Entries tagged with 'Brooklyn'
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 10, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Eater is reporting sorta big news happening in Midwood, Brooklyn. Di Fara has SORTA, FINALLY gotten its act together and now has a list for taking orders and for sorta calling people's names when their pizza was ready:
"There is a list whenever I am working," says Dom's daughter, Margaret. "I think my brothers are starting following suit, but I'm not sure. I know the chaos and I really feel for everyone."
We've long advocated for something like this, even offering to take up a collection to buy Dom and family a "Take-a-Ticket" system. There's nothing more frustrating than waiting a half an hour just to order, then waiting and waiting, only to have Dom ask you what it was you ordered an hour earlier.
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 10, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Above: Before and ... after some progress. Click me bigger » Progress photographs courtesy of Anselmo's Pizzeria
What would be New York City's latest coal-oven pizzeria, Anselmo's Pizzeria Restaurant, looks like it's making some progress after failing to meet its previously stated July 4 opening target.
Says the Red Hook pizzeria's Roger Fischer, "I'm 90 percent done. The oven is taking a long time to build."
From everything I've ever read or heard about custom oven jobs, they always take longer than expected. A couple more pix, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 7, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got ...
Dear Slice,
Did any Slice readers get a photo of Lunetta's portable brick oven at the Atlantic Antic on Sunday? They built a brick oven on top of a small trailer and were baking small pizzas. The line was too long so I didn't get to try it, and when I came back to photograph it, they had packed up and left. Any info?
—Andrew M.
P.S. I though at first it was Lucali's, but I swear they had a Lunetta sign up.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 6, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Photograph from "Boppadopoulos" on Flickr
New York magazine gives a rundown on where to get clam pizza in New York City:
- Franny's: 295 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217 (b/n Prospect and St. Marks; map); 718-230-0221; frannysbrooklyn.com
- Bussaco: 833 Union Street, Brooklyn NY 11217 (near Seventh Avenue; map); 718-857-8828
- Lombardi's: 32 Spring Street, New York NY 10012 (near Mott Street; map); 212-941-7994; firstpizza.com
- Otto: 1 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10003 (corner of 8th Street; map); 212-995-9559; ottopizzeria.com
- Fornino: 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211 (at North 7th Street; map); 718-384-6004
- South Brooklyn Pizza: 451 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (near 4th Place; map); 718-852-6018
I can't vouch for all of these. I like Lombardi's clam pie and Franny's (uh-may-zing). I'm not big on Otto's or Fornino's because they do that annoying still-in-the-shell-while-topping-your-pie thing. (That's Otto's pie above.) Based on what I've had at South Brooklyn, I'd skip the clam pie—when I've had it, their regular pie has had a tough, too-crunchy crust.
Amy Langfield of NewYorkology tells us that La Pizzetta, a new brick-oven joint on Atlantic Avenue is open and should be starting delivery tonight. 145 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11201 (b/n Clinton and Henry streets; map)
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 26, 2008 at 4:00 PM
The Brooklyn Flea, the Sunday hipster flea market in Fort Greene, will be home to a new food vendor this weekend. The blog Brownstoner, whose proprietor helps run the market, reports that a chef named "Dave" has built a mobile wood-fired pizza oven and will debut it this weekend at one of the food stalls there.
"Dave" built the brick oven on a small trailer not unlike the mobile pizza ovens I've seen online and IRL in other parts of the country. There's a fleet of them in the Pacific Northwest, an outfit upstate in Ithaca, and Ed Levine here at the office says he's seen one at the farmers' market in Chicago.
I was wondering when this pizza trendlet would hit New York City and whether it would even be possible, given what I'd imagine would be tough restrictions on wood fires. The thing about the other mobile, trailer-based pizza ovens in other cities, though, is that they operate at farmers' markets, where they can take advantage of the bounty within easy reach. Maybe once "Dave" pioneers the trailer-based pizza oven field here in Gotham, other pizza ovens will invade the city's various Greenmarkets. [via Eater]
Pizza Moto at Brooklyn Flea
Lafayette Avenue, between Clermont and Vanderbilt avenues (Fort Greene; map)
Lost City says: "The new facade will be all glass, with a glass door to the left, and a sliding glass unit, four panels wide, to the right.... The new counter remains to the right as you walk in, the customer alley to the left.... And a red brick arch in the back leads to a new dining area that reaches into the former backyard of the property." [via Eater] House of Pizza & Calzone: 132 Union Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (near Hicks Street; map); 718-624-9107
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 22, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Slicester Jeff gave me the tip off on something going on in my own hood, almost right under my own nose. I guess I haven't ventured past 3rd Street in a while. Looks like Pizza by the Park, which as been closed for some time, is being transformed into some sort of brick-oven place.
