Zoo York Pizza Tour

Zoo York. I'm sure you've seen their clothing around the city. Cool brand. And now they

Di Fara's $5.00 Slices Anger Some

I've already made it clear how I feel about Di Fara's $5.00 slices.

Now the New York Post reports that many customers are upset. One person is quoted as saying, "Between my MetroCard and a pizza there, I wouldn't be able to afford my rent."

Seriously? Then don't go!

New Grimaldi's To Deliver?

Although it's yet to be seen if the new Grimaldi's location in Manhattan lives up to it's older brother across the East River, one thing is promising... it looks like they'll be delivering according to New York Magazine. Although this is presumably only available to downtown residents (right now all we know is that they'll be making free deliveries to residents at 200 Water Street), it may turn out to be a convenient way to avoid lines that will certainly be forming in the near future.

Personally, even without visiting the new place yet, I suggest sticking to your roots and heading over the Brooklyn Bridge for what will be a more authentic experience.

Veloce Pizzeria - The Reviews Pour In

Although I hit up Veloce Pizzeria when it opened at the end of May (review), I've noticed a slew of reviews popping up over the past week. Here are what people are saying:

Slice:

I did discover something about this pizza: You have to eat it immediately after it hits the table. After five minutes sitting in the pan, it becomes flaccid; after ten minutes, it's absolutely soggy, with the moderately dense hole structure of crust having reabsorbed the abundant amount of oil found in the pizza at Veloce. To say that these pies are oily is an understatement, and some people will find them delicious [raises hand]; others will be put off entirely.

New York Magazine:

Their contribution to the new pizza landscape is a sophisticated stunner of a twelve-inch pan pie, distinguished by a shallow crust that’s at once springily tender and crisp (an unusual touch of potato in the dough sees to that). Toppings are of uniformly high quality, and generously applied, especially the hen-of-the-woods and oyster-mushroom combo on the funghi, and the pungent but harmonious marriage of anchovy, onion, tomato, bread crumbs, and caciocavallo in the Palermo specialty sfincione.

The Village Voice:

The crust is crunchy on the outside, and very fine grained and moist inside, with a texture like a zeppole, almost disarmingly poofy. This texture grew on me. The sausage pie was particularly fine, with pork that, though lightly spiced, was bursting with flavor. The mushroom pie deployed dried porcinis, which had been hydrated, then partially dehydrated again as the pie baked. They were thus rendered a little stiff in places, but flavorful.

The Spirituality Of Food:

Go for the ambiance. Go for the wine. It’s good. Go for the tasty arugula and parmesan salad. But please, if you like good pizza - and fast pizza - don’t come to Veloce Pizzeria. Then again, it IS open until two a.m. AND they deliver. Certainly better than Dominos.

Stuffed Crust Pizza?

It's been said by some that the most important part of a pizza pie is the bread crust. We'll apparently Domino's is taking their to a whole new level... or so it appears in this fomercial (fake commercial?) from UCB Comedy.

Review: Fornino - A "Hidden" Gem In Williamsburg?

Last month, I hit up Fornino's in Williamsburg with Seth. For a place that sits on a highly trafficked block on Bedford Avenue, the back garden is a nice refuge from the hustle and bustle of hipster heaven.

This place rarely makes any "top 20" lists and I hadn't even heard of it until relatively recently. It's weird to call it a hidden gem given it's location, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the pizza we had.

We got two pies -- the Margherita DOC (tomatoes, buffalo , mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and parmesan cheese) and the 4 Formaggi (mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, ricotta).

It's no shock that the most recent reviews on menupages are titled: Excellent, Legit, Good but could be great, Fantastic!!, and yumm-O. All are adequate descriptions of the pizza here.

They have a nice wood-fired pizza oven, friendly service, and while it's a little less hip than, say, Motorino... I'm surprised the two places aren't compared with one another more often.

Sometimes when I look at the low quality photos I take of pizza with my iPhone, I realize the few megapixles Apple gives me are not enough to recapture the beautiful pies that I eat. In this case, however, I think the photos can speak for themself.

Pizza In Portland, Oregon

I'm on the road this week, so posts will be light. I'm looking forward to trying a couple of well reviewed pizza places in Portland, Oregon: A Pizza Scholls and Ken's Artisan Pizza.

But perhaps I'm most excited for a food cart named Give Pizza A Chance. They even have a full menu here.

Yes, I think I will give pizza a chance.

CPK Has Coupons?

I never knew that California Pizza Kitchen had coupons. Or maybe I remember seeing them in those thousand page Entertainment Guide books. I'll give CPK this -- of all of the pizza chains in this country, they're definitely at the top of the list. And apparently Ruth Madoff thinks so too.

Ruth Madoff Coupon Clipping At California Pizza Kitchen

What a happy couple...

Making Pizzas At Home

I just came across a food blog I've become and instant fan of: Food In Mouth.

They recently the did a feature about making pizzas at home. You can check it out here.

Amazing photos like those below accompany the piece.

Pizza-Gasm: The Most In Depth NYC Pizza Feature Ever Written?

