With a half-day's labor under my belt, I took advantage of a generous work reprieve and followed the warm climes to the beach—well, Howard Beach, that is. The weather was only part of the equation. Pizza, naturally, was what was really on my mind.
If only the Jamaica Bay breezes had not precluded a prosperous trip to the nearby shore, the afternoon wouldn't have been a complete loss. Last night's dinner was some of the worst pie I've eaten this side of the Hudson.
I approached this journey with some trepidation. Howard Beach was the scene of a highly charged incident in 1986 in which a band of white residents beat and chased three black men, ultimately killing one. More specifically, New Park Pizza on Cross Bay Boulevard was the place where it all began.
While the crime remains etched in the minds of many, it's important to note that Howard Beach, at least in some ways, has changed (imagine Vinnie Barbarino cruising Levittown). Any lingering tension is a conundrum best left for another forum. What I wanted to ascertain was how much the pizza had changed. I can't vouch for New Park's previous luster, although reliablesources had recently intoned encouraging notes about it maintaining a standard of respectability. Logic would tell us that a visit to an elder slice statesman, in one the city's last Italian American communities, couldn't be a complete waste. Having returned shaking my head in disbelief, I am reminded yet again not to bet on rumor and superstition.
New Park, still considered the neighborhood's leading pizza shop, feels more like a City Island crab shanty. It's little more than a shabbily built red-brick box, slightly recessed from a bustling thoroughfare. It offers only a few tables—all picnic-style, in an open-air seating area adjacent to the self-service counter. For such a small facility, it's bewildering that 90 percent of it is not accessible to customers; pizza of this breed could be produced with little more than a freezer and a microwave oven. (The store's T-shirt attire boasts of "brick-oven pizza," though it appears that all the work is done using the standard steel-deck variety. Not that it matters—a decent oven is the least of this place's problems.)
I had two slices: one regular and one Sicilian. Reheating is the standard here—most business is done by the slice—and I suspect that these two pies had been at the ready long before my arrival. The crust was unbearably thick and slightly undercooked. If the cheese used is real, I've had processed kinds with more life. The sauce bore much closer resemblance to Newman's Own than Naples.
Admittedly, this was all gleaned from one visit, normally not enough to draw such a strong conclusion. But I found nothing redeeming from this culinary excursion to southern Queens to give me hope for another try. Perhaps this won't be the final word on New Park, or on Howard Beach.
Interesting... there is an ongoing debate on Chowhound about this place. Howard Beach is also home to the original La Villa -- the place that recently opened in Park Slope. I still haven't been there, either.
Astrid: We saw that debate on Chowhound. Seems like more folks were impressed than disappointed with New Park. I haven't been, so I really can't say either way. As for La Villa, it's RIGHT up the street from me. I've been many times, but only for the pizza. I'd stay away from the regular pies. I usually get their pizza Marguerite when I'm there. It's not that impressive, but if I'm in a lazy way and want pizza, it's like a 2-minute walk.
"It's little more than a shabbily built red-brick box, slightly recessed from a bustling thoroughfare. It offers only a few tables—all picnic-style, in an open-air seating area adjacent to the self-service counter.
For such a small facility, it's bewildering that 90 percent of it is not accessible to customers"
I make no apologies for how the building looks. But is this an architectural review?
Maybe if you asked or looked for aditional seating you would have found it. There is a side door that is accesible from the parking lot that leads to a rear seating area. 9 more tables or so and you get to order from the back counter so you dont have to deal with with the rif-raf like yourself.
"(The store's T-shirt attire boasts of "brick-oven pizza," though it appears that all the work is done using the standard steel-deck variety."
Again, maybe you should have looked or even asked what the cooking surface in the oven is. If you had looked inside you would have clearly seen the brick cooking surface.
"I had two slices: one regular and one Sicilian. Reheating is the standard here—most business is done by the slice"
How do you know what the standard is there?
You state at the end of your reveiw that this was your first visit. I have eaten there countless times and on many occasions have to wait for a fresh pie to come out of the brick oven just to get a slice.