Fingers crossed.
Though, often, as Serious Eats overlord Ed Levine points out, "brick oven" simply means "there's a brick somewhere in the vicinity of the oven." But like I said, fingers crossed. Let's hope it's a genuine improvement.
Villa Rustica
357 3rd Street, Brooklyn NY 11215 (off Fifth Avenue; map)
718-832-2700
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 8, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Photograph from TrespassersWill on Flickr
Saw this photo on the Eater blog today. It's titled "Pizza for the Bride" on the Flickr page it comes from, but if you view the largest size, you don't necessarily see her eating pizza.
Funny enough, this isn't the first pizza-related wedding item we've had on Slice. Check it out: slice.seriouseats.com/tags/weddings
We were speechless reading Gothamist's post about a blogger who attacked Di Fara for being a filthy tourist trap. Luckily Grub Street put our thoughts into words: "Some anonymous writer is going to lecture Dom DeMarco on what constitutes Brooklyn culture? Maybe if the writer had actually bothered to eat the pizza, he would feel differently." We agree entirely. Although we wouldn't have included a link to the blog.
Sad to see you go, Brick Oven Gallery. Wish we would have spent more time together. Hope you reopen, as planned. The deets, on Free Williamsburg.
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 23, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Newsday reports that Grimaldi's was shut down earlier today by state officials over unpaid taxes. $150,000 in tax warrants, the paper says.
But the joint was back in business later in the afternoon, after owners paid up.
"We seized them" said [New York State Department of Taxation and Finance representative Tom] Bergin, refering to the legal process where state officials close the business to get the liens satisfied.
Begin said that a total of seven outstanding tax warrants had been filed against Patabbe Inc., which was doing business as Grimaldi's, since January 2006. Those warrants total about $84,000 in sales and withholding taxes, he said.
Repeat: They're back up and running again. Like nothing ever happened, kids. Like nothing ever happened ...
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 21, 2008 at 12:30 PM
While I was in Red Hook on Saturday for the opening day of the Red Hook Vendors, I figured I'd head on over to the supposed site of New York City's next coal-oven pizzeria. Slice posted about this mid June, and at the time the projected opening date for Anselmo's Pizzeria was July 4, according to its website. Looks like it's still got some ways to go, and calls to the number have gone unreturned.
I'm guessing the chimney is for the coal-oven.
And it looks like Anselmo's website has been updated since I last looked at it. The place, which was originally going to be a pizzeria and bakery, is now going to be a pizzeria only:
Anselmo's Restaurant is located in Beautiful Red Hook Brooklyn, New York. We were hoping to open on the 4th of July but we are still in construction. We are trying a fast as we can to open. Anselmo's was originally going to be a full line bakery cafe' until we found a coal oven in the building. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to make coal brick oven pizza. After all there is only two in Brooklyn and ours will be number three.We have another bakery in the works on Pier 41 in Red Hook. We will be putting out flyers on the Grand Openning. Everyone is welcome. Read more on the Chef and Co owner on the About Us Page. Keep checking back to keep up to date on the opening.
They're a little misinformed. There's Totonno's, Grimaldi's, and South Brooklyn Pizza. So they'll be the fourth.
Anselmo's Bakery Restaurant
354 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (at Sullivan Street, Red Hook; map)
718-775-5386
anselmosbakery.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 17, 2008 at 4:45 PM
When I did my Park Slope pizza walk three weeks ago, I noticed a place on Fourth Avenue just past 11th Street that had a new sign and some of those car dealership–type flags. The number listed on the sign was disconnected. Hmm. Was this a just-failed or just-about-to-open pizzeria?
