Move over Mod — Forno Pizza Co. has taken over as the University’s pizza joint, and students are loving the change. Reporters Moriah Pettway and Vidyuth Sridhar chat with students and experts to see how the differences between the two restaurants slice.
[natural sound: dinner rush at Forno in Norris, music fades in]
The dinner rush at Norris University Center looks the same as always. Lively conversations are interspersed with the sizzles and clanks of cooking, while today’s hit music blares overhead.
But this year, there’s one big change.
[montage of soundbytes of different people saying “Forno”]
Forno Pizza Co recently replaced Norris’s iconic MOD Pizza location. The Northwestern-exclusive stall now occupies the back right corner of the ground floor.
Per the Daily Northwestern, MOD’s contract with Compass Group, who oversees the university’s food service, ended last summer. This prompted the change.
So far, new students’ reactions to Forno appear largely positive.
Juan Sanchez Guerra: “I find Forno’s much better. I find the quality better. I find the quality of the dough and the ingredients better. I also find that they’re better value for what you’re paying. That said, that’s probably because it’s a meal exchange and it’s already included.”
That’s Juan Sanchez Guerra, a first-year Wildcat who had also tried MOD before.
Many new students also complimented Forno’s large portion sizes and the variety of available toppings.But for sophomores like Gabrielle Rice, who have experienced both MOD and Forno at Norris, feelings are mixed.
Gabrielle Rice: “I think I liked MOD better. I really liked the sauces. I do like Forno’s a lot. I like that their crust is a bit thicker, and I like that we can have two toppings.”
She also says Forno may have more work to do if they want to satisfy every Wildcat’s pie-craze.
Gabrielle Rice: “I think it would be nice if they brought back some of the MOD sauces like the Sirancha, the sriracha and ranch mix sauce that MOD had.”
We went searching for a pizza expert to tell us why the flavors changed. Award-winning pizza shop owner and director of operations at New York Brick Oven Company, Marc Cosentino, says the disappointment may not have to do with students’ taste buds.
Marc Cosentino: “I think the big problem with the students there is that they’re used to one kind of pizza and then they get dumped another one.”
The differences in flavor could also come down to dough hydration, ingredients and baking techniques.
Marc Cosentino: “They’re probably using a different type of dough and a different hydration, which is the amount of water in a dough. And when you put all those things together, you know, different flour, some, some, some pizzerias will put like sugar in the flour and the sauce, you know.”
He says that temperature could also be a factor. Whatever the issue, Norris’s pizza remains a hot topic, whether students still crave MOD or are warming up to Forno.
[natural sound: dinner rush at Forno in Norris, music fades out]
From the halls of Norris, Moriah Pettway and Vidyuth Sridhar, WNUR News.