New Di Fara Hours

Since Dom Demarco returned from his accident last month, Di Fara has adjusted its business hours to give Demarco some time to rest during the day. I snapped a photo of the new hours when I was there a few weeks ago. So if you're making the trek out to Brooklyn, you better make sure the shop will be open!

More Obama Pizza (And Fried Chicken!)

Last week, we told you about a spot in Israel selling Obama pizza. The trend has now spread to our own country, with a new joint opening in Harlem that sells Obama fried chicken and pizza.

I Dream Of Pizza Featured On Slice!

I noticed a lot of new traffic coming to I DREAM OF PIZZA over the past few days and came to realize that a lot our new visitors saw us on Slice over the weekend (New Links For Pizza Fiends).

I just wanted to welcome everyone who is visiting the site for the first time. Last year, I had an epiphany that I should combine my love of New York and my passion for pizza into blog... and here we are!

I've been doing my best to update the site everyday. It amazes me how much pizza related content there is in New York... this week alone, three new highly anticipated pizza places opened in the city -- Tonda, Keste Pizza & Vino, and Noi Due.

Check back often and enjoy our tidbits, reviews, news bites, and all else pizza!

Happy eating!

- Jason (thisisapizzablog@gmail.com)

New Pizza Hut Slogan

Pizza Hut has a new slogan -- Now You're Eating.

It only takes a glimpse at a few Twitter posts to convey how I feel about this.

Pizza Party? I Mean... Una Fiesta De Pizza?

I was going through some photos from my trip to Buenos Aires in November and I remember snapping this pic in an alley and thinking that I needed to check out this website. Well... I finally did.

I assumed this was some dance club -- perhaps with strippers and free pizza. Or maybe some underground pizza society. I mean... look at the crazy sign.

Turns outs it's a... well. No hablo espanol muy bien. Check out the site here and see what it is for yourself. Here is a sneak peak. Mucho gusto!

Former Howard Stern Sidekick Opens Pizza Place

Steve Grillo has transformed himself from Howard Stern's onetime sidekick to pizza poo bah, opening Hell's Kitchen Pizza at 47th Street and Tenth Avenue with partner Russ Brunelli. Their "Hellfire" pie fea tures sausage, cherry peppers and pepperoni. Grillo said he'd invite Stern, "but he doesn't eat pizza." [New York Post]

Tonda Opens In East Village

Tonda opened in the East Village earlier this week and although we haven't made it there yet, early reviews look promising. We hear the restaurant features a $30,000 slow-rotating 1,000-degree wood-burning pizza oven in the center of the space. If that's too intimidating, there will be 26 outdoor seats when the warm weather arrives. You can check out the menu here.

Tonda 235 E. 4th St (between Ave A and B) New York, NY 10009 212-254-2900

A Hidden Bar Below An East Village Pizza Shop?

UrbanDaddy reports on "the secret bar below pizza shop."

So forgive us if we prefer to walk into a small East Village pizza shop, ignore anything covered in mozzarella and make our way to the secret basement bar below.

Introducing The Cabin Down Below, a brand-new nook of an underground booze den that's not officially open…but, you know…open now for friends…but just on the weekends. Here, a first sneak peek inside… [read more]

Good Pizza In Bayside? Blondie & Brownie Report

Blondie and Brownie checked out VI Pizza in Bayside earlier this month.

Check out their report here.

Deep Fried Pepperoni Pizza

As seen on thisiswhyyourfat.com.

Yuck! Or yum?

Obama Pizza?

In one of my favorite pizza stories of the year so far, Israeli entrepreneurs have tried to capitalize on our recent election here in America by opening Obama Pizza in Jerusalem.

Azencot says a vast majority of customers "love" the name of his restaurant, although every so often a patron will complain. ("The pizza is good, but change the name," he's reportedly been instructed). [Read more]

Even The Huffington Post wrote a piece on it.

Pizza From A Vending Machine?

How nasty does this look? I'll take one deep dish pie and a Red Bull, please!

(Another) New Pizza Place In The West Village

Kesté Pizza & Vino (271 Bleecker Street) could open as early as next weekend in the West Village.

