Entries tagged with 'NYC'
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 14, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Robert Sietsema of the Village Voice revisits Una Pizza Napoletana and, as per his first word on the place, doesn't quite like it:
The pies arrive literally smoking, with charred dough on one side or the other. I ate the standard Margherita, which shocked me with its $21 price tag, Sicilian sea salt or not. It was good, but a little too substantially charred for my taste, and the “bone” (the thickest part of the crust) was a little too doughy. Still, as an example of the Naples style, it was about 95% there.
The other pizza I tried, the bianca, was a white pie (well, duh!) with a heavy dose of buffalo mozzarella on top. To begin with, Naples pizzerias almost never use buffalo mozzarella, preferring the fiore di latte that is the equivalent of our Italian-American mozzarella. While I don’t usually argue with dairy generosity, this pie had too much cheese, lending a rubbery quality to the pie. In Naples, when they apply cheese, it is in small chunks....
Related
All UPN posts on Slice
Photo Gallery: Robert Sietsema Visits Naples, Sends Slice Pictures
Forget UPN, Sietsema lurves Il Brigante for Naples-style pies [VV]
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 13, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I love Alan Richman's write-up on Artichoke Basille's, the East Village newcomer that has been more than well-documented on this site. Richman, known for just a bit of cantankerousness, gets in almost 500 curmudgeonly words (long, mismanaged line; shabby digs; annoying patrons) before coming out with it: He likes it. He really likes it. "This is ordinary pizza," he says. "It’s also fabulous pizza."
He digs the fact that the place is free of pretense, "No flour from an ancient fattoria in Tuscany. No basil smuggled in from a dissident farmer’s market in Croatia. No fanatical obsessiveness."
Of the three slices on offer there, he liked the regular plain slice the most ("beautifully balanced"). It's not clear whether he was able to try the signature spinach-and-artichoke-dip slice, as a fresh pie of that variety was about two hours out when he visited.
The pizza here, he says, is what ordinary food used to be like in New York: "... superficially no different from food anywhere else, but in reality considerably better. It had little to do with superior ingredients and everything to do with New York know-how."
Artichoke
328 East 14th Street, New York NY 10003 (East Village; map)
212-228-2004
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 »
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 16, 2008 at 12:20 AM
And it wasn't for the pie, folks. From reader "RC Pizza":
Adam,
Just wanted to let you know that New York's Bravest were called to Artichoke tonight due to the copious amounts of smoke bellowing out of the storefront at about 8:45 last night. I was standing in line for about 20 minutes when the store suddenly filled up with smoke. It was no doubt due to the liberal throwing of flour directly into the oven to ensure the pizzas didn't stick to the stone. Apparently these guys need to be taught a thing or two, because after you douse an oven with flour, it tends to smoke up. Luckily I got my slices right as the fire trucks pulled up, so I was happy. Anyway, I attached a photo of the firemen [above] scurrying about outside the 'Choke during the melee. Just thought that fire hazards might be of interest to the blog's readership.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 14, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Photograph from JordanaZ, from the Serious Eats Photo Pool on Flickr
I've only ever been in the late evening. This is pizza insanity.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 14, 2008 at 9:30 AM
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.
Related: All Di Fara entries on Slice »
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The Republican presidential candidate buys a $3 slice, pays with a double sawback, and tells the clerk to keep the change. OK. Maybe it really wasn't a tax refund, but whatevs.
He dropped in on Verrazano Pizza in Bay Ridge: 9102 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11209. [Tip o' the hat to Mark H.!]
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 8, 2008 at 4:00 PM
More Artichoke for you: New York magazine interviews Francis Garcia, one of the cousins behind the new joint in the East Village. This bit of owner-operated goodness sounds right up our alley:
Do you live in Manhattan now or do you commute?
We’re commuting now. When we make a couple bucks back, we’re definitely going to get a place over here so we can start getting open earlier. You know the BQE — the traffic is horrible — and I’m someone’s who’s crazy: If I can’t get there to make the pizza, I don’t want somebody else doing it. It’s either got to be me or my cousin.
