Your Ad Here

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Open Letter to Sam Sifton of the Times

Dear Mr. Sifton,

After reading your review of Motorino this Wednesday in which you boldly declare that it serves "the city's best pizza", I'd like to give you a little advice:

I don't know where exactly you come from, Mr. Sifton, but where I come from (97th Street, that is) making a declaration about pizza can get you into some pretty hot water. When going down that road, you'd better make sure you've covered every centimeter along the way, left no pizza stone unturned and, by golly, you'd better be ready to defend your statement with charts, graphs and stats. I for one question whether you have done so and why, if you have, your article does not reflect your research.

It took me 30 years to be able to even slightly entertain the notion that I might have formulated an informed-enough opinion to make a declaration along the lines of your brazen assertion. And, even backed by my research, I am fully aware that there are two dominant styles of pizza-making in this city so when someone seeks my opinion on where they should go to sample the city's best, the first question I ask is whether they would prefer authentic, Italian-style pizza or a Real New York Slice (I'm afraid your article makes no such distinction).

A word to the wise, Mr. Sifton: tread lightly when it comes to this town and its pizza, for few things are more precious to us than our intimate relations with that crisp but melted slice of magic.

Sincerely,

Tara Merdjanoff

p.s. It's Joe's for a Real New York Slice and Mezzaluna on Houston Street for authentic, Italian-style (and by authentic I mean a real Napolitan's working that oven).

p.p.s. If what I've just read in your Wikipedia entry is true and you did actually grow up close by, then shame on you. You should know better.

No comments:

Post a Comment