A Brockton lawmaker wants to tell the world about the South Shore’s homegrown pizza, but he’ll start with the rest of the state.
Why it matters: Massachusetts doesn’t have a designated pizza style like New York, Chicago and Detroit, despite being the birthplace of some unique varieties.
- Bar pizza, the distinct thin-crust pan pizza from Brockton and surrounding areas, has exploded in popularity over the last decade.
State of play: State Sen. Michael Brady (D-Brockton) wants to name South Shore bar pizza the official pizza variety of Massachusetts.
- The legislation he filed is the first attempt to establish a state pizza designation.
Between the lines: If it passes, it’ll be a win for the South Shore and for oily-carb lovers everywhere.
- If the bill fails, it’ll be because parochial pizza pride led to a food fight at the State House.
What makes it a bar pizza: There are variations on the form (looking at you, Town Spa), but most bar pies are single-serving, 10-inch thin-crust pan pizzas with cheese scattered all the way to the pan’s lip so it creates a burned “lace” around the crust.
- There’s limited crushed tomato sauce under a bed of cheddar, or a cheddar mixture.
- The crust is buttery in the middle and crisp on the edges.
- Most traditional toppings are available, but you’re likely to see more chorizo and linguica and less pepperoni the closer you get to the South Coast.
Dig in: Old-school bar-pie lovers will tell you the real secret is in the seasoned pans, which build flavor over time.
- Used pizza pans become a hot commodity if they ever come up for sale.
What they’re saying: “I think it’ll help businesses, and especially the places that I represent,” Brady told Axios. “Hopefully, by getting some publicity about this, it might bring more business to the Commonwealth and revenue to the Commonwealth.”…