As you know, it's our belief at Slice that the best pizzerias have a singleminded, pizza-obsessed owner-operator behind them. Think Una Pizza Napoletana, Pizzeria Bianco, and, yes, Di Fara.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 8, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Photographs courtesy of Chewhound
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.
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Posted by DJ Bubbles, April 7, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Artichoke, man. What can be said about this place that hasn't already been argued about on Slice and a slew of other websites in recent weeks? I have been to the joint three different times—twice last weekend after word first broke on Slice and Chowhound and once this past Friday night—and I'm here to say that their pizza has already improved.
I had a chat with Francis Basille, one of the owners who grew up making pies at Basille's in Staten Island and asked him about Eric Miller (doesn't know him from Adam—not Kuban, the proverbial Adam!), the ingredients he uses, and the opening of his restaurant in the pizza-saturated East Village.
Now I'm gonna have a chat with you guys about why Artichoke's reception has been so incendiary—there have certainly been differences in opinion and we'll see if we can get to the bottom of this once and for all. I want to hear from those of you who've tried the joint when it first opened and went back in recent days to see if anyone agrees with my contention that Artichoke's plain slice is better now than it was when they opened.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, April 7, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite visit Artichoke, give it 3 of 5 stars:
This is not dainty stuff. Portions are huge, even sloppy. Grated cheese is strewn with abandon, and tomato sauce liberally applied. The pizza is lumpy, a little heavy-handed with the muzz, occasionally burnt, and undeniably delicious. Of the three varieties usually on hand, the square Sicilian (made with a combination of fresh mozzarella, Polly-O, and a sprinkling of pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano) is our favorite, a hungry-man study in contrasting sharp, salty, sweet, and creamy flavors. The round “Neapolitan” is nearly as good, though you might fault its somewhat stiff, unyielding crust. The best thing the U.G. can say, however, about the artichoke-spinach pie is that Keith Richards apparently loves it. Thick, bready, and anointed with a super-creamy sauce enriched with butter and wine, it’s Garcia’s pride and joy, but kind of an acquired taste.
Previously: Artichoke coverage on Slice
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 2, 2008 at 4:15 PM
On Friday I posted an entry with the emailed text of two tipsters eager to hip Slice to Artichoke, a new pizzeria in the East Village. Later, in the comments of that post and on Eater, people raised concerns that we had guerrilla marketers in our midst. I'd like to address that.
Are They Shills?
Are they? I don't think so. In email exchanges I've had with both guys since publication of that post, they've seemed aboveboard.
If I'm being fooled, however, then I will admit that in my rush to "break news" about a potentially hot new pizzeria, I didn't read those emails with the amount of skepticism that I'd like to think has kept Slice free of shills over the years I've been publishing.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, April 1, 2008 at 12:45 PM
With all the different Patsy's in town, it's enough to drive you crazy. And just when you think you've got it all sorted out, someone comes along to throw another wrench in the works. This time, it's Patsy's Italian Restaurant in the Theater District. The joint is suing a Patsy's pizzeria on Long Island over the name and—get this—the right to claim Frank Sinatra as its most famous customer. The New York Post has the story here.
The Patsy's bringing suit is not related to the Patsy's pizza chain. It simply has the same name. For some background, the New York Daily News has a who's who guide to the various Patsy's.
Patsy's Italian Restaurant is claiming that the Patsy's opening in Syosset, New York, is causing confusion through the use of that name. And it's going to try to drag in the widows of Sammy Davis Jr. and Jackie Gleason to attest to its iconic status. As the Daily News story, points, out the seven Patsy's pizzerias aren't being sued because they existed before Patsy's Italian Restaurant registered the name.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 1, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Because the name David Chang causes some foodies in this town to wet their pants, I wanted to highlight this comment that just came in on last Friday's Artichoke entry:
When I stopped in yesterday afternoon, the fellow ahead of me was telling the pizza makers, "My sous chef says the cauliflower fritters are amazing." This fellow recently opened his third restaurant, and he wanted to extend good wishes to a new business in his neighborhood. The guys at Artichoke -- Francis, Sal, and Carl -- hadn't heard the name "Momofuku," but they were glad that this fellow, David, stopped in to introduce himself, and to pick up a few pies. No joke.