I don't think I've ever had such a horrible pizza in my entire life! They charred up the bottom of my whole frickin' pie!! I don't see why they thought I was going to eat that thing. It was BLACK on the bottom. Second, they overdid it with the sauce. And I didn't specify that I wanted it that way either. Third, they boast that they've been there since 1959 or whatever. So you'd think they'd know how to cook a pizza. Or make a bench straight. All of them are lopsided. I didn't go there to fall onto Crossbay blvd., I wanted to eat. Plus for all those complaints they charged me an unreasonable 12 bucks for that burned bread with a tablespoon of cheese and a pound of sauce. It's really beyond me how it's always so full of people in that place? Have you never had good pizza?
I give it like the lowest grade there possibly is.
This has to be the worst review I have seen in quite a while.
1) There is plenty of seating. Try the back, which is easily accessible from the parking lot and has a separate ordering counter.
2) There is a brick oven, which cooks all the pizza. I don't know what you were looking at.
3) If you've only been there once, how do you know what the "standard" is? I have had many fresh slices at New Park.
These are all negligent mistakes that should not be made by a reviewer and at very least should be corrected.
Your pizza description couldn't be more off either. The crust is perfectly charred at the bottom. If you like a pale white surface, don't go to New Park. That's not their style. If you like the charred taste, the crust is amazing. The sauce is slightly sweet and very tangy, and the cheese is excellent, perhaps not comparable to the fresh mozzerella you get at other places, but certainly nothing like your review.
Don't go to New Park looking for Grimaldi's or Nick's. Go looking for an excellent old-time SLICE that is ready in seconds, and has no gourmet aspirations.
I think I have to agree with the complaints about New Park. My family loves the pizza, but I have to say that the bottom is always black. Completely inedible stuff.
Perhaps they do make a classic pizza without
'gourmet aspirations', but in my opinion, it's flavorless. And when I do have something from there, I only eat an Italian Ice, because I'm always safe with that. I've been living here for almost 40 years and I've never been fond of their pizza. I like Pizza Hut better.
Let me tell you the facts:
they use a brick oven which is covered by steel
plating.the oven reaches degrees of over 900 .
try touching a brick at that temp.
the bottom burns because there is no temp.control to lower it. the only thing to do is ask for a light bottom and they try there best to do it.
as for reheating ,some times you will get one
but most of the time you will wait for a fresh one.
the amount of customers that go to this place
daily and the amount of pies they sell,you cant make everyone happy, but this is ny.old world style.they dont sell heros,calzones ,beef patties, pineapple slices ,just plain pizza !!
think about it,if its so bad i dont think it could stay open since 1956 .some people like it others dont. its a matter of taste.there are tables in the back dining room 9 of them, the front tables have been treated with trex so they dont warp and the front glass is not removed in the summer any more do to saftey reasons.the people work there are treated like family by the owners, and yes they are the same owners since 1956 just a different generation,same values.
they use nothing but the best stuff no compromising. if you ask them how many pies they make ,they ask you how much money you make in a year, its none of your business, old world style
ny.
A REAL BIG NEW PARK PIZZA FAN!
Been eating it since I was a kid, riding there on my bicycle.
I absolutely love the pizza! Yea, sometimes its overcooked, and sometimes its undercooked, but that don't bother me. I just love it. I don't know if its the brick oven, the ingredients, or a little bit of both. Or maybe its just something I've grown used to over the years. Either way, I love the place and hope it never changes. I hope there are people out there that agree.
J.R.
I am a bit disappointed that the pizza foodies who
write and find the best pizza are thown off if the
establishment is rustic.Also, to remember about a neighborhood's worst day is cliche writing.
Howard Beach has some very wonderful resturants and the christmas lights are amazing on homes.
New Park pizza is a street place. Get a slice.Eat.
It makes no bones about decoration. Everyone is a Joe. The Pizza is different than the usual average
joints. The old ovens,brick inside abit charred around give the crust a smokey taste. The cheese and sauce are average and you would expect better
with all the hype about the place. But its
better than the average stuff.Its a taste that
reminds you of this area.Its not trying to win a prize.Its a place just to give you a slice.If you went when the pizza is old, its out of the norm.
the pizza is usually hot and fresh.
Still those old family values at New Park Pizza, if anything like it was years ago probably the best in town for sure. A slice was brick oven cooked with plenty of cheese, Pop always liked alot of cheese. Plenty of slice for your money.
