More $1 Pizza

Grub Street reports on another $1 slice place that's opened:

A tipster tells us that Zimari Pizza opened last week on 31st between Park and Lexington. Slices are a buck and pies are $8. Zimari tells us it’s only doing cheese right now but will add toppings in the future.

Village Voice Names Top 10 Pizza Places In The City

Oh another day brings another pizza list. If I analyzed every list that was published, I'd never get any sleep. Daily Intel listed their best 16 NYC pizza places earlier this year, and GQ Magazine just came out with their list of the best pies in America (just to name a few).

Now the Village Voice has come out with its list of the city's best pizza joints:

1. Totonno Pizzeria Napolitano (1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn)*
2. DiFara's (1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn)
3. John's (278 Bleecker Street)*
4. Denino's (524 Port Richmond Avenue, Staten Island)
5. Grimaldi's (19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn)
6. Patsy's (2287 First Avenue)*
7. Lombardi's (32 Spring Street)
8. Roberta's (261 Moore Street, Brooklyn)
9. Motorino (319 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn)
10. LaVilla (261 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn)

* Original location only

Runners Up:

Joe & Pat's (1758 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island)
Luigi's (686 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn)
Lil' Frankie's (19 First Avenue)
La Pizza Fresca (31 East 20th Street)
Krispy Pizzeria (7112 13th Ave., Brooklyn)

Where to start? It's a respectable list and I can't complain about Di Fara being number two since I haven't been to Totonno yet. Denino's and John's are a bit higher than I'd put them and Aritchoke isn't anywhere to be found. Neither is Co. or San Marzano.

Apparently I'll have to try Roberta's and LaVilla now, although I haven't heard much about either. But as Alan Richman stressed when he came out with his GQ list -- pizza is a very personal thing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. And with that, I'll let you make your own judgments about the Village Voice list.

Is Kosher Pizza As Good As Non-Kosher Pizza?

The answer is... drum roll please... NO.

The reason I write about this today is because one of my religious co-workers raves about a pizza place in upstate New York. It's called Fialkoff’s Pizza (also known to some as Pizza Palace). It's located in Moticello, New York (ironically just a few minutes from where my parents grew up).

Rumor has it that people drive up from Long Island for a pie. Yeahthatskosher.com writes: year after year, Fialkoff’s consistently has the best pizza I’ve ever had. Period. Expect a long line during popular times.

A post on Chowhound reads: Fialkoffs has the BEST pizza! This pizza is better than almost anything you will find in the city.

So I was a little more than curious when my co-worker, who has never eaten unkosher pizza, brought in a slice for me today.

In the defense of this poor slice of kosher pizza, it did sit in the fridge for a couple days and traveled a few hundred miles to get to me... but it was nothing to rave about. Perhaps it falls in the upper tier of kosher pizza, but it's comparable to any corner pizza shop on the streets of New York.

This got me thinking about how big a void in the market there is for a really great brick oven upscale pizza joint in New York City. Thousands and thousands of religious Jews are wandering around each day thinking they know what a good slice of pizza tastes like. Oy vey!

Another New E. Village Pizza Place

Slice reports on another (yes, really... another) new pizza place opening in the East Village:

Iggy's Pizzeria to Replace Five Roses in East Village

Pizza & Wine Tasting @ Pasita

Last week, I went to an excellent South American inspired wine and specialty pizza tasting event at Pasita in the West Village. Hosted by Stefani Jackenthal (NTS Wine Tasting), attendees had the chance to taste seven different wines which were paired with four pizzas.

I don't know much about wines (ummm, white please), but each one I tasted was excellent. I have a general theory that when drinking wine or beer each one becomes less distinguishable as the evening progresses, but oddly enough I enjoyed the last wine I had the best -- a 10 year old HMB Old Reserve Malmsey from Madeira, Portugal. It was a dessert wine that featured "luscious notes of candied apricot, honey, cinnamon and cumin." It was smooth on the palate and as enjoyable as any wine I've had.

