Most great pizzerias are the product of one compulsive, obsessive person who lives and dies with every pie. Is it possible for a pizzeria to expand beyond two locations and maintain the quality that makes them great? It's like pizza-obsessed folks have decided that their collective ovens get too hot for them to consider adding a third pizzeria. More
Here's the tweet that inspired this post:
Yes, @alexandrak, such a post does exist, and if your boyfriend finds what I'm about to write all TL;DR, he can check it out: The 10 Best Pizzas in NYC » That's a solid list, no doubt. And if his NYC pizza research stops there, I'm sure he'd be happy. But I think simply dropping a best-of list on a New York newbie does him a bit of a disservice. After all, he's moving to a pizza mecca. I think a little context is in order.
MoreWhen deciding on this list, certainly history, setting, and pedigree had an impact, but in the end, it was all about the flavor. We didn't care whether the joint was 80 years old, or 8 months old, as long as they served a tasty pie. And here they are. Our favorite pizzas in the city. A mix of the old, a mix of the new, a representation of most of the boroughs, a bit of something delicious for everyone. More
Sad news for coal oven–pizza lovers: Totonno's is closing both its Manhattan locations. The notice above is from the Second Avenue & 81st Street location, which will morph into a restaurant called Toscano's. (Text of notice, after the jump.) No word on what, if anything, will replace the 26th & Second Avenue location. The original Coney Island location remains open. More
In the Village Voice's Best of 2010 issue, the alt-weekly's three food writers, Robert Sietsema, Sarah DiGregorio, and Rebecca Marx, name-check their top pizza picks of the year. Interesting to note is that Ms. Marx's is not necessarily a pizzeria... More
Reaching in to the Slice mailbag, we've got ... Hey, Adam!I was a royal escort at Saturday's Mermaid Parade on Coney Island, where the king and queen were Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson (omg!). Lou didn't get as into the costumed spirit as some of us—I was a BP pirate, complete with oil-slicked bird on my shoulder—but he WAS wearing a Totonno's hat, and that's pretty damn Coney of him.Attached is a pic of me with Lou and Laurie, doing my best "arrrrrrrrrrrr" (but instead freaking out in a total fangirl moment). And if you look here, in the... More
[Photographs: Adam Kuban] They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Totonno's is back, and this photo says it all. I was going to leave you with just this one image, but I couldn't resist throwing a gallery together. Peep it, if you'd like.... More
I am now at Totonno's, and IT IS OPEN. Lawrence Ciminieri is making pies, and his mom, Cookie, is looking rested but is as irrascible as ever. Videographic evidence, after the jump.... More
[Photograph: Adam Kuban] So, yeah. The Wednesday reopening? Didn't happen. Totonno's owner Lawrence Ciminieri says the weather KO'd him. But the latest bit of news we have to report in the anticipated Totonno's reopening is that the Coney Island pizzeria will be firing up tomorrow (Friday, February 12). All the items are in place, Ciminieri told Ed Levine by phone last night, and, Ciminieri says, someone from the mayor's office is going to be there at the reopening ceremony. As promised before, Ciminieri will be making the pies tomorrow.... More
[Photograph: Adam Kuban] Our man Ed Levine just got off the phone with Totonno's owner Lawrence Ciminieri, who tells us that Totonno's is reopening next Wednesday, February 10 at noon. Ciminieri says he himself will be making the pies that day. We're confident that this is the real deal this time. Ciminieri says he will have the necessary permits in place, and that the pizzeria will be ready to go on Wednesday.... More
