association of Pizza Operators (NAPO) which are also displayed on their web site at www.pizzatoday.com.

Now we know. Nice post Roossy!
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Polish guy

Gary, Indiana was the first or second in the U.S.A. to make and sell, Pizza. It was great. Do any of you remember this? Tell me of your eating Pizza in Gary, Indiana, in the 40's and 50's, for the old timers.

I believe I told you once before that the first pizza sold in the United States was sold by Gennaro Lombardi in New York in 1905, and that Frank Pepe opened his pizzeria in New Haven in 1925.

Oops! I see the Rooss got there ahead of me.

That must have been when they had the Statute of Liberty in Gary In. to welcome all those Italin immergrants to America. Chow Jim

All the above is good, but I heard Mexico was the first to start a pizza (tomato on bread with cheese). Sorry I cant quote my sources since It's been many a year since I heard this. Either way, whoever was first Cheers to them!!! Now if they could wander up into Michigan and show the shops around here how to make a decent one...

Why UncleVic, I am surprised. After all, you have Domino's. And didn't Little Ceasar's get started there, as well?

Kind of off topic but Roossy's post brought up some questions.

Where did the Italians get those Water Buffalo? I hear they are gentle and like members of the family in Italy.

When, and why, and how did tomatoes turn red?
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Kind of off topic but Roossy's post brought up some questions.

Where did the Italians get those Water Buffalo? I hear they are gentle and like members of the family in Italy.

When, and why, and how did tomatoes turn red?
Joe

Ah, well, I'm glad you asked. Italians got those water buffalo the hard way. You see, first they had to get water.

One day, an Italian backpacker walking east to west through a gap in the Apennine Mountains ran out of land and dicovered a sea. After checking carefully he was able to determine that the sea was filled with water. Astounded, he decided to go back to his village in central Italy to let people know that he had found this stuff called water.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, as it turned out, while crossing back through the Apennines a snowstorm caused him to lose his way. Being the sort of person who would never allow a simple blizzard to deter him from his goal, he fought his way on through the blinding storm that seriously hampered his vision and, lo and behold (as opposed to Po and behold, which is another valley), He found another sea, and it, too, turned out to be filled with water.

This was an astounding turn of events, because the people of Italy did not know that there was water anywhere near their seriously parched nation. The fact is, they'd never actually heard of water, and as they had grapes with which to make wine, they could not have cared less. This fact,of course, leads the astute person to wonder how the backpacking Italian would have known that the wet stuff he'd discovered was water. But that's another story.

When he tried to tell the people from his village that he had found water both to the west and to the east, he was vilified as not being a true beliver in dryness. In effect, the people of his village buffaloed him.

And that, of course, is how Italians ended up with water buffalo.

Your question about how tomatoes turned red is more difficult to answer. However, after a great deal of research I believe I have found the answer.

In 1627, November, I believe, An Italian maiden (yes there was one, but she was so embarrassed to still be a maiden at age 14 that she refused to give her name to the National Enquirer) decided to take her annual bath in the Tiber River.

Looking around and checking carefully to make certain that there were no prying eyes, she slipped into a field of green tomatoes next to the Tiber and proceeded to disrobe prior to entering the water. Everything was going well until she realized that she had left her Lava Soap on the bank.

The maiden, fully believing that she was alone, slipped from the river to retrieve her soap. As it turned out, however, the green tomatoes were paying attention, as green tomatoes are wont to do under certain circumstances.

The sudden appearance of the naked maiden did, unfortunately, cause one of the green tomato plants, a male plant, you understand, to experience a sudden state of distention, or turgidity, which so embarrassed this plant that it turned bright red.

The other tomato plants, seeing this effect, were mesmerized, and could not help but try to do the same.

So, the fact is, tomatoes turned red because of both embarrasment and penis envy.

I hope this has helped.

Wonderful history lesson,Mr.Hoffman

Thank you.

Mr. Hoffman, were I wearing a hat right now, I would tip it to you.

I stand in complete awe of the master of words, and bull!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Why UncleVic, I am surprised. After all, you have Domino's. And didn't Little Ceasar's get started there, as well?

In the voice of the Soup Nazi, TEN years of junk pizza for you.

I've eaten many of pizza and beef sandwich on the Broadway corridor but for the life of me I'm having one hell of a time remembering back to the sixty's as to any of the names of those establishments.. I do remember the food was better then any NY pizza I've ever tried, but it's just a matter of what you grew up with.

Michael Hoffman has a whimsical side??? Who knew? Ya live, ya learn. Nice tales of a tall nature Mr. Hoffman.

Buddy

Only a fisherman could spin a tale like that. Chow Jim

The things you can learn here at roadfood! Thanks Michael.
Joe

Michael is spot on with the facts. I have nothing to refute what he says. Sounds plausible and is much more interesting than any other explanation.

The statement that Gary, IN was the first or second may have some basis in fact for what may have started a trend with the returning WWII servicemen. There were earlier pizza restaurants but they probably did not make an impact on a national basis. I do remember as a tiny child my parents bringing home pizza and raving about the new treat in the early 50s. They offered me a piece and I turned my nose up at it. They smiled and turned away. That was unusual. I usually had to eat what they wanted me to. It wasn't until much later that I understood.

Have any of you, old timers, ever had great Pizza in Gary, Indiana? If yes, where? When? What do you think?

I always though the tomato turned red because it saw the salad dressing.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

I always though the tomato turned red because it saw the salad dressing.

Not the old tomatoes that MH keeps around!

Have any of you, old timers, ever had great Pizza in Gary, Indiana? If yes, where? When? What do you think?

I can't remember what I ate yesterday,and you want me to remember the name of the pizzeria in Gary where I ate in the 60's ? I frequented many of local bars and pizza joints in northwest Indiana back then but I'm at a loss as to the names of those establishments. One bar in particular was on the NE corner of Broadway and Ridge Rd.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Sausage

I can't remember what I ate yesterday,and you want me to remember the name of the pizzeria in Gary where I ate in the 60's ?

I'm sure the first pizza in the US was made the day after the first Italian landed in the "new world."

That place in Gary, was in Glen Park, a part of Gary, and it was Zale's Tap, I think. Does that ring a bell. If it was, that was a place ownered by the brother of the great Tony Zale, the man of steel. One of the best prize fighters of the past.