Longtime followers of our platforms are well aware of the pizza connection to the Fitzmorris anniversary. It goes back to before our marriage, and every year since, Tom has received a pizza in some form, accompanied by a sort of SOTU letter.
It was purely coincidental but fortuitous (the word on a daily word calendar for February 11, 1989) that the new food court at Harrah’s/Caesar’s) across the street had opened the day before. I was intrigued by the celebrity lineup when I spoke to hotel manager Samir Mowad on the Food Show (airs weekdays 2-4 pm on 990 AM)
Bobby Flay Burgers and our own Nina Compton would be there, but what really piqued my interest was the very clever and aptly-named PzzaCake, by Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss fame. Valastro is a Jersey boy, and Jersey boys know pizza. I remember spending a summer in Jersey when I was twenty, and I actually preferred their pizza to the NYC version.
So on this 34th anniversary, I knew exactly where I would get the requisite pizza. After the Mardi Gras Tea at the Windsor Court, we crossed the street and made our way to Pizza Cake in the casino. I can’t decide what was most painful: dodging the barricades, braving the cold, or walking through the casino to get to the Food Court.
The Food Court is pretty and bright as Samir promised, but I still didn’t want to stay and eat. We picked up a few slices, ignored the cake part, and made our way back to Windsor Court. When the five slices of pizza totaled $40, I dropped it down to three.
Since this pizza was done by someone whose life’s work is flour products, I expected and was not disappointed to see a terrific crust. The real deal, with a great flavor to match. The red sauce was also perfect, with a bit of a bite.
Delicious Italian sausage was sliced thin on The Boss (get it?) a meat-lover’s version that included pepperoni, meatballs, and bacon. These last two were lost on me. The pepperoni was the little kind that cups into a nice puddle of grease in the middle. (I say that with only the warmest of feelings, though it does get mopped up by a napkin every time.)
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The crust had the heft to keep it all together and still stand firm. Exactly right! The pepperoni had all these same traits, and Tom’s cheese pizza was also exactly what it should have been for all lovers of real New York-style pizza.
There are a few places around town doing “real” New York pizza. All of them are very good, but only this pizza reminds me of the holes-in-the-wall corner pizza joints like Ray’s with nondescript but divine slices behind a glass with grease smudges on it.
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The question: Is all that worth the inconvenience of getting it from the casino, and at what they call “casino prices?” Yes, definitely. It’s still cheaper than a trip to the Northeast when you need the real deal.