It's from über-Chowhound Dave Cook, whose blog Eating in Translation, is a must-read.
Just a thought: Isn't this strangely reminiscent of the early days of Momofuku, when none other than Mario Batali trumpeted the then-unheralded upstart as one of his—and his staff's—favorite lunch spots?
Related: Momfuku Master David Chang [Serious Eats]
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 31, 2008 at 1:15 PM
"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).
Link: The FN Dish at Di Fara [The FN Dish]
Posted by Ed Levine, March 31, 2008 at 12:00 PM
I walked into Artichoke, the latest pizzeria to be deemed the "new Di Fara" around 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Of course it seems to me that being deemed the new Di Fara is the food equivalent of being deemed "the new Dylan" in singer-songwriter circles. But I digress. The place was abuzz with activity, but there was nary a slice in sight.
I was told to come back in 30 minutes. After an unscheduled appetizer of fried chicken at Momofuku, I circled back to Artichoke. There were four people in the place. I sidled up to the counter and watched the three men behind the counter scurrying around cooking broccoli rabe and artichokes. There was a pile of irregularly shaped house-baked loaves of bread on the customer side of the counter. I eyed them longingly but no one encouraged me to take one.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 28, 2008 at 2:30 PM
"Manhattan has its Di Fara." —Eric Miller, tipster
Editor's note: A number of readers have flooded my inbox with reports on Artichoke, a new place on 14th Street in the East Village. —The Mgmt.
First with the word was Eric Miller, who today snapped the pix you see here:
As a pizza enthusiast, I get excited by the mere whispers of a new pizza joint opening up in my neighborhood. In the East Village, we have Vinny Vincenz and Una Pizza, but now it's time for a new slice. For a few weeks now, the buzz has been about Artichoke on 14th Street between First and Second. I tried it last night, and may I say—Manhattan has its Di Fara.
It's a small location without any seating and free—yes, free—bread (cooked on premises) and cauliflower fritters to snack on while you wait (I hate cauliflower with a passion, but these were amazing). And then the pizza comes out bubbling. The sauce is sweet, and the cheese layered on in perfect proportions with an ample amount of char at the bottom for a crisp crunch with every bite. This place is the real deal and with the "traveling beer" in 32-ounce styrofoam cups only two weeks away, it will sure be the talk of pizza town.
Also reporting is homeslice Steven B. His raves and more pix, after the jump.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 26, 2008 at 8:30 AM
The New York Times's Peter Meehan on Nizza:
It offers a wide variety of salads, pizzas that aren’t destination fare but are easy to scarf and a selection of main courses, the best of which — a fried lamb chop Milanese and a wild boar lasagna — are filling enough to get you through a four-act play.
New Places: Nizza [NYT]
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 25, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Gael "Insatiable Critic" Greene hits up Zero Otto Nove with Arthur "Food Maven" Schwartz as guide. Schwartz is, of course, the man largely responsible for blowing this place up with his newsletter account and blog post about it. Says Greene:
As for the pizzas that lured us here, Arthur is right. They are a model of brick oven pies. The crust has appealing flavor though it’s not crisp like my favorites at Celeste. The splendid buffalo mozzarella shows best on the Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes, though the Marinara with capers, anchovies and pitted olives is admirable too. And I love the untraditional pie with sliced potatoes, sausage and smoked mozzarella, as one would an unruly child.
Related
Bronx Pizza Mini Crawl: Zero Otto Nove and Coals
Peter Meehan on Zero Otto Nove [NYT Diner's Journal]
Is Zero Otto Nove the Best Pizzeria in NY? [Chowhounds]
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 25, 2008 at 12:00 PM
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 Fara group, 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.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 24, 2008 at 4:15 PM
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!?!
