Heading back to New York in February and after a very successful Brooklyn Pizza crawl on my last visit (organized thanks to some of you folks here at Mouthfuls) would love to do similar in Manhattan this time around.
Last visit made it through Lucali, DiFarra, Paulie Gees, Motorino, and L&B Spumoni Gardens - this time would like to check out Co, Keste, Forcella, and.....well, I'm open to both suggestions and people looking to come along and enjoy some pizza.
Is Donatella worthwhile? What about John's of Bleecker?
Cheers and Happy Holidays to you all.
Manhattan Pizza Crawl.
Started by uhockey, Dec 24 2011 06:25 PM
162 replies to this topic
#1
uhockey
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#2
Nancy S.
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Posted 24 December 2011 - 06:29 PM
I would skip John's and add PizzArte.Heading back to New York in February and after a very successful Brooklyn Pizza crawl on my last visit (organized thanks to some of you folks here at Mouthfuls) would love to do similar in Manhattan this time around.
Last visit made it through Lucali, DiFarra, Paulie Gees, Motorino, and L&B Spumoni Gardens - this time would like to check out Co, Keste, Forcella, and.....well, I'm open to both suggestions and people looking to come along and enjoy some pizza.
Is Donatella worthwhile? What about John's of Bleecker?
Cheers and Happy Holidays to you all.
#3
Suzanne F
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Posted 24 December 2011 - 09:02 PM
Co: you want hookworms on that?
[M]ost of the pastas hover around $25. This ought to be enough to buy bucatini that is cooked on both ends. -- Pete Wells on Caravaggio ( * review)
Tonight, there was a dessert of coconut, rhubarb, and black olive. Obvious in its execution how innovation and experiment, when introduced for their own sake, are annoying. --irnscrabblechf52, May 9, 2013
notorious stickler -- NY Times
deeply annoying and nitpicking -- Molly O'Neill, One Big Table
#4
uhockey
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Posted 24 December 2011 - 09:31 PM
Co: you want hookworms on that?
Clearly I missed something.....
#5
splinky
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Posted 24 December 2011 - 09:32 PM
hey, that's my jokeCo: you want hookworms on that?
“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh, no!', I said, 'Disneyland burned down.' He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.”
~Jack Handey
*proud descendant of cheese eating surrender monkeys*
#6
changeup
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Posted 24 December 2011 - 11:48 PM
I'm not sure you can skip both Lombardi and Johns - you gotta have some frame of reference for what pizza used to mean in NY. I would add in a slice at Joe's in the Village as well for the same reason (this previously could have been either of the now closed Ray's). Absolutely zero reason to go to Donatella on this sort of tour, and I don't mind the place.
#7
Suzanne F
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 03:24 AM
Apparently Jim Lahey is trying to cure himself of wheat sensitivity by infecting himself with hookworms.
Co: you want hookworms on that?
Clearly I missed something.....
I've decided to have nothing further to do with any of his businesses, much as I like(d) his bread.
ETA: apologies to splinky. But it's not like you copyrighted it or anything.
[M]ost of the pastas hover around $25. This ought to be enough to buy bucatini that is cooked on both ends. -- Pete Wells on Caravaggio ( * review)
Tonight, there was a dessert of coconut, rhubarb, and black olive. Obvious in its execution how innovation and experiment, when introduced for their own sake, are annoying. --irnscrabblechf52, May 9, 2013
notorious stickler -- NY Times
deeply annoying and nitpicking -- Molly O'Neill, One Big Table
#8
yvonne johnson
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 04:05 AM
Why would you want to come all the way to Manhattan and do a pizza crawl? Not a dish the city does best.
It was not a new dish, as I recognised my tooth marks. Wilfrid
#9
uhockey
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 05:24 AM
Why would you want to come all the way to Manhattan and do a pizza crawl? Not a dish the city does best.
Compared to central Ohio? Enlighten me. It would seem Keste and Co are quite well thought of, though what would I know...