Though you have to wait a week, there’s still plenty to get excited about: a gorgeous oven; an owner “so obsessed with authentic ingredients and traditional technique he presides over the American chapter of the Associazone Pizzaiuoli Napoletana, which certifies pizza-makers;” and the possibility of pizza apprenticeships. [New York Magazine - Read More]

Check out this brick oven! Damn. Looks more like a spaceship!

(About that oven: crafted by artisans who flew in from Naples, it meets the strictest standards of Neapolitan pizza-making, from the size of the mouth to the shape of the dome to the wood stacked up for fuel.)

This Pizza Looks Delicious!

Grub Street previews a new pizzeria in Tribeca: Farinella.

The pies are four feet long! Take that, Subway.

90 Worth St., nr. Broadway; 212-608-3222

Mario Batali And Jimmy Fallon Check Out Pizza Joints

We could try to summarize this great nymag.com piece for you, but it's so awesome you should just check it out yourselves. Mario Batali and Jimmy Fallon hit up Co, Spunto, Motorino and San Marzano last week. Motorino got the highest ratings from the group, but you should check out the full recap here.

Fire Shuts Totonno’s, Legendary Coney Island Pizzeria

In what's already been a bad week for pizzeria damages [see Saturday's posting], the legendary Totonno’s has been closed due to a fire.

I've yet to make it there and was planning on doing a Pizza Club out on Coney Island over the summer. Although the place is closed indefinitely, there are plans to rebuild. Hopefully, things will go smoothly and by summertime pizza will be popping out of the ovens again.

And the owner, Helen Eisenberg assures us, "I promise you, it’ll be the same exact pizza." Phew.

Fire Shuts Totonno’s, Legendary Coney Island Pizzeria, New York Times

New Yorkers Have Clearly Gone Mad

According to Daily Intel, New Yorkers have voted Joe's Pizza as their favorite. This is followed by Patsy's with Artichoke and Di Fara tying for third place. Although all are solid choices, I think people might be smoking too much fresh mozzarella.

They did, however, correctly identify Ess-A-Bagel as the best bagel in the city. And I have no problem with Shake Shack topping the burger list.

Check out the entire list here.

Co. Now Open For Brunch

Co. is now open for brunch! It's never to early in the day to have some pizza!

Pizza Parlor Collapse In Harlem

Last week a concrete wall collapsed into a pizza parlor in Harlem. Our thoughts go out to everyone that was injured in the accident.

Trip Number Two To Co.

Time Out New York's review of Co. came out yesterday and it gave the restaurant four-stars. You can read it here.

I just so happened to make my second trip to Co. yesterday with Charles and Erica. Although I am even more outraged at the prices than I was last time, I'm even more in love with the pizza. A tough predicament, I must say. Our $110 bill (after tax and tip) included three personal pizzas, a round of Six Points, a salad, ricotta bread, and toast with chicken liver spread.

First, I must comment on the appetizers. The ricotta bread and toast with chicken liver were absolutely delicious. I can't say I've ever had chicken liver spread (nor does it sound particularly appetizing), but I was thoroughly impressed. The ricotta bread was equally as satisfying.

Okay -- on to pizza. The Margherita pie was solid, but nothing special. I enjoyed it, as I did last time, but it doesn't quite make my mouth water. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and this pie is definitely worth trying, but it lags behind some of the more creative inventions at Co.

Unfortunately, my favorite pie from my last visit has since been removed from the menu. That'd be the Santo pie (béchamel, shaved radicchio, parmesan, taleggio, buffalo mozzarella, onions, and chili). "Not enough people were ordering it," said our waitress.

Fortunately, the similar tasting Flambé pie is now available and features béchamel, parmesan, buffalo mozzarella, caramelized onions, and lardons. It was quite delicious.

Chales and Erica also had the Ham and Cheese pie (pecorino, gruyère, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, caraway) which they seemed impressed with, but still thought the Flambe was their favorite.

When we got there at 6:30, there was barely a wait and the restaurant didn't seem as packed as people have reported over the past few weeks. I love the ambiance at the place -- from the glass windows and cute bar up front to the group seating and open kitchen in the back.

While it's tough to justify spending $35 on pizza, a beer, and some ricotta bread, it was most certainly an enjoyable dining experience once again. Co. -- I'll see you soon.

