|
|
Jerry's Pizza885 Washington St. Middletown 06457 Plaza Drive 860-346-5335 By STEVE & LISA ALCAZARI Hartford Advocate Published: 4/2/2004 You've got to make a leap of faith when it comes to hunting down and acquiring your very own "white Sicilian," an elusive and mysterious pizza made, on request, at Jerry's Pizza in Middletown. First of all, from the outside Jerry's doesn't offer very much in terms of enticing visuals to recommend itself. It's shoe-horned between a new big-box hardware chain and a drugstore in a strip mall. If you're the kind of (misguided) person who places bets on the quality of restaurant food based on the look of the exterior, you'll give Jerry's some bad odds. But you'll be way wrong. And then there's the little problem of finding the white Sicilian on the menu. It's not there. Ordering a white Sicilian is akin to joining the secret order of Freemasons --you have to ask. The mysteries of the white Sicilian are not effortlessly offered up to just anyone who walks in the shop. An aspirant must first learn about the secrets of the pie and then express an interest in the pie. Then, with luck, one can sample the salty pleasures of the specialty pizza. Oh, and then there's the part about ordering in advance. The folks at Jerry's, which is a family operation, recommend that an order for a white Sicilian be placed close to two hours in advance of pick-up time. Part of what makes the white Sicilian special is the shining golden crust flavored and coated with olive oil. The dough is anointed with oil and left to sit for a while before being rolled out and covered with toppings. Unlike your ordinary pizza -- where cheese and tomato sauce factor heavily in the overall effect -- with the white Sicilian it's a more elemental experience. No cheese. No sauce. Instead, a sort of chunky paste of garlic, anchovies, red pepper seeds and parsley covers the square pie. Anyone biting into a white Sicilian and expecting to taste a mellow, nutty pesto-type coating should scrap those expectations. Fortunately, the powerful pungent smell coming off the white Sicilian pretty much tells you what you're in store for. The steam screams anchovies. I am by no means averse to the anchovy, but I'm not one of the little fish's biggest boosters either. The interplay between the fresh perkiness of the parsley and the oregano help to offset the powerful fishiness of the anchovies. And the hot pepper seeds and chopped garlic provide muscle nearly equal to the anchovies in the flavor department. This is strong stuff --scored fortissimo for the taste buds. The tastes of salt, fish, garlic, herbs and olive oil sort of duke it out. The fish wins, but not by much. Be sure to have an ample supply of cold beverages on hand, because this pie will bring on a guzzle fest. The white Sicilian is a special treat. Definitely worth the advance planning and the wait, but one you want to reserve for special occasions. Judging from a displayed article on the wall at Jerry's, road-food experts and Gourmet Magazine food writers, Jane and Michael Stern have evidently hunted down the white Sicilian and enjoyed its pleasures. With the thick olive-oil-flavored crust, the white pizza is more like a foccaccia than a pizza, but without the overly herby flavor and the dry texture. I had tried my first white Sicilian just a few weeks back, and I had been singing its praises to Lisa ever since. Watching her face as she bit in to her first piece, I was reminded of just how astonishingly intense the initial rush of flavor from the pizza was. She was equally taken with it. There is more to Jerry's than the fabled white Sicilian. The restaurant just expanded to make room for a larger sit-down area, and they added seafood dishes to the menu. Pasta specials abound for those who shun the pies -- with ravioli, lasagne, ziti, spaghetti and manicotti dinners. There are also veal, eggplant and chicken parmigiana dishes. The regular pizza at Jerry's is noteworthy too, with a nice mild almost fruity sauce, and a crust that has a pleasing resilience. The secret to Jerry's crusts seems to be that they take the pies (the to-go orders at least) out of the ovens, just shy of being finished and allow them to sit for a few minutes before throwing them back in for the final blast of heat. Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Map | Printer-Friendly Page | Email to a Friend
|
|
|
