One Midwestern Regional Pizza's Topping Style Has People Divided - Tasting Table

"It seems like every year we're introduced to a new regional American style of pizza that most people have never heard of, and it's easy to be dubious about how "authentic" these local delicacies are. But Ohio Valley-style pizza is very much a real, distinctive thing. Unlike most pizza, which is primarily defined by the crust, what sets Ohio Valley-style apart is that the cheese and the toppings both go on cold after the crust and sauce are already cooked."

"While some regional pizzas have people fighting over who originated them, Ohio Valley has a definitive origin story. This unique pizza style was first served at DiCarlo's in Steubenville, Ohio, a riverside town on the West Virginia border that gave the style its eventual name. Founder Primo DiCarlo had eaten pizza in Italy during World War II, and he strove to recreate it back home."

Ohio Valley-style pizza features cold cheese and toppings added after the crust and sauce are fully cooked, creating a distinctive hot/crisp crust with cooler toppings. The crust is a crunchy, medium-thickness square cut, resembling New York-area "grandma" pizzas. Residual heat from the cooked crust slightly softens the cheese but preserves a hot/cold contrast that sets the style apart from other American regional pizzas. The style originated at DiCarlo's in Steubenville, Ohio, founded by Primo DiCarlo, who after eating pizza in Italy during World War II sought to recreate that experience back home. The style remains relatively unknown and polarizing.

Read at Tasting Table