Not to be outdone by last week's Frank Bruni article in The New York Times (Crust Is a Canvas for Pizza’s New Wave), New York Magazine has put together the most comprehensive feature about New York City pizza that I have ever come across.

I would compare my reaction to the seeing the cover to that of a 12 year old boy coming across his first porn magazine. If there was ever such thing as food orgasm (food-gasm), this is how mine would happen...

I was going to write an in depth analysis of the Bruni piece and then along comes New York Magazine to steal the spotlight.

There is no way to truly convey all of the awesomeness inside of these 10 pages of pizza heaven, so I will now direct you to the New York Magazine website where you shall print out and enjoy the following parts of this feature.

Pizza Timeline
Notable Pizza Ovens
Primary Players In The NYC Pizza Scene
In Depth Piece About Una Pizza Napoletana’s Anthony Mangieri
Pizzanomics: Which Kind Of Pizza Place Is More Profitable
Jim Lahey’s No-Nnead Margherita Recipie
Celebrity Favorites

All of this leading up to...

The Top Twenty Pies In New York City

The only surprise I have is that San Marzano on the Lower East Side got completely snubbed by both The New York Times and New York Magazine. No mention whatsoever. I thought Di Fara (#10 in New York Magazine) is way too low although I understand the piece is slanted towards new more upscale Neopolitan places. Luzzo’s, which is on my block, is too high at #6. I always go to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza & Brewery around the corner which has much superior slices, despite the line.

Of the top 10, La Pizza Fresca is the only place I haven't been. Since New York Magazine's list seems to be relatively strong, I'll have to move this up on my own list of places to try.

Overall, props to New York Magazine for putting together such an amazing feature. The truth is, I was so excited to read it that I didn't give it the time and though it needs. You can be sure I'll be rereading everything this weekend as to fully comprehend how mammoth of a piece this is.

Read it. Learn it. Love it. This is New York pizza.

Good Pizza Coming To DC?

One thing that my hometown of Washington DC is missing is a good old fashioned pizza place. That could change sometime in the near future. The New York Times reports that Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef fame was checking out pizzerias in the city last week in preparation of opening his own in the nation's capital.

A Night Out With | Spike Mendelsohn

A Quest for Perfect Pizza

Pizza Party!

Who doesn't love an old fashion pizza party?

Click here for details about one being held in Williamsburg tomorrow at K&M bar.

A Crazy Week In The NYC Pizza World

There was so much going on in the New York City pizza world this week, it was tough to keep track. In fact, I have so many thoughts about pizza right now, I can't even collect myself to write them in any type of coherent form. Many of the events of the week you'll be hearing about for days to come, so let's just start off with what the hell happened:

It all started on Tuesday night when one of the city's most highly rated pizzas places, Lucali, caught fire (Fire at Lucali; Pizzeria Closed Possibly One to Two Weeks). How good is Lucali? I can't tell you because I was suppose to go there this weekend for the first time. I guess that will have to wait. But if it means anything, Alan Richman from GQ Magazine just ranked their "plain pie" the 2nd best pizza pie in the entire country. And in a move that surprised even myself, Zagat recently crowned Lucali the best pizza place in New York dethroning longtime champ Di Fara.

Moving along... on Wednesday, Frank Bruni came out with the most in depth article ever written about pizza in The New York Times (Crust Is a Canvas for Pizza’s New Wave). My thoughts about the piece are forthcoming. Ironically, one of the main places featured was Lucali. A nearly life size pie appeared on the cover of the "Dining In" section.

On Thursday, this site conveyed some information about Di Fara that was made public this week. The title of the blog post is pretty self explanatory: Di Fara - Raising Prices And Cutting Hours.

And finally, today, Eater reports that Una Pizza Napoletana, another one of the city's most renowned pizzerias, might be moving out west as owner Anthony Mangieri is picking up and heading to San Francisco. What's even more twisted is that Mathieu Palombino of Motorino may take over the space (Motorino has applied for a transfer of the beer and wine license now held by Una Pizza).

My thoughts? Motorino in Manhattan (2 blocks from where I live) would be awesome! Although there is no outdoor space in the location, their pizza is better and cheaper than Una Pizza. One of the biggest travisties of Una Pizza is that I can't possible afford a $22 personal pie everytime I'm hungry for pizza. Oddly, this move adds to the number of affordable and competing establishments within a few blocks of each other: Posto, Artichoke, Motorino, Veloce Pizzaria, and Tonda.

My head is still spinning. More on all this madness next week. Go have some pizza this weekend! I'll be checking out LUNA ROSSA (552 Court Street) on Sunday.

Di Fara: Raising Prices And Cutting Hours

According to Slice, Di Fara is raising it's prices and cutting it's hours. Slices are going up to $5 and plain pies are now $25, square pies are $30, special round pies are $30, and special square pies are $35.

This might seem expensive, but it doesn't bother me one bit. Pizza from Di Fara, as I've mentioned on this site many times before, is the absolute best thing I've ever consumed. That being said, you can't really put a price tag on something so delicious. A fancy meal in Manhattan can easily run you $50 per person, so splitting a pie with a friend for $12.50 each seems relatively harmless. Dom DeMarco has been making pies long enough that he can charge whatever he wants. What upsets me is when new places pop up that overcharge you for their sub-par pizza.

