On many hot summer weekends in New York City, we end up renting a car and high-tailing it out of the city to beat the heat and smell some grass and flowers. And though I hate paying Hertz for an extra hour (they charge a fortune), I have incurred that charge at least once because I just had to stop at Sal & Carmine's to pick up a pizza. Frankly, it's worth it, because the pizza there is that good.
I have been eating Sal & Carmine's pizza since the early '70s, when it was just Sal's on 95th and Broadway. Sal took on Carmine as a partner and moved to marginally fancier digs on 102nd and Broadway in the '90s. Thankfully, the pizza has remained just about as delicious a conventional slice of New York City pizza as you will find in Gotham or any of the zillion other places around the world that purportedly serve New York–style slices. By conventional I mean they use aged (yellow) mozzarella and sauce that's nothing special and bake their pies in a gas oven that doesn't have an exterior brick anywhere.
What makes a Sal & Carmine's slice so good, then? It's the crust and the fact that either Sal or Carmine or both are always there making pies. The crust has the magical combination of a crisp exterior that gives way to tender bread dough. And blessedly, the crust has plenty of salt. Yes, the mushrooms are canned (so don't get them) and they don't deliver (they don't have to), but if it's a good old New York slice you're looking for, Sal & Carmine's is the place to find it. For us, it wouldn't be a summer weekend without Sal & Carmine's, Hertz be damned.
Sal & Carmine's Address: 2671 Broadway (b/n 101st and 102nd), New York NY 10025 Phone: 212-663-7651
not only would i incur a surcharge or a parking fine, i have been known to pack a hot slice to take on a plane to europe -- or come DIRECTLY to sal & carmine's for a "welcome home" slice when flying in.
Agreed all around. Love Sal & Carmine's. I would emphasize that while all of their slices are a cut above, the plains are often fresher due to high turnover, and end up tasting just flat better than the topped slices, irrespective of topping. They use a nice quality saw-seeg, and the canned mushrooms are frankly not that terrible (they're big at least). Bottom line, for any inagural voyages there, go plain and you won't have any complaints - they're excellent.
Sal & Carmine's Sausage Slice is competitive with certain acts of intimacy. They are the best in the city.
Been eating their pizza since 1976, and they remain competitive with all comers. Their crust is crunchy on the outside, yeasty, chewey, buttery and textured on the inside--just wonderful bread. I love how the crust boils up into bubbles from the yeast. I always eat my slice in reverse--crust first.
The harmony between the bread and the cheese is glorious--they are very generous with the cheese, and the crust holds up to multiple toppings. The sauce is fine, though not as glorious as DiFala or Lombardi.
Years ago, a friend's birthday fell on a Super Bowl, and I brought by some ingredients for them to add to a large sausage: some jars of broccoli, fresh garlic and fresh romano. They were gracious enough to add my ingredients, though Sal laughed at me and asked if I was a rabbit. Shortly thereafter, they began to include broccoli, spinach, and garlic among their pie options.
They don't deliver because delivery boys get stiffed and robbed in their experience, and they do not need the hassle.
Yes, their pizza is great, but a double-aparking ticket is $110, and that's a little steep even for Sal & Carmone's. My daughter when she came to visit from San Diego, used to carefully pack three plain pies in her luggage to bring back west, having solemly sworn to me that she would re-heat it.
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3 Comments:
not only would i incur a surcharge or a parking fine, i have been known to pack a hot slice to take on a plane to europe -- or come DIRECTLY to sal & carmine's for a "welcome home" slice when flying in.
deelicious and addictive.
xdancer105 at 5:06AM on 07/16/07
Agreed all around. Love Sal & Carmine's. I would emphasize that while all of their slices are a cut above, the plains are often fresher due to high turnover, and end up tasting just flat better than the topped slices, irrespective of topping. They use a nice quality saw-seeg, and the canned mushrooms are frankly not that terrible (they're big at least). Bottom line, for any inagural voyages there, go plain and you won't have any complaints - they're excellent.
Sandro at 3:32PM on 07/17/07
Sal & Carmine's Sausage Slice is competitive with certain acts of intimacy. They are the best in the city.
Been eating their pizza since 1976, and they remain competitive with all comers. Their crust is crunchy on the outside, yeasty, chewey, buttery and textured on the inside--just wonderful bread. I love how the crust boils up into bubbles from the yeast. I always eat my slice in reverse--crust first.
The harmony between the bread and the cheese is glorious--they are very generous with the cheese, and the crust holds up to multiple toppings. The sauce is fine, though not as glorious as DiFala or Lombardi.
Years ago, a friend's birthday fell on a Super Bowl, and I brought by some ingredients for them to add to a large sausage: some jars of broccoli, fresh garlic and fresh romano. They were gracious enough to add my ingredients, though Sal laughed at me and asked if I was a rabbit. Shortly thereafter, they began to include broccoli, spinach, and garlic among their pie options.
They don't deliver because delivery boys get stiffed and robbed in their experience, and they do not need the hassle.
Yes, their pizza is great, but a double-aparking ticket is $110, and that's a little steep even for Sal & Carmone's. My daughter when she came to visit from San Diego, used to carefully pack three plain pies in her luggage to bring back west, having solemly sworn to me that she would re-heat it.
chipstern at 2:27PM on 02/18/08