PrintPatsy's in East Harlem: Balance, Perfection
The sixth slice is as good as the first. Yes, I just said 'sixth.'
I would like to piggyback off of the Real Slim Shady's recent comments on America's Favorite Pizza Weblog and take it one step further with respect to his top two NYC pizzerias. I recently visited both Di Fara and Patsy's within 24 hours of each other, and my memories of both are still fresh in my mind.
When Patsy's of East Harlem is "on," as AK likes to say, they are not only number one in New York, there is some serious distance between them and Di Fara, and I'll tell you why: balance. I may sound like a broken record to some of you, but let's lay it down, and if the comments pour in disagreeing with me, then so be it.
When Patsy's is on, it is everything that New York pizza is supposed to be, it is the prototype, the zenith, the very pinnacle of "New York–Neapolitan" pie. Ladies and gentlemen, the last three times I've been in to visit, it has most certainly been 'on'—the crust is thin and crisp but with that wholesome doughy goodness inside, it is cooked all the way through so the slice doesn't collapse on you, and the sauce, basil and cheese, (applied in that order) are of top quality. They don't skimp on any of these, nor do they pile it on. The sixth slice is as good as the first. Yes, I just said sixth.
Granted, I also know what Adam is talking about when he describes Patsy's failings in consistency, but I have not found that to be the case lately and, particularly, last week. Put simply, there is no better example of a great NYC pizza than Patsy's on a good day.
Di Fara
All of that said, Dom DeMarco of Di Fara, without question, uses the best ingredients that money can buy—the bufala mozzarella from Caserta, San Marzano tomatoes, grana padano, the pure olive oil, all the way down to the Israel-imported basil—you can taste the quality in every slice. He also uses a gas-fired oven (right) that he keeps at 750 degrees. What that pizza would taste like in a wood or coal oven, I don't know, but I think I'm not alone in saying that I would like to find out.
But here's where opinions will begin to diverge (if they haven't already): either Dom could ease up on some of these ingredients (he has a very heavy hand when it comes that final pour of olive oil before pies go in the oven, the grana padano is added twice—once before a pie goes in and once when it comes out) or there are just too many ingredients piled onto his margherita pie (maybe one less mozz). The same amount of these ingredients on a Sicilian? No problem, the crust is strong enough to handle all of that goodness.
But am I the only one who feels like a geriatric at feeding time when I sit down to eat one of Dom's plain slices, complete with drool from watching him shovel pizzas in and out of his oven for the past 45 to 75 minutes? The slice always collapses on me unless I eat it with one hand supporting the bottom and the beautiful blend of cheeses, tomatoes, and olive oil seems to have a mind of its own and need to be ushered back onto the crust. It's a sure bet that I'm gonna leave Di Fara with some kind of stain, most likely that viscous blend of olive oil and tomato sauce!
But maybe that's part of the charm and that's why people love Di Fara and why they love Dom—his pizza is one thing that will never change, and he sticks to his guns, which is hard to come by these days. And I love Di Fara, don't get me wrong, but I can't be the only one out there who feels this way.
Incidentally, I visited Di Fara last week while Epi-Log's Michael Park was in researching his groundbreaking exposé, "Secrets of Di Fara Pizza" (see picture of him taking picture of Dom in a beret, right; I think I'm gonna frame that one). This guy needs to catch a clue and quit asking questions like "do you still like making pizza?" Dom is still the only one who makes the pies there, right?
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12 Comments:
I don't know, Bubbles. I wouldn't put the negs on Patsy's if I didn't have good reason, and the joint has disappointed me big time the last four or five visits. I'm willing to concede that it might be becaue I've stubbornly ordered pies with regular mozzarella as opposed to the fresh stuff. Seems like when you order fresh mozz, it's the code to make it in the "New York–Neapolitan" style as opposed to a more standard New York–style. So the balance is improved. But I know that I've had some best-pizza-of-my-life standard mozz pies there, so when I get one of the droopy specimens, it hacks me off.
I can't believe you were there when Michael Park was. Did you know it was him at the time?
Adam Kuban at 1:23PM on 03/18/08
Yes, AK-47, it is certainly true that you have straight dissed Patsy's in recent months, going so far as to recommend to one inquiring reader that he should bypass Patsy's altogether. However, you always allow yourself an out by maintaining that you have seen (and tasted) the truth on 118th and First Avenue, you just don't know where it went. You must keep in mind that we are only talking about Patsy's margherita; I have had a couple of aged mozz pies there lately, too, and they haven't been as magnificient as they once were. The decline in quality wasn't of Isabella's level, but it was noticeable, nonetheless. Somebody once told me that Patsy's crust was simply too good to be topped off with aged mozz. I'm not sure if I am of the same mind but this seems to me to be A Tale of Two Pies if there ever was one.
