“How does a Greek-owned pizza place come to make Indian pizza?” I ask Hetal Pancholi.
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He is one of the managers at Singas Famous Pizza, with locations in both Orlando and Sanford.
It is an interesting story, one we can condense.
In 1967, a Greek immigrant, Bill Singas, opened a pizzeria in Queens, New York — Elmhurst, not Astoria, in case you were wondering. It was a traditional spot, but had some homespun fusion in the mix — pies with Feta and spinach and olives — adding a bit of his native Med to the menu.
Pancholi’s father-in-law, Singas owner Naresh Patel, used to go there as a child in the 1970s.
As the neighborhood demographic began to change, Indian groceries began to move into spaces around the pizzeria. With a location in the central corridor of the community and affordable price points, Singas became an easy place for the community to stop and dine together.
“India is not a vegetarian nation; it’s an omnivore culture, but … a lot of the Indians that came to America came from one or two specific states that are predominantly vegetarian, ” says Pancholi, whose Indian-born parents raised him on Long Island.
A traditional cheese pizza becomes something easy, something delicious, something that requires no explanation of cultural idiosyncracies, he says.
Nobody doesn’t like pizza.
And Singas, with its penchant for fresh toppings — onion, olive, spinach — in a fine dice, lent itself wonderfully to a very Indian way of eating.
“Fresh, raw jalapeños over pickled, cilantro and mint and onion,” he notes.
As more Indians began visiting this and other Singas locations that had cropped up in the northeast, some began catering to their loyal customers, eventually landing on a multi-pie menu, vegetarian and non, that reflected their flavors back to them.
In the early aughts, as Singas grew into a franchise, many opted to include Indian pizza options. Some, like the ones here in town, even developed new ones.
The Desi garlic bread, which levels the whole thing up with cilantro mint chutney, diced fresh jalapeños and more, is a don’t-miss.
“Desi is a slang term for people of Southeast Asian origin — we don’t want to leave out our Pakistani or Nepali guests,” says Pancholi. “It’s inclusive.”
I feel pretty included with four pies on the table: chicken tikka, palak paneer and chana masala among them. There is also the new pav bhaji, a pie with a base that melds potatoes, cauliflower and spices into the mix.
On the weekdays, says Pancholi, most of the customers are American, but that flips on the weekends, when Indians come in. Many come from other parts of the country, familiar with the Singas brand and its Indian pies. They’ve got options from apps to dessert, as here they’ve got Indian ice creams on the menu.
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Standard kulfi pops, the sort you’d pull out of the reach-in at your local Indian grocery, but also scoopable offerings from boutique brand Malai, in flavors like masala chai, cardamom pistachio crumble and ghughra — named for a pastry popular back home, a nut-overload for fans of such.
Singas isn’t even the only option for such delights. Longwood’s relatively new La Pino’z is an Indian-familiar chain, with more than 700 locations back home. It’s making inroads here and offers a massive menu of pies, both American and Indian. The latter come in sizes up to 18 inches, and the punch of flavors here is potent.
While the crust feels “chain,” the flavors are way off it, a real blend of Indian spices that merges with the fast-food format. I’d go back to try others when the mood strikes.
In Orlando off OBT, tiny shop Mazala Pijja does a version with ample meat toppings, chicken and lamb, but feels more American familiar. And Tikka Shack’s version, too, strikes a good, Chipotle-esque balance of flavors that Indians recognize, in formats that do the same for Americans.
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At Singas, Pancholi and Patel have been delighted by the interest of non-Indians in the “unofficial” menu, a list jotted on a board adjacent to the counter.
Weeks ago, a viral video of someone dipping their cheese pizza into the butter chicken curry stirred some interest.
It’s been nice to see so many people experiencing flavors they’re not used to — fenugreek, cardamom and more.
“One of our missions is to open up everyone’s palates to these kinds of flavors,” he says. “When someone says they tried our pizza and then went to an Indian restaurant for the first time, it feels good.
The proliferation of Indian culture as American culture in the mainstream, he says, is positive.
“We see more representation. We kind of started as Apu on ‘The Simpsons,’ and it has become more nuanced. Actual rounded characters versus a monolith. The same thing is happening in cuisine.”
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: [email protected], For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
If you go
La Pino’z Pizza: 1050 W. State Rd 434 in Longwood
Mazala Pijja: 1155 Doss Ave (Inside Laxmi Plaza) in Orlando, 407- 674 -0778; mazalapijja.com
Singas Famous Pizza: 790 W. Sand Lake Road in Orlando, 407-440-2425 and 2921 S. Orlando Drive in Sanford, 407-688-2979; singaspizzas.com/singassanford;
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