Dear Slice: The Best Staten Island Pizza Is at Salvatore's of SoHo
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 18, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got an awesome piece of intel on Staten Island pizza.
Hey Adam,
As a Staten Island resident for all of my life, I thought I could give you some insight on the places i've been to, as well as a new place that seems undiscovered, but in my opinion, has better pizza than Joe & Pats and definitely Nunzio's.
First, you have to understand my reasons for e-mailing you. I am a college student in my first year at Loyola College in Maryland, and cannot go without pizza. If you could, foward me some suggestions to pizza down here in Baltimore that is similar to NYC pizza because my roommate (who is from Queens) and I are HURTING. While I may have told my parents I wanted to see my brother's play, I made a trip last weekend back just because I needed some EDIBLE pizza in my system. Most of the stuff my roommate and I have tried down here is just thick crust, tons of bad cheese garbage. So once again, if you know of anywhere down in Baltimore that would have similar pizza to NYC pizza, please point me in that irection.
Now for some opinions on the current state of pizza in Staten Island: [After the jump.]
Nunzio's: Boy, has this place gone downhill for some reason or another. I absolutely loved this place before they renovated in 2004-2005-ish. The atmosphere wasn't that appealing, but it had character. Wood walls, overused seating and chairs, neon signs, rundown red carpets, and a jukebox. It could be called a cave of sorts. It was dark, and the lighting was terrible, but the pizza made you forget about all of this. I have so many memories of such great pizza form this place, but unfortunately they have all gone down the drain since their building was renovated. I don't know if there were new owners or if anything changed behind the counter, but the pizza's quality has certainly declined. Too much grease and cheese to fit on one slice. I don't really enjoy my experience there as much as I used to. Now that I think of it, I barely go there anymore. It's a DECENT slice, but not what it used to be. You should definitely go back and revisit this place and see if you can notice what I am talking about.
Lee's Tavern: For the most part, I agree with your review of this pizzeria. I know one of the owner's sons, so I sometimes frequent this establishment when I'm in the area with a few of my friends and want a free pie. As much as I like their pizza and the atmosphere of the place, I sometimes feel like the pizza isn't REALLY pizza. It feels, simply, like dough with some sauce and cheese on it. I feel as if a good slice should taste good, but be filling at the same time. I'm not denying the quality of their pies (they are good), but the feeling you get when you eat the pizza should go along with the quality. I could go in there and eat an entire pie by myself, and I'm a very skinny guy. Good pizza though.
NEW PLACE:
O.K. If you are in the borough of Staten Island and need a place to go get pizza, look no further than Salvatore of Soho on Hylan Boulevard (map).
This place is my new #1 favorite pizza on Staten Island. He has a rotating, coal-fired oven, and the atmosphere is really great. It's small and loud, but it has the feel of an Italian kitchen. The red-booth-style seating and worker's uniforms are a very nice touch. His pizza is nothing short of unbelieveable. It's the perfect combination of sauce, cheese, thin-crust, and a truly light-but-filling slice. I also highly encourage ordering either the garlic bread, or the fried calimari (or, as in Staten Island speech, pronounced: "fried gal-i-mahd") as an appetizer. The wait staff is nice and friendly, and the time spent waiting for a pie is relatively short with regards to the overall quality of the pizza. YOU NEED TO GO HERE ASAP... I can't even describe how good this pizza is. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
If you need any more advice with pizza on Staten Island, or are just wondering about my insights on certain places, don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks,
Max
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Max,
Thanks for this juicy bit of intel. Somehow the Salvatore's of SoHo joint flew under my radar as having a coal oven. That is HUGE.
I think a car-rental and trip to Shaolin is in order.
Sorry that you can't find pizza you like in Baltimore. Maybe some of the Slice readers can chime in on suggestions. Usually every city of more than X-size has a New York expat making supposedly "New York-style" pizza. It's often not as good as what you get here but is better than most other options in the area.
There's a guy out of the South who has a site that lists NY-style pizza joints around the country. Unfortunately, I lost the URL in a computer crash and now am unable to find it on Google. If we can find that, that map might help you.