Well, I went by the other day, and I'm happy to report that it's an opening. Pizza Grill replaces whatever pizzeria was there before. I can't remember its name. The space is large and clean. Slices cost $2.25. And judging by the slice I had on Thursday, the place has potential. Granted, it was one slice. So caveat emptor. And I had it only warm from a slice pie with no reheat. But it was thin and chewy, had a good not-too-mucked-with sauce, and best of all, had just enough Parmigiano on it to give a tangy and salty bite.
The proprietor is the former owner of Verrazano Pizza in Bay Ridge.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. More word when I get more intel.
Pizza Grill
471 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (at 11th Street; map)
718-499-0600
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got ... an email from a guy in some band or other.
Photographs by Brian Chase
Hi, Adam,
I posted a review of Di Fara's on my band's website, http://site.yeahyeahyeahs.com/, that I thought you would be interested in checking out.
Dom for president!
Best regards,
Brian
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 7, 2008 at 10:00 AM
When we visited Toby's Public House last week, not only did we pick up on some great pizza, we also picked up a tip to pass on to you.
Nicola Bertolotti, who was brought in to school the other pie-makers at Toby's, will be opening his own place in Williamsburg in mid August.
The new pizzeria will be called Fornaccio, which Bertolotti told us means "old oven." The name derives from the fact that Bertolotti happened up an old house with a hundred-year-old oven that he's been restoring, along with the rest of the place.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 30, 2008 at 8:30 PM
Photograph by Raphael
In my Toby's dispatch earlier today, I didn't really go too in-depth with this thing, A.) because it's not pizza pizza, and B.) because it's dessert, but Toby's Public House has an interesting dessert calzone whose innards include ricotta and nutella. You'd think it'd be a bit weird, but it really does work. More on this at Serious Eats New York »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 30, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Toby's Public House
686 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (at 21st Street; map); 718-788-1186; kitchenbarny.com
Oven Type: Wood-burning
Pie Style: Neapolitan
The Skinny: A relaxing, laid-back pub whose name belies the fact that there are some great little Neapolitan-style pizzas coming out of the rustic wood-burning oven here. Small, 12-inch, well-balanced pies are crisp at the edges but do exhibit some tip sag
You could be excused for overlooking the great little pies being served at Toby's Public House. The exterior looks more like something I'd imagine you'd see in small-town England, and the name doesn't exactly scream pizza. But step inside, glance to the back, and you'll find a rustic-looking wood-burning oven with a couple no-nonsense-looking pizzaioli going at it with the dough.
What's more, on our initial visit there last week, we spotted a familiar face—Nicola Bertolotti, who once worked as the lead pizzaiolo at Fornino in Williamsburg. I've always liked the pizza at Fornino, so I Bertolotti's presence seemed to go a long way in backing up the praise-laden emails and IMs I'd been getting about the place since it opened in March.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 30, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Photograph by Eating in Translation
Looks like Di Fara was closed for a "big order" Saturday. The occasion? Somebody's wedding. The blog Eating in Translation has the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 23, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Or, 'Every Damn Slice Pizzeria in Park Slope'
You know, for all the pizza-eating I do in the service of this beast that is Slice, I typically focus on one place per blog post. I visit a few times, get a feel for the joint, and then file a dispatch for your approval. But a while back, I was forced to try a new approach—a systematic neighborhood slice survey. I had been asked by Time Out New York to survey the city's various Little Italys in search of the best pizzas in each one. Taking my journalistic duty seriously, I ate at each pizzeria in the various neighborhoods I was sent to—Bensonhurst, Howard Beach, Arthur Avenue, and Staten Island. (OK, with Shaolin, I had to ask some experts and narrow it down, so I didn't eat at every pizzeria there.)
Anyway, I quickly learned some slice-survey survival skills—like only sampling slices, not entirely consuming them. Like wine-tasting, except you swallow. I won't bore you with the other stuff I puzzled out, but I will say that I learned it was possible to tear through a neighborhood and get a feel for the slices on offer there. Recently, I decided I'd try to do a survey—or a slice walk—more regularly. So here's the first.