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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."
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 19, 2008 at 11:00 AM
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.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 19, 2008 at 8:45 AM
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.)
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 18, 2008 at 5:00 PM
On Sunday I found myself in Forest Hills, Queens, on a typography tour led by Paul Shaw, a calligrapher, typographer, and lettering instructor at Parsons. Forest Hills? I had no idea it was such a hotbed of typographic wonders—so I had no idea what typefaces or lettering we'd be in for there. I did, however, have a pretty strong idea what I'd be doing for lunch after the tour: Nick's Pizza.
For me, "Forest Hills" and "Nick's" have been pretty near synonymous for years, since it's usually talked about when New York's pizza biggies are named. "Blah blah blah, Nick's is awesome. He does a coal-oven-like pie in a gas-fired oven. Blah blah blah."
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Posted by DJ Bubbles, March 18, 2008 at 12:30 PM
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.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 18, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Reaching into the Slice mailbag ...
Thanks to you and others at Slice for updates on the world's greatest food—pizza Napoletana Margherita. As a frequent visitor to New York City, I have come to love this simple, delicious combination of crust, sauce, cheese and a little basil and olive oil.
I have visited almost all of the noteworthy pizzerias in the five boroughs (see my top five listed below) and am puzzled by the lack of recognition for the original Patsy's on First Avenue between 118th and 119th in East Harlem. I have never been disappointed in a Patsy's pizza, as the coal oven produces the best smoky, crispy, chewy crust and a great balance between flavorful sauce, creamy fresh mozz, and basil on top.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 14, 2008 at 12:25 PM
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?
Related: All Di Fara entries on Slice
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 12, 2008 at 3:00 PM
The restaurant blog Eater has a great series called "The Gatekeepers," in which they interview the host or hosts at a given venue. Today they talk to Sarah Gaskins and Nekisia Davis of Franny's:
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?
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Posted by DJ Bubbles, March 11, 2008 at 8:00 AM
"I don't get why Vezzo is so popular just like I don't get why some people spend their Saturday nights at one of those souped-up frat houses on Third Avenue."
Every neighborhood in Manhattan has its pros and cons. It's probably true that a lot of West Villagers would say they have nothing to complain about. But, then again, they still have to deal with the fact that Bleecker Street Pizza sits on Seventh Avenue South. Snap! You could argue that some 'hoods have more pros than cons when matching one up against another, but I guess there's an upside and downside to living anywhere in the city. I mean, take my 'hood, Murray Hill, for instance. You could certainly say the place is a toolbox, given the type of crowd that frequents the Third Avenue watering holes. But, its residents also have the benefit of three strong pizza delivery places (Totonno's, Pizza 33, and Libretto's) that allows me to see past some of Murray Hill's shortcomings.
So why am I getting greedy and trying to find a fourth? Why did I insist on trying Vezzo a third time this past weekend, knowing that I had been disappointed on my first two orders? Is it the consistently strong crowds it draws, making me wonder if I've missed something? Is it the flack I took after my first post on Vezzo was critical of the place? Should I feel bad about that (I'll answer that one now—F NO!)? Was it the promising crisp crust that maybe just needed to be topped with higher quality ingredients? These are all viable questions, but here's the most important inquiry: Is Vezzo back in BUBBLE TROUBLE? Let's find out.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 4, 2008 at 11:15 AM
From left: A pizza Margherita from Zero Otto Nove and the Margherita from Coals.
When you're on a pizza crawl, it's a rare that even one in five places you hit up is any good. Last night, on a mini crawl in the Bronx, we batted a thousand. (If you're slow with the baseball metaphors, that's a 100 percent success rate, folks.)
Not that we went to even five places last night—just two. So who the hell knows if that even counts as a "crawl," but whatevs. It was our main objective—Ed Levine's and mine—to finally meet the mysterious DJ Bubbles, who until Wednesday night we had only known through email and his manic and awesomely entertaining pizza manifestos and reviews. Even if the pizza we ate sucked (and it didn't), the evening still would have been a success.