I am still not sure who Michael Park is other than an amateur piehound. Perhaps the better question to ask is if Michael Park knew he was in the presence of DJ Bubbles!
DJ_Bubbles at 5:11PM on 03/18/08
@DJ Bubbles: are you this this DJ Bubbles? or this one? Give us a bio!
Raphael at 6:27PM on 03/18/08
@Bubbles: Fair enough. I have allowed myself an "out" with my comments. Maybe you and Fred/Ted/Zed Levine and I need to go and try Patsy's with both fresh and aged mozz. You are on to something with the pronouncement that nothing should top that crust but fresh mozz.
I also apologize for phrasing my question incorrectly regarding Michael Y. Park. Indeed, I do now wonder if he realized he was in the presence of DJ BUBBLES.
Adam Kuban at 6:32PM on 03/18/08
Nah, Raphael, I'm neither! A bio....hmm - check my seriouseats profile....if there's anything else you need to know, lemme know!
DJ_Bubbles at 6:34PM on 03/18/08
AK - Now here's a heavyweight battle waiting to happen - The 6 train uptown to Patsy's, house fresh and aged mozz pies, then immediately kick it back downtown to the Q at 14th Street to head out to Avenue J and DiFara country for some real compare and contrast action!
DJ_Bubbles at 7:01PM on 03/18/08
Hey DJ_Bubbles, I like the post and remember you snapping that pic. However, you must've misheard something, because I never asked that question.
MichaelYPark at 12:04PM on 03/22/08
Hmmm, I would have to disagree there, MYP, but if I did mishear that particular question to Dom, then I still wasn't too far off given the tone of your inquiry. You were lobbing softballs like it was beer league.
DJ_Bubbles at 10:08AM on 03/24/08
Actually, I think I know what happened. First off, I'm a notorious low talker, and at one point I said that "_I_ still enjoy making pizzas," because he'd asked me about my pizza-making and I was lamenting my problems with getting a perfect crust.
As for the softball questions, you've just stumbled on Journalist Technique No. 004 for getting fuller quotes for a fluff piece: Feign complete idiocy. Which is convenient for me because I'm the kind of guy who leaves home in the morning with a coffee spoon instead of the house keys. With a guy like Dom, whose been doing this his whole life, and who's been handling media for years now, I've always found it's best just to toss something fuzzy out there and let the guy run wherever he wants with it. Once in a while, you get a funny reaction quote that makes the piece. (Also, I'd already dropped in on Dom a couple weeks before and talked to him on the phone a couple times at that point, so the photos were my priority for that visit.) Obviously, I wouldn't be asking the same kind of questions if I were quizzing a lawyer on a $400 million corruption case at the UN.
Also, of course, I'm not a walking pizza encyclopedia like you or the other Slice guys, but an "amateur piehound" at best, as you put it. Next time, pipe up and let me know who you are--I've got no problem taking a backseat and focusing on shooting. I figure the more forums there are out there discussing what makes a good pie, the better for everyone who enjoys pizza.
That said, I'm flattered you'd even consider framing a pic with this ugly mug in it, but wouldn't be hurt too much if you decided to crop me out and keep it focused where it should be: on Dom, of course. And please do keep up the good work on the pizza-sleuthing, it's great stuff.
MichaelYPark at 3:16PM on 03/24/08
Make that "who's" instead of "whose" in graf 2 of course.
MichaelYPark at 3:19PM on 03/24/08
MYP, that makes sense and I do see your point with respect to feigning idiocy in order to get the best story and the whole story. You and your posse over at epi-curious are doing some good work of your own over there. I could've piped up and added my two cents at DiFara that day but I was already five double deuces deep after watching Syracuse get housed at the Garden in the Big East Championship - nothing constructive would've come out of my mouth!
I want your next expose to be a compare and contrast between Dom's methods and those of area pretenders, like the trouser trouts over at Bleecker Street Pizza!
And I'm out!
DJ_Bubbles at 3:39PM on 03/24/08
Hey, man, that's a great idea, and if there's any way I can enlist your help when I do that or other future Epi-Log pizza stories, please feel free to e-mail me at michaelypark@yahoo.com, and we'll get something going.
MichaelYPark at 3:43PM on 03/24/08