I'll have to check out Salvatore's. Strange that it's a "rotating coal oven." I know of rotating ovens, and coal ovens, but have never seen a rotating coal oven. Will be a sight to see, I'm sure.
I always thought Denino's was the best pizza in Staten Island, no? I personally haven't tried it, but I was under the impression that if one were to trek out there for pizza, this was the place to go.
I went to Baltimore a few years ago for a trade show, and sadly didn't do my research beforehand. I had to call the wife and ask her to search for pizza down there. We ended up at some crummy place that she said was '5 star pizza' but when I got back it turned out to be a single review on some dopey citysearch type site.
Out of curiosity, I checked around, and the place that kept coming up was called (IIRC) "Brick Oven Pizza." I'd give them a shot. Google says http://www.boppizza.com/
How about Gino's Villa Monte on Richmond Avenue in the Best Buy shopping center? They make some ridiculously delicious Sicilian and pan pie slices, nice buttery, almost pastry-like crust when fresh. Great baked ziti as well.
Max: Wow! Why are you going to college, anyway? Quit school right now.
Ask you parents to front you the money they would otherwise pay for your remaining three years of college and use that money as seed money for your fledgling career as a food journalist! Your contribution to Slice is incredible. I agree with Adam: a road trip is certainly in order. In fact, I pass through SI at least twice a month and will set my GPS to Salvatore's before my next journey. Thanks for your input and keep up the good food writing!
@pizzalogist I gotta agree about that pie shot. Perhaps it's a retro thing. I was speaking with someone recently who was raving about Salvatore's, but I have not been in the mood for a coal oven pie lately. However I told him today that since it's been tawked up on Slice I'm gonna check it out.
Max deserves a Pulitzer Prize in Pizza Journalism for this one. The wife and I made our first (of, I am certain, many) visits to Salvatore's of Soho on a recent Friday evening. The joint is relatively small, seating, perhaps, only 40 people. So, at peak hours, there's a wait at the front door (outdoor seating will be available in warmer months). But, the experience of Salvatore's starts while waiting at the front door. You see, Staten Island is like a small town, so arriving guests are greeted by friends and neighbors who are already seated.
We quickly started conversing with another waiting couple and our common passion for good pizza, and food in general, brought us together and conversation continued throughout our meal, as we were lucky enough to be seated alongside one another.
To say Salvatore's is a pizza joint is doing it a disservice. Yes, pizza is an important element of Salvatore's menu: the neopolitan pies turned out in its rotating, coal-fired oven are near-ideal. I would have appreciated just a bit more crispiness in the center of my pie and a few more ounces of the delicious sauce on my plain pie with fresh (abundant) mushrooms, but, all-in-all, Salvatore's pies rate highly.
As I scanned other tables, I saw mouth-watering platters of baked clams, mussels in red sauce and grilled calamari. We opted for a house salad ($10, big enough for two to share), an order of swiss chard in a pomodoro (the chunks of fresh garlic and the tomato sauce mixed nicely with the slight tang of the chard) and lobster ravioli (a generous portion, Salvatore's offers a different ravioli special each night). Service, by young women dressed in short dresses reminiscent of 50s-era drive-ins or diners, was delightful. We skipped dessert, but most looked wonderful.
Salvatore's of Soho is an outstanding addition to the under-recognized, but outstanding dining scene on Staten Island. Worthy of a detour!
I visited Salvatore's last night and I have to strongly echo famdoc's sentiments. It had a great family atmosphere and the waitstaff were extremely cordial. They even offered me a tour of the merry-go-round of an oven. My friend told me that his pastas are very good, and from what I was able to tell by looking at them, he was right. And the portions were abundant. The star though was the pizza. It's been a while now since I've been to Lombardi's, but if my memory serves me well, our Margherita pie was at least as good as at that Spring Street stalwart. Unfortunately there was no Rice to Riches across the street where I could get some Almond Shlalmond. However the Toasted Almond cake we were served filled in admirably. I've been to Deninos and Lee's and both are great bars where you can get a good pie. Salvatore's is a good Italian restaurant where you can get a great (gas assisted) coal oven pie. Salavatore's is definitely the best of Staten Island pizza.