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Peter Meehan visits Zero Otto Nove for the Times's Diner's Journal: "The crust had little stretch or chew and no discernable yeasty or fermented flavor, except for the faintest sourness. (I mean that in the good, sourdoughy bread sort of way). The low-flavor dough combined with the moist crumb of the bread (even in the well-done one we ordered after polishing off our first two) put me in the mindset of naan and other flatbreads, not of pizza. Again, not a bad thing, but not what I was hunting for." Meehan also found the sauce too sweet. Slice visited ZON last week; stay tuned for the deets.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 4, 2008 at 10:00 AM
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.
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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
Posted by DJ Bubbles, February 27, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Pizza Box: A new top-5 Manhattan slice contender? Find out below »
It's all good in the hood. I am happy to report that the state of the slice below 14th Street in Manhattan could be much worse. I know I haven't hollered at you in a minute, but I've been around town, and I'm about to break it down.
In recent weeks, I've traversed all three Villages, SoHo, and several other sub-14 neighborhoods—stopping at joints that haven't been hit by a DJB Drive By and checking in at some of my familiar spots. I've hit up Vinny Vincenz on two different occasions, took Una Pizza to school on a Sunday night, and housed random slices at random joints. Should I ease off the pie pedal to appease my Doc and go for the six pack? No, it's not gonna go down like that—I'm keeping it real and charging it back to the pie game! Here's a breakdown of some of the highlights (and disappointments) of my recent jaunts.
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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
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 12, 2008 at 3:17 PM
View Larger Map
Eater's reporting that old-school Carroll Gardens pub P. J. Hanley's has installed a coal oven and will begin serving pizza on Friday.
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.
P. J. Hanley's
449 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (at 4th Place; map)
718-834-8223
Related: NYC coal-oven map, U.S. coal-oven map
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 9, 2008 at 3:30 PM
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.
[via Kathryn Yu]
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 24, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Last week on Serious Eats, community member HeartofGlass asked: "How many different kinds of regional varations of pizza exist?"
I figured I'd compile a list of all the styles I've eaten or heard or read about. Sorry it took so long, HeartofGlass. It's a long list, and it appears after the jump.
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Alphabet City bar Niagara takes over neighboring pizzeria Sal's. Says Grubstreet: "The new pizza canteen, whose name was still being decided upon at the time of this writing, will also benefit from Niagara's liquor license—not to mention its exhausted, famished customers. Expect to pick up a slice by the end of next week."
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 16, 2008 at 5:30 PM
View Slice's Brooklyn Pizza Map »
Not sure if it has popped up on the Slice Radar yet, but this place looks promising:
http://www.robertaspizza.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/robertas-pizza-brooklyn
http://bushwickbk.com/archives/259
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.
—Daniel K. F.
PS: Here's a report from my friend Jamie: http://theknownuniverse.us/index.php/archives/1998:
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.
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Posted by DJ Bubbles, January 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM
A New Year always brings about the opportunity for renewed optimism and reconciliation. It's a time to set new goals and get your priorities in order. As I was walking down Second Avenue, I decided I had two New Year's resolutions: I wanted to be healthier in 2008, and I wanted to try the remaining pizza joints in Manhattan that I hadn't already hit. I know, I'm kinda setting myself up to fail the first resolution if I am successful with the second. At any rate, it was with that spirit that I decided to grant a temporary Bubble amnesty to the Abitino's on 39th and Second Avenue, despite its recent transgressions.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 10, 2008 at 2:00 PM
View Slice's Bronx Pizza Map »
Food maven Arthur Schwarz reports on Zero Otto Nove, a newish Neapolitan joint on Arthur Avenue in The Bronx that has somehow managed to fly under the Slice radar:
Roberto’s has been a destination restaurant for years. Now Zero Otto Nove has become one. It is already, after only a few months in business, drawing customers from the hinterlands, and for several good reasons. Top among them, I am sure, is the Neapolitan-style pizza that may be the best you’ve ever had in the U.S., and better than many in Naples, as I just described. I know I am going out on a limb with that remark, but I know what I am doing. Well, I hope I am not setting anyone up for a disappointment.
