Nino Coniglio doesn’t like to play by the rules. His pizza has always had one foot rooted in classic methods and styles while the other foot is somewhere off in outer space. That’s why it’s no surprise that his most recent venture involves making pizza in the coat check closet of a bar on the Bowery. He’s using a two-deck Cuppone electric oven and less than 100 square feet of space to make his signature Grandma pie, which took him to victory in the 2015 Caputo Cup competition.
As good as his grandma pie may be, the real star of the menu is the secret Not Detroit Style pizza. Nino recently started messing around with extremely long room-temp proofing in deep pans to achieve an impossibly light and airy crust. The pans are sloped on the sides, so cheese tends to run off the ledge and burn around the perimeter. The effect is similar to what you’ll see in classic Detroit pizza shops like Buddy’s, Cloverleaf, and Shields. But the style is receiving a new wave of appreciation thanks to non-Detroit pizzerias like Austin’s Via 313, Brown Dog Pizza Telluride, CO, and Emmy Squared in Brooklyn. Nino’s pie is a take-off on those pizzerias, hence the name “Not Detroit Style.”
Nino’s making pizza at 310 Bowery every night from 7pm until close but has limited Not Detroit Style pizzas, so get there early if you want to check it out. Don’t forget the incredibly difficult password: Not Detroit Style.