Kid you better stay in school because you have much to learn. Salvatore of Soho is horrible! One of my girlfriends works there and told me that Sal stores his food in a garden shed outside behind the store. That's right, he stores his food outside! When my friend mention to Sal that this was a obviosuly a health issue he told her to shut up. I've also eaten there prior to knowing about this and was sick for an entire weekend. By all means stay away from this place!
@joeygee90 You my cuz? I wish I was still in school so I could hit on the waitresses in Sal's. They are very cute. If I hit on yours, I'm sure you wouldn't mind since you have extras, right? As far as Sal goes, I only met him once, but he seemed like a stand up guy. Certainly not someone who would tell one of his waitresses to shut up.
Hey, I am here on business and am a transplant from Long Island...LOVE pizza, tough to find awesome pizza in Albany. So I read about Salvatores and decided to venture away from the hotel last night and find it. Fun atmosphere, crowded...loved it and the pizza was great!
I went to Salvatores today on the Slice recommendation. I'm not disappointed I went, but I wanted to report that the pizza crust was terribly salty. I've been thirsty all afternoon. The sauce and cheese were very nice, and the browning where you can taste the coal were great. But the dough was way oversalted. We also ordered the fried calamari appetizer and that was perfection -- soft tender calamari, battered and fried only lightly.
I'm from Staten Island. I don't go very often now, but I can say with confidence Joe & Pat's, Lee's and Deninos are still the reigning champs. If you're going to make a trek to SI, go to those first.
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Hey Adam,
15 Comments:
rotating what? huh? i'll have to do some research the next time i'm crossing the parking lot that is the staten island expressway.
sloppy at 3:43PM on 02/18/09
when i lived in baltimore, i would go to maria d's in fed hill. http://www.maria-ds.com/ probably not comparable but i really liked it.
i heard joe's squared, http://www.joesquared.com/, is good too but i've never had it.
subinai at 3:49PM on 02/18/09
I always thought Denino's was the best pizza in Staten Island, no? I personally haven't tried it, but I was under the impression that if one were to trek out there for pizza, this was the place to go.
Am I wrong?
DustinM at 5:24PM on 02/18/09
I went to Baltimore a few years ago for a trade show, and sadly didn't do my research beforehand. I had to call the wife and ask her to search for pizza down there. We ended up at some crummy place that she said was '5 star pizza' but when I got back it turned out to be a single review on some dopey citysearch type site.
Out of curiosity, I checked around, and the place that kept coming up was called (IIRC) "Brick Oven Pizza." I'd give them a shot. Google says http://www.boppizza.com/
ratbuddy at 9:52PM on 02/18/09
@Adam,
Is the site that from the dude in the South which you lost called WorstPizza?
Here's the link, it's pretty comprehensive:
http://www.worstpizza.com/
@Max
How about Gino's Villa Monte on Richmond Avenue in the Best Buy shopping center? They make some ridiculously delicious Sicilian and pan pie slices, nice buttery, almost pastry-like crust when fresh. Great baked ziti as well.
NYC Food Guy at 11:39PM on 02/18/09
I also am a fellow greyhound. The best you are going to do around that campus is fortunatos up york road in towson. Their tomato slice is banging.
martyboom at 2:34PM on 02/19/09
Max: Wow! Why are you going to college, anyway? Quit school right now.
Ask you parents to front you the money they would otherwise pay for your remaining three years of college and use that money as seed money for your fledgling career as a food journalist! Your contribution to Slice is incredible. I agree with Adam: a road trip is certainly in order. In fact, I pass through SI at least twice a month and will set my GPS to Salvatore's before my next journey. Thanks for your input and keep up the good food writing!
famdoc at 2:59PM on 02/19/09
Whoa - where did the picture of the pizza on their website come from? Stock photo? Seems like they're doing themselves a disservice.
And what's the relationship with Salvatore's of Soho in the Bronx?
pizzalogist at 6:11PM on 02/19/09
@pizzalogist I gotta agree about that pie shot. Perhaps it's a retro thing. I was speaking with someone recently who was raving about Salvatore's, but I have not been in the mood for a coal oven pie lately. However I told him today that since it's been tawked up on Slice I'm gonna check it out.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 7:14PM on 02/19/09
Max deserves a Pulitzer Prize in Pizza Journalism for this one. The wife and I made our first (of, I am certain, many) visits to Salvatore's of Soho on a recent Friday evening. The joint is relatively small, seating, perhaps, only 40 people. So, at peak hours, there's a wait at the front door (outdoor seating will be available in warmer months). But, the experience of Salvatore's starts while waiting at the front door. You see, Staten Island is like a small town, so arriving guests are greeted by friends and neighbors who are already seated.