Zero Otto Nove’s pizzaiolo, its pizza maker, Ricardo, who indeed has enough charisma to be called by only one name, like Garbo or Cher, is originally from Naples. But he last worked in downtown Salerno. He was making such good pizza in Salerno that my Salernitani friends suggested that the place he worked at, Pizza Margherita, would be a good substitute for Pizzeria Vicolo della Neve, my usual haunt, but which, in the summer, is way too hot and airless to be enjoyable.
As Schwarz explains, the joint's name is Italian for zero eight nine, Salerno's area code.
Zero Otto Nove
Address: 2357 Arthur Avenue, Bronx NY 10458 (Belmont; map)
Phone: 718-220-1027
[via eGullet, thanks to Eater Ben]
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 9, 2008 at 11:00 AM
From the New York Times:
Covo: A spacious duplex Italian restaurant anchors a new commercial complex. It adds its brick oven pizza, pasta dishes, and hearty main courses to the cluster of restaurants in the area: 701 West 135th Street, 212-234-9573.
Website: covony.com
Posted by DJ Bubbles, January 3, 2008 at 3:00 PM
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!
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 3, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Eastvillagepodcasts.com pits two East Village pizza mainstays against one another: Two Boots vs. Lil' Frankie's. If you've had both and have taste buds, I think you know who wins this one.
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.
When I founded Slice a little more than four years ago, the irony of ironies was that my own neighborhood, Park Slope, was a veritable wasteland of pizza goodness.
Over the years, some good, some very good, and some downright great options have emerged.
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.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, December 12, 2007 at 2:00 PM
New York Pizza Suprema calls this an "upside down pizza," but it's essentially a Sicilian slice that goes crust, cheese, sauce instead of crust, sauce, cheese. We had it for lunch today at Slice–Serious Eats HQ.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, December 10, 2007 at 11:00 PM
Roma Pizza in better days, before it unexpectedly closed last week.
Last week saw the passing of Roma Pizza on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues. I'm probably speaking for everyone on the block—which is home to FIT and the Serious Eats/Slice office—when I say it was an unexpected event. One evening, we were buying slices there for a quick dinner, and the next morning the place was being cleaned out by an auction. By the time the 4 p.m. coffee break rolled around, there was a black plastic trash bag outside the door with the handle of a pizza peel peeking out of it.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, December 10, 2007 at 9:00 PM
This was rather early in the day; I have more pizza and Santa pix when the streets were thronged with (3,000!) Santas. However, I was shooting film today; the other rolls won't go in for a day or two. Deck the halls with mozzarella!
Cheers,
Barbara
Dear Barbara,
If you get those rolls processed and have some more good Santacon pix on it, feel free to send them in! This is great. Viva la Santacon!
Hasta la pizza,
Adam
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 30, 2007 at 5:00 PM
Memo to Jeff B.: DUDE. Chill the frak out. We get the point. You think Isabella's Oven sucks. Did we need the drive-by on every post about the place?
That said, you bring up a good point. Here's the deal ...
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Posted by Adam Kuban, November 27, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Hope you're thoroughly glutted on leftover turkey sandwiches at the moment.
Quick question, I was thinking of finally hitting Patsy's this weekend and was wondering if it's worth the trip to the original up in Harlem? I thought all the Patsy's were owned by the same people but I noticed the original isn't listed on their website. So really who else can I turn to with such a pizza conundrum?
—Bret S.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, November 21, 2007 at 4:30 PM
What do you know about Pepe's in Park Slope?
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/462495
—Mark H.
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A tipster reports:
I recommend that you try a slice at Valentino's in Bensonhurst (corner 17th Ave. and 86th Street). Really good thin crust.
Can anyone second that?
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.)
Anyway, after much back-and-forth emailing, we settled on a proposed route: Di Fara,
