History of the Oven

As promised I have taken a photo of the coal-fired masonry oven located in the basement of Verde restaurant.  The oven dates back to 1910 and was originally used to cook pizza which sold for 25 cents a pie.  After the pizza restaurant was closed the oven was walled up and hidden for decades until recently when it was discovered during renovations.  The picture of the oven is deceiving.  Although the opening may seem small, the interior of the oven is enormous fitting dozens of pizzas at one time.  Coal burning ovens can reach temperatures as high as 960 degrees cooking pizzas in three minutes.  The hotter the oven the more moisture it draws out leaving a perfectly crisp pizza with a slight smokey flavor.  As stated in a previous posting, coal burning ovens are now illegal to build in New York City, however if it is an already existing structure it can still be used which makes this oven an amazing find.