PrintDi Fara
Or, 'Italian Heroes,' or 'Starting the Year Right'
We at Slice believe that the passing of all special occasions should be marked with food. And what better way to start 2004 than with a delicious pizza?
Nestled incongruously among kosher restaurants and variety stores in the largely Orthodox Jewish section of Midwood, Brooklyn, DiFara Pizza is easily our favorite pizzeria in the city. So when I woke up—late, not surprisingly—it was the obvious choice. I called Seltzerboy, Slice's wire editor, and we were off.
Readers who have been to DiFara already know what makes it so good. For the rest of you: It's Dom's stubborn perfectionism—he's the only one to touch the pies there—and use of only the finest and freshest ingredients that set his pizzas apart.
Mr. DeMarco uses a combination of fresh and canned San Marzano tomatoes for the sauce, which he makes daily—sometimes several times a day, from what we understand. Then there's the cheese: a combination of high-quality regular mozzarella, fresh buffalo mozzarella that he imports from Italy, and a dusting of sharp, slightly nutty-tasting grana padana. All this goodness sits atop a thin crust that Dom somehow coaxes to near-coal-oven crispness.
And talk about perfect balance: Not one ingredient overpowers another. In one bite, you can make out the taste of the crust, cheese, and sauce, plus the drizzle of olive oil he dashes on just before throwing the pie in the oven.
When we arrived at Di Fara at 5 p.m. on New Year's Day, it was oddly quiet; we were two of about five patrons in there.
But that didn't last long. Not more than ten minutes passed before the place started to fill up. Before that happened, though, we were able to get in our order for a half artichoke–half garlic pie, which is what Mr. DeMarco is slicing in the first photo above.
And one thing about toppings at DiFara is that they take the extra time to prepare each topping right before putting it on the pie. With our order, for instance, Dom had his daughter, Maggie, sauté the artichokes before putting them on. You're not going to find that level of craftsmanship at a typical slice joint in the city. Heck, you'd be lucky to find artichokes.
Though we rave about Di Fara, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. The first and most annoying is that the place can get very, very busy—we've been there at times when the crowd at the counter has been five people wide and four deep. With Dom as sole pie-maker, that's a problem. We've sometimes waited up to and over an hour for our pie. If you live nearby or have a car, your best bet might be placing the order for take-out (they don't deliver) and waiting it out at home. We've contemplated placing an eat-in order before getting on the train, but word is Dom doesn't like that and we're loath to upset him. Best strategy is to go with friends so you can keep one another company, or to bring some reading. (While we're dispensing tips, you should also know that Dom allows you to bring your own beer or wine. Just ask him for a corkscrew or bottle opener.)
The second, very minor, drawback is that the dining area's cleanliness leaves something to be desired. It's by no means filthy, just that, with only two people working most times (Dom and one of his children; it's a family affair here), the staff doesn't have the resources to devote to tidying up. Tables go uncleared and unwiped. But that's a small price to pay for the best pizza in the city.
We could go on and on about Di Fara, but we'll save it for another entry. Until then, we give you some (admittedly questionable) photos (below) to enjoy.
Di Fara Pizza
Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230 (Midwood; map)
Phone: 718-258-1367
Payment: Cash only.
Hours: ~11:30 a.m. to ~10 p.m. (not set in stone)
Further Reading
- Di Fara on Chowhound's Message Boards
- Di Fara in New York Magazine
- Di Fara on CitySearch
- The Eclectic Gourmet Guide to Greater New York City: The Undiscovered World of Hyperdelicious Offbeat Eating in All Five Boroughs, by Jim Leff
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22 Comments:
sounds promising... but this place still has to pass the chicagoan challenge - we're on for this week!
Slice janelle at 11:33AM on 01/06/04
Chicagoan challenge?! Janelle, have you seen Rocky III? Perhaps the most well-known installment of the whole franchise due to the appearance of Mr. T as Clubber Lang, that movie has a memorable bit of dialog that you would be better for learning:
Announcer: Clubber Lang: Do you accept Rocky Balboa's challenge?
Clubber Lang: No I don't accept the challenge, because there is no challenge. But I'd be happy to beat up on him.
Slice hatchback at 11:46AM on 01/06/04
well, this michigander is practically guaranteed to be impressed by di fara's - after all the great lakes state is home to evil empires domino's and little caesar's. i have hope that the chicagoan and the milwaukeean (?) can at least agree on which beer best accompanies a pizza feast.
