The incomparable Lockhart Steele, oh he of Curbed fame, e-mailed Slice this evening with a report that Lombardi's is taking over and expanding into the space that used to house the Nolita Lounge. He was also kind enough to send us a couple photos of the work in progress (above and below), complete with "new banners (sample: ZAGAT SURVEY "BEST PIZZA ON THE PLANET")." Thanks, Mr. Steele. Seltzerboy on Lombardi's. LOMBARDI'S Location: 32 Spring Street, Manhattan NY 10012 Phone: 212-941-7994 Payment accepted: Cash, checks... More

We're clocking in a little late with this one, but the holidays, man, the holidays. The Village Voice's Annual Manual is out and food critic Robert Sietsma writes about 25 Places Where Two Can Eat for $25. Among this listings is a smattering of pizza joints. The usual suspects take a bow: This list of inexpensive and excellent eats would be incomplete without including one of the city's venerable pizza parlors, which collectively count as one of our greatest culinary treasures. Besides his own restaurant on Spring Street, founded in 1905, Lombardi's immediate dynasty includes Totonno in Coney Island, John's... More

According to the Daily News, charming little SoHo bakery Vesuvio, whose owner died in early July, is open again under new management and the shop has "added pizzas [fourth item] made of focaccia topped with tomatoes, olives and basil ($3)" to its menu.Vesuvio Bakery: 160 Prince StreetPhone: 212-925-8248Payment: Cash and credit accepted... More

Low Culture gets a fake scoop, posting a fake interview with News Corp scion Lachlan Murdoch. In it, Rupert's son and the third-most-powerful macher at the media giant, raves about a powerful pizza-macher: Lombardi's pizza is great. We were gonna put in a coal-burning pizza oven, but then my wife—that would be supermodel Sarah O'Hare—reminded me of Lombardi's. Saved me $20,000!... More

Lombardi's gets a quick mention in the October 23–30, 2003 issue of Time Out New York. In that magazine's "It Happened Here!" sectionette, cleverly subhedded "The Life of Pie," Katherine Pushkar writes: For many New Yorkers, "eating in" actually means take-out Chinese or a large pie. Finding the first lo mein merchant is like eating soup with chopsticks, but pinpointing the first pizza purveyor's spot is a cinch. Genarro Lombardi opened his grocery at 53½ Spring Street in 1897, and by 1905 he'd gotten a restaurant license, giving the city and the nation its first pizza parlor. At some point,... More