Andy Montoya
Cold cheese pizza is a phenomenon mostly associated with New York State, specifically Oneonta, a small college town north of Manhattan. It is said to have originated at Tino's Pizza in the 1980s, when a customer asked for a slice of pizza with cold mozzarella cheese on top so that they wouldn't have to wait for it to cool down before eating it. Tino's Pizza continues to be a top seller of cold cheese pizza, with nearly 95% of its slices sold between midnight and 3 am being cold cheese. Other pizzerias in New York and beyond have since started offering their own versions of cold cheese pizza, including Little Vincent's in Huntington, Long Island, and Beto's in Pittsburgh.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York |
| Inventor | Tino Jr. |
| Year of origin | 1980s |
| Reason for invention | To prevent drunk and overeager kids from burning their mouths |
| Basic elements | A slice of standard pizza topped with cold, shredded mozzarella |
| Other places that serve it | Little Vincent's in Huntington, Long Island; Beto's in Pittsburgh; Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, New York; DC's Pizza in Albany |
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What You'll Learn
- Cold cheese pizza was invented at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York
- It was conceived to prevent drunk and overeager kids from burning their mouths
- It's a normal slice of hot pizza topped with cold, shredded mozzarella
- It's mostly associated with New York State, but is available elsewhere
- It's unclear if it will enter the mainstream, but more pizzerias are jumping on the bandwagon
Cold cheese pizza was invented at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York
Cold cheese pizza is not just a leftover slice of pizza from the fridge. It is a slice of hot pizza topped with a handful of cold, shredded mozzarella. This method sops up excess oil and creates an interesting textural contrast. It is also a way to prevent overeager, drunk people from burning their mouths.
Cold cheese pizza was invented at Tinos Pizza in Oneonta, New York. Nearly 40 years later, it continues to be a top seller, with 95% of its slices sold between midnight and 3 am being cold cheese. The story goes that a customer asked for a slice of pizza, but it was too hot, so they asked for some cold mozzarella cheese to be put on top so they could eat it right away. Tino's is not the only place to make cold cheese pizza, but it is credited with inventing this pizza style.
Other famous pizza places that make cold cheese pizza include Little Vincent's on Long Island, Beto's in Pittsburgh, Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, New York, and DC's Pizza in Albany. Little Vincent's has been serving its own version of cold cheese pizza since 1985 or 1986/1987, when returning college students from Oneonta asked for it.
Cold cheese pizza is mostly associated with New York State, although it tends to be more of a small-town fixture. It is a late-night favourite, with many people ordering it after a night of bar crawling.
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It was conceived to prevent drunk and overeager kids from burning their mouths
Cold cheese pizza is a phenomenon mostly associated with New York State, although it is not easy to find in any of New York's major hubs. It is more of a small-town fixture, with a few notable places serving it.
The iconic bite was invented at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York. It was conceived to prevent drunk and overeager kids from burning their mouths. Tino's Pizza was located on Main Street, and was frequented by students from SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College who would descend en masse, forcing the shop to churn out pizza after pizza. The pizza would go straight from the oven to the mouths of hungry undergrads. Tino's owner, Tino Garufi, recounted:
> "What would happen would be, the line would form so long and we were selling the pizza so fast — once it was coming out of the oven, the pizza was already being sold. So it was like piping hot. It was being cut and then onto a plate, and then they were eating it. My father, I guess, decided to throw some cold mozzarella on top of a slice and then all of a sudden..."
Tino Jr. also recounted the story of how cold cheese pizza started:
> "This guy came up to the counter and asked for a slice. But it was too hot so he said, 'Can you put some cold mozzarella cheese on top?' so he could eat it right away."
Nearly 40 years later, cold cheese pizza continues to be a top seller at Tino's, with 95% of slices sold between midnight and 3 am being cold cheese.
Other pizzerias have since jumped on the bandwagon, including Little Vincent's in Huntington, Long Island, which has been serving its own version since 1985 and shares a cult-like devotion just as large as Tino's. Little Vincent's manager, Daniel Rossi, explained:
> "It happened back in '86 or '87. Some college kids started to ask for it and then it exploded from there."
Other pizzerias that serve cold cheese pizza include Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, New York, Beto's in Pittsburgh, and DC's Pizza in Albany.
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It's a normal slice of hot pizza topped with cold, shredded mozzarella
Cold cheese pizza is a phenomenon mostly associated with New York State, though it tends to be more of a small-town fixture. It is said to have originated at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York. It's a normal slice of hot pizza topped with cold, shredded mozzarella.