Fried Dessert Pizza @ Motorino

Blondie & Brownie write about the fried dessert pizza at Motorino. Yum!

AM New York Lists The City's Best Pizza Places

AM New York published a piece this week: These Pizzas Spark Passion. I actually have to say it's a pretty accurate list with the exception of the inclusion of 2 Bros Pizza. I understand it's cheap, but putting that in the same list as a place like Di Fara is just insulting (and comical, I might add).

Birdbath Bakery Making Pizzas?

Grub Street reports that Birdbath bakery began using pretzel-croissant dough to make handheld pizzas with house-made tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella from Joe’s Dairy. Sounds tasty!

Two Boots Tavern Opening Party Recap

Last night, after the Lydia show at Mercury Lounge, Adam and I hit up the opening of Two Boots Tavern on the Lower East Side. About 75 people packed into the modest space for free food and live music.

The shop, although a slight trek from the hustle and bustle of Essex Street, provides party goers with a late night option for pizza and drinks. It's decorated with art and sports memorabilia and features three huge flat screens around the restaurant and two more behind the bar.

Other than the regular cheese pizza, which I think is delicious, I tried the "Larry Tate" which consists of spinach, plum tomatoes, and fresh garlic on a white pie. It didn't really do it for me.

They have tons of interesting pies which you can find out about here.

Slices start at $4.00 each which is a bit of a rip off, but a large cheese pie is a great deal at $16.00. I'm sure I'll be back there after some LES bar hopping adventures in the near future.

United States Pizza Team Puts On Show At The Javits Center

From The New York Daily News:

Dough flew high and far at the Javits Center on Sunday as members of the United States Pizza Team demonstrated the extreme sport of pizza tossing.

Expert pizza flingers twirled chunks of dough behind their backs and between their knees, dazzling crowds at the 2009 International Restaurant and Foodservice Show.

The entire front row ducked when one dough spinner leaped from the stage like a rock star and tossed the pizza-to-be under his legs before he landed. [Read More]

Free Pizza At Two Boots Tavern Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Two Boots Tavern (formerly Two Boots Pizza), will host an official opening party featuring the music of neighbor Eliott Sharp and free slices of pizza!

New York Magazine reports that a special new pizza pie will be served:

Owner Phil Hartman will also unveil his long-awaited Luisaida pizza, named after Luis Guzmán, who may just make an appearance (all Hartman will tell us about the pie is that it’ll be spicy and will use ingredients from the neighborhood— we’re going to venture a guess that he’s talking about pickled peppers from the Pickle Guys).

Co. Open For Lunch

UrbanDaddy reports that Co. is now open for lunch!

Lunching Co. Pizzeria Opens for Lunch The newly famous pizza spot adds lunch to their repertoire, including their béchamel-enhanced flambé pizza. Unfortunately, delivery is still just a dream. 411: 12:00-3pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 230 9th Ave (at W. 24th St), 212-243-1105, menu available here

Dom DeMarco Named to Pizza Hall of Fame. Sweet!!

Di Fara’s owner and pie godfather, Dom DeMarco, will be inducted into the Pizza Hall of Fame tomorrow. He will be introduced by a representative of the next generation of Brooklyn pizza chefs, Nino Coniglio, who recently opened Pizzeria Del Corso in Marine Park. Trade publication PMQ Pizza Magazine calls DeMarco “the Cal Ripken of the pizza business.” Our question: whether the dismissive DeMarco will hang the plaque in his store, or just leave it at the ceremony, accidentally on purpose. [New York Magazine]

Spunto Opening In West Village

As the newest addition to the proliferating pizza chainlet that includes Gruppo, Posto, and Vezzo, Spunto shares all the requisite DNA: gold-leaf window signage, a name that ends in “o,” and a menu of ultra-thin-crust pizzas. The West Village outpost is equipped with 64 seats, a beer-and-wine license, a gas-fired brick oven, and entrances on both Carmine Street and Seventh Avenue South. But what most distinguishes it from other local parlors is the range of toppings and combinations, from the Shroomtown (portobello, shiitake, button mushrooms, white-truffle oil) to ChixPotle (chipotle chicken, pineapple, and cilantro). - New York Magazine