I love it when a plan comes together. For years, I've been wanting to get a clip of the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever, the bit where John Travolta's Tony Manero orders two slices of pizza from Lenny's, double-decks them and struts down 86th Street in Bensonhurst. After mentioning the film earlier tonight, I dug around on YouTube, found the opener, and trimmed the vid down to just the relevant pizza-related footage. Enjoy ...
I've had a lot on Slice lately about Scott's Pizza Tours, but you know, there's another pizza tour out there, one that's been around for a bit longer and that takes folks through perhaps the best pizza borough* in the city. And that tour, my friends, is Tony Muia's A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour.
Muia started his tour in 2005 and has been taking pizza-hungry folks around Kings County ever since, mixing stops at Grimaldi's and L & B Spumoni Gardens with spin around neighborhoods such as Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst. It's thanks to Muia that I can point out the house where Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito character gets whacked in Goodfellas (it's in Bay Ridge) and that I know which pizzeria John Travolta's Tony Manero buys two slices from, eating them as a double-decker, in Saturday Night Fever (Lenny's in Bensonhurst).
Famous for its Sicilian slices, the Bensonhurst mainstay has jacked its rates. From amNY: "L&B gave in on Monday, upping the price for both [its regular and square slices] to $2.25 — just in time for the spring when things start heating up at the popular pizzeria, which is also a hangout for the young and old when it becomes warm thanks to its ample outdoor seating." Related: L&B Spumoni coverage on Slice »
If you're a Flickr user, you probably already know the site, previously known for photo-sharing, has added video-sharing now. I decided to test-drive the feature with this video from yesterday afternoon:
It's really nothing you haven't seen in other Di Fara videos or in person if you've been there, but there you go.
In the early minutes of the party, before the place got packed. Courtesy of Letsgoing
So last night's Gothamist-Slice Pizza Party at Fornino was pretty damn awesome if I do say so myself. It was nice to see some familiar friends, great to finally put some faces to email addresses and screen names, and a pleasure to meet altogether-new pizza freaks. (If you attended and didn't figure it out, I was the guy checking names against the list as you came in. If I didn't get to chat with you, sorry; next time!)
We had about 120 total people this year, and Michael Ayoub and his Fornino crew made and served several different kinds of pizza, from a basic Margherita to pizzas as wild as pesto-and-shrimp pies to the over-the-top blockbuster Tartufo pie, a pizza topped with shaved black truffles. I'm afraid that by the time it came out, I was only able to consume two small slices of this pièce de résistance.
"This is like the Ben & Jerry's of toppings—it's like, it's not just a little bit of garlic; it's a LOT of garlic" —Sunny Anderson, Food Network host
As part of his FN Dish online show for the Food Network, Adam "Amateur Gourmet" Roberts goes to Di Fara with Sunny Anderson, a new Food Network show host. If you want to skip the bunkum about Roberts getting his hair cut and the Food Network promo junk, go to 1:30 into the video for the Di Fara stuff, where Anderson calls garlic and pepperoni the "Ben & Jerry's of toppings" (which Slice thinks is an insult to Dom DeMarco; his quality is definitely more than a few notches above that feel-good hippie ice cream).
With Facebook, I go through fits and starts. I'll leave it alone for weeks and then get a bug and play with it obsessively for a couple of days. Last night I was on the damn thing and noticed this whole "Pages" thing, where you can become a "Fan" of someone or something. I was already a fan of Grand Sichuan International restaurant, so I checked to see if there was a Di Fara fan page. Nope. Zilch. Nada. Bupkes. Sure there was a Fans of Di Faragroup, which I'm also a member of, but no Di Fara page. And since it's simply another thingamajig to clutter up the interwebs with, I figured I'd create one. Here you go: Di Fara Pizza Facebook Page.