#10
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 01:14 PM
Keste is a bit variable, although generally the calzone seems to be a consensus winner. I personally enjoy it, and would recommend it over Donatella. If you visited Motorino in Brooklyn then once again Keste becomes a logical choice.
There are other chains you can include like Piola, Patsy's, Bravo Pizza (my personal favorite chain plain cheese slice place), No. 28 (good diaviola) that come to mind as well.
Co. is interesting cause it's a NY product through and through, from a respected bread guy, yet different.
Olio was good when the main dude was here supervising, but seems to have fallen off a cliff since then. Roma pizza on Bleeker is also new, and if you haven't been to Rome and are cataloging styles, then a possible place to stop off (it's in between Joe's and John's).
There are other chains you can include like Piola, Patsy's, Bravo Pizza (my personal favorite chain plain cheese slice place), No. 28 (good diaviola) that come to mind as well.
Co. is interesting cause it's a NY product through and through, from a respected bread guy, yet different.
Olio was good when the main dude was here supervising, but seems to have fallen off a cliff since then. Roma pizza on Bleeker is also new, and if you haven't been to Rome and are cataloging styles, then a possible place to stop off (it's in between Joe's and John's).
#11
Lippy
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 04:51 PM
I like No. 28 on Carmine Street better than Keste's, although the two pizzas are very similar.
My old blog: http://newyorkandels...e.blogspot.com/
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#12
Sneakeater
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 05:33 PM
Not a dish the city does best.
Millions of native New Yorkers would disagree with you with a passion you could barely imagine.
Bar Loser
#13
uhockey
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 07:50 PM
Not a dish the city does best.
Millions of native New Yorkers would disagree with you with a passion you could barely imagine.
....and here I was thinking that I was entirely imagining that whole "New York Style" vs. "Chicago Style" debate that gets people so up in arms.
While I realize neither Keste nor Co really represent either "style," it is hard to say New York isn't the United States Pizza Mecca in terms overall highly regarded pizzerias.
#14
Suzanne F
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 08:15 PM
I suspect that to most New Yorkers,* pizza is like coffee: what they're used to is what they like best. The closest version, the one en route from home to movies, etc. Even if it's crap.
*MFFers excepted, of course.
But other then the slavish devotion to places like DiFaras, there's a pretty wide diversity of taste among those who do care. Except for that place down near the water under the Brooklyn Bridge; I suspect everyone agrees they are not worth the detour.
*MFFers excepted, of course.
But other then the slavish devotion to places like DiFaras, there's a pretty wide diversity of taste among those who do care. Except for that place down near the water under the Brooklyn Bridge; I suspect everyone agrees they are not worth the detour.
[M]ost of the pastas hover around $25. This ought to be enough to buy bucatini that is cooked on both ends. -- Pete Wells on Caravaggio ( * review)
Tonight, there was a dessert of coconut, rhubarb, and black olive. Obvious in its execution how innovation and experiment, when introduced for their own sake, are annoying. --irnscrabblechf52, May 9, 2013
notorious stickler -- NY Times
deeply annoying and nitpicking -- Molly O'Neill, One Big Table
#15
changeup
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Posted 25 December 2011 - 08:26 PM
Not a dish the city does best.
Millions of native New Yorkers would disagree with you with a passion you could barely imagine.
....and here I was thinking that I was entirely imagining that whole "New York Style" vs. "Chicago Style" debate that gets people so up in arms.
While I realize neither Keste nor Co really represent either "style," it is hard to say New York isn't the United States Pizza Mecca in terms overall highly regarded pizzerias.
Yeah, I personally have no idea what Suzanne is talking about either.
Back to your point, this is why i am suggesting you add in more NY style places. If you come here and eat Keste, Paulie G's, Motorino & Donatella (all great pizzas) you're better off going to Naples in all likelyhood (although I haven't been, so don't know for sure). I would come to NY looking mostly for gas/coal ovens, low moisture mozzarella and something I can fold in half and possibly eat on a sidewalk.
ETA - Went to the old place under the bridge in Brooklyn and never went back. So we agree on that :-)
