Pie Squared Brings Motor City Goodness to Shunyi with Their Square Deep Dish Pizzas

With the Pizza Cup Launch Party behind us and voting set to begin Sunday (Oct 25), we continue our Pizza Profile series introducing some of Beijing's best pies. Today we talk to Asher Gillespie, owner of Beijing's only Detroit-stlye pizza parlor, Pie Squared.

How long have you plied the trade?
Pie Squared opened in March 2013. Before that, one of my very first jobs when I was still in high school was as a pizza maker – and eventually sauté chef – at Kruse & Muer, a gourmet Italian restaurant in Michigan. It only paid USD 5 per hour, but I’ve been using those skills to cook for broke college roommates and homesick foreigners ever since I got to Beijing in 2000.

In a market crowded with over 100 different pizza shops, what do you do to stand out?
At Pie Squared, we spread cheese all the way to the edges of the pans. As the pizzas bake, cheese slowly melts down the sides and forms a deliciously caramelized upper rim of crust. In addition, we also ladle our homemade sauce on in rows rather than evenly over the entire pizza. The combined result is a truly unique pizza with a slightly different taste and texture in each bite.

How would you describe your style?
"Square Pizza" is a Detroit-style that can be traced back to the 1940s and Detroit's ties to the automotive industry. The pizzas get their shape from being baked in square pans that, at the time, were commonly used as industrial parts and tool trays in Detroit factories.

Thick vs Thin: What's your take?
Well, to be honest, I like all types of pizza. You serve me some thick crust for lunch, I’ll still want thin crust for dinner. Wait, there are still leftovers in the morning? Ok, I’ll have a slice for breakfast.

Our Detroit-style Square is deep dish, but we know there are people out there that prefer thinner crust types, so we also offer two additional crust options: our traditional round – a medium-thickness American-style crust – and our flatbread thin crust – pizza dough rolled-out and grilled on both sides, then baked in our pizza oven with your choice of toppings.
 
What's the secret to your sauce?
We make our own sauce every day and pack it full of flavor. We put a different amount of sauce on the pizza depending on the selected crust (Deep Dish Square, Traditional Round or Flatbread Thin Crust) because the proportion of dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings is critical in baking a properly balanced pizza.

What kind(s) of cheese do you use and why?
We use New Zealand mozzarella because of its great flavor, color and stringiness when it comes out of the oven.

Will you be offering any specials or deals for your pizzas over the next month?
Dine-in and carry-out customers can buy one pizza and get one small square or round pizza for free for the duration of the Pizza Cup.

Tell us about your standard pizza.
Name: Cheese pizza.                  
Thick or thin crust? Deep Dish Square, Traditional Round or Flatbread Thin Crust.
Type of sauce? Homemade tomato-based pizza sauce.
Type(s) of cheese? New Zealand Mozzarella.
What other things make it special? A great basic pizza. It highlights our crust styles and homemade sauce.
How many sizes does it come in? Four sizes and three types of base (Square, Traditional Round, and Flatbread Thin Crust) ranging from a small for RMB 30 up to an extra-large for RMB 100.

Tell us about your most unique pizza.
Name: Motown Meatball.
Thick or thin crust? Your choice of Deep Dish Square, Traditional Round or Flatbread Thin Crust. But if it’s your first time, try the Deep Dish Square!
Type of sauce: Homemade tomato-based pizza sauce.
Type(s) of cheese: New Zealand Mozzarella.
Additional toppings: Homemade meatballs (a combo of pork, ground beef, parmesan and fresh herbs) and red onions.
How many sizes does it come in? The same as above.

Hungry for more? Check out pizza specials around town and compare and contrast some of Beijing's best pizzas in our ongoing Pizza Profiles series.

Photos courtesy of Pie Squared