Some of the many pizzas eaten at the Gothamist-Slice Pizza Party in 2006. Photograph by Tien Mao
Almost exactly two years ago, Gothamist and Slice had a pizza party at Fornino in Williamsburg. It's been a long time, but we're happy to announce that we're having another pizza party at Fornino on April 7.
When: Monday, April 7, 2008; 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (or longer) Where: 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn (Williamsburg; Bedford stop on L; map) What: All-you-can-eat pizza, unlimited drinks (beer, wine, soda) How Much: $32 (click button below to pay)
EVENT IS SOLD OUT! IF YOU DIDN'T GET IN ON IT, MAYBE NEXT YEAR!?!
From The Gowanus Lounge: "I've heard that Fornino on Bedford Ave (187 Bedford) has been called "the best pizza in New York." I'm not one to create hierarchies, especially when it comes to pizza, but I went to Acqua Santa (556 Driggs) only a block away on Driggs and N 7th Street, on Thursday night, and the pie I got there was definitely superior to anything I've had at Fornino."
Gridskipper goes on a tear, looking at the NYC Dept. of Health website for violations in Park Slope (the writer of the piece lives there, hence the focus on that neighborhood). He finds that Pizza by the Park clocks in with a score of 111. For those of you who don't follow DOH tallies, they're like golf: the lower, the better. Anything from a 0 to a 28 passes, and 175 is the highest you can go on the scale.
Peter Meehan visits Roberta's in Bushwick for his $25 and Under column in the New York Times. He's none too excited about the traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas on offer at this rustic little place nestled in to an old warehouse, but he raves about the other 12-inch outré pies being turned out of the wood-fired oven there. ("Neapolitan purists may now want to avert their eyes," he says.)
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.
Michael Y. Park of Epicurious.com's Epi-Log visits Di Fara and comes back with a nice step-by-step slideshow of the action. While the piece is titled "Secrets of Di Fara," Park concludes:
So the surprising thing is there are no real surprises. Di Fara pizza may be widely reputed to be "the best in the world," as one lifelong customer put it, but every step Domenico takes is one that any home pizza maker would already be very familiar with. So is there a secret recipe that makes Di Fara pizzas so legendary?
What's the most outrageous request from a customer you've had to accommodate? SG: We once sat 25 people who were on a New York pizza tour. They showed up in a school bus with a mega-phone. After ordering eight pizzas and taking over the whole restaurant, they moved on to the next stop.
Hmm ... I wonder what pizza tour they're talking about?
I took a visit out there last week and spent a considerable amount of time talking to Domenico DeMarco, 71. I was there to investigate the price spike but ended up learning a lot about the 150 or so pizzas he makes a day, such as cooking the pies at 750°F for five minutes; the use of Israeli basil and Italian flour.
But there is one thing I'd like to clear up. DeMarco uses four types of cheeses—not three. There are three types of mozzarella and of course the signature Parmigiano-reggiano he hits every pie with just before serving them.
Anyway, I noticed repeated media accounts of just three cheeses, and I wanted to set the record straight. And one other thing, DeMarco says a slice cost 20¢ when he opened in 1964. A pie cost a buck. Those were the times.
—Adam G.
The answer is still no. When phoned, a Hanley's staffer said, "Ummm, it may be the Friday after St. Patrick's Day now." The Hanley's watch will continue ... Previously: New Coal Oven in Carroll Gardens
No: When I stopped in last night to sample a pie, the joint's pizza operation was a nonstarter. The host, who seemed a bit unsure of its status, said it may be up and running by Friday. Phone calls to Hanley's today to get a more definite status seemed to go to a fax machine there. Previously: New Coal Oven in Carroll Gardens
Knowing that coal ovens are notoriously hard to come by and that you can't just up and put one in any damn place, I just called the bar to confirm. A member of the wait staff says, Yes, it's a coal oven(!), that it's been operational for a couple weeks, and that the first public pies should be out Friday night.
From Chowhound: "Welcome to the $4 slice, up from $3, as of yesterday [Feb. 5]."