Slice janelle at 12:07PM on 01/06/04
Agh! I thought Domino's was headquartered in Florida. Either way, ugh. As far as "Milwaukeean(?)" goes: I was born in Milwaukee, have lived all over the place, but did most of my growing up in Kansas. So I'm more Sunflower State hick than anything. I will fly the Wisconsin flag of convenience when it comes to my love of beer and cheese, however.
Slice hatchback at 12:59PM on 01/06/04
YO. Yo. Yo.
as a midwood local, i would like to say it took slice ny's mastermind suggestion a few years ago to get me to hobble over to 15th and j from kings highway.
Worth it? no question best slice in new york.
It is the buffalo.
BUT!
the herbs growing on the window sill seperates this storefront from the mess of over crowded signs in this neighborhood.
the silence that screams taste is the quiet before the storm.
yum fun and dirt, best by far.
Slice Brendan "favorboy" Kennedy at 3:19PM on 01/14/04
i grew up on ave. J and haven't had a slice of difara's pizza in over 20 years! God does the pictures look good = YUM! i miss walking the avenue and eating there. do you think they will deliver to florida?????????????? we need a good pizzaria like difara's down here.
Slice Mariane at 12:11PM on 03/17/04
Nooooo! Dom had new signs drawn up! They're white, sans-serif and boring! At least 8% of the charm was the yellow signs.
Slice Josh Sucher at 4:59PM on 06/17/04
easily my favorite slice - not just because it's my 'hood. This pizza has so much love behind it. Dominick is wonderful and will recognize your face if you come in more than once. Sometimes there is a wait, but it's worth it. I'm too spoiled to eat regular slices now.
Slice erikka at 5:22PM on 06/23/04
ever since i moved from NY to the midwest (milwakee, march of 2003), i have been longing for what i had taken for granted my whole life, a good slice!! they have something out here called "pizza", but it just doesnt cut it. Most of what i find is either the "Deep dish" chicago style, or a very, very, inferior attempt at "NY style" pizza. The former isnt so bad, but i think they should call it something else, not pizza. as i tell everyone in these parts, "if you cant fold it, it aint pizza!!" to make matters worse, this chicago "thing" has the cheese UNDER the sauce... i mean WTF?? the latter is SO bad, i have given up completely on trying to find a decent slice. Just needed to vent... i guess i'll have to wait till my next trip back to NY for the real deal. oh well, at least the BEER is good here!
Slice mike scheferman at 9:04PM on 07/01/04
Forget about calling ahead for a pie at DiFara. IF.. he answers the phone, (he doesn't if he's in the middle of making a pie, it would break his rhythm), he simple puts a number on a pizza box, places it on the counter, and does nothing about it till you: get there, creep your way up to the counter and tell him you called in for a pie and point at the box on the counter. At that point it's as if you just walked in and ordered a pie. The only advantage is that your pizza box is made in advance. The pie takes just as long. The same goes for if you're eating in. Calling-in doesn't save time. The best approach is to stand at the counter and smile at Dominick for an hour.
Slice 2 guys from brooklyn at 10:11PM on 07/22/04
Went to defara today and was disappointed!! Place was packed. Finally got my 2 slices, sat down and began to eat. They were both swimming with stuff on top. The pie had not hardened yet and as I picked up the crust, half the top part of the slice slid off onto the plate. This never happened at totonnos or John's in the village. I'll try defara again but this was a disappointment.
Slice shellyf at 11:21PM on 12/29/04
I just stumbled across this page. This was the pizzeria of my youth. I have not been there since 1962, but remember well the long waits and the awesome pizza. Having lived in several places outside of the 5 boros in the past 42 years, the quality of the pizza on Ave J at E. 15th is the standard I have used ever since... Nothing Nothing Nothing I have ever tasted comes close. And the practice of getting hot slices right out of the oven compared to NOTHING this old fart had experienced since the mid 20th century.
I am going to make a pilgrimage to Midwood very soon!!!!
Slice Paul Schatz at 4:03PM on 03/02/05
just went this weekend. the whole experience was amazing.
what i also loved, was dominic is wearing the same shirt in every picture on the wall, in the pics on sliceny, and that day.
avoid the wild mushrooms on your pie. though good in their own right, they weren't right for the pie.
