New Pizza Town is the only option in the neighborhood for a grandma pie—it's insanely garlicky but the crust can sometimes be leathery and tough.
In a perfect Upper West Side pizza world, in which I don't need my pizza delivered, I head to Sal and Carmine's to satisfy my primal pizza urges. If I have a hankering for coal-oven pizza in the hood, I pick up from Patsy's on West 74th Street (they only deliver during the day). But sometimes (often, let's face it) I don't feel like moving when I get home, so pizza delivery is in order. Who do I call? It all depends on what kind of pizza I feel like eating.
T&R Pizza
For regular, good old New York round slice pizza, I ring up T&R:
"Pizza to be delivered, please."
"What do you like?"
"A large plain pie well-done, please."
"20 minutes."
"Thank you."
Ordering the pie well-done at T&Rhelps ensure the crust being cooked all the way through and the cheese nice and golden brown. Nothing artisanal or particularly noteworthy about T&R. But it is consistent and solid, and when it comes to slice pizza dependability is key. T&R Pizza: 711 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024 (79th/80th; map); 212-787-4093
New Pizza Town
For an insanely garlicky grandma pie, I ring up New Pizza Town. The crust can be leathery and tough, but I can't be that choosy. Because it's the only grandma pizza option I have in the hood, credible or otherwise. New Pizza Town's regular pie is invariably marred by a flaccid crust. I don't know how a pizza that's baked in a 500-degree oven comes out with such a soft crust. New Pizza Town: 2196 Broadway, New York NY 10023 (77th/78th; map); 212- 769-2323
Dean's Pizzeria & Restaurant
I haven't found a regular Sicilian pie in the neighborhood worth getting delivered, but a Dean's rectangular can be really satisfying when it's right. When I ordered one for this post a decent though uninspired pie appeared at my door. The crust was thin and just oily enough, the slices were plenty salty from what tasted like Romano cheese, but the crust was gummy and underbaked.
Dean's round pie can often suffer from stiff crusts, but they do use decent fresh mozzarella. Dean's Pizzeria & Restaurant: 215 West 85th Street, New York NY 10025 (Broadway/Amsterdam; map); 212- 875-1100
Hey what about Caesar's Palace Pizza? Ams & 84th. Their mushroom pie is awesome. No other pizzerias use mushrooms like theirs. My favorite pizzeria on the UWS for sure. No comparison to the pizzerias above.
"I don't know how a pizza that's baked in a 500-degree oven comes out with such a soft crust"
Ed, I know you know about the following, but soft crust can be a result of one or a combination of the following, among other possibilities:
The use of lower gluten flour(s) will help deliver a soft crust in the finished pizza. The delicate, softer and airier crusts in a Neapolitan pizza, assuming proper dough kneading/handling and firing, are made possible through the use of Italian 00 flours, which are typically lower gluten flours (and more finely milled to boot). Maybe the place is adding a portion of cake flour or another low gluten flour to their mix?
The pizza is undercooked. Almost everytime someone tells me they like such and such a place because of the "soft dough", I find the dough is soft because it is undercooked, if not in fact containing raw, uncooked dough in places.
A dough softner/relaxer of some type has been added to the dough bill.
I have heard of instances where some places offering pan/sicilian style pizza add a little milk into their recipe. Frankly, I have no clue if this would help make a dough soft or not? I'm sure there are lots of other potential reasons. Anyone got any ideas?
BTW Ed, as a fellow Baltimoron (you never get rid of it, I don't care if you're in the big city now, hon) you'll appreciate how I read this post and it made me want to bang my head into a light pole.
You guys are so damned fortunate. I would potentially contemplate murder, at least hypothetically, in order to have just one of those places within delivery range of my house, not to mention all of them! :D
@Pizzablogger
Both milk (often in the form of milk powder) and oil/fats can tenderize the crumb ('la mie' as the french would call it)...but not (necessarily) give a softer exterior crust.
Hope that helps,
To be clear, the "hon" drop was not meant to be disrespectful in any way whatsoever towards Ed and I do not use it in speech. I purposefully included it as an inside Baltimore joke to Ed........I'm sure he understands? --PB
@Pizzablogger Yes, I understand the "hon" reference. My wife represents the great writer Laura Lippman, who lives and works in Baltimore. I feel I know the ins and outs of Baltimore culture as a result of reading Laura's books.