Not only that, but the chowhound OP complains that the Di Fara slice has shriveled up to 65 to 75 percent of other pizzerias' slices.
There's some lively debate going on on the thread, from the predictable ("It's worth it!" "Fewer people will come; more for me!") to debates on free market capitalism and whether proprietor Dom DeMarco is beholden to a strong euro and rising import prices or just a shrewd businessman trying to fleece suckers. My favorite response so far:
DiFara's, at least on this board, has morphed into some kind of strange, comical and unpleasant microcosm of life within which lines are constantly being drawn in the sand. You're either the savvy tough regular who knows how to navigate/maneuver your way to the front of the line, or, lord help you, you're a newbie/tourist/outsider/ weekling who doesn't know pizza from a doormat and doesn't deserve to. Dominick DeMarco is either a celestial being, a golden shining pizza oven with wings in the form a man who is able to levitate things other than just dough, or he's an inconsiderate, oblivious, money-mad cynic.
I'm a sucker, I'll admit. So I'll still go. It's always been a treat for me to visit and not a daily slice, so I can rationalize paying a (rather steep) premium every once in a while for it.
I am going to check this place out very soon. Since I moved to Bushwick, I've been driving all the way to Fornino [Slice Fornino Archives] to get the real deal.
The rustic ski-camp feel of the wood paneling under the high loft ceiling, cords of wood stacked near the doorway, long, beer hall style tables, and the smell of burning wood was great, but 40 bucks for a couple of pizzas, including coffee and dessert (no liquor license yet) quickly dashed any illusions of eating there five nights a week. Still, the pizza was great and you certainly can’t beat the convenience, so no complaints from me.
Sitting at the long banquet table next to ours was a guy with a notebook and a camera, taking pictures and scribbling notes for a blog or a newspaper. It led me to do a google search when I got home. Sifting through countless blogs posts and newspaper articles, pro and con, everybody is talking about Bushwick.
Isabella's Oven, 365 Grand Street, New York NY 10002 (near Essex Street; map); 212-529-5206
It's been a while since the Bubbster has had much to say about anything on this fair weblog. I've been astray for some time now, but I've found my way home. Although, I must say, it doesn't feel much like home in recent weeks. Isabella's Oven causing such an uproar on the site because of a recent dip in quality certainly isn't music to my ears. And who wants to respond to comments in CAPS from Jeff B when he suggests that Two Boots is on point. Isabella's on its worst day would take Two Boots to special ed. That's almost as bad as Prairie condemning Pizza 33 without trying it but instead passing judgment based on a picture of its Margherita on Flickr. Say what you will about 33, but just say it after you've tried it!
The last time I was at Isabella's, Luigi was there, too. I had brought a friend to share in the magic, and Luigi didn't disappoint—he never did. It pains me to think that the joint is now among the chain Patsy's of this city. Isabella's was much more than that. I feel like I'm writing an obituary right now, but let's not get carried away—Isabella's management may take notice and set things straight.
Alright, enough of the hijinx. Sliceheads, just because I've been incommunicado of late does not mean I haven't been pounding the pavement (and the Zantac, for that matter) making sure that I'm staying on top of all things NY-PIE!
Brooklyn real estate blog Brownstoner gets a snap of soon-to-open Ignazio's Pizza (above) at 4 Water Street in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn. The blogs are already billing this as a "pizza war," given that Grimaldi's is within spitting distance, but we'll leave speculation on the shelf in favor of good old fashioned taste-testing once the new joint opens.
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 18, 2007 at 6:00 AM
Or, 'This Is Where You're Ordering Pizza From Now, Park Slope'
Peppe's Pizza & Panini
Address: 597 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (b/n 17th and 18th streets, Park Slope; map) Phone: 718-788-7333 Website:peppepizzapanini.com Oven Type: Gas-fired, steel-deck oven Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Payment: Cash and cards Price: $16 for large plain pie (18 inches); $12 for small (12 inches) Recommended Options: Order the plain pie and ask for a mixture of regular mozz, fresh mozz, and the imported Pecorino-Romano. The Skinny: This newcomer to the Park Slope pizza scene is being compared to Di Fara, and while that side-by-side is a little premature, it offers a stand-up pie that's miles beyond that of any conventional-oven pizzeria currently operating in the neighborhood. If you live in the Slope, this is your new go-to delivery pizzeria.
A whole pie with fior di latte (fresh mozzarella). The lighting in my kitchen blows, so this doesn't look as good as it tastes.
Even so, apart from visits to Franny's on special occasions or delivery orders placed solely to stave off hunger when all other late-night options are closed, I hardly look forward to eating pizza in the neighborhood.
Enter Peppe's Pizza & Panini, which actually has me excited again about Park Slope pies and slices.
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 19, 2007 at 6:30 PM
From left: A Di Fara half-plain, half-artichoke pie; pizza-makers at Franny's; an Isabella's Oven Margherita D.O.C.; Una Pizza Napoletana's marinara pie.
Last year around this time Slice/Serious Eats contributed to Pim Techamuanvivit's Menu for Hope charity raffle. Our giveaway was a guided pizza tour for four. Well, the winners—Anthony Kinik and Michelle Marek of Montreal food blog An Endless Banquet—finally made us make good on our prize. (It took them almost a year because they live in Montreal and I secretly think they were waiting for the loonie to beat the dollar before making a trip to the U.S.)
Southern Brooklyn's apparent insulation from the national trend of franchise pizza joints squeezing out mom-and-pops may in part be due to the downright hostility many locals feel toward their corporate counterparts.
John Miniaci Jr. of Johnny's Pizza in Sunset Park, whose father, John Sr., founded the neighborhood pizzeria in 1968, even started a petition drive in hope of blocking the opening of a Papa John's franchise outlet from moving to his block.
His anti-Papa John's petition went to the pizza titan's corporate office in Kentucky with 2,200 signatures. Papa John's didn't respond to the petition and opened as expected last month, but Miniaci insisted there was no noticeable drop-off in his business.
Zio Toto, the pizzeria that inspired reporter Matthew Lysiak to write the piece, will open in Bay Ridge at 84th Street and Third Avenue, replacing a Cheesesteak Factory, which closed in August.
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Slice's Brooklyn Pizza Map lists all pizzerias we have reviewed and/or mentioned in Brooklyn. Clicking the pizza icons will bring up address, phone number, URL (if any), and a link back to all entries Slice has on the particular pizzeria. It's a handy way to visually navigate what Slice has to offer. The map legend is at right.
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 28, 2007 at 10:00 PM
After starting a six-pizzeria pizza crawl at Franny's, travelers board the" Pizza Express."
This afternoon I had the pleasure of riding aboard what I'll call the Scott Wiener Pizza Express.
Scott Wiener is a true pizza lover, one who keeps a pizza journal that's legendary among those who know him, and his love and enthusiasm for the pie is truly infectious. So much so that a little more than 20 people showed up for a tour that would take us from Prospect Heights to deep Brooklyn, up to East Harlem, and back again to Brooklyn (see map, after the jump).
Heroes: They each have some crazy-ass power. If I had this chick's ability, I'd head on out to Midwood and watch the master at work. (For all you folks not hip to Heroes, she's got the ability to learn something just by watching it.)
Or I'd just watch this collection of videos, all shot at Di Fara. After the jump.
It’s understandable that cozy little NYC restaurants might not have enough of a turn radius to accommodate wheel chairs, frustrating though it may be. Having had a relative in a wheelchair I can sympathize with your dining companion. But not slicing a pizza for someone who had just undergone neurosurgery on her (writing) hand because “the chef doesn’t do that,” forcing her husband to slice it for her, is unconscionable. I’m talking about your beloved Franny’s . . . My friend, whose hand was encased in a shoebox-sized Styrofoam splint, was denied that simple request. Shame on them! What if she was alone or accompanied by a quadriplegic? Who’d have cut her pie then? Would she have had to take off her shoes and use her feet?
