Through the years, I have put up with a lot from Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who I have always said has retained an admirable level of consistency and intellectual honesty in his views even though I often disagree with him. Nevertheless, I have criticized his conduct in public, including his enthusiastic embrace of being a conservative “celebrity justice” (here and here), shocking elitism in speaking with law students, and making public comments on issues before the Court (here and here). Yet, I have always tempered this criticism with a degree of respect for Scalia’s consistent adherence to a jurisprudential foundation that is missing with some of his other colleagues. However, he has finally gone too far. I am done. This week, Scalia did his usual ill-considered comments about issues before the Court but added in a speech in Chicago (my home town) at the Union club about Chicago-Style pizza. To the boos of the audience, Scalia declared that Chicago-Style pizza is not pizza but some form of “tomato pie.” It is not just injudicious but downright sacrilegious. In my view, Scalia has crossed the line into potentially impeachable conduct in his attack on this highest form of pizza and should be removed faster than one of those pathetic New York wafers that people fold and call pizza.
Making this all the more shocking is Scalia’s former work as a professor at the University of Chicago.
Scalia began with discussion of the role of God in government and by extension constitutional law — an issue that is before the Court this session. He insisted that “it is contrary to our founding principles to insist that government be hostile to religion. Or even to insist, as my court, alas, has done, that government cannot favor religion over non religion . . . It is a matter of believing, as our founders did, that belief in God is very conducive to a successful republic.”
After invoking God’s domain, however, Scalia then moved to the truly sacrilegious: seemingly embracing New York pizza while calling Chicago pizza “tomato pie.”
Now, I am Italian and a native Chicagoan and I am fully aware of the traditional thin crust pizza found in Italy. However, pizza is a category of food, not a single exclusive term for one style. Indeed, Scalia’s intolerance for different forms of pizza seems consistent with his views in other areas like privacy and marriage.
Consider the lunacy of this position. Gellato is a wonderful ice cream that truly surpasses all other forms but it is not the only ice cream. Ice cream is a category of frozen dessert usually made from dairy products. Likewise, pasta comes in a variety of forms. One would not call fried dough the only “true” pasta, even though it was referenced in this form in the First Century.
Pizza, my dear Scalia, is like marriage. It evolves and can take different shapes. Additionally, I would be the last to suggest anyone should “shut their pie hole” because I also believe that free speech takes on new and expanded meaning. Indeed, the disrespect shown pizza by Scalia reflects the same hostility shown to theories of evolution.
Chicago pizza is the highest form of evolution of pizza — a majestic combination of cheese, sauce, and dough that resulted from years of experimentation and consumer demand. Like the evolution of the horse from the tiny Eohippus in the early Eocene, pizza evolved with stronger crust and brilliant engineering advances. It is to New York pizza what the John Hancock is to a lean-to.
Scalia’s comments were not just injudicious but incomprehensible for anyone who has experiencing the exquisite experience of the Chicago-style pizza. As a food critic, Antonin Scalia is a wash out.
As many of us look at Scalia’s possible removal from the Court for demonstrated incapacity, Chicago needs to banish him from our shores. Call it our own high-fat Fatwa. Let him go watch his favorite football team (the Cowboys!) and eat his tomato wafers in that forsaken city known as the Big Apple. The city of Big Shoulders likes our pizza equally big and deep, thank you.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Andy, St. Louis pizza is a saltine w/ whatever kind of shit you want on it. But, it is a GREAT baseball town.
I agree with Charlton, the best pizza is made at home. New York says they have the best pizza. Chicago wouldn’t let NYorker’s get away with that, so they invented their deep-er dish pizza. But I tell you nobody–I repeat nobody, made pizza as good as my mom! The crust was not deep dish, nor was it thin, it was just right. She made her own sauce and put on just enough cheese (the best Italian cheese one can buy) to make all the flavors come out in harmonious song when they hit my taste buds. Her pizza was the best pizza hot, cold, and even 2 days old (her pizza never lasted that long in the refrigerator).
Scalia doesn’t know the definition of “a Person”. Am not surprised he doesn’t know classic pizza when he sees it.
