PrintBREAKING: Di Fara Closed Temporarily by NYC Dept. of Health
Noooooo!!!!!! If you're about to leave work and get on a train for an end-of-week Di Fara run, nix that idea.
Slice reader Gabriel S. just emailed: "Went by Di Fara looking for a slice today and saw that they were shut by the board of health yesterday. Do you have any details?"
I just called Di Fara proprietor Dom DeMarco, who was at the restaurant, and he confirms that the Department of Health has closed the place "for little things."
"They say I've gotta wear gloves now—and a hat," Mr. DeMarco said. "It's all little things, like everybody else."
Despite the crap news, Dom seemed pretty chipper, taking things in stride. "I'd only wear a hat if I were bald. I'd rather pay the fine than wear the hat."
Mr. DeMarco estimates he'll be open again for business by Tuesday.
"I think it's their way of forcing me to take a little break," he said, jokingly.
Related: Latex Gloves in the Professional Kitchen? from the Talk section of Serious Eats.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it pleasant. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
9 Comments:
You know what...I was just there three weeks ago, and I can't say I'm surprised. I loved the pizza (and even the 1.5 hours wait was fun once I was at the counter and could meditatively watch Dom conujure up some pies and eat slices while I waited for mine), but seriously, that place is dirty as hell. The ovens have 40 years of crust on them, Dom touches the pizza and money without washing his hands. None of that would keep me from going, but I mean, c'mon...not unexpected.
Slice Doug at 1:26AM on 03/17/07
Truly Outrageous...really how anal can the health dept. be? That inspector should be forced to eat frozen pizza the rest of his living days then be buried with a slice of Celentano's in his mouth.
Slice M at 10:11PM on 03/17/07
He was closed by DoH a few years ago. When he reopened, he had a new floor. That place was really disgusting five, six years ago.
Slice frances at 2:42AM on 03/20/07
I ate at DiFara's a couple of years ago, and I had a bit of stomach ache. I have no idea why you people worship this shop likes its the Vatican of NYC pizza shops. The best pizzas in NYC are in Queens. I never see an honorable mention for Rosa's which is the best pizza in NYC and much cleaner than DiFara's or Totonno's which is as dirty.
Slice Gino at 2:04AM on 03/24/07
I was there friday (3/23) and dom was in there with a health inspector....but no sign of opening soon....
Slice Kenzie at 6:29PM on 03/26/07
I live nearby and I was hoping to FEAST on a couple of DELICIOUSLY CHEESY, CRISPY, OOZING-IN-YOUR-MOUTH square slices when I got home from college but I guess not. I was so shocked that they actually closed it!! I've been eating there for about 20 years and I'm fine! Yea it's not the most hygenic when Dom touches the money then pizza, but that's probably what makes it taste soo good!!
Slice Anonymous at 4:27AM on 04/01/07
Totally frigin ridiculous. Absolute bullshit. I would appreciate a clean-up once in a while, but his behind the scenes stuff is pretty damned clean compared to virtually any restaurant kitchen (and I work in them.) If certain annoying people from certain places (who only recently began flooding the place) cleaned up there messes at the tables then that would be one step in the right direction. To close him down is really just ridiculous. I see no reason for him to wear gloves. You eat stuff that went through worse everywhere else in the City. I haven't seen rats jumping on the tables in here yet ::Cough:: KFC ::Cough::
Slice Justin at 7:08AM on 04/01/07
Ok I need to continue this... Not only is it more or less clean by my liberal standards, but it's also home to the best pie in NY. It's just disgraceful that this would happen. I can't see his storage situation being anything but spotless AND I can easily seeing this being more a matter of gloves, hats, etc than anything else. How is he supposed to amazingly and burn-defyingly take a pizza out of the oven with his hands from time to time if he's wearing latex gloves? I've been eating here for about 10 years and I've never had any ill effects. Oh well, maybe this will give him and the family a chance for a thorough clean-up. They really need to place some threatening "Clean your God damned garbage up, you pigs" signs around the place in two or three languages. The ovens could also use a cleaning, though the middle ones the only bad one. Most local pizzerias are just as bad, though. The last closing was honestly for the better, though. Hopefully this will be the same. New coat of paint, scrub down the area, etc. I just hate the idea of him having to wear gloves and so forth. Ooook I'll go back to not ranting now What the hell are latex gloves going to do anyway?
Slice Justin at 7:20AM on 04/01/07
I tried to go today - still closed - I was hugely disappointed. But don't just take the owner's words - sounds like he has bigger problems than gloves! http://tinyurl.com/yufeox Best of luck, Dom!
Slice PizzaDan at 5:39AM on 04/02/07