Astoria, Queens: Via Trenta Osteria & Wine Bar

The atmosphere is comfortable (much brighter than the previous incarnation, which required night-vision goggles), and the staff is friendly. I could see this becoming a go-to for me not because the pizza is AMAZING but because it is good enough and nearby.

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3 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, February 3, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Tagged: Astoria, NYC, Queens, reviews, Slice reviews, Via Trenta

Basil Brick Oven: Good Pizza in an Unexpected Part of Astoria

Basil Brick Oven Pizza makes what some folks might call Neapolitan pizza, but pizzaiolo and co-owner Daniel Barbois, a native of Piedmont, Italy, would dispute that. The pizzas here look like their Naples-based counterparts, Mr. Barbois, says, but the crust is more crisp, the edges a little more flat, the cheese a bit more generous.

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15 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, December 9, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Tagged: Astoria, Basil Brick Oven Pizza, NYC, Queens, reviews, Slice reviews, wood-fired

Sac's Place: A Coal-Oven Pizzeria That's Trendy by Accident

Pickled Italian peppers and home-grown basil, oregano, and rosemary. An award-winning apple pie recipe from Ohio made from (somewhat) locally harvest fruit. Heat in the dining room supplied by a wood-burning stove. Nope, not a trendy "Ball jar joint" helmed by Midwestern transplants in Brooklyn. This is all going on at Sac's Place in Astoria, Queens, run by a couple brothers who grew up around the corner from this coal-fired pizzeria and restaurant on Broadway.

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9 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, December 2, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Tagged: Astoria, coal-oven, NYC, Queens, reviews, Sac's Place, Slice reviews

Video: 'Pizza Party'

Joey Summa (aka "Joe Pepe") emailed me this video he made, "Pizza Party." It's an update of an earlier version his friend Michelle emailed me in March. As an Astorian, I'm happy to see several of my neighborhood's hot spots featured — Salerno Pizza on 30th Avenue, Astoria Bowl, Astoria Park, and, yes, Costco, where I reviewed the pizza last year.

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5 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, July 23, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Tagged: Astoria, videos

Astoria, Queens: Lorusso Gourmet Pizza & Focaccia

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's going to draw pizza- or bread-heads from outside the borough or even the neighborhood, but if you're live in, near, or are looking to explore this part of Astoria, you owe it to yourself to make the detour here.

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6 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, June 24, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Tagged: Astoria, focaccia, focaccia pizza, Lorusso Gourmet Pizza and Focaccia, NYC, Queens, reviews, Slice reviews

Astoria, Queens: Trattoria El Greco

For the most part, Bertolotti keeps the flame going at El Greco, which opened in April 2010. The pizza here, Neapolitan-inspired, is undoubtedly good. It's thin, crisp, has a great balance in terms of sauce and cheese and (sometimes) toppings.

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1 Comment | Posted by Adam Kuban, February 4, 2011 at 8:30 AM
Tagged: Astoria, Nicola Bertolotti, NYC, Queens, reviews, Slice reviews, Trattoria El Greco

Costco, a Pizza Chain Hiding in Plain Sight

This membership warehouse club is the largest such chain of its kind in the U.S., with 416 domestic locations as of 2010. Most of these locations have a food court, and most of those food courts sell pizza. This would make the warehouse club the 15th largest pizza chain in the U.S.

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71 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, January 7, 2011 at 8:55 AM
Tagged: Astoria, Costco, Long Island City, NYC, Queens, reviews, Slice reviews

Rizzo's Fine Pizza, Astoria

[Photographs: Adam Kuban] If you didn't already know what to order at Rizzo's Fine Pizza, the delivery boxes stacked high behind the counter and those in the hands of regular customers leaving with take-out tell you: "It's hip to be square." Yes, the square's the thing at Rizzo's, where they've been making it since 1959. Rizzo's Sicilian-style pies are notably thinner and crisper than most of those you'll find around New York City. This, to me, is a good thing. I find most square slices too bready, too lacking in flavor, and too filling....

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14 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, December 24, 2010 at 9:30 AM
Tagged: Astoria, NYC, Queens, reviews, Rizzo's, Slice reviews

Daily Slice: Gyro Uno, Astoria, Queens

It's not really mentioned on the menu — just know that the "Individual Pizza" ($6.50 for plain) is the pan-cooked, Greek-style pizza you want. While some folks in the aforementioned thread mentioned that Greek-style has a less-crisp crust, the foundation of Gyro Uno's pies are overwhelmingly firm and veering toward crunch territory. Sauce? Well, it's there, but its flavor is hardly discernible. What is there is cheese. Oodles of it, in fact, and it blankets the almost-pan-fried dough in a thick, melty layer that desperately clings to your slice as you try to remove it from the pie. I recommend adding toppings, as the plain pie is, well, pretty plain tasting without them. If you're brave, the "Gyro Uno Special" comes with pretty much every topping and shaved gyro meat on top. I'm saving that for another time.

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3 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, December 23, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Tagged: Astoria, Daily Slice, Greek-style pizza, Gyro Uno, NYC, Queens

Daily Slice: Hangover Brunch Pizza from Vesta, Astoria, Queens

The wife (aka "Girl Slice") and I go to Vesta for dinner maybe every 3 weeks to a month—it's just a bit north of our general price range; individual dishes there are affordable but end up adding up when you start adding in sides and apps and drinks. But I digress. Tired of the breakfast and brunch options immediately near our home, we decided to try Vesta on a recent Sunday. I ordered the Hangover Pizza, topped with potato, pancetta, sausage, fried eggs, and a spicy tomato sauce.

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12 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, October 18, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Tagged: Astoria, breakfast pizza, brunch pizza. eggs, Daily Slice, egg pizza, NYC, Queens, Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar