Admittedly, the previous item I blogged about was a week old*, and in that time Alan Richman has moved on to writing about some old standbys. He posted his thoughts yesterday on Grimaldi's (DUMBO), Patsy's (East Harlem), and Di Fara (Midwood). Again, let's take them in order. On Grimaldi's: The oven is just right, but the crusts are merely okay—they have a fresh, bready smell, but to me they’re a little too thick and slightly too soft, somewhat undercooked. The tomato sauce is vibrant and essential, which means the white pizzas are best skipped. These basically consist of soft, melted...
In Red Hook: Andrea Strong reports that Anselmo's Coal Oven Pizza is coming "later this month" to Red Hook. We've already reported on the imminent debut of Anselmo's Pizzeria several times before. And it hasn't yet opened. Let's hope this time it's for real.The Paupered Chef Digs into Deep-Dish: It's a first attempt that results in serviceable deep dish, but it looks like Nick Kindelsperger will continue experimenting. "But I got to wondering, what about deep-dish at home? ... Deep-dish is cooked at a reasonable temperature that my ancient oven can attain. The rest is just ingredients and technique. Not...
I think this has been reported on the blogs or on Chowhounds before, but with the new Di Fara hours (instituted after Dom DeMarco's knee surgery), they essentially lock you in at or shortly after 8:30 p.m. Johnny- and Janey-come-lately are, in turn, locked out while Dom serves the remaining crowd inside. It's a bit sad to see didn't-make-its pull at the door handle and get shooed away by the gloating crowd inside, but what can you do. I also noted a fair amount of schadenfreude at the expense of the slowpokes....
Only the truly dedicated put up with the long, long wait for the awesome pizza at Di Fara. But how long have you waited? Longtime Slice reader Norman has a great idea: "You should do a post to find out who's waited the longest for a pie from Dom. I'll go first: 2 hours 15 minutes." Norman, I think I've waited almost that long but unfortunately did not take official time readings, so I'll cede the crown to you so far. Can anyone else top Norman?...
PMQ, a trade magazine for pizzerias, will induct Di Fara's Dom DeMarco into its Pizza Hall of Fame tomorrow. From the Daily News: "Dom [DeMarco] has been at his ovens every day for decades," said [PMQ publisher Steve] Green. "He's so picky about everything—he'll have the place filled with customers waiting 20 minutes for him to make their pie, but he's oblivious to all that. They'll wait." The announcement was made at the 2009 International Restaurant and Foodservice Show at Javits Center this past weekend. Obviously Steve Green has never been to Di Fara. It would be nice if...
The voicemail at Di Fara (718-258-1367) says that the joint is reopening at noon today. Which is RIGHT NOW. Given the spottiness of Di Fara reopenings, we called to confirm but keep getting the recording. Anyone out in Midwood to verify? and finally got someone on the phone who did indeed verify the reopen. Viva la pizza! (Di Fara closed temporarily last month after Dom DeMarco broke his kneecap in a car accident.) [via Ditmas Park Blog]...
From the answering machine at the legendary Brooklyn pizzeria Di Fara: "Due to a medical emergency we are temporarily closed. We are hoping to reopen on or before February 1. Thank you for all your concern, and have a great day." We hope that everyone's OK at Di Fara and that this only is a minor medical emergency. We've tried to contact Di Fara and will bring you any news as we can get it. [via Chowhound; thanks, David J.] UPDATE (4 p.m. 1/21/2009) I just heard from Maggie, Dom DeMarco's daughter. She and Mr. DeMarco were in a...
"Vanessa had a gift certificate to Grimaldi's? No way would she admit to that. She'd be a Di Fara diehard all the way. Minus 3." —From New York magazine's always hilariously dead-on Gossip Girl recap [And, yes, Grimaldi's does offer gift certificates.]...
Vice magazine released a New York City guide last week, and on it, they cover pizza. (You have to cover pizza if you're releasing any type of NYC food guide.) Here's what they say: Local food bloggers bicker over whether this Midwood pizza parlor is clean or dirty (truth: it’s pretty dirty) or whether it is running on fumes nowadays or whether watching an old guy futz with their pizza is kind of patronizing. We, however, aren’t food bloggers and couldn’t give a shit. If you’re in this town to eat pizza, Di Fara should be on your list....
There are some great secrets of New York in autumn. ... Behind Grant's Tomb is a beautiful art project of mosaic benches; in Central Park find Alice in Wonderland (especially at night with someone you love). And Brooklyn has a small pizza place that will not leave your mind called Di Fara's pizza and the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise or sunset. —David Blaine, magician and endurance artist...
