Local pizza parlours take a slice of American pies: Andrew Coppolino

Pizza is popular. And I'd say that its popularity continues to grow with a widening range of styles and toppings.

There is a myriad of "two-for-one" and "slice-and-a-pop" joints, many now featuring flavours such as butter chicken and tikka masala. But as well, there are the traditional and "artisanal" wood-fired Neapolitan styles that are among my favourites.

Along with those pies, which represent opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the craft of the pizzaiolo, there is a relatively new pizza market sector in the area that draws inspiration from a few big U.S cities.

Head to Graffiti Market for Detroit-style pizza, a thick, cheesy square pie that is, I would estimate, about five centimetres deep of a focaccia-type dough: It cooks up with a caramelized crispy edge that comes from a slathering of butter on the pan edges.

"Sicilian dough cooked in a blue steel pan, lots of cheese that produces a caramelized cheese crust and sauce on top. That's a Detroit-style pizza," said Brian McCourt, Graffiti Market chef and Ignite Group of Brands culinary director.

Detroit-style pizzas take considerably longer to cook than conventional pizzas.

Like many foods, there's a myth to the nomenclature here: For Detroit pizza, it is that in the post-WWII years, cooks apparently put together deep and meaty pizzas and baked them in rectangular pans with deep sides that were surplus in the Motor City automotive industry.

The certain truth is that the deep-dish pans create an essential element of the pizza's texture, that's at once crisp and chewy. In terms of popularity? McCourt estimates they make up to 2,000 Detroit-style pizzas a week.

Putting a twist on a classic

To the west, Chicago is known for jazz and blues, steaks, windy streets, Italian beef sandwiches and of course, deep-dish pizza.

No need to cross the border if you want a slice though; there is an option in Kitchener's Williamsburg neighbourhood at Chicago's Pizza Twist on Max Becker Drive.

The business has been open for about four months; the "twist" is Chicago-style deep-dish pizza with Indian flavours such as tikka masala and butter chicken.

The flavours follow a newer trend in pizza toppings in our region but baked in a deep, round pan. (The other twist is that they serve vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free versions).

New York, New York

Heading east, two relatively new pizza styles have taken up residence in Waterloo and Kitchener. Both are thinner pies and come in a larger diameter.

In the latter city, Back of House Pizza has set up a pickup and takeaway shop at the back of the Lancaster Smokehouse; it's been open now for several weeks.

Lancaster chef and co-owner Tim Borys honed his New York-style pizza during the pandemic. He said they are striving for the quintessential New York pizza — to which might be added some southern U.S. barbecue flavours.

"I think New York style is harder to define than Chicago or Detroit or Neapolitan. But in general, you're looking for that thin crust, that undercarriage which has that nice char to it, but you're still looking for some nice puffing at the outer crust," Borys said.

That outer-edge crust — cornicione — will also have a few spots of light charring called "leoparding." Borys's New York pizza is light on toppings and focuses on cheese, like the quintessential cheesy slice.

"It's about that balance between the sauce and the cheese and the crispiness of the crust but still with some chewiness," he adds.

In Waterloo near Wilfrid Laurier University, and open for about a year, Later Pizza arrived as a second location takeaway to their busy Collingwood venue. It might be called Brooklyn-style (a borough of New York), but Later Pizza executive chef and co-owner Nick McGregor has an edgier, hyphenated label for their pies.

"We're calling it neo-New York-ish because we are trying to carve our own path but with a nod to tradition," he said.

Like Borys, McGregor has put considerable time into dough research and development, including receiving some mentorship from Santa Monica pizza "guru" Noel Brohner of Slow Rise Pizza Co.

"It's crispy and chewy. That's where everything starts with us. The sauce has fresh garlic and oil, but it's got a cooked feel to it and is not like your typical Neapolitan fresh sauce."

The other distinguishing aspect of Later Pizza is that it is available as a slice (they also sell beer and wine, including a sparkling Lambrusco) at the small walk-up location.

To elevate that experience, behind the glass case of pizza-by-the-slice is a pretty cool mini-conveyor oven to heat your slice: Then they slap it on a paper plate and you're good to go like you're at Luigi's on 5th Avenue.

I'm a pizza generalist, and select the style — ooey-gooey "industrial" two-for-one pizza or the more finely crafted Neapolitan wood-fired styles — by the mood I'm in.

That said, I'm in a happy mood that we have access to the incredible richness of Detroit-style pizza, where a square slice can be a meal, and to the newer and classic New York-style with its lighter, thinner crust — perhaps topped with lusciously oily "cupping" pepperoni and a drizzle of spicy honey.