We quickly started conversing with another waiting couple and our common passion for good pizza, and food in general, brought us together and conversation continued throughout our meal, as we were lucky enough to be seated alongside one another.
To say Salvatore's is a pizza joint is doing it a disservice. Yes, pizza is an important element of Salvatore's menu: the neopolitan pies turned out in its rotating, coal-fired oven are near-ideal. I would have appreciated just a bit more crispiness in the center of my pie and a few more ounces of the delicious sauce on my plain pie with fresh (abundant) mushrooms, but, all-in-all, Salvatore's pies rate highly.
As I scanned other tables, I saw mouth-watering platters of baked clams, mussels in red sauce and grilled calamari. We opted for a house salad ($10, big enough for two to share), an order of swiss chard in a pomodoro (the chunks of fresh garlic and the tomato sauce mixed nicely with the slight tang of the chard) and lobster ravioli (a generous portion, Salvatore's offers a different ravioli special each night). Service, by young women dressed in short dresses reminiscent of 50s-era drive-ins or diners, was delightful. We skipped dessert, but most looked wonderful.
Salvatore's of Soho is an outstanding addition to the under-recognized, but outstanding dining scene on Staten Island. Worthy of a detour!
famdoc at 10:13AM on 03/08/09
I visited Salvatore's last night and I have to strongly echo famdoc's sentiments. It had a great family atmosphere and the waitstaff were extremely cordial. They even offered me a tour of the merry-go-round of an oven. My friend told me that his pastas are very good, and from what I was able to tell by looking at them, he was right. And the portions were abundant. The star though was the pizza. It's been a while now since I've been to Lombardi's, but if my memory serves me well, our Margherita pie was at least as good as at that Spring Street stalwart. Unfortunately there was no Rice to Riches across the street where I could get some Almond Shlalmond. However the Toasted Almond cake we were served filled in admirably. I've been to Deninos and Lee's and both are great bars where you can get a good pie. Salvatore's is a good Italian restaurant where you can get a great (gas assisted) coal oven pie. Salavatore's is definitely the best of Staten Island pizza.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 7:29AM on 03/11/09
Kid you better stay in school because you have much to learn. Salvatore of Soho is horrible! One of my girlfriends works there and told me that Sal stores his food in a garden shed outside behind the store. That's right, he stores his food outside! When my friend mention to Sal that this was a obviosuly a health issue he told her to shut up. I've also eaten there prior to knowing about this and was sick for an entire weekend. By all means stay away from this place!
joeygee90 at 10:02PM on 03/14/09
@joeygee90 You my cuz? I wish I was still in school so I could hit on the waitresses in Sal's. They are very cute. If I hit on yours, I'm sure you wouldn't mind since you have extras, right? As far as Sal goes, I only met him once, but he seemed like a stand up guy. Certainly not someone who would tell one of his waitresses to shut up.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 9:47AM on 03/15/09
Hey, I am here on business and am a transplant from Long Island...LOVE pizza, tough to find awesome pizza in Albany. So I read about Salvatores and decided to venture away from the hotel last night and find it. Fun atmosphere, crowded...loved it and the pizza was great!
Thanks!
Long Island Girl at 8:14AM on 05/15/09
I went to Salvatores today on the Slice recommendation. I'm not disappointed I went, but I wanted to report that the pizza crust was terribly salty. I've been thirsty all afternoon. The sauce and cheese were very nice, and the browning where you can taste the coal were great. But the dough was way oversalted. We also ordered the fried calamari appetizer and that was perfection -- soft tender calamari, battered and fried only lightly.
I'm from Staten Island. I don't go very often now, but I can say with confidence Joe & Pat's, Lee's and Deninos are still the reigning champs. If you're going to make a trek to SI, go to those first.
Potluckcraft at 8:12PM on 06/21/09