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 12, 2007 at 5:00 PM
A letter from a reader ...
Dear Adam,
I keep up with Slice via bloglines and it dawned on me that you should know my wedding story because it ended with fabulous Grimaldis!
Scott and I were married on Friday, July 13th in the city-owned part of Brooklyn Bridge Park. We invited a dozen guests and the Reverend Billy and his wife.
Dinner was fantastic and I wouldn't have had it any other way (I was a little nervous since it was my first time at Grimaldi's place).
Anyone familiar with the grilled pizzas of Al Forno, the Italian restaurant in Providence, R.I., will be glad that Kevin Garcia, who once worked the dough there, is serving very satisfying clones of those crackling crusted gems at Accademia di Vino, where he is now the chef.
X-ray-thin crusts have judicious coatings of cheese — robiola, goat cheese, ricotta, sheep cheese — and sparing but flavorful toppings like broccoli rabe, black truffle pâté and soppressata. The tomato and mozzarella pie is dotted with cherry tomato halves and fresh basil. One pizza caveat: skip the watermelon.
1081 Third Avenue at 64th Street, New York NY 10021 (Upper East Side); 212-888-6333
The crowd—attractive local hipsters, artists, club kids, and even a few yuppies—was torn. "The skinny Williamsburg hipster fags need the carbs," griped Earl Dax, a promoter and performance-art curator. Some wished for a happy medium. "In a perfect world . . . " sighed a man in a harlequin get-up with sad, wistful eyes. Justin Bond (of Kiki & Herb) found the solution: "I've done performance where I strapped a pizza to me and then served it to the audience."
You also have the option of starting with a thin-crusted pizza, and they're very decent for a place that doesn't have a wood-burning oven. Classic too. The handful of choices includes a Margherita and a burrata pizza made with fresh tomatoes.
9255 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90069; 310-270-4455
Mormon missionary discovers pizza in Italy, opens own pizzeria Stateside: "I don't think I was a great missionary, and Italy is mainly Catholic. I got over the fact that I wasn't going to convert people and just started helping people.... I loved the pizza there and it was a business that I didn't think had been tapped into very well in America."
"The demographic of pizza eaters is about the same as oxygen breathers," says Steve Green, publisher of PMQ's Pizza Magazine, a trade publication.
Recent pizza growth has been in artisan, take-n'-bake and rising-crust pizzas, Green says. Now, Subway and Dunkin' think faster, smaller pizzas may find a niche.
Oh. I forgot to blog about this yesterday. And many of you have probably seen it already, but Frank Bruni, food critic for the New York Times,reviewed Franny's in yesterday's paper. Here are the relevant pizza snips:
Artisanal pizza may be all the rage, but it’s the rare pizzaiolo who spreads dough thin enough and gets a brick oven hot enough to produce the gorgeous blisters like those on Franny’s best pies. And the restaurant’s soppressata has a suppleness that would make Armandino Batali blush.
And
A clam pizza at Franny’s isn’t one of those clumsy pies studded with shells that force you to embark on an odyssey of deconstruction and reconstruction.
The clams have already been liberated and placed on a thick amalgam of clam juice and cream — a doubly clammy whammy. If you ever loved a bivalve, you owe yourself this romance.
You can read the rest of the review at the link above, but really, who cares about the rest of the menu, right?
Pacific Pizza The closing of a dingy Smith Street pizza joint has made way for this upscale pie-mecca from the folks behind Pacifico. Chef-owner Richard Krause (Café Luxumbourg) will apply his two years at the original Spago to his West Coastâinspired menu. Come brunch, expect a take on the classic Puck pie: smoked salmon, crème fraîche and golden caviar.