I focused on my own 'hood, Park Slope, for this one. My boundaries were Flatbush Avenue and the Prospect Expressway to the north and south, and Fourth Avenue and Prospect Park West to the west and east. I ate only where slices were available—no pies-only places. (Those, I'll deal with another time.) The results, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 20, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Another one regarding the Sam's post from Monday.
Good morning!
I read your post about Sam's Restaurant. Agree about the pizzas—amazing! You mentioned in your post, six TVs with reeling footage. These are part of Windows Brooklyn, the first-ever show curated like this in Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. Sam's Restaurant is involved, as well as Margaret Palca Bakes, among many many other stores. There is an installation at Margaret Palca called Eat Your Words. But there are cookies involved.
Just wanted to alert you to this so you could perhaps make readers privy to this information. The artist at Sam's who has the TVs is Stephanie DiGregorio. The work is called Tarantella.
You can find more info and the map of all participating locations at: windowsbrooklyn.com
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Best,
Andrea Wenglowskyj
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 20, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Clicking into the Slice mailbag, we've got this nice note, with a great link, from M. W. —The Mgmt.
I’ve been enjoying (and commenting upon) the recent Sam’s post, and thought you might in turn like to see this video. It profiles a few Carroll Gardens establishments, talking with the proprietors, etc. There’s a lot of time devoted to Sam’s, mostly an interview with Louie Migliaccio [the waiter/server/busser/bartender there], but a bit with his father, Mario, who talks about making pizza. There’s also the owner of D'Amico's Coffee. It’s not all pizza- or food-related, but I think the majority is.
--------------------
Dear M. W.,
Thanks for the link! This is a great video. Beautifully produced, with great stories. Really gives you a sense of what the neighborhood used to be like. Again, I'll say it: I'm so glad that Sam's is still kickin' as a reminder of times gone by.
Hasta la pizza,
Adam
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 18, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Went to the NYC Food Film Festival last night and had a pretty good time. Festival co-organizer George Motz screened his short film Brooklyn Pizza, and the short documentary Pure and Simple, a day in the life of Una Pizza Napoletana, was also shown. Photos and such, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 18, 2008 at 7:20 AM
South Brooklyn Pizza, as told by the New York Times:
Although sometimes inconsistent, South Brooklyn’s $12 pizzas usually come from the coal-fired oven with the right amount of char on a crunchy crust, which is slightly thicker than what one might find at the end of a long wait at Di Fara.
The pie is oval, slicked with olive oil and bright with San Marzano tomatoes and a nudge of basil. The cheese is predominantly fresh mozzarella, although bits of fontina and Parmesan play supporting roles.
Although Kim Severson deems it "delicious," I'd advise you to go with low expectations. I've only been once but would not wholeheartedly recommend on that one visit, as the crust was very tough and rather bland. Still gathering tasting intel before forming a more gelled opinion on the place, though. Many people on Chowhounds have reported liking it.
South Brooklyn Pizza
451 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (at 4th Place; map)
718-852-6018
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 17, 2008 at 5:05 PM
You're going, right?
Click for map »
NYC Food Film Festival pizza component, al fresco in the parking lot next to Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (map).
Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana fame will be there.
When: 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Cost: Free
Here's the complete line-up:
- Brooklyn Pizza: Motz's short, six-minute film is basically pizza porn, following the pie-making process from start to finish at the Coney Island Totonno's, Di Fara, and Grimaldi's
- Pure and Simple: A short documentary on Anthony Mangieri and his venerated Neapolitan-pie shop Una Pizza Napoletana. Directed by Fabrizia Galvagano and Julie Haslett, 6 minutes
- In Pignata: Calabrian Fireside Cooking: "Follows a Southern Italian farmer in her eighties through a typical morning on her farm as she ponders the loss of local food traditions." So this one's not exactly pizza, but it is Italian, so deal with it, sliceheads. Directed by Jessica Theroux, 24 minutes
Chairs will be set up in the parking lot for your comfort, and there will be a Grimaldi's tasting. More info at nycfoodfilmfestival.com.
