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New York pizza

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by TwoGloves, Oct 25, 2019.

  1. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    Heading there this weekend for a quick getaway. Anybody want to chime in as to who has the absolute best pizza? I'm planning to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and I heard there were places there that are really good.
     
  2. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Grimaldi's. Just on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge.
     
    Tweener likes this.
  3. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    I've eaten a ton of pizza up this way, a lot of it good. This has been my favorite

    Ribalta Restaurants
     
  4. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

  5. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Joe's

    John's

    Lombardi's

    Pizza Suprema

    Totonno's

    Di Fara

    L & B Spumoni Gardens

    Juliana's

    Grimaldi's

    Scarr's

    Lucali

    Artichoke Basille

    Emily

    Patsy's

    Prince Street Pizza

    Paulie Gee's



    are all good. Some are slice joints, and some are sitdown, whole-pie places. It really depends what neighborhood you're in. But there's great pizza in every neighborhood in New York.

    Of the two at the "foot" of the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO, both of which sell whole pies, I'd recommend Juliana's over Grimaldi's.

    (Juliana's is owned and run by . . . Patsy Grimaldi. Long story.)
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2019
  6. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Yes on Juliana's over Grimaldi's.

    Just for background, if case anyone cares. ... since Az refused to go into it. :)

    There was Grimaldi's. ... opened late 80s, or around 1990, I think. ... before the park went in by the water and DUMBO turned into NY's version of a Disney theme park over the last decade. The pizza was awesome.

    In the late 90s, Patsy Grimaldi decided to retire, sold the name and got out. The pizza stayed pretty awesome, even though there were Russians making the pies more often than not. The coal-fired oven was the key.

    Then, about 8 or 9 years ago, the new owners lost their lease and decided to move a few doors down, to a bigger corner place. They got permission to install a new coal fired oven (they are illegal now). At the same time, they decided to start franchising the name.

    It's been a bit downhill since then.

    A year after Grimald's moved, Patsy Grimaldi, or his family, decided to reopen in the old spot, using the old coal oven. He couldn't use his name -- he had sold it -- so in came Juliana's. The owner's of Grimaldi's tried to block him, and there was a bit of a legal battle. They lost.

    For my money, I'll take a Juliana's pie any day, any time over what Grimaldi's is now slinging. Juliana's is still one of the best pies in NY. People just know the Grimaldi's name, though, and you'll find lines at both, even though Juliana's is superior in my opinion.

    Regardless, there is a pizza place on Water Street called Ignazio's, across from the River Cafe, which ingeniously piggybacks off of them. They put a sign out front that says something like "the pizza," and confused tourists go in there instead, or if they aren't confused they see the lines for Juliana's and Grimaldi's and decide it isn't worth it. Just avoid that place.

    I'll second most of Az's list. ... and this is something I am really passionate about.

    Juliana's and Grimaldi's are sit-down, by-the-pie places. If you want the quintessential NY slice, a lot of places that would have been at the top of the list have closed down, unfortunately, but Joe's (first one on Az's list and that Moddy did a link to) is a NY treasure. Perfectly balanced sauce, good mozzerella and just the perfect thin crust that stays firm. We were actually talking yesterday about getting some pizza there this weekend. I am amazed at how they do it, since they essentially are just running pie after pie into the oven and selling 2, 3 or 4 slices at a time to people rolling through there like it is an assembly line. You'd think it would make for subpar pizza, but it's REALLY good.

    The beauty of Joe's, too, is that it's right in the heart of the West Village, so there are a lot of things for you do to there, and if the weather is nice enough, you can grab a couple of slices and walk over to Washington Square Park and people watch while you chow.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2019
    Woody Long and Azrael like this.
  7. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Second what Ragu says about Joe's.

    And yes, the one on Carmine Street in the Village is the one to visit. That's the true church.

    But there are a few more locations now, if you find yourself in need of a slice. Beware of counterfeits.

    www.joespizzanyc.com
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2019
  8. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Ha. I hadn’t even considered the Joe’s outposts. Just not the same to me. I knew the shop by Union Square and the one down by the Fulton St. subway stop, but I had no clue about the others. I learned something.

    BTW, from your list, one of my favorites nowadays is Lucali in Cobble Hill / Carroll Gardens, in Brooklyn. It's a bit of a pain, though, because you have to go down there, give the bitchy girl in front your phone number and then you have to kill time around there until your name is up on the list. And it can end up being 3 weeks later, the way they run the place.

    But it's a great story, Mark Iacono knew absolutely nothing about making pizza when he opened the place. It had been a candy store, and he grew up in the neighborhood and he decided to rent the storefront because he was getting upset by the Subways and Starbucks going in and destroying the old-school Italian character of the neighborhood. I won't say he does the best pie in NY, but it is up there near the top. It may, however, be the best calzone you can find. ... pretty much anywhere.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2019
  9. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    I was at Lucali nine years ago today, according to my Facebook memories. I third or fourth (or whatever) Joe's.
     
  10. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    Thanks everyone! I've read the story about Grimaldi's and Juliana's. We're staying in mid-town near the park and Times Square.
     
  11. Justin_Rice

    Justin_Rice Well-Known Member

  12. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    There's a Joe's at 1435 Broadway, between 40th and 41st.
     
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