I'm pretty sure Dean's and Angelo's(West Side, not Upper) are owned by the same people that own Patsy's. Everything is exactly the same. The difference is Dean's delivers in the evening.
Freddie and Peppers Siclian Pie is to die for what they make it. The pie takes a long time to make so they don't do it often but when they do I buy at least 4 slices and freeze them, great reheated in a toaster oven.
You can't beat Sal's regular slices though. Sorry to hear about Sal he was one of kind.
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15 Comments:
Hey what about Caesar's Palace Pizza? Ams & 84th. Their mushroom pie is awesome. No other pizzerias use mushrooms like theirs. My favorite pizzeria on the UWS for sure. No comparison to the pizzerias above.
tornadocat at 11:53AM on 08/07/09
My favorite is Freddie and Pepper's on Amsterdam b/w 74th and 75th. Sooo good.
maximillian at 12:11PM on 08/07/09
I have to admit I've never tried Caesar's. I have never had a slice at Freddie and Pepper's that I've loved.
Ed Levine at 12:19PM on 08/07/09
"I don't know how a pizza that's baked in a 500-degree oven comes out with such a soft crust"
Ed, I know you know about the following, but soft crust can be a result of one or a combination of the following, among other possibilities:
The use of lower gluten flour(s) will help deliver a soft crust in the finished pizza. The delicate, softer and airier crusts in a Neapolitan pizza, assuming proper dough kneading/handling and firing, are made possible through the use of Italian 00 flours, which are typically lower gluten flours (and more finely milled to boot). Maybe the place is adding a portion of cake flour or another low gluten flour to their mix?
The pizza is undercooked. Almost everytime someone tells me they like such and such a place because of the "soft dough", I find the dough is soft because it is undercooked, if not in fact containing raw, uncooked dough in places.
A dough softner/relaxer of some type has been added to the dough bill.
I have heard of instances where some places offering pan/sicilian style pizza add a little milk into their recipe. Frankly, I have no clue if this would help make a dough soft or not? I'm sure there are lots of other potential reasons. Anyone got any ideas?
Pizzablogger at 12:19PM on 08/07/09
BTW Ed, as a fellow Baltimoron (you never get rid of it, I don't care if you're in the big city now, hon) you'll appreciate how I read this post and it made me want to bang my head into a light pole.
You guys are so damned fortunate. I would potentially contemplate murder, at least hypothetically, in order to have just one of those places within delivery range of my house, not to mention all of them! :D
Pizzablogger at 12:23PM on 08/07/09
@Pizzablogger
Both milk (often in the form of milk powder) and oil/fats can tenderize the crumb ('la mie' as the french would call it)...but not (necessarily) give a softer exterior crust.
Hope that helps,
FP
foolishpoolish at 12:50PM on 08/07/09
@Ed
That Dean's round pie looks pretty good. Loving how the mozzarella seems to be arranged in a spiral.
foolishpoolish at 12:56PM on 08/07/09
To be clear, the "hon" drop was not meant to be disrespectful in any way whatsoever towards Ed and I do not use it in speech. I purposefully included it as an inside Baltimore joke to Ed........I'm sure he understands? --PB
Pizzablogger at 3:20PM on 08/07/09
@Pizzablogger Yes, I understand the "hon" reference. My wife represents the great writer Laura Lippman, who lives and works in Baltimore. I feel I know the ins and outs of Baltimore culture as a result of reading Laura's books.
Ed Levine at 5:17PM on 08/07/09
I'll have to ask Ed about the "hon" reference. I am lost!
Adam Kuban at 6:14PM on 08/07/09
Here ya go,SliceMeister. Scary stuff:
http://www.baltimorehon.com/
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 11:34PM on 08/07/09
This pizza didn't look too shabby?
pizzaexpert at 2:03PM on 08/08/09
I'm pretty sure Dean's and Angelo's(West Side, not Upper) are owned by the same people that own Patsy's. Everything is exactly the same. The difference is Dean's delivers in the evening.
zaydon at 11:40AM on 08/10/09
Freddie and Peppers Siclian Pie is to die for what they make it. The pie takes a long time to make so they don't do it often but when they do I buy at least 4 slices and freeze them, great reheated in a toaster oven.
You can't beat Sal's regular slices though. Sorry to hear about Sal he was one of kind.
Nycatfan at 2:01PM on 08/10/09
Ed, what do you think of Big Nick's on 76 and bway?
Koreanita at 2:25PM on 08/10/09