Have you tried the square pizza at Dino's Tomato Pie, co-owner Brandon Pettit's recently-opened love letter to the New Jersey pizzerias of his youth? There's a good chance you haven't been able to, since Pettit says he's been selling out of the signature dish by 6:30 p.m. — and that's after opening at 4 p.m. daily.
Currently, the major bottleneck is the half-sized carbon steel sheet pans, made properly — that is, unseasoned and to the correct thickness — only by Kerekes in New York. Pettit started with just 40 of these since he expected the demand for round pizza, similar to his famous version at Delancey but twice as large, to far outstrip that of the square pie, sometimes known as Sicilian style.
Another 45 pans are on order, but they're being shipped in installments. Eventually, if demand dips or supply catches up, Pettit would like to offer pizza by the slice — your choice of middle or corner, of course.
For now, admire how the surprisingly complex dish is assembled, including an application of cooked tomato sauce and an initial bake, then a second topping of raw sauce and aged and fresh mozzarella. Pettit is careful to load up the edges of the pie with shredded cheese, which will melt and form a frico crust, the wonderfully dark, crispy layer that makes corner pieces so desirable.
Now duck out of work early and get some for yourself.
