California Love: Can I Barro a Feeling?
21 January 2011 - James BooFor the next week, I’ll be writing short posts on the meals I enjoyed during a two-week vacation in my native California.
Exactly what the hell is “California pizza?”
A casual glance at my home state offers glimmers of hope, but only amidst a tasteless slurry of industrial-grade delivery chains, “New York” style pizzerias that are woefully anything but, and California Pizza Kitchen, which is an insult to California, Pizza, and Kitchens. And though standouts like the Cheeseboard present a slice of salvation, they are quite far from imprinting a bona fide style on the Golden State’s pies.
I attribute my ability to care this much about California’s pizza personality to the Barros, a family from my hometown who, when I was growing up, owned the best pizzeria for miles around. One of Diamond Bar’s four sports bars and an ideal location for high school pizza parties, Barro Brothers’ calibrated my taste for pizza with their memorable take on a depressing, middle-of-the-road template. The quality of the pizza here has gone downhill since I set off for college, but the decline is a small one. Whenever I visit my parents, pies and pitchers at Barro’s are more than justified – especially on Monday nights, when a large pie still costs only $8.95.
Hand made pizza crust here is as deceptively good as ever – a thing of wonder, considering that it’s essentially a very thoughtful take on Boboli. There’s no wood-fired brick oven behind this blonde-colored specimen, but the results are still downright appetizing. Its edges are crusty, hearty and just slightly puffed (more like fresh bread than classic crust), its underside is firm and crisp to the point, and its body hits the sweet spot between chewy and fluffy that toss-off pizzerias always overshoot. The closest I’ve had to this style anywhere is the pizza at Dino’s in Burbank – and from what I’ve tasted, Barro’s does it better.
Barro’s pies are remorselessly carpet-bombed with California mozzarella, always served slightly burnt and instantly stretching to drape each slice as it’s cut. The thick tomato sauce beneath is tart and hefty (gone are the days when this sauce packed some serious spice), backing this blanket of cheese with an undercurrent of bright flavor. And Barro’s toppings are still top notch, if not as generously applied as they were back in the day: Fresh vegetables are thinly sliced, chunks of Italian sausage are torn from the genuine article, and every addition to the pie is submerged into the mozz in perfect distribution.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that this strain of pie can’t be endemic to the suburbs of Los Angeles. I’ve seen photos of pizzas elsewhere in the country with the same mediocre aura – crust, cheese, sauce and toppings that by the numbers must be guilty until proven innocent. If “I’ll believe it when I taste it” is par for the course when it comes to California pizza, then I volunteer Barro’s for an entry in the pizza encyclopedia – if not as a case of style, then as proof that quality trumps category when it comes to good food.
Barro Brothers’ Pizza
21000 Golden Springs Dr.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
909.598.2871
January 24th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Hmm, maybe to discover more about what’s California pizza you might need to make a trip to Northern California. The proliferation of thin-crust wood-fired pizza joints around here is beyond fever pitch. The variety and consistency of quality may make you forget those fond memories of your childhood pizza palace.
January 24th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
The thing with these wood-fired joints, which are really popular in New York, too, is that they’re more of an homage to classic Neapolitan… while often fantastic, I wouldn’t say they represent California pizza as a style. I think what Barro’s makes is closer to a middle-America, bar-style pizza? Heavy, hearty, great with a pitcher of beer. Ultimately, not exactly “California” in style, either. Of course, style guides need not apply to everything in this world :]
January 24th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
This looks like it’s a pizza hut pan pizza. Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve had Pizza Hut though… As for CPK, that stuff is pretty average. I’m surprised it’s as popular as it is. It rates well when you compare it with Dominoes… but that’s about it. haha
January 25th, 2011 at 12:26 am
It’s actually miles beyond pizza hut when it comes to ingredients and quality. Too bad that doesn’t entirely carry visually :)
Death to CPK!