Old Friend
i would have to agree.i stopped ther recently for a pie,it was horrible!first off it was black and chared on the bottom and the top wasnt even cooked.ther was a ton of sauce on it and the cheese had a funky taste to it like it was processed cheese.i have eaten ther before about 20 years ago,and i remember it to be excellent.i was so disappointed by it this time i thought they might have changed owners.when i got home i called their to ask if it had,the person on the phone proudly said "same owners since 1956." i then proceeded to tell the man about my experiance and he told me if i didnt like it dont come back! i was appauled athis responce.not only will i never go back i will tell anyone that asks"do you know of any good pizza places in queens?"that la villa is just up the road!
Hey if you want great pizza go to the front counter with some friends then order a pie to stay. Make sure that Tony makes it. I said Tony, Usually works nights. ask For it well done and WOW! that is a good pizza. Tony has been there for years(over 10).It also dont hurt to ask for a slice from a pie that has just came out the oven.
I have tasted many brink oven pizza's and some times I agree , the oven burns the bottom and the top the cheese is baily melted , then on top of it when the guy gives it to you he has a straight face , its like "hello" this pizza isnt cooked right , and they are like huh?
Well , point is why do these people go into business if they are not going to care about the product ,
Well I guess we all have different opinions of New Park Pizza..My opinion is that there good pizza, so does my friend..Because, your not gonna find the orginal pizza made since 1956 anywhere in Ny..It was told especially on TV..Most of time its good, and sometimes its not the way they make it.. Depending on who makes it there..Im so glad there parking lot is finally redone , because there was a million pot holes ..If you used to go threw there fast ,say goodbye to your car and alignment..I have to say alot of hot women go there..So if you want a hot pizza and a hot babe with nice ass..New Park way to go..
New Park? Fuggedabowdit! The slices are totally generic New York Italian fare -- nothing special. I used to be a good customer... no longer. The pies have been far too inconsistent. My complaints include times when I've been served pies with crusts that have ranged from black-charred to soggy, peppered with excessive salt, soaked in canned sauce, and topped off with gummy, flavorless mozzarella. It's edible. In fact, if you're really hungry, it can satisfy a pizza jones. But, there are other pizzerias nearby. Gino's, two blocks further south, is an acceptable alternative. Fair pies, fairly consistent. Then, there's Little Town pizza. Harder to get to than New Park (it's opposite the Howard Beach subway station on Coleman Square) and it has has only a bit more ambiance than New Park (it's in a small storefront, but has some indoor seating), but the effort is well-rewarded with a really decent slice. Good crust, nicely done on the bottom, home-made sauce and quality mozzi makes the pies shine. They also make specialty pies, too. Try a taco slice. Odd, but tasty.
My kids and I have been going to New Park for YEARS...we love the pizza...ESPECIALLY when it is charred on the bottom! Soon we will be moving to Honesdale, PA...and two things I will really miss are 1) 7-Eleven blueberry cream coffee AND 2) New Park's pizza!
New Park is SO overrated. Your evaluation is on target. Ginos's is better, but the best is Lenny's all the way down by the bridge. Never tried Capri by the highway.
Holy Crap!! I don't know what the hell you guys have been eating, but this is the best pizza in all of NY. Have been eating there for over 20 years. I no longer live in NY but it is the first and last place I go to during my visits. All the best places to eat in NY are hole in the wall joints so get over the looks. I bet if some moron on tv or Rachel Ray said that real pizza should be charred on the bottom and then call it rustic pizza, all of you would pay double for the same stuff you are putting down now. If you don't want a charred bottom-ask for one that's not. If you don't want it reheated-ask for a slice from a fresh pie. If you want perfect/uniform pizza every time then go your freezer section and get you some cardboard slathered with ketchup and sprinkled with government cheese made by tombstone or boboli and shut the hell up. If you like Pizza Hut better, you deserve to be chased and beat down. Do me a favor. Stop watching the Sopranos and reading the Sopranos cookbooks and thinking that you are now experts on Italian life and dining.