Pacific Pizza Address: 98 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (Cobble Hill, b/n Atlantic and Pacific streets; map) Phone: 718-935-9545
Bon Appétit magazine, in conjunction with the Food Network, went across the country looking for the best pizza, hamburgers, ribs, fried chicken, and tacos. Three finalists in each category are written up in the September issue of the magazine (the blurbs are rather generic-sounding), and the winner is going to be announced on a Food Network special hosted by Alton Brown August 18.
What isn't clear to me after reading about their search is the methodology they used. What criteria did they use in each category? How did they go about finding and then eating at the best places in each category? Did at least one or more persons eat at all three finalists in a given week?
Methodology is important when it comes to determining ultimate pizza, hamburger, rib, fried chicken, and taco superiority. The "best" is a big, big, claim that shouldn't—and can't —be taken lightly. I'll try to find out their methodology and report back.
In the meantime, the only category I have eaten in all three finalists is pizza. The three they chose, Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, and Di Fara in Brooklyn, are certainly worthy contenders, although it is difficult to compare Mozza and Bianco, where the pizza (whole pies only) is made in wood-burning ovens utilizing the best, mostly house-made ingredients and sophisticated toppings, and Di Fara, where Dom DeMarco uses a conventional gas pizza oven and sells slices made with high-quality store-bought cheese and sausage.
"This is the best pizza in the area," said Roger Ramos, a postal worker who grew up nearby. "Papa John's is just generic. Why are they coming here? Greed? I don't know."
"If we get short on cheese or tomatoes, we go to him or he comes to us," said Gino Campese, the owner of Scotti's Pizza. "When it's time to raise prices, we get together. There's room for everybody. But not for Papa John's."
Address: 27 Avenue B, New York NY 10009 (East Village, near 3rd Street) Phone: 212-420-7656
Chickie Pig’s
Address: 121 Ludlow Street, New York NY 10002 (LES, near Rivington) Phone: 212-254-9972 URL: chickiepigs.com
With a name like Chickie Pig's, this place better be damn good.
Mosco Pizza
Address: 105 1/2 Mosco Street, New York NY 10013 Phone: 212-227-9150 Not for Tourists notes: "Good pizza in New York is pretty run-of-the-mill. You can get it anywhere. Anywhere, that is, except Chinatown. I’m not talking about the new Chinatown (i.e. Little Italy). I’m talking about East Broadway and Doyers Street, where pizza is anathema. Thankfully, Mosco Pizza opened up on (you got it) Mosco Street, much to the satisfaction of Asian-cuisine-weary NFT office workers. The pies are good, and they sell slices for two bucks each."
Oven
Address: 60C Henry Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (Brooklyn Heights, b/n Orange and Cranberry streets) Phone: 718-468-6836
La Nonna Pizzeria Trattoria Paninoteca
Address: 237 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211 (Williamsburg, near North 4th Street) Phone: 718-302-5353
1. How do you feel about some of the changes? I have to wear a hat. I don’t like it. I guess I have to get used to it, but it’s going to bother me. The worst thing is the window. I don’t like to close the window. I have been opening the window for 42 years. Now they say I can’t open it anymore.
Di Fara Watch is to Pizza as iPhone is to Gadgets.
I know. You're getting sick of it. But many Slicesters want to know. The latest update, as of 20 minutes ago, thanks to Slice reader "Ropa Vieja," is that Dom & Co. are set for tomorrow.
In what has become an almost daily ritual, my call to Di Fara this morning yielded the response that the joint should be open tomorrow (Thursday, June 21).
stay outta our neighborhood you tourists! we want our pizza back! we were the first to give di fara its props before you ppl, now we can't even get a slice
di fara local anonymous | 06.15.07 - 1:31 pm
I just got off the phone with Dom DeMarco, proprietor of Di Fara, looking for an update on the reopening.
The Dominator confirms that the joint is not open as of today—they're still waiting on an inspector to come out and give them the go-ahead. If that happens today, they'll reopen on Monday.
