Pizza Pies

2/9/2020.
Today is National Pizza Day.  And, YES, I will be making a cheese & pepperoni pizza tonight.

I am including a previous published blog. Many of my new followers may have not seen it.

Enjoy your PIZZA day!      

Research tells me the first American pizzas were known as “tomato pies.” Tomato pies are built the opposite of the “Pizza Pie,” first the cheese, then the toppings, then the sauce.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that Americans started to notice pizza. Celebrities of Italian origin such as Jerry Colona, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, and baseball star Joe DiMaggio all devoured pizza. It is also said that the line from the song by famous singer Dean Martin, “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore,” set America singing and eating pizzas! [1953].

I cannot remember having a pizza during World War II or before. My parents would try many places for a Saturday night pizza. The closest pizzas were the Bridgwaye Inn and the Humarock Lodge, but neither were satisfactory.

Next tries were a place in Fieldston, then Brant Rock, with no luck.

A Greek restaurant in Scituate, nope. Not that these pizzas were bad — they just were not pleased with some part of the pizza.

Maybe 1947 or 8, my uncle Herb, Dad’s twin, got a nighttime job at the Rockland Bar and Grille in Rockland. Herb alerted my parents to the great pizzas. One Saturday night we drove to Rockland to try one. I think in those days there were only cheese pizzas. It was great!

Whenever my folks wanted a pizza, off to Rockland we went. I can remember after I got my driving license (May 1951), I would be sent to Rockland for a takeout pizza.

In 1949 or 50, a new building was constructed at 20 Sea Street, in Humarock (really Seaview). A family from Quincy, that operated a pizzeria in Quincy, opened Miramare Pizza as a summer business.

There was Sal, the cook; his sister Celeste was the waitress and cook; and the matriarch mother, Naomi, ran the cash register. They would let me stash my bike behind the building when I went to Humarock. This was during the rebuilding of the new Sea Street bridge, during the summer of ‘ 51 (completed in 1952).

After stashing my bike, I would take my chances crossing the bridge over the catwalks provided for the work crew. They were planks maybe 10” wide and stretched randomly across the spans of the old part — and some of the new parts of the construction too. We kids from both sides would, at night, go to Humarock or cross back to get to the pizzerias, or to “Stead’s.”

Pizzerias, yes. At one time, another pizzeria opened in the Davis bakery across from Miramare’s.

Miramare’s pizza place had plenty of parking, but the joint across the street did not — so people would park in Miramare’s lot and walk across the street to the other place.

Well Naomi would have no part of that. She would yell out the front door to get the hell out of her lot! If they did not respond, Naomi would stomp right up the stairs into the joint and make them move their car or she would call the cops. She would make quite a scene!

Some of my friends liked the other pizzas. One time I joined them but didn’t purchase any food, only a soda. Well Naomi saw me coming out of the joint and did she give me hell.

I explained I didn’t buy anything but a soda. It didn’t matter. If you’re going in there, don’t come in here!”

Later that night, I went into Miamare’s for a pizza with a friend. I got the cold shoulder from the old matriarch.

One cheese pizza: 75 cents. Two drinks: 20 cents. A 15 cent tip. Total: $1.10, split 55 cents each. That was the summer of 1952.

 

Miramare’s stayed into the 60s. It closed soon after Sal died.

Now Papa Gino’s gets our $10-$12! We don’t have a Papa’s here in “Down East” Maine, so my wife and I put together a pretty good ‘roni and ‘shroom pizza every Sunday night.

I don’t remember 5 cents.
But I do remember a 10 cent  slice.

There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap.

Kevin James

Ray Freden
Sea View resident 60 years, Marshfield, 70

8 Replies to “Pizza Pies”

  1. The joint, in Davis' building, was Celias. They were Italians from Brockton. The father, Frank, and two of his daughters were the principles. They had great pizzas as well as a complete Italian menu. They were well established when the new joint was built across the street. Helen and I had a lot of Celia's pizzas…….Jim Dow

    1. I was the pearl diver(dish washer) @ Merimar, from 1950 on we had ALL the stars from the Music Circus almost every night.i met them all M Monroe and Joe Demagio where my favorites. During that time my mother was head waitress for the next14 years while they were rebuilding the Bridge
      Way.
      Sal taught me how to cook sauces and all the Italian food. I think he knew he was having health problems and knew I was going to have to help his Mom “Rose” soon . They were very kind to me.I used to bike up to Quincy where they lived during the off season.
      When I was in the 8th grade we moved from Church ST, ( BEHIND Keen’s school bus barn) up to Preston Terrace up behind the Bridgeway.
      I am having great memories reading your blog. Somewhere I have the play that my mother wrote for our cub scout pack about the history of Marshfield. You’re brother was in our pack at that time.
      You are 2 years older then me. Along with Dave Doroni, who was my wife boyfriend back then. He passed a couple of years ago.

  2. I grew up on Maria’s in scituate harbor. The cardboard crust pizzas at the bridge way were never my favorite.

  3. Ray! I love this post. I read it with my boyfriend and we were so shocked by the history and the prices.. if only they were that cheap today! When you make your home made pizzas I am assuming that you make them with nothing, but asiago cheese 😉 Keep up the great story telling! Much love, Jenna, RN

  4. We used to go to Parziales Pizza in Pembroke at the corner of 139 and 53.it was a bike shop for the last 30 years but it is now all part of a gas station convenience store. I wish I had tried Miramare’s

  5. I was very young back then being born in 1964 but I do remember that pizza place it was great I remember they had swinging doors at the front door like a saloon being a little kid I thought that was cool

  6. Ray, I also remember, with Ruth seaberg Wile, going back and forth from the Marshfield side of the sea st Bridge (being built) to the Humarock side. Going for Pizza and Stedmans. Youth is wonderful, no fear on that Bridge at our young age. ENJOY very much every memory you write about. Hope all is well.
    Pat Fagan Arnold

    1. Hi Pat, Oh how I remember leaving my bike behind Miramare’s , hidden, then running across the bridge to visit with my summer friends. One night, headed for home, i ran onto the catwalks, moving right along, I stepped onto a 3/4″ board that promptly
      gave away, down I went into the mussels & mud. I was still on the Humarock Side, I struggled out to the banking covered with mud up to my waist, I was a mess. My friends had gone home and I was alone. Once again I headed across the bridge carefully watching my steps. I remember crossing the channel on that springy plank. I ran down the ramp at the boat yard and tried to wash off. Home I went on my bike. When I got home I hosed down and got caught by my mother— the S— hit the fan ! mostly because I ruined my new sneakers, or so she claimed. Oh yes I was back again. 1951.

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