Tomato pie

A 'tomato pie' is the New Haven name for a plain apizza: thin charred crust, tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, and a dusting of grated pecorino romano, but no mozzarella. The convention dates to Frank Pepe's early days before refrigeration, when mozzarella could not be kept on hand. Asking for a 'plain' pie in New Haven gets you a tomato pie, not the mozzarella-covered pizza expected elsewhere.