A Trip to Di Fara has been in the works for a long time. Just haven't had the time recently to trek out to BK for pie. I'm glad I finally made the time to do so. On the journey with me were Brian & Leah, their son Owen, and Ming. This trip was unlike any other pizza experience I have had. I now understand why people rave about this place. It's not just the pie itself but the whole Di Fara experience. From the moment you walk in to the place, it's a show. You would never know the quality of pizza that is served here from the outside. When you first walk in, your eyes are drawn to the star of the show, 71 year old Domenico DeMarco. Watching this Pizza maker was just awesome. And believe me, you (and all others around you) will watch him assemble pie after pie while you wait for yours. Within minutes, you can see the passion for his craft. Every step in the pie making process is methodical. From the stretching of the dough, to the saucing of the pie, to the grating of the Mozzarella, to the pouring of the olive oil from a copper decanter, to the cutting of the basil with scissors, to the addition of the Gran Padano cheese, it's like watching the assembly of a work of art. The ingredients are the freshest one can get. The flour, tomatoes, and cheeses are imported from Italy and the Basil is from Israel.
The people keep coming in and the orders keep slowly making their way to Dom. At one point during our visit, there were easily 30 people hovering over the counter area waiting for pizza and the phone kept ringing and ringing (unanswered to the delight of the waiting patrons). We ordered 2 pizzas. One round and one square. Both plain. $20 for the round and $25 for the square. After an hour and 15 minutes, our round pie came out of the oven and was placed on a tray on the counter. Dom came over to the pie, put the post-oven finishing touches on it, and sliced it up for us. I brought it to the table we secured a while back and started to feast. It was great. Unlike any other pizza I've had thus far. All of the flavors blended together in a great way. The crust was very thin and crispy and the char on the crust was very reminiscent of what you might get from a coal oven. Other than one slice that had too much Basil on it (Ming took one for the team!) it was a perfect pie. By the time we finished the first pizza, our sqare pie was ready to roll. After Dom put the finishing touches on it, I brought it to the table. On my way there, a patron waiting for pizza asked if he could buy a slice! I laughed and then said that I couldn't part with any slices. It was also great and very unique. The crust was awesome and this pie was alot more filling than the traditional round. I'm glad we got the square pie as the second course. We ate until we couldn't eat any more (there is such a thing as too much of a good thing!) and took a few remaining slices to go. I'm not sure when I'll be back to Di Fara but I am certainly glad to have finally tried it. You won't find any ambiance here (this place has green walls and no frills) but you will find great pizza. I enjoyed watching Dom making the pizza just as much as I enjoyed eating it. I even saw him reach into his oven with his bare hands and carry a pizza to the counter. He looked so content as each pizza found its owner and I hope he continues to make pizza for many years to come.