I read somewhere that La Villa makes the best pizza in Howard Beach. I ordered a large Margherita pizza topped with shaved Prosciutto di Parma. The crust was too thick, it was like eating bread. What little sauce there was on it dried up in the oven. The homemade mozzarella was lovely, but contributed little to the flavor. The generous ham topping was the only ingredient which gave this otherwise bland pizza some character. Bill for one large pie: $33 plus tax and tip. Overall score: C+
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While the crime remains etched in the minds of many, it's important to note that Howard Beach, at least in some ways, has changed (imagine Vinnie Barbarino cruising Levittown). Any lingering tension is a conundrum best left for another forum. What I wanted to ascertain was how much the pizza had changed. I can't vouch for New Park's previous luster, although reliable sources had recently intoned encouraging notes about it maintaining a standard of respectability. Logic would tell us that a visit to an elder slice statesman, in one the city's last Italian American communities, couldn't be a complete waste. Having returned shaking my head in disbelief, I am reminded yet again not to bet on rumor and superstition. 
19 Comments:
Interesting... there is an ongoing debate on Chowhound about this place. Howard Beach is also home to the original La Villa -- the place that recently opened in Park Slope. I still haven't been there, either.
Slice astrid at 11:10PM on 04/20/04
Astrid: We saw that debate on Chowhound. Seems like more folks were impressed than disappointed with New Park. I haven't been, so I really can't say either way. As for La Villa, it's RIGHT up the street from me. I've been many times, but only for the pizza. I'd stay away from the regular pies. I usually get their pizza Marguerite when I'm there. It's not that impressive, but if I'm in a lazy way and want pizza, it's like a 2-minute walk.
Adam Kuban at 10:51AM on 04/21/04
"It's little more than a shabbily built red-brick box, slightly recessed from a bustling thoroughfare. It offers only a few tables—all picnic-style, in an open-air seating area adjacent to the self-service counter.
For such a small facility, it's bewildering that 90 percent of it is not accessible to customers"
I make no apologies for how the building looks. But is this an architectural review?
Maybe if you asked or looked for aditional seating you would have found it. There is a side door that is accesible from the parking lot that leads to a rear seating area. 9 more tables or so and you get to order from the back counter so you dont have to deal with with the rif-raf like yourself.
"(The store's T-shirt attire boasts of "brick-oven pizza," though it appears that all the work is done using the standard steel-deck variety."
Again, maybe you should have looked or even asked what the cooking surface in the oven is. If you had looked inside you would have clearly seen the brick cooking surface.
"I had two slices: one regular and one Sicilian. Reheating is the standard here—most business is done by the slice"
How do you know what the standard is there?
You state at the end of your reveiw that this was your first visit. I have eaten there countless times and on many occasions have to wait for a fresh pie to come out of the brick oven just to get a slice.
Slice H at 2:11PM on 06/22/04
I don't think I've ever had such a horrible pizza in my entire life! They charred up the bottom of my whole frickin' pie!! I don't see why they thought I was going to eat that thing. It was BLACK on the bottom. Second, they overdid it with the sauce. And I didn't specify that I wanted it that way either. Third, they boast that they've been there since 1959 or whatever. So you'd think they'd know how to cook a pizza. Or make a bench straight. All of them are lopsided. I didn't go there to fall onto Crossbay blvd., I wanted to eat. Plus for all those complaints they charged me an unreasonable 12 bucks for that burned bread with a tablespoon of cheese and a pound of sauce. It's really beyond me how it's always so full of people in that place? Have you never had good pizza?
I give it like the lowest grade there possibly is.
Slice Stephanie at 8:55PM on 06/30/04
This has to be the worst review I have seen in quite a while.
1) There is plenty of seating. Try the back, which is easily accessible from the parking lot and has a separate ordering counter.
2) There is a brick oven, which cooks all the pizza. I don't know what you were looking at.
3) If you've only been there once, how do you know what the "standard" is? I have had many fresh slices at New Park.
These are all negligent mistakes that should not be made by a reviewer and at very least should be corrected.
Your pizza description couldn't be more off either. The crust is perfectly charred at the bottom. If you like a pale white surface, don't go to New Park. That's not their style. If you like the charred taste, the crust is amazing. The sauce is slightly sweet and very tangy, and the cheese is excellent, perhaps not comparable to the fresh mozzerella you get at other places, but certainly nothing like your review.
