Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria opens in Allen at Watters Creek center

By Pegasus News wire

ALLEN — The highly anticipated Grimaldi's Pizzeria in the Watter's Creek Development in Allen is now open, serving award-winning, hand-tossed, coal-fired brick oven pizzas as well as calzones, salads, and desserts. With Frank Sinatra crooning in the background, Grimaldi's brings to Allen over 100 years of pizza-making traditions and the tantalizing aroma of pizza and calzones baked to perfection in the signature coal burning oven.

In the world of pizza, Grimaldi's is an institution it has garnered more awards than any other pizzeria in the country with more celebrity sightings than most 5-star restaurants. Using only the freshest ingredients, "secret recipe" pizza sauce, homemade mozzarella cheese and dough, Grimaldi's serves traditional pizza (as it began in Naples, Italy) in an upscale yet casual, family-oriented pizzeria.

Patsy Grimaldi is a purest when it comes to pizza, learning the trade from his Uncle Lancieri who trained with the man credited with opening the first pizzeria in America in 1905. Lancieri opened Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem (1931) where Grimaldi learned the art of coal-fired brick ovens pizza at just 10 years of age. Eventually Grimaldi opened his own Pizzeria in Brooklyn and the smoky taste of his coal-fired brick oven pizza became a must have for hundreds of celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Vince Vaughn and Mayor Rudy Giuliani to Danny DeVito.

Designed and built by hand, the coal-fired oven at Grimaldi's Pizzeria delivers a unique flavor and consistency that is just not possible from wood or gas ovens. Weighing in at 25 tons and heated by 100 pounds of coal per day (cleanest burning fuel available and environmentally tested), the oven heats up to 1200 degrees. The intense heat of the oven evenly bakes the pies to create Grimaldi's famous crispy and smoky crust that Zagat has voted best pizza year after year.

It has been said that the secret to true New York-style pizza is the water. Grimaldi's believes that too, going to great lengths to keep the integrity of the water used in the Brooklyn pizzeria by hiring a chemist to analyze and recreating the mineral content and exact composition of the water to ensure the dough tastes the same in Allen.

"I speak for all of us within the Grimaldi's family when I say we are very excited about opening here in the growing community of Allen," comments COO Eric Greenwald. "We're thrilled to be a part of the Watter's Creek development."

With locations in New York, Las Vegas, Arizona, Dallas and now Allen, additional locations in Houston, and San Antonio are on the drawing board.

Located at 836 Market Street in Allen , Grimaldi's Pizzeria is open 7 days a week from 11:00am -11:00pm. Grimaldi's offers guests a full bar with an extensive selection of beers, wines (by the glass and bottle) and specialty cocktails including their famous martinis. Self-park lot and valet available. For reservations for 5 or more people call 214-383-9703 or visit the Web site.

Source: Grimaldi's

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