See you there, homeslices.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 16, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Click me bigger for a beautiful view of Sam's dining room »
Sam's Restaurant
238 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (at Baltic Street; map); 718-596-3458
The Skinny: A pizzeria that looks like it was transported lock, stock, and barrel from the early '60s has the most amazing old-school dining room. Thankfully, its pizza matches the awesomeness of the blessedly preserved interior
Oven Type: An old coal-burning brick oven that's now fueled by natural gas
Sometimes you just want to love a place for its old-school charm. Sam's Restaurant, on Court Street in Cobble Hill, is one of those places.
With neon blazing outside; old-school, hand-lettered painted signage; and six small TVs inexplicably unreeling footage in the windows, you're already attracted to the place before walking down a couple steps and in through the door that sports a none-too-subtle "NO SLICES" sign.
And that's before you even get a load of the interior. Once you do, Sams' time-warp quality hooks you. The joint is vintage early '60s red-sauce Italian mixed with a little bit of your grandparents' rec room. It is, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful dining rooms I've been in in ages.
Fortunately, there's much to love here beyond the space.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 12, 2008 at 5:30 PM
OMG! I just got an awesome tip from Amy of NewYorkology.com. A new coal-oven pizzeria is coming to Red Hook. From the website of Anselmo's Bakery Restaurant:
Anselmo is building two bakeries in Red Hook Brooklyn,New York. Anselmo will be a full-line bakery Restaurant in Pizza, pasta ,pastries and breads. The first bakery will be located on 354 Van Brunt Street in Red Hook Brooklyn, New York . The second will be on 204 Van Dyke Street Brooklyn,New York. @ pier 41. The first bakery will be done by July 4th and the second will be done by December 2008. Anselmo has baked for over 25 years and has worked at very well known places like Water Edge Restaurant in Long Island,NY, Encore Bakery in Manhattan,NY, Stuars Restaurant in Manhattan,NY ,Cousin Johns Bakery in Brooklyn,NY ,Cousin Johns Bakery in Brooklyn,NY ,Tennis Club in Long Island City,NY, Trattoria Sole in Miami,Florida,Don Goavani's in Manhattan,NY and SoNo Baking Company & Cafe' in Norwalk,Connecticut. Anselmo has worked for John Barricelli,co-host of "Everyday Foods," a lifestyle program produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
COAL BRICK OVEN PIZZA AND BREAD!
That last all-caps shouting match was Anselmo, on his website, not me. Though I must say again, just for good measure: ANOTHER NEW COAL-OVEN PLACE! Sweet! [via NewYorkology.com]
Anselmo's Bakery Restaurant
354 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (at Sullivan Street, Red Hook; map)
718-775-5386
anselmosbakery.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 11, 2008 at 8:45 AM
On Serious Eats New York, our man Ed Levine visits Roberta's Pizzeria in Bushwick: "The pizza is already very good and may or may not be on the way to great. But I don't think it really matters if it gets there, because the place itself is already filled with positive energy and good feelings, as well as plenty of really good food made with carefully chosen ingredients."
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 3, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Link: Sal Carbone, Rocco's Pizza-Eating Winner [YouTube]
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 2, 2008 at 4:00 PM
From the New York Daily News:
"It started out as a friendly bet with my friends Danny and Rocco, but they knew the way I could eat. So I won it last year with 15 slices. This year I beat my record, 15 slices and one bite," said [Sal] Carbone, of Bay Ridge.
Rocco's
7818 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11209 (Bay Ridge; map)
718-238-7658
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM
After reading about the calzone-pizza hybrid at Peppino's in Bay Ridge, I had to get my greasy little hands on one. So I found myself on the R train this weekend, heading for the 77th Street Station.
Walking in, I sheepishly asked for the thing. "I read about it in the Daily News; do I really need a password for it."
"No, that's just a joke," the waitress said. "Is it just for you?"
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 28, 2008 at 4:00 PM
A crazy item in the New York Daily News yesterday that I meant to link to, so you get it today. Apparently Peppino's in Bay Ridge is making a crazy hybrid calzone-pizza that you need a password to order:
The Third Avenue pizzeria has been serving a pizza-calzone hybrid for the last few months, a flat three-slice pie that rises on one half like a stuffed calzone, with sausage and ricotta.
"People [were] confused," said owner Joe Mancino. "They didn't know what they wanted. They want pizza? They want calzone? They don't know. This is the best of both worlds."
