Say it Aint So!

You've heard it through the grapevine, the rumor mill, the halls of Rockefeller Research Labs. I have relinquished my prestigious 10021 area code for the 19102. I am officially a resident of Philadelphia. While good for my career, this is turning out to be disastrous for Pizza. Surely Philadelphia must offer decent Pizza and I will do my darndest to find it. This blog will always be the New York Pizza Tour as New York pizza is always in my heart if not my plate. Stay Tuned for entries.

Grimaldi's Re-Re-Revisited

My Brother Izzy and his girlfriend Maria came for a visit to meet their new neice and indulge in great NY pie. I had to take them to Grimaldi's. After a ride on the F train (Maria's first subway ride!) we walked over to 19 Old Fulton St for some pie. We were seated right away. A table near the oven so we could see and feel the action. My brother and Maria were not disappointed! The pie was superb as usual. After lunch, we headed to the waterfront for some pics and then over to Jacque Torres for some dessert. It was really awesome to spend time with my Bro. Looking forward to doing it again soon.

Bella Via

In an effort to try all coal oven pizzerias in NY, the tour has ventured out to Queens. Right off the 7 train to a place called Bella Via. This place is more of a restaurant than a pizzeria, but it did have outdoor seating. Brian and I grabbed a table outside and ordered a large margherita. The pie was really good. Thin crust and good sauce. The only complaint was that the pie did not hold temperature very well. Most likely due to eating outside, but how often does one get to eat coal oven pizza outside? After having my fill of pie and of Queens, I made a B line for the 7 line and headed home.

Patsy's Revisited

Back to the original Patsy's for their 75th anniversary. In honor of this occasion, Patsy's rolled back their menu prices to 1933.
Who could resist 60 cent coal oven pies? I thought that it was just the pizzas that were rolled back but I was wrong. It turned out to be the whole menu including appetizers, pastas, entrees, and desserts. This led to more people than I expected and it resulted in people lingering in the restaurant for way too long. To complicate matters, there was no time limit on the tables and no limit on the food. We arrived at 12:30pm and made it into the restaurant at 4pm. While we were waiting on line, we watched as politician after politician walked out of Patsy's looking quite content. The owners tried to appease the restless crowd by bringing out hot slices to the line. I swear it was like feeding time at the zoo. I reached in for a slice and nearly got my hand ripped off. By the time we made it in, we were starving. The wait staff was very friendly given their task at hand. We ordered 4 large pies and then some. The whole thing came to $6.45. Patsy's didn't even reduce the size or quality of their pizza for this event either. I went with a large pie with roasted red peppers. Brian went with the classic plain pie. Less toppings, more slices was his philosphy. It was a good one. We were there for about 2 hours and we were even lucky enough to be there for the cutting of the Birthday cake for Patsy's. Needless to say we could barely move after this pizza feast and by the time I made it back to the lab, I was useless. It was back home for a nap.

Cafe Venezia

The pizza tour has gone kosher. I asked my friend Paul to pick out his favorite kosher pizza place in Brooklyn and he decided on Cafe Venezia on Coney Island Avenue between Ave J and K. In addition to a full selection of Italian food, Venezia operates a gas oven for pizzas. They offer a variety of pizzas and we ultimately decided on the "L&B style" pizza. It was a 14" pie that is inspired by the landmark Brooklyn pizzeria, L&B Spumoni Gardens. It is a round pie that has a thick crust rim. The mozzarella cheese is beneath the sauce and although this pie has the appearance of being heavy and dense, it is actually light and airy like its namesake. The crust was cooked perfectly and there was even some nice charring. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the slices held up. They maintained a crispy crust even with all that sauce. I detected a slight smoky flavor to this pizza and I am not sure if that was from the mozzarella or the sauce. Either way, it added a unique flavor to the pie.
Since one pizza is never quite enough when Paul and I are together, we also ordered a specialty pizza called the "za'atar pizza". This pie definitely stole the show as I have never had anything like it. Za'atar is Middle Eastern spice blend consisting of thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds and is usually served with olive oil and warm pita bread. Venezia puts it on a thin pizza crust with a layer of fresh mozzarella along with an outer rim of sesame seeds. This pie was delicious and I'll definitely be making it at home. Venezia was a hit and serves great kosher pie. Paul told me that there is another place that he likes to go to, so stay tuned for another kosher pizza update.

Original Totonno's--Coney

The pizza tour has finally made it to Coney Island for pie at Totonno's. Totonno's was opened in 1924 by Anthony “Totonno” Pero and operates one of the few coal ovens remaining in New York. 1 hour on the F and and a 5 minute walk and we were at 1524 Neptune Avenue. This is an old school pizzeria. No frills to greet you here. A very modest sign hangs above the storefront. The place is small and well lit and as soon as you walk in, your eyes are drawn to the small gem of a coal oven. Brian and I ordered a large cheese and we watched from our booth as the pizzaiolo assembled our simple pizza. Before going in the oven, the pie received a generous swirl of olive oil directly out of a large metallic rectangular tin.
Within a few minutes, we were staring at what was a perfect pizza. Great sauce (identical to that used at the Totonno's on the upper east side), great fresh mozzarella cheese, and an amazing crust. It was thin and crispy from the first slice to the last and the perimeter had an awesome chew. There really is nothing like the flavor of a coal oven crust. It is unique and cannot be replicated with a conventional oven. We polished off this pie without hesitation. This place is so old school that they serve coca cola in glass bottles! The wait staff was very friendly and we even got to meet the wife of owner Louise Ciminieri who goes by the name of "Cookie" Ciminieri. I highly recommend the original Totonno's and it is moving up into my current top 3 pizzerias. One last thing....When you are down there be sure to head over to the boardwalk and ride the Cyclone. Its got a a ton of power for an 81-year old wooden roller coaster. Life doesn't get much better than coal oven pie and the Cyclone!

Vic's Pizza***

The pizza tour has crossed the Hudson and landed in Bradley Beach NJ. Vic's ranks in Daena's top three pizzerias in her home state. She used to go there with her family after spending the day at the Jersey Shore. This place has been around for a long time and has a very nostalgic feel to it. The booths are very retro and comfortable. We ordered a large cheese pie, 14", about $13. The pizza was very good. The sauce was smooth and flavorful. The cheese is your basic mozzarella, showcasing the traditional orange grease right out of the oven. As far as the crust goes, it is unique and delicious. Vic's tomato pie is super crispy because of the dusting of cornmeal underneath the crust. The obvious downside to the smaller slices is that they are hard to fold...which Daena and all other New Jersey Dwellers will insist is the only way to eat pizza (I'd argue for the fold followed by the unfold).