Are There Some Central New Yorkers Who Just Don’t Get Tomato Pie?

I know that tomato pie has a huge following in the Mohawk Valley, but lately people have been asking me "What's to like about this?"

I've always been a fan of cold pizza. In fact, I prefer it over the hot. However, I've tried several different varieties of tomato pie and I've yet to find one that I like. Please don't hate me; I thoroughly enjoy other Central New York foods! I love my riggies, halfmoons, greens, and Turkey Joints.

Perhaps it's the texture of the pie, or maybe it's that when I bite into it, I'm expecting it taste like pizza. It just doesn't. Lately my friends have been encouraging me to try different tomato pies in our area.

Tomato pie gained popularity in the early 1900s in Italian-American communities like East Utica. A few dozen venues make it in the area today while some are better known than others.

I have a couple of buddies who side with me in the dislike category. However, I have other friends who rave about how great it is. The ones who don't like it, say the temperature of the pie is to blame. The ones, who love it, take into account the rich history behind this unique food. They claim that their ancestors would disown them if they didn't respect and embrace tomato pie. I can't help but wonder though, are they loving the fact that it's a Utica original, or are they really enjoying the taste of tomato pie.