Food News
One state lawmaker wants to make South Shore bar pizza the official pizza of Massachusetts.
New York, Chicago, Detroit, and even New Haven have an official pizza style, but not Massachusetts. One state lawmaker wants to change that.
State Sen. Michael Brady, who represents the birthplace of bar pizza, Brockton, introduced a petition that would make the South Shore specialty pie the official pizza of the entire state.
“Bar pizza, a type of pizza characterized by its thin, crispy crust, individual 10-inch pan size, edge-to-edge cheese, and a unique preparation style common to the South Shore region of the Commonwealth, shall be the official pizza of the Commonwealth,” reads SD 2852, also supported by State Rep. Bridget Plouffe of Plymouth.
If Massachusetts was to ever claim a unique style of pizza as its own, it probably should be bar pizza.
Bar pie originated out of the kitchen in Brockton’s Cape Cod Cafe in 1939. It isn’t widely known beyond New England, but its footprint has grown thanks to increased interest regionally and social media, especially from a popular fan group on Facebook dedicated to the style of pie.
Some key things that also make bar pizza different from other pizza styles is that it served at taverns, and one pizza is meant for one person.
Boston.com recently reported on why Massachusetts or Boston doesn’t have an official pizza style, and one pizza expert made the argument for bar pie to be given the title.
“South Shore bar pizza is totally unique,” said Scott Riebling, one of the founders of Stoked Pizza. “There’s nothing else like it anywhere.”
Boston.com reached out to State Sen. Murphy but didn’t hear back in time for publication. As of June 5, it was referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
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