Today I visited one of my cousins and had a nice chat. He filled me in on some family stuff and the usual 'what are you doing now'. I also managed to get three recipes for Coney Island sauce that he managed to acquire through his career as a cook & Chef. I believe one of them to be a rather famous one, but we'll see. He also told me a 'secret' not on any of them regarding the sauces. Apparently, he does not list all of the ingredients on any of his recipes. He gives those secrets out only to family & the closest of confidants. They were duly noted for posterity.
I also met up with my life long buddy, Kerry. I've known him from 5th Grade and we have been in constant contact, ever since. We decided to go out on a pizza fact-finding mission.
Now I know, Sammy's Pizza is the best, but there used to be another pizza joint that made kick-ass pizza called Mr. Frank's Pizza. They are long gone, but according to my pre-trip research, the recipe was transferred to another place called Lee's Pizza. So, we had to check the place out.
The Findings:
We both agreed that hey are not exactly like the old Mr. Franks, but very, very close. Close enough to satisfy the craving for the old pizza we remembered. The odd thing is, the difference was that it tasted a bit more like a Sammy's pizza!...a sort of hybrid. The Sammy's crust is a bit more stiff. The Lee's crust is a bit more flexible. Of course the sauces are slightly different too. The 'new' Lee's seem a bit less greasy and gooey than the old Mr. Franks. Not a problem, but noticeable.
The old Mr. Frank's Pizza, East (they had two locations) was the place we'd hit after barhopping, in my youth. Load up on grease to settle the remaining alcohol and the obligatory debrief of the evening's carousing and wenching. No matter what week night or hour, the old jukebox somehow managed to play a few songs that became part of my life's soundtrack for that era and that place:
- "Layla" Derek and the Dominos
- "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "Roundabout" YES
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