The story goes that a customer asked for a slice of pizza, but it was too hot, so they asked for some cold mozzarella cheese to be put on top so they could eat it right away. Tino's owner, Tino Garufi, recounted that the pizza was "piping hot" and was being sold straight out of the oven. His father decided to throw some cold mozzarella on top, and a cult favourite was born.
Tino's is not the only place that serves cold cheese pizza, and the trend has spread to other towns. Little Vincent's in Huntington, Long Island, has been serving its own version since 1985 and shares a cult-like devotion just as large as Tino's. Other pizzerias in Long Island, such as Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, Rosa's Pizza in Huntington, and ZA Late Night Pizzeria in Rockville Centre, have also jumped on the bandwagon due to customer demand.
The appeal of cold cheese pizza lies in the unique textural contrast between the hot pizza and the cold cheese, as well as the fact that it prevents people from burning their mouths when eating hot pizza straight out of the oven. It is particularly popular among the late-night crowd, with nearly 95% of Tino's slices sold between midnight and 3 am being cold cheese.
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It's mostly associated with New York State, but is available elsewhere
Cold cheese pizza is mostly associated with New York State, particularly the small college town of Oneonta, New York, where it was invented at Tino's Pizza. It is said to have originated when a customer asked for a slice of pizza that was too hot to eat, so the owner, Tino Jr., put some cold mozzarella on top to cool it down. Since then, it has become a cult favourite, with nearly 95% of Tino's slices sold between midnight and 3 am being cold cheese.
While it is predominantly associated with New York State, cold cheese pizza is available elsewhere. Little Vincent's in Huntington, Long Island, has been serving their own version since 1985 and has a cult-like following similar to Tino's. In addition, Town Pizza on Fire Island, New York, and DC's Pizza in Albany also offer cold cheese pizza on their menus. Outside of New York State, Beto's in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also serves cold cheese pizza and claims to have started the trend 60 years ago, long before Tino's opened.
The popularity of cold cheese pizza can be attributed to its unique combination of flavours and textures, as well as its ability to cool down hot pizza, preventing customers from burning their mouths. It is often enjoyed by the late-night crowd and has become a phenomenon that has spread to various towns and cities.
While it may not be as well-known as other pizza styles, cold cheese pizza has developed a dedicated following, particularly in small towns. It is a simple yet innovative variation of the traditional pizza, showcasing the creativity and diversity of pizza culture in the United States.
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It's unclear if it will enter the mainstream, but more pizzerias are jumping on the bandwagon
Cold cheese pizza is a phenomenon mostly associated with New York State, though it is more of a small-town fixture. It is said to have originated at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York, in the 1980s. The story goes that a customer asked for a slice, but it was too hot, so they asked for some cold mozzarella cheese to be put on top so they could eat it right away. Tino's is not the only place to make cold cheese pizza, and it's not clear if it will enter the mainstream, but more pizzerias are jumping on the bandwagon.
The basic elements of cold cheese pizza are simple: take a slice of standard pizza (thick crust, red sauce, and gooey cheese), and top it with cold, shredded mozzarella. This method sops up excess oil and creates an interesting textural landscape. It also protects the roof of your mouth from burning.
Cold cheese pizza is particularly popular among the late-night crowd. In addition to the original Tino's in Oneonta, other New York pizzerias serving cold cheese pizza include Little Vincent's in Huntington on Long Island, which has been making it since 1985 or 1986/1987, Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, and DC's Pizza in Albany. Outside of New York, Beto's in Pittsburgh also serves cold cheese pizza and claims to have started the trend 60 years ago.
Despite its popularity among certain circles, cold cheese pizza has faced some confusion and skepticism. Some people question why anyone would order a chilled slice when they could eat leftover pizza from the fridge. However, cold cheese pizza is not meant to be eaten cold but rather offers a unique combination of warm and cold temperatures, creating a sensory experience that appeals to many.
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Frequently asked questions
Cold cheese pizza is said to have originated at Tino's Pizza in Oneonta, New York.
A customer at Tino's asked for a slice but it was too hot, so they put some cold mozzarella cheese on top so that they could eat it right away.
Cold cheese pizza dates back to the 1980s.
Cold cheese pizza is mostly associated with New York State. Other than Tino's in Oneonta, you can also get it at Little Vincent's in Huntington on Long Island, Town Pizza in Ocean Beach, and Beto's in Pittsburgh.
