PrintDi Fara Smackdown
"I don’t particularly care to walk in to a place and watch a guy past his prime “whip” up pizza and (what seemed like the case the last time I was there) who looks bored and careless as to what he was doing. As I mentioned earlier, consistency is something I look for, and the only thing I find consistent about his pizza is that he doesn’t make them all the same. ;) " —Nicky M., on Di Fara
How’s it going, Slice?I will give you a little history on myself, and offer up my recommendation. My grandfather had two Italian restaurant/coal-oven pizza places in the city and appeared on the radio making pizza to music, or Musical Pizza. I myself, have been making pizza for seven years, most notably working at Villa Bay, which Arthur Schwartz praised for having great food and pizza. Due to having a poor location and terrible parking, my friend Jack had to close the place down.
One thing I found interesting, and really is the way that I came across your website, was your article of Famous Famiglia at Yankee Stadium. I actually worked for Famiglia for two years, and want to note two things.
One, the product has definitely changed over the course of expansion, mostly to protect their brand and recipe. What really hurt them, in my opinion, is when they went for a sauce prepackaged in a sense, as opposed to being made and mixed on the spot. The second thing, though I can’t say it's actually true at the present date, but six months ago, I was at the original Famiglia’s on 96th and Amsterdam and will say that it is one of the better slices I have gotten in New York City. (Please note I am talking about slices as opposed to pies.)The biggest problems I have with pizzerias are that:
1. They generally don’t know how to keep the pies fresh on the counter
2. The pizza men are inconsistent with how they prepare the pizza (i.e., equal amounts of sauce, cheese, dough kneading, etc.).As far as my recommendation, I would say stop over at Original’s or their sister store, My Little Pizzeria, on Court Street in Brooklyn. They probably have the best “buy by slice” (in Brooklyn) in my opinion and usually are very consistent.
A few notes on other places that I have been to, as well: Luzzo’s (having been the most recent after having read Jeff Varasano's Famous Pizza Page), Di Fara and Una Pizza Napoletana (Also a quick note on Spumoni Gardens). I must say, Luzzo’s has one of the best tasting pies I have ever had. I have been to Totonno’s, John’s and Grimaldi’s, and it tops the cake for me. John’s is basically crap, if you ask me, and I would like to know who he’s paying off to get rated as the top pizza in New York. Grimaldi’s is tasty but does not go down as smooth as Luzzo’s does. Totonno’s is pretty good if you are feeling a little crisp and toast in your dough, but otherwise a little too much for me. Personally, I have always been about the sauce and how it complements the cheese.
As far as Di Fara, the guy has a great taste, but on a hot summer night when you're in the mood to just grab and go, this is NOT the place you want to be. In my opinion, though many reviewers will disagree, the time it takes to actually go in and get a pie really takes away from the experience of enjoying the pizza itself. I don’t particularly care to walk in to a place and watch a guy past his prime “whip” up pizza and (what seemed like the case the last time I was there) who looks bored and careless as to what he was doing. As I mentioned earlier, consistency is something I look for, and the only thing I find consistent about his pizza is that he doesn’t make them all the same. ;)
As far as Una Pizza Napoletana, the pizza had absolutely no flavor and was not worth the price for what you get. The only reason why his pizza has any taste at all is because of his freehand use of sea salt. Maybe the true style of pizza from Naples is “little sauce, extra oil,” though if that’s the case, I will bring my own pizza to Naples.
As a quick note, visit my myspace page to view an article written about my grandfather’s restaurant. Thanks for the time in reading this, and keep on being the best pizza page on the net!
Your friend and pizza-maker,
Nicky M.
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12 Comments:
On the one hand, Nicky says that most pizzerias "don't know how to keep pizza fresh on the counter." On the other hand, Nicky doesn't like Di Fara because "the time it takes to actually go in and get a pie really takes away from the experience of enjoying the pizza itself." Come again? The whole point of Di Fara is that there is no counter. Food is made only as needed. That way, nothing sits on the counter. There's nothing wrong with grab-and-go pizza. But Di Fara is not the place to go to fill a void. I'm not sure Famous Famiglia is, either. I'd rather go hungry. If you don't like Di Fara, that's fine. Each person has his own taste parameters. But saying that Mr. DeMarco merely "whips up pizza" and is "careless" in doing so is just not true. He lives and breathes nothing but pizza for more than 80 hours a week, and sweats every detail in every pie. You are entitled not to like the result, but don't create a false impression to justify that opinion.