Not to be outdone by the excellent selection of wines, there were some equally satisfying pizzas. For starters there was a Manchego and Verde y Blanco Pizza with basil, pesto, mozzarella, parmesan & tomatoes. Apparently this was a big hit at the previous tasting and was brought back by popular demand. It was a solid pesto pizza, although the taste of the fresh mozzarella gets lost among the other ingredients. It paired with a Blanco Nieva Verdejo 2007 from Rueda, Spain.

Next up was my favorite pie of the evening (although the photo doesn't do it justice at all) -- a Queso Valdeon Pizza with valdeon blue, mozzarella, nata, parmesan & goat cheese. It was essentially the equivalent of a four-cheese pie. The best part about this pie was that it came with a side of honey, which when poured on the pizza, made it absolutely delicious. I'd never thought to pair honey with pizza before, but perhaps I'll have to carry a packet around with me from now on. The combination makes so much sense (unlike the infamous syrup and pasta combo from Elf). This pizza paired with a Esporao Rose 2007 from Alentejo Portugal.

Another great pie was the Champon Pizza with roasted mushroom, artichoke hearts, caramelized onion, mozzarella, ricotta salata, and extra virgin olive oil. A lot of places have been making pies with similar ingredients, like San Marzano's Bianca pie and Co's Flambe pie. Pasita's doesn't match up to either of these, but it was still quite delicious. It paired with a Carrau Tannat Reserva 2006 from Las Violetas, Uruguay and a Pago de Valdoneje Mencia 2007 from Bierzo, Spain.

The final pie of the evening was a Vieja Pizza with shredded beef, caramelized onion, manchego & red pepper. At this point I was full and tipsy, but I thought the three vegetarian pies outshined the meat pie. It paired with a Sur Bonarda Reserva 2005 from Mendoza, Argentina.

Overall, I learned a lot about wine... a little bit about pizza... and had an all around enjoyable evening. In addition to great food and drinks, the tasting was packed with a variety of fascinating New Yorkers -- the best company you'd want to enjoy these treats with.

For anyone who likes both wine and pizza, there's no better way to combine these interests. Keep your eyes out for upcoming events and maybe I'll run into you there!

Hungry For Some Clam Pie?

... Always Hungry NY weighs in on the debate.

5. Otto (1 5th Avenue)
4. L'asso (192 Mott Street)
3. Lombardi's (32 Spring Street)
2. Franny's (295 Flatbush Avenue)

and...

you'll have to click here to find out who's number one.

Happy Meal Pizza?

As seen on thisiswhyyourfat.com.

Yuck! Or yum?

Free Pizza @ Two Boots Hell's Kitchen Tonight From 6-8

Two Boots is opening a new location on 9th Avenue between 44th and 45th Street. They will be serving free pizza this evening from 6PM - 8PM. We went to their last free pizza event and it was awesome. Check it!

New Pizza Truck In Manhattan From Staten

Grub Street Reports: On July 15, Staten Island pizzeria Valducci’s will launch a lunchtime pizza truck in Chelsea that will extend its hours (up to 24 on some days) starting in September. Owner Mike Vallario has already sent the truck to cultivate a following for Valducci’s signature Sicilian pie — cheese under sauce — by distributing free slices at 24th Street near Broadway. (The truck is out sporadically, so you’ll have to walk by to see if it’s there.) But the truck is also a precursor to a pizza bar he wants to open nearby at 27 West 24th Street by December. The restaurant menu will have two options, Sicilian or round, and a full bar.

Review: Tonda, Solid New E. Village Pizza Joint

Recently a couple of Pizza Club members gathered at Tonda in the East Village for a meet-up. The restaurant opened earlier this year in the space formerly occupied by E.U (See: Tonda Opens In East Village). The space is like no other eating establishment I've been to -- oddly divided up into different sections. This provides diners, and especially larger groups, with the opportunity to eat in a semi-private setting depending on the size of their party. This seems to be going against the NYC restaurant trend of sitting diners on top of one another. Last week, my mother and I went to Graffiti and we were sandwiched between two couples! Awkward.

