In the argument between New York and Chicago about who has better pizza, my answer is always, "Yes, I would like some pizza". To me, deep dish vs. thin slice is a foolish argument. First of all, they are two totally different foods and both delicious. I love a New York slice because you can just fold it and walk around with it. It's more of a snack than a dinner. While a deep dish pizza is a sit down and eat meal. But alas, because of the Cubs and Mets are meeting in the NLCS, we are forced to hear the arguments once again. My personal favorite type of pizza is really more of a medium crust cut into squares. Too thin and the toppings slide off, too thick and you can't fit it in your mouth. But there's one kind of pizza I always enjoy. Free Pizza.

I received a press release today from Fornino pizza, with the announcement that they will be giving away free frozen pizzas to anyone who is traveling to Chicago and has a ticket to the game, because "Mets fans shouldn't be forced to eat Chicago pizza". Being that I was staying only a few blocks from Fornino's Greenpoint location and thinking there might be some free pizza out of the deal, I immediately wrote back and said I'd like to meet the Mets fan owner Michael Ayoub, who has been described by the New York Times as "The first chef of Brooklyn". We agreed to meet at the Williamsburg location and I showed up on my way to the airport in full Cubs regalia.

When I walked in, Michael saw my bright blue Cubs coat and hat and said, "how are you enjoying the (insert word) kicking we're giving you?" I argued that scores of 4-2 and 4-1 aren't particularly in the (insert word) kicking category and he shook my hand and we sat down to talk. Michael asked if I was ready to eat "some real pizza", and I once again said that I like it all. Deep, thin, medium. It's all fine by me. I even like anchovies! We talked baseball a bit and about how I think the water in NYC is the reason they have such great baked goods. He handed me a menu and I settled on the "4 Stagione". Tomato, Mozzarella, prosciutto, kalamata olives, shitake mushroom and eggplant.

10 minutes later my personal pizza came out from the brick oven, thin, crispy and healthily portioned with the aforementioned toppings. I picked up the slice and immediately all the toppings fell off. I noticed the fork and knife at my table and figured that would probably be the best way to eat this pizza. This I found ironic, as it is one of NYC's main complaints about Chicago style pizza, that you have to eat it with a fork and knife, therefore it is not real pizza. But here I am forced to eat this thin crust pizza the exact same way.

My opinion? It's good! I prefer a bit of a thicker crust and more tomato sauce, but if you're in Brooklyn and looking for a sit down pizza restaurant with a nice atmosphere in a hip neighborhood, Fornino is as good as you'll get. I snapped a few shots of the brick oven and decor. And Michael Ayoub is as nice a guy as you'll find even though he said this about Chicago and our pizza.

 

"When it comes to sports and pizza, there is a reason Chicago is known as the ‘Second City,’" says Ayoub.  "New Yorkers expect the best, and Mets fans enjoying their magical march to the World Series through the Midwest shouldn’t be subjected to the doughy monstrosities that Chicagoans try to pass as ‘pizza.’"

To further throw down the gauntlet Fornino will also be sending 20 pizzas to Wrigley's press box for Met's reporters to not have to eat our pizza. That's all fine and good, but if you are a Mets fan coming to Chicago for the games this week, I highly suggest two things. 1. Go get some free pizza from Fornino's. And 2. Come pay for some Chicago style deep dish pizza while you're in town! I like Pequods and Lou Malnati's, but every time I say that, people tell me I'm wrong. The beautiful thing about food is, it's all opinion. There is no right answer. You like what you like. And me. I like it all.

So pizzeria's of Chicago! Are you gonna go down without a fight? Or are you gonna match Fornino and send me back to New York with some deep dish pizza for Michael Ayoub next weekend when the Cubs finish off the Mets?

Let's go Cubs! And let's eat pizza!