Nick, I cannot answer for those who have to deal in reality, the Zen of Cub and Wrigley is only understood by a few who are devoted. So now that I cleared that up I cannot be responsible for outlanders who have invaded with the purpose of screwing things up. It is a never ending quest for truth. Nor is it limited to the the geographical Chicago. A friend in Columbus reports that a joint there is passing off a Chicago dog with cucumbers as a topping. All that said, someone mentioned St Louis Pizza. I tried that and found they put cheddar cheese as a topping. Have you ever heard of such a thing?
I was in a Cleveland asian grocery yesterday. Cilantro and Chinese garlic were so beautiful and cheap, I decided to make a pesto with them. Combined with Alesci’s pizza dough and some Aldi raw shrimp picked up on the way home to go with other goodies in inventory, a heavenly aroma filled the house during a raging snow storm. OMG. OMG.
And Scalia can choke on a meatball. Chicago pizza, filled upside down from others (cheese on bottom, tomato on top) is a real experience. The Nuyawk stuff ain’t bad, either. I have yet to try the clam pizzas out east, but my bucket list has that near the top.
Andy, Well you have some sense. But I’m sure you realize every place that serves Italian Beef asks you if you want it dipped. When I moved to Chicago a coworker told me I had to have an Italian Beef. He ordered, and got me one @ a classic place on the near southside. It was dipped! My unofficial survey tells me from hearing people order that well over half of folks order it dipped. That is consistent w/ over half of Chicagoans being loser Cub fans. At least you’re one for two! Wrigley gets a Jumbotron this year. I don’t like the Cubs but I lived walking distance to Wrigley and enjoy going there to miss the laser light and sound shows @ all other MLB ballparks. That is now over. They also have a new mascot. They’re losers like no other franchise and surrendered their one redeeming quality. But, as I write, maybe this is a Faustian deal ala Damn Yankees??
Judging from Scalia’s girth, he should know!
Nick,
Do not confuse a “French Dip” (the sandwich not Depardeau) with an Italian Beef. The skilled only allow juice that clings to the meat and peppers to flavor the bread. Alas, things may have changed since my formative years in Chicago but I will continue to follow the true faith, Go Cubs!
Just like Mr. Pitt eating a Snickers bar.
A miscarriage of Justice, to be sure! A pizza to be eaten with knife and fork, deep, rich, savory goodness. Enough crust to sop up the sauce, mmmmm.
“Sacremonious”??? It’s not in the OED. Did you mean “sanctimonious”?
nick spinelli
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The “best” pizza is invariably whatever pizza you grew up eating, no matter how vile and disgusting it may be.
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Indeed.
Life pizza.
The French give you au jus to dip. It’s tough for me to say but they have it correct. You dip a bit sized portion and then eat immediately. I don’t know what happened to Chicago Italians. They must have lost their souls somewhere in Ohio or Indiana on their sojourn west.
Andy, The Italian Beef sandwich involves dipping the sandwich in au jus. IT IS SOGGY BREAD! That should be a Class B Felony.
Sally’s or Frank Pepe’s white clam pizza w/ FRESH clams is, as SWM states, a regional gem. I’ve lived too many places and tasted too many pizzas to argue w/ folks about the “best” pizza. The “best” pizza is invariably whatever pizza you grew up eating, no matter how vile and disgusting it may be. I grew up w/ a grandmother born in Naples and in an area w/ Italian immigrants. Pizza, or appiza as we called it, was simple. It was cooked in brick ovens that would be over 800 degrees. The crust is slightly charred and it cooks in 4 minutes. The toppings are few and do not overwhelm the crust, simple sauce, or sparsely distributed REAL mozzarella. Now, all you lost souls, please continue your debate. “Forgive them father, they know what they do.”
Justice Scalia has crossed the line, and has become Toast Pizza.
My second favorite pizza is a new haven style clam pizza.
Justice Scalia is certainly entitled to his preferences in his dining. However, by denigrating common-dining precedent in his refusal to acknowledge that ‘Chicago-Style’ pizza is just as much (in fact, by weight and volume more) pizza as thin-crust styles is a shocking lapse of gastronomic precedent.
I wonder if Mr. Turley will now refer to Justus Scalia as being a “crusty” old man? Like some others, I revel in the joy of good pizza, whether thin crust or Chicago style. Best Chicago style pizza I have experienced is from Papa Del’s, near the U of Illinois campus.
We another fine mess Marco Polo Has gotten us into…..