At Tonda, our party was seated in a section right in front of the bathroom, which was cool if not for the fact that we saw a couple of people walk in on strangers while they were doing thier business! I was seated on a couch, which felt a bit odd at a restaurant, but considering I usually eat in my bed, it shouldn't have felt so off.

We ordered six pies. Each was solid. None were mouth watering or mind blowing. But their $30,000 slow-rotating 1,000-degree wood-burning pizza churns out some tasty pizzas. I think my favorite was the Quattroformaggi (gorgonzola, caciocavallo, mozzarella, parmigiano) followed by the Vegetarian (tomato, mozzarella, eggplants, mushrooms, zucchini, haricots verts). The Margherita left something to be desired when compared with pies at Co. and San Marzano. Below are photos of the six pies we ate.

The highlight of the meal for most of our party seemed to be dessert - particularly the nutella calzone which melted in each of our mouths. The cannolis were also large and topped with nuts and other flavorful ingredients not typically found on cannolis. The tiramisu, although a little dry, was large and filling. And the pineapples were fresh and tasty.

I think Tonda will do well. It's pizzas are all $15 and under and the space is well designed in a highly trafficked location. They serve brunch (which I've yet to try) and have 26 outdoor seats (which weren't set up when I was there due to the weather). The service was friendly and efficient. It has all the right ingredients for a successful restaurant. The bar has been set to high for pizza in New York. There's nothing wrong with average. And that, Tonda is.

Margherita, tomato, and mozzarella

Vegetarian, tomato, mozzarella, eggplants,
mushrooms, zucchini, haricots verts



Pesto, potatoes, string beans



Quattroformaggi, gorgonzola,
caciocavallo, mozzarella, parmigiano



Roasted egg, speck, aspargus,
mozzarella, fresh tomato



Prosciutto di parma arugula



Cannoli



Tiramisu



Nutella Calzone



Fresh Sliced Pineapple

The Death Of The Slice?

This was a very interesting article in Newsweek earlier this month about the death of the New York City pizza slice. It's well written and accurate:

Consider the New York slice. It's the city's most enduring gastronomical export: a cheap, cheese-slathered sliver of street life that has spread over the last century from the brick ovens of Little Italy to the farthest corners of the country, becoming both an icon of the Big Apple and the Platonic ideal of American pizza in the process. During the past six months, however, New York has been experiencing what The New York Times's Frank Bruni calls "a definite pizza moment"—a moment that threatens, I fear, to permanently alter what we think of when we think of New York pizza.

Motivated by the new fad among foodies for upscale comfort cuisine, a slew of restaurateurs have opened pizzerias (Co., Tonda) serving Neapolitan-inspired pies enlivened with farm-fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, the premier purveyors of authentic N.Y.C. pizza are showing signs of strain. [Read More]

Keste Pizza Introduces Pizza Wallet

Earlier this week a number of sites, including Grub Street, reported on Keste's new pizza wallet. It's a "a mini-margherita served from a steel warming case as a takeout lunch special." The 8-inch pie looks awesome for a number of reasons:

1) Keste's pizza is delicious.
2) It's only $6*
3) Ummm... c'mon. It's a pizza wallet!!

* Although this may seem expensive, you might want to reference my piece about Pizza Moto's $8 pies from last month.

Meta Pizza (A Pizza Topped With Mini Pizzas!)

As seen on thisiswhyyourfat.com.

Yuck! Or yum?

Review: Peperoncino in Park Slope

Last week, Shyam and I swung by Peperoncino in Park Slope.

It's a pretty standard Italian restaurant and in addition to trying their ravioli in vodka sauce we also ordered a Quattro Formaggi pizza pie (fior di latte, fontina, gorgonzola, parmigiano). With absolutely no expectations, I have to say it was quite tasty. At $13, it was slightly cheaper than what you might find in Manhattan and you can't beat eating at an outdoor sidewalk table on 5th Avenue in the Slope and a beautiful spring evening.