Don't go to New Park looking for Grimaldi's or Nick's. Go looking for an excellent old-time SLICE that is ready in seconds, and has no gourmet aspirations.
Slice Josh at 3:02PM on 07/05/04
I think I have to agree with the complaints about New Park. My family loves the pizza, but I have to say that the bottom is always black. Completely inedible stuff.
Perhaps they do make a classic pizza without
'gourmet aspirations', but in my opinion, it's flavorless. And when I do have something from there, I only eat an Italian Ice, because I'm always safe with that. I've been living here for almost 40 years and I've never been fond of their pizza. I like Pizza Hut better.
Slice April at 4:00PM on 07/12/04
Let me tell you the facts:
they use a brick oven which is covered by steel
plating.the oven reaches degrees of over 900 .
try touching a brick at that temp.
the bottom burns because there is no temp.control to lower it. the only thing to do is ask for a light bottom and they try there best to do it.
as for reheating ,some times you will get one
but most of the time you will wait for a fresh one.
the amount of customers that go to this place
daily and the amount of pies they sell,you cant make everyone happy, but this is ny.old world style.they dont sell heros,calzones ,beef patties, pineapple slices ,just plain pizza !!
think about it,if its so bad i dont think it could stay open since 1956 .some people like it others dont. its a matter of taste.there are tables in the back dining room 9 of them, the front tables have been treated with trex so they dont warp and the front glass is not removed in the summer any more do to saftey reasons.the people work there are treated like family by the owners, and yes they are the same owners since 1956 just a different generation,same values.
they use nothing but the best stuff no compromising. if you ask them how many pies they make ,they ask you how much money you make in a year, its none of your business, old world style
ny.
Slice nico at 12:23AM on 07/26/04
A REAL BIG NEW PARK PIZZA FAN!
Been eating it since I was a kid, riding there on my bicycle.
I absolutely love the pizza! Yea, sometimes its overcooked, and sometimes its undercooked, but that don't bother me. I just love it. I don't know if its the brick oven, the ingredients, or a little bit of both. Or maybe its just something I've grown used to over the years. Either way, I love the place and hope it never changes. I hope there are people out there that agree.
J.R.
Slice John Rocklein at 12:31AM on 09/04/04
I am a bit disappointed that the pizza foodies who
write and find the best pizza are thown off if the
establishment is rustic.Also, to remember about a neighborhood's worst day is cliche writing.
Howard Beach has some very wonderful resturants and the christmas lights are amazing on homes.
New Park pizza is a street place. Get a slice.Eat.
It makes no bones about decoration. Everyone is a Joe. The Pizza is different than the usual average
joints. The old ovens,brick inside abit charred around give the crust a smokey taste. The cheese and sauce are average and you would expect better
with all the hype about the place. But its
better than the average stuff.Its a taste that
reminds you of this area.Its not trying to win a prize.Its a place just to give you a slice.If you went when the pizza is old, its out of the norm.
the pizza is usually hot and fresh.
Slice mark s. at 7:19PM on 03/02/05
Still those old family values at New Park Pizza, if anything like it was years ago probably the best in town for sure. A slice was brick oven cooked with plenty of cheese, Pop always liked alot of cheese. Plenty of slice for your money.
Old Friend
Slice TonyD at 12:37AM on 06/11/05
i would have to agree.i stopped ther recently for a pie,it was horrible!first off it was black and chared on the bottom and the top wasnt even cooked.ther was a ton of sauce on it and the cheese had a funky taste to it like it was processed cheese.i have eaten ther before about 20 years ago,and i remember it to be excellent.i was so disappointed by it this time i thought they might have changed owners.when i got home i called their to ask if it had,the person on the phone proudly said "same owners since 1956." i then proceeded to tell the man about my experiance and he told me if i didnt like it dont come back! i was appauled athis responce.not only will i never go back i will tell anyone that asks"do you know of any good pizza places in queens?"that la villa is just up the road!