As far as the hours... Di Fara is now closed on Tuesday in addition to Mondays. This only means it'll be more crowded on the other days of the week. Dom turns 74 this month and he's been working 6-7 weeks for the past 50 years. It's about time he cut down on his hours.

Anyone who has never been to Di Fara needs to make the trek out there. It's a 30 minute train ride from Union Square and well worth any wait you might encouter.

New Pizza Place on 14th Street

There's a new pizza place the just opened on 14th Street. It not only looks like a hole, but it's exactly one block from Artichoke, which arguably serves some of the best pizza in the city. I know there's a line and slices are $3.50 at Artichoke, but regardless... does 14th Street really need another pizza place?

There are about a dozen pizza places in the immediate area. The only way I could see someone going here is if they're from out of town and don't know any better. Perhaps the hostel across the street will bring them some business.

I don't mean to trash the place... I haven't even tried their pizza. I'm judging a book by it's cover here, folks. I emphasize quality over price when it comes to pizza. Go to Artichoke down the block. Don't waste your time here.

Veloce Pizzeria: Now Delivering... But Not Far!

Rumor has it that Veloce Pizzeria is now delivering. That's great!

But is it just me or does the delivery zone seem particularly small? The restaurant is located on 1st Avenue between 6th Street and 7th Street. They only deliver as far north as 10th Street. Which begs the question -- if you live within three blocks of the restaurant why are you ordering delivery anyway? Pause True Blood, get off your butt, and pick up your pizza!

Okay, but seriously. I live on 15th Street and 1st Avenue -- 8 blocks away -- and I'm not even close to the delivery zone. The exact delivery area is between 10th Street and Houston, between Second Avenue and Avenue A.

You'd think they could at least expand up to 14th Street in which case I'd be able to meet them outside of Papaya Dog.

Co. Closed Next Week

Co. will be closed from this Sunday through the 12th to give their staff a rest and give the restaurant time to roll out their summer menu. Exciting!

We hope they leave three of our favorite items on the menu: ricotta bread, toast with chicken liver, and the flambe pie.

Too Many Pizza Places = Too Many Open Seats?

With new upscale pizza places opening on a weekly basis, I'm always wondering how business is doing. Could all this pizzerias possibly be exceeding or even meeting expectations? When I went to Keste it was packed. Same with Co. Even San Marzano, Veloce Pizzeria, and Tonda were pretty crowded when I went. Since I wasn't at most of these places during prime dining periods (say, Friday at 8PM), it's appeared that each place has been holding it's own.

Well now I have Grub Street to thank for doing a more scientific study. Last Friday night, they dropped by seven new pizza places that have opened recently in what I hope is a regular new feature tagged as "spot check." Their findings are not surprising. Co was packed with a wait. And Keste and San Marzano were more than 80% full. Spunto and Pizza Mezzaluna (neither to which I've been) were above half capacity, while Veloce Pizzeria and Tonda were struggling.

Co, San Marzano and Keste really stand out of the pack as far as their pizza goes. In fact, they are three of my favorite pizza places in the city, while it's hard to justify the prices at Tonda and Veloce Pizzeria when there are better, comparably priced pizza places around. Anther factor might be size. Tonda, which seats about 100 people, is too large. Keste and San Marzano are able to fill up their 40-seat restaurants more easily.

In this type of NYC pizza madness you really need to stand out of the pack. I'd hate to see any of these places close, because the truth is that each do offer something unique to the local pizza scene. But one bad review could kill you in this type of cutthroat pizza world. And there is only so much pizza one can eat. I personally can't see myself going back to Tonda over San Marzano (which is a five minute walk away), and decisions like that might hurt Tonda's ability to survive beyond its first year.

Here are the results:

Tonda – 14 diners, approx. 86 seats available
San Marzano – 32 diners, 6 seats available
Veloce Pizzeria – 22 diners, approx. 28 seats available
Pizza Mezzaluna – 11 diners, 9 seats available
Spunto – 43 diners, 18 seats available
Kesté – 32 diners, 8 seats available
Co. – 50 diners, 4 seats available, 6 waiting

Pizza Wine? Could It Be Better Than It Sounds?

Remember earlier this year when we blogged about pizza beer?

If that didn't sound nasty enough, newyorkshitty.com has informed us that Greenpoint's T&N Wine and Liquor (83 Manhattan Avenue) is now selling Pizza Wine!

According to newyorkshitty.com the bottle reads:

This fresh RED WINE has been specifically developed to match the variety of flavors found in PIZZA. The grapes have been grown under a wide, blue and sun filled sky which packs the grape with BEAUTIFUL FLAVOR. Some of the natural grape sweetness has been retained to further enhance your enjoyment of this wine. If you enjoy your affair with this wine please recommend it to your friends as it is a new product and may not have discovered it.

Cheers

Peter Brown

Curious what it tasted like? Click here to read the entire review. Apparently it "goes pretty nicely with pizza— albeit probably not as well as a beer would."

Nevertheless, we're in no rush to hop on the subway and pick up a bottle.