There are five other "classic" pies on the menu:

Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano) 9.50
Napoletana (toamto, capers, anchovies) 10.00
Margherita (tomato, fior di latte & basil) 11.00
Diavola (tomato fior di latte " spicy sausage) 12.50
Capricciosa (tomato , fior di latte: mushrooms, ham, artichokes, black olives) 13.50

And then a bunch of specialty pies:

Contadinella (tomato, mozzarella vegetables) 13.50
Ricotta E Spinaci (ricotta , spinach , capers, black olives) 13.00
La Tonnara (tomato, mozzarella, tunafish, onions) 13.50
La Belle Italia (cherry tomato, mozzarella, pesto) 12.50
Vegetariana (tomato & mixed grilled vegetables) 12.50
A 'ciorta (smoked mozzarella, eggplant, roasted peppers, onion) 14.50
Pulcinella (mozzarella, fontina , mushrooms, speck) 14.50
Salsiccia Friarielli (mozzarella, sausage, broccoli rape) 13.50
Peperoncino (cherry tomato, mozzarella, shrimp , zucchini) 14.50
A 'mbriana (cherry tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, arugola, parmigiano) 15.50
Pizza Do'mare (tomato , calamari , mussels, clams, shrimp) 17.00
L'oro Di Napoli (mozzarella, ricotta, basil, 23k gold leaves) 16.00

23k gold leaves?? Interesting! Show us the bling, yo.

Pizza And Take Out Beer In Midtown

Midtown Lunch reports:

If cheep-ass beer and pizza in an … umm … 'unpretentious' atmosphere is what you’re looking for, than the 41st Street Pronto is the dive for you!

Click here for the site's full write up of Pronto Pizza, which features pizza and take out beer in a soda cup!

Edible Flower Lemonade Pizza?

I passed by Birthbath Bakery and got really excited because there was a sign outside for Edible Flower Lemonade Pizza! Okay... upon close examination I realized the sign read Edible Flower Lemonade + Pizza. Seems like a nice combination though!

I reported last month that Birthbath was serving up a new kind of pizza (New Pizza Style Sighted in Manhattan) but haven't been by to taste it yet, despite the fact that the bakery is around the corner from me. You can be sure when I do give it a try... you'll be the first to know!

Passing Up Pizza Moto @ Brooklyn Flea

Last weekend, I swung by Fort Greene's Brooklyn Flea - an amazing assortment of food tents and retailers. As expected, Pizza Moto was there serving up their delectable pies. As I wrote in an entry last week (Pizza Moto: Delicious!! Yet Unfilling & Slighty Overpriced), the pies are great but slightly small and overpriced. Unlike at BKLYN YARD, where the line streched up to 50 people, there were absolutely no people in line around 11:30AM on Saturday.

There were no Artichoke or Ramp pies being offered either, as was the case the previous week, but instead what appeared to be a white pie for $10. It looked good, but not worth my ten spot.

I indulged myself at the next tent over: Asia Dog. I had a $4 organic beef hot dog with Japanese curry and kimchi apple. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it was quite tasty!

New Pizza Place In Bed-Stuy

New York Magazine previews Saraghina, a new pizza place opening in Bed-Stuy. Expand your pizza horizons!

Saraghina

Pizza continues to be all the rage among restaurateurs seeking to offer customers something they can still afford, but do not mistake Edoardo Mantelli and Massimiliano Nanni—who open Saraghina pizzeria this week—for a pair of Gianni-Come-Latelies. “It’s like a dream come true,” says Mantelli, whose day job is co-owner of the Tocca clothing brand. In Italy, according to him, children do not aspire to grow up to become firemen, astronauts, or heads of state, but rather pizzaioli. “Yes, really, every child wants to make pizza.” At Saraghina, named for a character in Fellini’s 8 1/2 that pizza will be Neapolitan in style, as taught to Mantelli by his friend Michele Iuliano of Luzzo’s in the East Village, and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Nanni also owns Piadina in Greenwich Village, and his wife, Paola Citterio, has designed Saraghina’s rustic space using mostly recycled materials. For now, it’s just pizza, salads, cured meats, cheeses, and dessert, but in the coming weeks, the team will expand the menu and the space.

