Pizzeria Boom Actually Harming New York Pizza as We Know It, Newsweek Says

Posted by Adam Kuban, June 2, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Newsweek has an interesting take on the latest golden age of pizza in New York City. There's a cloud in the silver lining of the fancy-pants pizzeria boom—namely that Neapolitan and upscale pizzeria openings are outpacing the debut of really good typical New York–slice joints. (Oh, and I'm not just highlighting the following because I happen to be quoted in it; emphasis added.)

During the past six months, however, New York has been experiencing what The New York Times's Frank Bruni calls "a definite pizza moment"—a moment that threatens, I fear, to permanently alter what we think of when we think of New York pizza. Motivated by the new fad among foodies for upscale comfort cuisine, a slew of restaurateurs have opened pizzerias (Co., Tonda) serving Neapolitan-inspired pies enlivened with farm-fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, the premier purveyors of authentic N.Y.C. pizza are showing signs of strain. In January, Di Fara closed for weeks after aging pizzaiolo Dom DeMarco broke a kneecap. Totonno's burned down two months later. And the last of the storied slice slingers—Sal and Carmine's, Joe's—are few and far between. The result could be a coming shift in the city's balance of pizza power. "The New York slice is in danger," warns Sliceny.com editor Adam Kuban. "These highfalutin places are great, but they're a different thing. Losing the killer slice joints means we'll lose a way of life—walk in with $3 and eat your pizza on the street."

Post a Comment Favorite this!  (0)

Tags: Newsweek, NYC, Press