Slice cs at 10:29AM on 03/21/05
I gave Di Fara's a try after reading about it on your site, it was pretty good pizza but I didn't think it lives up to the monster hype, it took me an hour and half to get there from Queens. I ordered four slices, 2 regulars, one plain square, and one square with artichokes, The prices were steep, $5 for a slice with artichokes. The cheese on the pizza was kind of runny, the best part was the crust which is very thin but tasty. The best one was the square slice. I thought
I would rate the quality of food an 8 out of 10. I am from Queens and there are hardly any positive reviews about pizzerias in Queens on this website, which actually is the best borough in the city of New York for pizza, if you ever go to Queens try Rosa's in Maspeth, Pizza Sam's in Jackson Heights, Margherita Pizza in Jamaica, and Gino's in Howard Beach, and of course Famous Pizza in Flushing, all of these establishments make the best pizza in the city of New York.
Slice Mike at 11:02PM on 10/29/05
SO LUCKY TO EAT THIS PIZZA!
Wow, its really that good.
I am from NJ, live in east harlem now, and love a good pizza. DiFara is easily my favorite pizza ever. More taste in the cheese, sauce, and crust than in any slice of pizza I've ever had. It is not prissy though. Sometimes a blackened bit of crust, always hot oil on the slice, a long wait, shoddy seating... but for someone that appreciates pizza it is always worth it. I enjoy standing there, watching Dominick WORK his MAGIC, put his arm in the oven barehanded to grab a pizza, labor to grind cheese and slice hunks of buffalo mozzarella right on to the pizza. Definitely add the fresh ground romano cheese on to his slices. It is a taste that will spoil you. I take the subway an hour for a few slices, but if you live in brooklyn, just go. Go on the off hours for quick service. Go during meal time and spend 45 minutes watching the best pizza maker you've ever seen work his craft tirelessly. They should build a statue of Mr. DeMarco. You can learn a lot about passion, dedication, appreciation of a job well done, etc, just watching this virtuoso at work. Like a loveable, quiet version of the soup nazi, better still because he makes everybody's favorite food, pizza.
Slice MarkH at 6:19PM on 01/14/06
Friends of mine have boasted about Difara, & the barehanded Dominick! I finally went, ordered 2 slices , waited about 30 minutes, then sat down to eat. It was fabulous pizza, compared to no other. I just wish that Dominick would teach another family member to make pies. After I got my 2 slices, the place got really crowded and there was no way to satisfy all those customers. People either waited or left, But I don;t think that really bothers Dominick. He enjoys what he does, and if people want his pies, they'll have to wait.
Secondly, after Difara, the best pies in Queens are made at NEW PARK PIZZA, and GINOS PIZZA, both on crossbay Blvd in Howard Beach.
Slice Mike F at 4:48PM on 04/05/06
If you order a square out of the oven, or a pie to go or eat at the table, I'll give you best; stand there for forty five minutes for a special slice and realize they forgot and then put the porcini on like it was a Ray's and slid it into the oven...like Kurz, one can only hope the horror will fade, eventually
Slice Skank at 7:05PM on 05/03/06
dom's pie is my favorite so far. aside from everything else - i think it is the fresh organo and frshly grated cheese that are applied at the end that make the difference. vinny
Slice Vinny D at 9:44PM on 07/21/06
I made the long trek from Queens to Brooklyn to try DiFara's, I have to say that taste in pizza is merely a matter of one's opinion after eating here. Sure Dom makes a nice show making the pizza in front of you, but I did not think the pizza was that great. The best place in Brooklyn is probably Totonno's and L&B. My favorite pizza is in Queens, and the borough makes the best pizza in the city of New York, I have no idea why Queens does not get enough coverage here as it has excellent pizza.
Slice Gino at 8:37PM on 03/15/07
Gino: Your favorite pizzeria -- what's it called?
Adam Kuban at 9:01PM on 03/15/07
Rosa's in Maspeth is my favorite pizza shop.
Slice Gino at 12:14AM on 04/25/07
I grew up in Queens (Corona.) Been to all the great pizza shops in NY (U name it, I ate there)
By FAR, the best Sicilian pie (They sometimes call it a red pie) comes from
ROSA'S PIZZA 69th Rd Maspeth, Queens, NY!
I've been going there forever! It's so good that once, back in the day, I had my then girlfriend travel from NY to Vancouver (where I was working) with 2 pies, each slice individually wrapped and sealed air tight right before the flight. When she arrived, I forgot to give her a kiss hello! I went right for the pies!
GO TO ROSA'S! It's WAY worth the trip!
soundcheckers at 1:06AM on 07/14/07