seltzerboy at 10:03PM on 11/13/06
my little is crap pizza! Grimaldi's is so far past it's prime that it is not even worth going in there anymore. It has really dropped in quality. as far as john's goes, i am in complete agreement, it is awful, somebody is getting paid off. luke
Slice Anonymous at 11:00PM on 11/13/06
I have to agree to "see" the conflict in my perspective, but just because one problem is true for one place, that doesn't make it true for another. DiFara happens to be one of the few places that tries to offer up a higher quality pie but will still sell slices over the counter so in a sense, it is it's own thing. However, now having pointed that out, that just may be the flaw in the place itself. You mention that DiFara has no "counter" but the truth is the demand far outweighs the supply so of course the counter will be empty, but in essence he is still selling slices which means he in fact does have a counter. I want to note, that I go to places for the food, not for the novelty of watching a guy who seems like he could not move any slower. Sure, he sweats out the pies 80 hours a week, but that doesn't make my pie any rounder, or any thicker in the middle. That doesn't mean I get a lot of fresh grated cheese on one pie and a little on the next because his hand was a little heavy one day and light the next. For the quality of pie he is trying to make, he lacks the structure for it to reach its full potential and in a sense, the experience suffers because of it. Ask yourself this question, if he had a full crew to meet the demand of his product, and yet at the same time, his pies would come out looking like pizza, would you still be crazy about what he offers? Personally, I might enjoy his pizza more because I wouldn't be annoyed by the hot dining room on a summer night, or the long wait, and I would be able to actually compare it to other places, without actually having to compare it to itself the LAST time I was there. The novelty of an old Italian guy taking his time to make a pie that isn't perfect doesn't make me feel better about my life, or make his pizza go down easier. He has potential, that much I will say, but to give him extra points because I feel bad for him, or for his effort I will NOT! That is all for now. Thank you for your imput and comments. As far as the Famiglia comment, read what I wrote again and see if it has anything to do with your reply. Also, thanks to Slice for actually posting up the email I wrote. The world is truely a democracy today, heheh. ;)
Slice Nicky M. at 11:08PM on 11/13/06
In the end, it seems that Seltzerboy and Nicky are just fighting over whether they like/dislike the pizza. Neither one can prove that DeMarco is "careless" or "sweats every detail in every pie" so it seems that following this topic is just for the sake of following a pissing contest that has little to do with the pizza. In my opinion the pizza was just not worth the wait. I went on a hot summer night to find that the room was a boiler and the refrigerator was broken. The atmosphere was dingy and old. Either way I was psyched about their pizza and I was ready to sweat - and sweat I did. After about an hour of waiting I found myself with a decent pie. The cheese was good and the pie tasted fresh. The pie was lopsided but I could care less about that. However the dough was uneven which caused it to be burnt on some parts and that really took away from its flavor. It s a good pie, and with a little creativity you could even make it a nice outing, but for the most part, I think I d rather spend my hour commuting to a better pizza spot.
Slice Sergio at 11:46PM on 11/13/06
Perhaps my title on the masthead should be "Di Fara apologist." It's as if Adam goads me into these smackdowns. My opinion is that Di Fara is sublime. What would I change about it? Absolutely nothing. You could make lots of changes to this or another pizza place more pizza makers, a large dining room, a clean bathroom and still make some pretty amazing pizza, perhaps even Di Fara quality. But you would still wind up with something other than Di Fara. So I vote to change absolutely nothing. I don't care for air conditioning, so it's tough for me to sympathize. Chalk that up as one more thing I love about Di Fara. I'd rather be there than Grimaldi's on a steamy August night. It gets hot in the summer. Deal with it. If you can't, hitch a ride to Alaska. It just occured to me that, all told, I have spent more time waiting for Di Fara pizza than actually eating it. I wouldn't change that part, either. As I've said in the past, it's a fun place to hang. I've met lots of interesting people there. The whole vibe of the place is perfect, and the good things in life are worth waiting for.
seltzerboy at 4:23PM on 11/14/06
Hahhah!! I find it funny that you feel the need to be an ass because we don't share taste in foods or locations. Hitch a ride to Alaska? Are you kidding me? Because I didn't enjoy spending a night that was 95 in a room that was 100 ? I mentioned it because since it isn t the norm, I figured that a potential reader might want to factor that into their expectations. If I happen to upset your sensitive little heart, then you have my deepest apologies.
Slice Sergio at 5:38PM on 11/14/06
Settle down, Beavis. Maybe I need a class on how to post things on the Internet. Between you and the Syracuse guys, everyone thinks I'm picking fights. I'm just making conversation. All in good fun. I don't mean to be smarmy, but at the end of the day this is still just pizza we're talking about. The only thing I really meant to take issue with was calling Mr. DeMarco's pizza-making "careless." It's reasonable to call the place too hot or the waits too long or even the pizza not worth those sacrifices. But Mr. DeMarco cares too much, not too little. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Genug shoyn!
seltzerboy at 11:31PM on 11/14/06
In the end it is all about our experiences that bring us to our conclusions. For Seltzerboy, he has an affliction to DiFara that is beyond just the pizza. And trust me I really respect that. However for the argument sake of a "pizza", I can regard that as a valid point. For the most part, Dom seems like a nice guy, though as I mentioned before, he didn't exactly seem like he was enjoying himself that day and it really showed in the way my pizza was crafted. I take inconsistant dough stretch, to unequal amounts of cheese or sauce, or basil from pie to pie to be "careless" and thus why I use that word. I would like to actually take a trip to DiFara again, maybe even with the company of the gentlemen, just to get a better understanding of both perspectives.
Slice Nicky M. at 4:15AM on 11/15/06
I Can NOT regard that as a point....sorry...damn typos =p
Slice Nicky M. at 4:16AM on 11/15/06
Gentlemen from Slice....jesus I am on a roll tonight ;) God forbid I read before I post! ;)
Slice Nicky M. at 4:16AM on 11/15/06
I went to DiFara's for the first time last Saturday...I was so looking forward to it...he did forget my mushroom pie once, while on line for 30 minutes...when he presented it, it lacked in fungus...but: the ninety minute experience was worth it, it was the best pizza I've had yet as a native...I don't know when I'll be back...yes, he could be more efficient without damaging the product (ie. more staff), but i sense that at this stage of his life, it's what keeps him going as he said to me...long live Dom.
Slice Ed. at 2:24PM on 11/21/06
One Thing That Di Fara Should Change
I wish he would have someone help him out with non preparation of pizza. Such as have someone take orders for him and keep track of the order that customers are waiting.
Also would it be so bad if someone else cut the finished pizza? Someone else could also answer the phone.
This one may be stepping over the line, but why not have a helper grate the cheese or prepare any of the other ingredients as they are needed? All right, maybe that is too much.
Great pizza, but such a long wait.
peppertree5706 at 2:45AM on 10/13/07