Many culinary discoveries happen by accident. Grilled pizza is one of them. While trying to reproduce the taste and texture of the thin-crusted pizzas they had enjoyed in Italy, Johanne Killeen and George Germon, chef/owners of Al Forno Restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, realized that the characteristics they loved so much came from the high heat and smoke of the live fire in wood-burning brick ovens. Having only a wood-fired grill in his own kitchen, George decided to try his luck grilling pizza. Much to his surprise, the dough did not fall through the grate but instead stiffened and cooked almost immediately. With a little experimentation, George developed a technique for a pizza he thought surpassed the benchmark in Italy. On the grill, the pizza comes into direct contact with fire. The smoke curls around the dough, leaving its delicate perfume on its surface.
