The Original Patsy's

Life is better with pizza. Finally made it to the original Patsy's on 117th street and 1st Ave. This is the only Patsy's with a coal oven and it is far superior to the chain of Patsy's located throughout the city. Patsy's has the hallmarks of an old school NY pizzeria; exposed brick wall and framed photos of celebrities eating their pizza. Perhaps the coolest thing on the wall is a large painted portrait of Frank Sinatra. I thought it would be more crowded but I guess not many people make the trek up to Harlem for great pizza. At least not on a weekday during lunch. Brian and I ordered a plain pie. There is only one size and it costs $11. We got the pizza pretty quickly and we both agreed that it was great.

Two things make this pizza unique. The ultrathin crust and the tomato sauce. The crust was a little on the underdone side but still had that great coal oven char on the underside and edges. The tomato sauce was probably the simplest I've had yet. No signs of any italian seasonings. Just great fresh tomato flavor. After finishing our pizza, we asked about the mozzarella. It wasn't clear on the menu, but it turns out that their basic cheese pie is made with grated whole milk mozzerella and if you want the fresh mozzarella (who wouldn't) you have to specifically order it. So, it looks like we'll be visiting Patsy's again for another pie soon. If you don't have the time to enjoy a whole pie, you could always stop by for a slice right next door. $1.50 for coal oven slices. Brian and I were tempted for more but we decided to hold off until next visit!

Frank Pepe **

I know this is a NY pizza tour but for the coal oven I make exceptions. Daena and I were visiting friends up in Massachusetts and on our way home we stopped for lunch at Frank Pepe. It is in New Haven's Little Italy on Wooster Street. I heard about this place from my friend Cate who has been there several times. We were excited to try this place and we were curious to see how Connecticut pie would stack up against NY. We arrived at about 12:30 (1 hour after they opened) and we were seated right away. The place is filled with booths and we were assigned booth 22.

Frank Pepe's was built in 1925 and it definitely has an old feel to it but it is kept in great condition. High ceilings provide great ventilation from the heat of the oven and also make the place feel big. As we walked to our booth we passed the giant coal oven which occupies the entire back wall of the pizzeria. You know its huge because the handles of the pizza peels are about 10 feet long. Even in a relatively small working area, the pizzaiolos make it look easy as they slide the pies in and out of the back of the oven. After we sat down we were given a menu which was printed on a piece of paper. Pizza only. In addition to this menu, Pepe's menu is also right on the wall. We didn't really need a menu because we knew we were going to get a large tomato pie with mozzarella ($13.80). We ordered our pie and waited. The smell of pizza filled the air and we watched as each pie was brought from the oven area to an area where the servers cut the pie.

The anticipation was palpable and we finally saw our server walk over to the large cheese pie and slice it up. We knew it was ours and we were ready for it. The pizza was really big. The crust was awesome and really crispy. The tomato sauce was light and had a great fresh flavor. The cheese was also good but I'm not sure if they use fresh mozzarella here. Also, I thought that the sauce to cheese ratio was too low. Regardless though, this pizza was excellent and we came pretty close to polishing off the large. My only criticism of this place was actually the way that the pizza was sliced. After watching the servers cut the pizza it looks like they rotate the pizza and cut with no particular timing such that each slice is a different size and some are not even triangular. They do it so fast that I couldn't tell if there was a method to their pizza cutting madness. In the end it didn't matter and it even gave the pie a character of its own. After eating this pizza, our hands were blackened from the coal crust and we were ridiculously full.

On our way out we snapped some photos of the coal oven and talked briefly to the manager. If you are there, make sure to check out the photos on the wall. We really liked the ones of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton eating pie. Also, I recommend the root beer as it perfectly complemented this pizza. When we left, the line outside Pepe's was growing. We walked over to an Italian pastry shop next door called Libby's to check out their stash of cannolis. They looked awesome but we had no room for dessert. So it looks like I'll have to get my fix back home at Ferrara's. If you are ever in New Haven and want great pizza, stop by Frank Pepe and you won't be disappointed.

Luzzo's

Next stop on the tour was Luzzo's. It's on 1st Avenue between 12th and 13th. I heard about this place from my friend Emilie and she said it was great. She was certainly right. This place doesn't advertise how great their pizza is. They take a more modest approach and so you won't find it draped with banners that proclaim to serve the planet's best pizza and it won't be packed with tourists.
Luzzo's has a coal oven and makes traditional Naples style pizza. They use mozzarella de bufala (mozzarella made from buffalo milk) and place it in large drops onto the sauce. The crust is thin, not crispy, but perfectly charred in a way that only a coal oven could produce. The sauce is simple, sweet, and tasty. The buffalo mozzarella is very creamy. Overall, the pie was light and delicious. It is a very unique pizza and we found the combination of the coal oven crust with the mozzarella de bufala cheese to be perfect.
As a bonus, this place is very charming. Dae and I felt like we could have been eating in a small cafe in Italy. One side of the place is lined with small booths and the other side with small tables. Exposed brick covers one of the walls, giving Luzzo's a very rustic feel. The service was excellent. All servers and Pizzaioli are Italian, along with many of their patrons.
This place also serves up more than just great pizza. Dae and I tried the Italian cheese fondue as an appetizer and were not disappointed. It had a combination of smoked mozzarella, parmesan, and goat cheese and was served with some great crispy toasts. We definitely can't wait to go back. In addition to a 16" pizza ($19) we want to try the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentino. We knew this place was going to be great because when we walked in we spotted Furio (from the Sopranos) having dinner by himself in a booth in the back.
With Luzzo's under my belt, there are only 3 more coal oven joints to try. Stay tuned!