New York pizza

[TwoGloves]

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.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Grimaldi's. Just on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge.

 

[Moderator1]

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

Ribalta Restaurants

 

[Moderator1]

Also, find the episode of The Flay List where Bobby and his daughter hit restaurants around town? They did one on pizza and went to one in Brooklyn that looked really good.

Bobby's - Joe's Pizza | The Greenwich Village Institution

His daughter's - Emily

 

[Azrael]

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.)

 

[The Big Ragu]

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.

 

[Azrael]

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

 

[The Big Ragu]

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.

 

[Dyno]

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

 

[TwoGloves]

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.

 

[Justin_Rice]

 

[Azrael]

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.

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

 

[The Big Ragu]

There is also a John's (sit down place) on 44th and 8th, which gets a lot of the pre-broadway show crowd. It's good, but maybe a notch below some of the places we're discussing (just one man's humble opinion, though) and I prefer the John's on Bleeker St., although I can never figure out if they are actually related. If you do John's / Time Square, the house salad is good. ... their salads come in big bowls, can be shared by a table and all of them are seasoned and dressed really well.

 

[Huggy]

Been to John's on 8th and it was great, best pizza joint I have been to is Pizza Suprema which came highly recommended by a guy I know who works for the Rangers

 

[CD Boogie]

Just take metro north to new haven for the best pizza

 

[Azrael]

Just take metro north to new haven for the best pizza

Pepe's?

Or Sally's?

 

[CD Boogie]

Pepe's?

Or Sally's?

Both.

But if put to the decision, I'd go with Pepe's because my good buddy is the general manager.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Thanks to Ragu for updating the Grimaldi's situation. In some ways, it was better to grab a pie in Hoboken, where it was a little easier to get a table and enjoy. That was all a few years ago ... *sigh*.

Didn't know the backstory. And, by all means, listen to these folks. They will NOT steer you wrong. I'm not native ... for the time being, anyway.

 

[swingline]

I ate at Juliana's a couple of years ago during my only trip to NYC. Damn good pizza. Pair it with a Sixpoint beer, and you're set.

 

[X-Hack]

I would imagine pretty much anyplace in NY other than a Sbarro, Pizza Hut or Domino's is better than the best pizza up here in the Boston area. I lived in NJ for a couple years as a teenager and you could find a better slice at any random nondescript strip mall than you could anywhere in New England (most of it is the Greek-style crunchy crust, sweet sauce, weird cheese garbage that my kids swear by. Any pizza from a place that calls itself a "Spa" or a "House of Pizza" is absolutely to be avoided, especially if it also advertises "Syrian bread" as an option for its subs. Stick with the gyros).