To get the password, you have to email the Daily News's Brooklyn Diary columnist at BrooklynNews@nydailynews.com.
Peppino's
7708 Third Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11209 (at 77th Street, Bay Ridge; map)
718-833-3364
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 23, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Click for map »
Just got word from George Motz, one of the masterminds behind the NYC Food Film Festival, that the pizza component of this year's summer screenings will be held al fresco in the parking lot next to Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (map).
What better place than under the Brooklyn Bridge for a line-up of three films that starts with Motz's own short film Brooklyn Pizza?
When: 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Cost: Free
Here's the complete line-up:
- Brooklyn Pizza: Motz's short, six-minute film is basically pizza porn, following the pie-making process from start to finish at the Coney Island Totonno's, Di Fara, and Grimaldi's
- Pure and Simple: A short documentary on Anthony Mangieri and his venerated Neapolitan-pie shop Una Pizza Napoletana. Directed by Fabrizia Galvagano and Julie Haslett, 6 minutes
- In Pignata: Calabrian Fireside Cooking: "Follows a Southern Italian farmer in her eighties through a typical morning on her farm as she ponders the loss of local food traditions." So this one's not exactly pizza, but it is Italian, so deal with it, sliceheads. Directed by Jessica Theroux, 24 minutes
Chairs will be set up in the parking lot for your comfort, and there will be a Grimaldi's tasting. More info at nycfoodfilmfestival.com.
Full disclosure: I'm friends with George and will be serving as a film judge for this year's NYC Food Film Festival.
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 19, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Editor's note: The place I wanted to visit for this week's review wasn't open, so I'm going to give you a run-down on my weekend in pizza instead, along with a makeshift review on an unexpected place. —The Mgmt.
The Most Insane Pizza I Have Ever Seen
Bacon pizza. That's right: B-A-C-O-N. At the Famous Original Ray's on 62nd and Lex.
On Saturday I was supposed to meet Girl Slice at an undisclosed location on the Upper East Side at 3 p.m. She must have called while I was on the subway in from Brooklyn because when I popped up in Manhattan, I had a message: "Meet me at 3:30 instead."
The less said, the better.
Lucky for me I can always kill time by sampling a slice here and there or by taking photos of pizzeria exteriors to add to my growing collection. Anyway, I hadn't eaten lunch yet and I was starving, and so it was that rare occasion when quality mattered less to me than convenience. And so, after about ten minutes of walking around, I found myself at Little Slice of Italy on Second Avenue and 61st Street. I have to say, for 3:05 p.m. on a Saturday, this block was downright deserted. And with its door propped open to the elements and only one almost-listless patron inside, Little Slice of Italy felt like an Old West saloon whose drinkers have fled in advance of the showdown that's about to take place there.
I ordered a plain slice, to stay, and the less said, the better. I didn't even bother taking a photo. It was a plain ol' generic greasy grilled-cheese-tasting slice. I finished not even half of it before tossing it.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 5, 2008 at 11:45 PM
I love it when a plan comes together. For years, I've been wanting to get a clip of the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever, the bit where John Travolta's Tony Manero orders two slices of pizza from Lenny's, double-decks them and struts down 86th Street in Bensonhurst. After mentioning the film earlier tonight, I dug around on YouTube, found the opener, and trimmed the vid down to just the relevant pizza-related footage. Enjoy ...
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 5, 2008 at 11:00 PM
I've had a lot on Slice lately about Scott's Pizza Tours, but you know, there's another pizza tour out there, one that's been around for a bit longer and that takes folks through perhaps the best pizza borough* in the city. And that tour, my friends, is Tony Muia's A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour.
Muia started his tour in 2005 and has been taking pizza-hungry folks around Kings County ever since, mixing stops at Grimaldi's and L & B Spumoni Gardens with spin around neighborhoods such as Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst. It's thanks to Muia that I can point out the house where Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito character gets whacked in Goodfellas (it's in Bay Ridge) and that I know which pizzeria John Travolta's Tony Manero buys two slices from, eating them as a double-decker, in Saturday Night Fever (Lenny's in Bensonhurst).
Continue reading »
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 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 »
Continue reading »
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 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.
Continue reading »
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 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 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 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 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.