Slice joey b at 8:18AM on 10/12/05
Hey if you want great pizza go to the front counter with some friends then order a pie to stay. Make sure that Tony makes it. I said Tony, Usually works nights. ask For it well done and WOW! that is a good pizza. Tony has been there for years(over 10).It also dont hurt to ask for a slice from a pie that has just came out the oven.
Slice FlexXx at 11:20PM on 11/07/05
I have tasted many brink oven pizza's and some times I agree , the oven burns the bottom and the top the cheese is baily melted , then on top of it when the guy gives it to you he has a straight face , its like "hello" this pizza isnt cooked right , and they are like huh?
Well , point is why do these people go into business if they are not going to care about the product ,
Just a thought
Joe
Slice Joe at 4:57AM on 11/24/05
Well I guess we all have different opinions of New Park Pizza..My opinion is that there good pizza, so does my friend..Because, your not gonna find the orginal pizza made since 1956 anywhere in Ny..It was told especially on TV..Most of time its good, and sometimes its not the way they make it.. Depending on who makes it there..Im so glad there parking lot is finally redone , because there was a million pot holes ..If you used to go threw there fast ,say goodbye to your car and alignment..I have to say alot of hot women go there..So if you want a hot pizza and a hot babe with nice ass..New Park way to go..
Slice michael ghelber at 7:26PM on 03/09/06
New Park? Fuggedabowdit! The slices are totally generic New York Italian fare -- nothing special. I used to be a good customer... no longer. The pies have been far too inconsistent. My complaints include times when I've been served pies with crusts that have ranged from black-charred to soggy, peppered with excessive salt, soaked in canned sauce, and topped off with gummy, flavorless mozzarella. It's edible. In fact, if you're really hungry, it can satisfy a pizza jones. But, there are other pizzerias nearby. Gino's, two blocks further south, is an acceptable alternative. Fair pies, fairly consistent. Then, there's Little Town pizza. Harder to get to than New Park (it's opposite the Howard Beach subway station on Coleman Square) and it has has only a bit more ambiance than New Park (it's in a small storefront, but has some indoor seating), but the effort is well-rewarded with a really decent slice. Good crust, nicely done on the bottom, home-made sauce and quality mozzi makes the pies shine. They also make specialty pies, too. Try a taco slice. Odd, but tasty.
Slice John G. at 11:20AM on 04/21/06
My kids and I have been going to New Park for YEARS...we love the pizza...ESPECIALLY when it is charred on the bottom! Soon we will be moving to Honesdale, PA...and two things I will really miss are 1) 7-Eleven blueberry cream coffee AND 2) New Park's pizza!
Slice Susan at 5:38PM on 05/03/06
New Park is SO overrated. Your evaluation is on target. Ginos's is better, but the best is Lenny's all the way down by the bridge. Never tried Capri by the highway.
Slice JoePizza at 11:05PM on 06/22/06
Holy Crap!! I don't know what the hell you guys have been eating, but this is the best pizza in all of NY. Have been eating there for over 20 years. I no longer live in NY but it is the first and last place I go to during my visits. All the best places to eat in NY are hole in the wall joints so get over the looks. I bet if some moron on tv or Rachel Ray said that real pizza should be charred on the bottom and then call it rustic pizza, all of you would pay double for the same stuff you are putting down now. If you don't want a charred bottom-ask for one that's not. If you don't want it reheated-ask for a slice from a fresh pie. If you want perfect/uniform pizza every time then go your freezer section and get you some cardboard slathered with ketchup and sprinkled with government cheese made by tombstone or boboli and shut the hell up. If you like Pizza Hut better, you deserve to be chased and beat down. Do me a favor. Stop watching the Sopranos and reading the Sopranos cookbooks and thinking that you are now experts on Italian life and dining.
Slice Steve at 7:37PM on 07/08/06
I read somewhere that La Villa makes the best pizza in Howard Beach. I ordered a large Margherita pizza topped with shaved Prosciutto di Parma. The crust was too thick, it was like eating bread. What little sauce there was on it dried up in the oven. The homemade mozzarella was lovely, but contributed little to the flavor. The generous ham topping was the only ingredient which gave this otherwise bland pizza some character. Bill for one large pie: $33 plus tax and tip. Overall score: C+
foodexpert at 8:09AM on 09/02/08