LOCATION: 435 Halsey, nr. Lewis Ave.

Veloce Pizzeria: A First Look!

Veloce Pizzeria (103 1st Ave @ 7th Street) is the latest addition to the swarm of upscale pizza shops that have taken over the East Village recently. It opened last week, and Lauren and I swung by on Friday night to see what was cooking. With only five Sicilian pies on the menu, the selection is somewhat limited although with pizza I always preach quality over quantity.

The restaurant is pretty bare bones. Tables are covered with red and white checked tablecloths. There are three televisions - two which were playing a western movie and one which had on an Asian film. The left wall, visible below, is covered with horizontal wine bottle along an illuminated backdrop. The place is a mix between that old school pizzeria in your hometown and a hip NYC lounge that is trying to be a bit too cool. The restaurant seats about 50 people and was less than half full on Friday evening around 10PM.

There are five Spuntini (appetizers) on the menu and Lauren and I opted for the Cazzili -- potato fritters with parmigiano and mint. They were tasty, but nothing to write home about. Some were notably more salty than others. The portion was just the right size for two people to split before they delve into their pizza.

Of the five pizzas on the menu, we were leaning towards ordering the Funghi Pie (sauted oyster, mushrov, mozzarella, and thyme), which we preceded to do once the waiter let us know that was his favorite. It was a solid mushroom pie, not so different from, say, the Shroomtown pie at Posto/Vezzo/Spunto/Gruppo. The 12-inch Sicilian pie was cut into 9 slices and was just large enough to leave us full and satisfied.

The other four pies on the menu are:

Sfincione (tomato sauce, anchovy, onion, caciocavallo, toasted bread crumb) - $15
Mignotta (mozzarella, sweet onion, arugula) - $16
Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil) - $15
Salsiccia (garlic sausage ragu, mozzarella) - $18

We didn't get dessert, but it is worth noting that they have a pretty extensive wine list. Glasses are $8 or $9 and bottles start at $32. I paired my pizza with a glass of Sunnae which was quite enjoyable (although as my friends know, I know nothing about wine). White, please!!

After dinner, we took a look in the kitchen which was decorated with some cool graffiti. The kitchen was expectantly small considering the limited options on the menu.

As I wrote before, I'd rather a pizza place serve up one amazing pie than a dozen sub-par pies. Nevertheless, as business picks up, it will be beneficial for Veloce Pizzeria to expand their menu and develop more Sicilian pies for diners to choose from. Veloce's niche is the fact that they only serve Sicilian pies and there is definitely room in the New York City pizza market for such a place. As long as the prices remain reasonable, I can see this new pizzeria sticking around for the long run.

Chestnut Vs. Kobayashi: Pizza

As big of a Joey Chestnut fan as I am, I can't pass up a chance to scream "Kobayashi!!!!" every time he downs a food item. This weekend it was pizza and the Japanese superstar showed Chesnut who the true competitive eating champ is.

Japan's Kobayashi beats Chestnut in eating rematch

CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) — In a chewy chow-lenge, Takeru Kobayashi outlasted Joey Chestnut when the eating titans faced off to see who could devour the most pizzas.

Kobayashi, a six-time world hot dog eating champion from Japan, consumed 5 3/4 P'zones in a six-minute span of chaotic consumption Saturday to edge Chestnut. The 25-year-old from San Jose, Calif., wolfed down 5 1/2 P'zones on Stage 15 at Sony Studios.

"I'm a little bummed," Chestnut said. "There's nobody I like beating more than him, he pushes me harder than anybody." [READ MORE]

Krunch Pizza Bar's New Homepage?

A customer who it seems had a bad experience at Krunch Pizza Bar has created a fake homepage for the pizza joint. Ouch!