BEFORE THE PARTY, AFTER THE PIZZA: DETROIT DEEP DISH BY FERGY IN RITTER BUTZKE’S BACKYARD

BEFORE THE PARTY, AFTER THE PIZZA: DETROIT DEEP DISH BY FERGY IN RITTER BUTZKE’S BACKYARD

Tucked away in an idyllic, shady backyard in the middle of Kreuzberg, the smell of cheesy crust, homemade spice mixes, and freshly baked dough lures you to Fergy. For those who have danced the night away at Ritter Butzke, the backyard is no stranger. Next to the legendary Butzke, Fergy opened at the beginning of summer 2024 and has been serving Detroit Deep Dish Pizza ever since — a regional specialty from Detroit that gets its typical rectangular shape from the traditional baking pans. After several soft launches, pop-ups and extensive experimentation, chef Martin Müller, Domènec Sanz Janssen and Arne Kienapfel have landed on the perfect formula for their product. Each slice of Deep Dish Pizza contains a portion of the “original sourdough” — affectionately known as Pablo — which has been fed for a year so new dough can be continuously produced. The sourdough, fermented for 24 hours, ensures a fluffy dough and particularly crispy crust. There is a carefully selected mix of different cheeses, as well as in-house spice blends and complementary sauces which you can order for dipping or as a topping. In addition to the classics, such as pepperoni or cheese, there are special variations, such as “Truffle” with truffle sauce, fresh spinach, goat cheese and shaved truffle, or “Louisianan” with crayfish and tarragon pesto. And new on the menu from next week (22.07.2024): the Deep Dish Pizza with sucuk.

The different topping variations and dips, such as the togarashi mayo or “Caesar cream”, are created by Martin Müller, who previously worked at Tisk in Neukölln and as head chef at Oukan. Fergy is a particularly big challenge for him because we all associate certain tastes and personal stories with fast food. For me, I’m transported back to late nights with friends, drive-ins and lingering in parking lots, and the feeling of having arrived home after a long drive from a vacation in Italy. Martin wants to give these dishes a special twist without dampening the memories pizza evokes. Order pizza through a small pick-up window, find a quiet spot in the backyard, and create new, shared memories.

Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen

Fergy, Ritterstr.26, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map

@fergy_deep

cee_cee_logo