But Dom's take was that the city would be more likely to send someone out Monday, slating the pizzeria for a Tuesday reopening.
Update
It's over. Was only a short 10-minute segment at 10 a.m. EDT. New York State Senator Jeff Klein was a guest on the show, and he had some more info on the situation at Di Fara.
Klein: "The Department of Health right now may be overreacting. Because of the Taco Bell incident, they're going out and giving violation after violation."
Senator Klein said he had been studying California's system as an example, in which a grading system is used to identify cleanliness levels at restaurants.
Klein: "They have seen in California a substantial decline in food-borne illness. And business has increased. Restaurants that get an A or B have increased business by 15 to 20 percent."
So would a Cali-style DOH grading system help Di Fara?
No, Klein said. Di Fara is "somewhat of a special case" because of the multiple inspection failures (five of six failures in the past 18 months).
"If you fail two in a row," Klein said, "You go on an accelerated program—inspections every six months, every three months—and you have to pass two inspections in a row to get out of the [accelerated] program.
"They went on the program, and they didn't do it."
Ms. DeMarco, 30, said her family was scheduled to appear at a city tribunal on June 14 to produce the paperwork and to determine any fines and the next steps. Until then, she said, “we sit around and wait; nothing we can do about it.”
And while we're talking about Di Fara, let me mention something that has made me almost as sad as this latest run-in with the DOH...
Burnt pies.
There, I said it. And I hate to say it, but with readers calling me out on this in the comments, I've gotta say something.
Holy crap, pizza freaks! Di Fara has been closed for an indeterminate period by the New York City Department of Health. Says Eater, which broke the story:
In a stunning and shocking turn of events, we're now able to confirm with 100% certainty that Di Fara has again been shut down by the Department of Health. Furthermore, with the pizzeria having failed five of their last six inspections, Dom DeMarco's pride and joy will remain closed until further notice. Here is the statement just issued to us by the Heath Department.
The statement says that the department came in to inspect and found evidence of rodent infestation and other violations that were in excess of standards. The DOH concluded that, having failed five of six inspections in the last 18 months, Dom DeMarco and crew showed an unwillingness to comply with code requirements.
Was just waiting for my pie at ave. J's di fara and watched a doh official tape a yellow "closed" sign on the window. One reason was that the window was open. De Marco himself was so distracted he wasn't hand cutting basil and grating cheese atop the pies. Even without the added ingredients, pizza was still great.
First the problems in March, now this? And because he had the pass-through window open? That seems ridiculous. How many restaurants have whole façades that open up?
Hey,
Just thought you should know: Went for dinner at Dom's place tonight. Looks like he finally caved in to the D.O.H. because he was actually wearing a hat. It was a little blue train conductor's cap. Pizza was better than ever. We had a regular and a pepperoni/onion pie. It doesn't get any better than that.
—Jon S.
Jon,
Thanks for the update. Next time: Pix, please! ;)
Hasta la pizza,
Adam
Slice reader Conduit Design Group just asked how Pizza Club No. 8 went. So, without further delay, the quick rundown.
Numero Ocho was scheduled for this past Sunday at Coney Island. Unfortunately, so was a crappy nor'easter. Girl Slice and I made our way to Totonno's anyway, just in case any stalwart readers made the trip. Nobody did. Oh well. It turned into a soggy private date for just us two.
We knew the Cyclone would be closed, but we exited at the Surf Avenue end of the station (above) because we had to meet any prospective attendees at noon at Nathan's (below).
The answer is still no. When phoned, a Hanley's staffer said, "Ummm, it may be the Friday after St. Patrick's Day now." The Hanley's watch will continue ... Previously: 
Slice's Brooklyn Pizza Map lists all pizzerias we have reviewed and/or mentioned in Brooklyn. Clicking the pizza icons will bring up address, phone number, URL (if any), and a link back to all entries Slice has on the particular pizzeria. It's a handy way to visually navigate what Slice has to offer. The map legend is at right.
