John Quagliata, whom I affectionately call Q, owns Crostatas in Cleveland and makes the best Neapolitan-style pizza in Ohio. He had a wood-burning oven hand-built for his restaurant by Italian craftsmen from Naples and prides himself on serving up authentic thin-crust pizza among other rustic delicacies. Though I’ve been a fan of Crostatas since it opened in 2008, one thing has always perplexed me: Q’s refusal to put pepperoni on top of my pizza. In fact, Q refuses to put pepperoni pizza on his menu at all.
In her New York Times article “Pepperoni: On Top,” Julia Moskin sheds some light on this matter, and I finally understand why Q won’t let me have my pepperoni pizza. Turns out pepperoni is an Italian-American creation, not an authentic Italian ingredient. So now I get where Q is coming from. Though I’m disappointed that his zero tolerance policy for pepperoni has been validated, I look forward to trying a couple of the pizzerias mentioned in the article next time I’m in New York City, both of which serve pepperoni pizza.
Wine and Dine With Mike Fratello? Fortunate enough to say “been there, done that!” Yes, I havve to say the food was delicious and John was a wonderful host to Gina and me. But bring your own pepperoni!
Great to hear from you Kim. I heard about the big night and your drop-in visit to Crostatas, which must have made John very happy. Sorry I missed you but I was out of town. Hopefully we’ll all have the opportunity to get back there and see each other again soon. Stay in touch.
Personally I’ve never been a pepperoni fan on pizza…traditional PIZZA is a thing of beauty…..great sauce…not too much spice….thin crust and plenty of cheese…well that’s perfection..however a little diversion would be some sausage or possibly some fresh mushrooms… Q just got my vote for keeping it Italiano…….
Hey Joe, thanks for visiting the site – appreciate it. But regardless Joe, you’re still never picking a restaurant for us again.