Posts tagged new york

Figured I’d bang this one out quick before I go to bed. I went into New York City tonight to see Converge and met up with good old Andrew Burke on the way. After the show we obviously wanted a slice, and Burke told me he had heard great things about John’s Pizzeria just up the road on Bleecker Street so we checked it out. It was supposedly opened by one of the two guys who opened the first pizzeria in Little Italy (the other opened Grimaldi’s) so, I mean, I expected good things. It was 9:30 when we got there and there was a little bit of a line out the door. Usually a good sign. You can only get full pies at this place which is really annoying but thankfully I was hungry enough where I thought I could conquer half a pie. It was brick oven style so the slices were thin and it made getting four down a significantly easier feat. Unfortunately, the pizza was not quite as good as I was hoping for. It was saucy which, as I’m sure all you loyal readers know by now, is not my forte at all. The sauce was really juicy and good by sauce standards though so if you do like sauce, you will definitely love it. By the second slice I got used to it and by I end I was definitely enjoying it. The crust was cool too. It was crispy and a little bit crunchy and had a unique taste that was a nice end to each slice. Cool pizzeria that’s definitely worth trying if you’re downtown, especially if you’re with a group. A little bit on the pricey side (a large pie was $16.50 and I ate half of it without hurting myself) but hey, you’re in fucking New York City, what do you expect? Rating: 4/5 -Tom and yo I made Burke take the picture since he has an iPhone :)

Figured I’d bang this one out quick before I go to bed. I went into New York City tonight to see Converge and met up with good old Andrew Burke on the way. After the show we obviously wanted a slice, and Burke told me he had heard great things about John’s Pizzeria just up the road on Bleecker Street so we checked it out. It was supposedly opened by one of the two guys who opened the first pizzeria in Little Italy (the other opened Grimaldi’s) so, I mean, I expected good things. It was 9:30 when we got there and there was a little bit of a line out the door. Usually a good sign. You can only get full pies at this place which is really annoying but thankfully I was hungry enough where I thought I could conquer half a pie. It was brick oven style so the slices were thin and it made getting four down a significantly easier feat. Unfortunately, the pizza was not quite as good as I was hoping for. It was saucy which, as I’m sure all you loyal readers know by now, is not my forte at all. The sauce was really juicy and good by sauce standards though so if you do like sauce, you will definitely love it. By the second slice I got used to it and by I end I was definitely enjoying it. The crust was cool too. It was crispy and a little bit crunchy and had a unique taste that was a nice end to each slice. Cool pizzeria that’s definitely worth trying if you’re downtown, especially if you’re with a group. A little bit on the pricey side (a large pie was $16.50 and I ate half of it without hurting myself) but hey, you’re in fucking New York City, what do you expect?

Rating: 4/5

-Tom

and yo I made Burke take the picture since he has an iPhone :)

I am so mad that of all the pizza places I could have stopped at in the city last Friday, this is the one I chose. I was going to stop at Shake Shack, but the line was out the door and I panicked so I stopped at the first pizza place I saw, Famous Famiglia Pizzeria on 8th and West 43rd Street. It’s advertised as “New York’s Favorite Pizza” but was seriously one of the worst slices I have ever had holy shit. First off, the sauce sucked. I don’t like sauce to begin with so the first thing I notice is whether or not a slice has good sauce. This one was the furthest from that. I doused it in roasted red pepper and oregano and it STILL tasted like ass. The crust was very doughy and mediocre as well. Better than the sauce, but that wasn’t tough to accomplish at all. It could have been burnt and still tasted better. On top of all that I wasted $2.95 on this slice. That’s three whole dollars I will never get back. Three dollars I spent to essentially get a stomach ache. If one person decides not to stop here because of this scathing review, I can rest a little easier knowing I saved someone from going through the hell I did. Goddammit. Rating: 0.5/5 -Tom

I am so mad that of all the pizza places I could have stopped at in the city last Friday, this is the one I chose. I was going to stop at Shake Shack, but the line was out the door and I panicked so I stopped at the first pizza place I saw, Famous Famiglia Pizzeria on 8th and West 43rd Street. It’s advertised as “New York’s Favorite Pizza” but was seriously one of the worst slices I have ever had holy shit. First off, the sauce sucked. I don’t like sauce to begin with so the first thing I notice is whether or not a slice has good sauce. This one was the furthest from that. I doused it in roasted red pepper and oregano and it STILL tasted like ass. The crust was very doughy and mediocre as well. Better than the sauce, but that wasn’t tough to accomplish at all. It could have been burnt and still tasted better. On top of all that I wasted $2.95 on this slice. That’s three whole dollars I will never get back. Three dollars I spent to essentially get a stomach ache. If one person decides not to stop here because of this scathing review, I can rest a little easier knowing I saved someone from going through the hell I did. Goddammit.

Rating: 0.5/5

-Tom

Me and Drew went out on ANOTHER pizza venture the other day; one he didn’t want to be a part of but I guess I just rock at peer pressure. He took me to Caffe Amici Pizzeria Ristorante in Selden, NY with good things to say, and he wasn’t too far off. I got a plain and a barbecue chicken slice, which both the counter guy and Drew claimed was their best slice. I started off obviously with the plain and overall enjoyed it. The sauce was a little watery which gave it that bowling alley pizzeria vibe which I am always a fan of. Drew thought I would find it too saucy, but I enjoyed it. Not the best I’ve had, but a very solid slice. The crust was enjoyable as well. Nothing spectacular, but good nonetheless. The barbecue chicken slice was definitely good too, but I don’t know if it was quite as good as it’s made out to be. On top of being covered in chicken, there is also bacon and cheddar on the slice. Since it’s such a heavy (and therefore filling) slice I don’t think it warmed up properly and was not hot enough for me to fully enjoy. If it was hot I might have been sold, but only being warm killed it for me. It was a little expensive too (the bbq chicken was $4 and the plain was $2.50) so I don’t know if I’ll be giving this spot another chance. On top of that, the decor of the place made me a little uncomfortable, feeling like a hipster-chipotle type pizzeria. The counter guy was the man though, seeing as he called an old woman bro. Dude was killin’ it. Anyway, good ‘za spot, but it’s got some tough competition in the area that it just cannot compete with. Rating: 4/5 -Tom p.s. Drew took the picture since he just needs the credit.

Me and Drew went out on ANOTHER pizza venture the other day; one he didn’t want to be a part of but I guess I just rock at peer pressure. He took me to Caffe Amici Pizzeria Ristorante in Selden, NY with good things to say, and he wasn’t too far off. I got a plain and a barbecue chicken slice, which both the counter guy and Drew claimed was their best slice. I started off obviously with the plain and overall enjoyed it. The sauce was a little watery which gave it that bowling alley pizzeria vibe which I am always a fan of. Drew thought I would find it too saucy, but I enjoyed it. Not the best I’ve had, but a very solid slice. The crust was enjoyable as well. Nothing spectacular, but good nonetheless. The barbecue chicken slice was definitely good too, but I don’t know if it was quite as good as it’s made out to be. On top of being covered in chicken, there is also bacon and cheddar on the slice. Since it’s such a heavy (and therefore filling) slice I don’t think it warmed up properly and was not hot enough for me to fully enjoy. If it was hot I might have been sold, but only being warm killed it for me. It was a little expensive too (the bbq chicken was $4 and the plain was $2.50) so I don’t know if I’ll be giving this spot another chance. On top of that, the decor of the place made me a little uncomfortable, feeling like a hipster-chipotle type pizzeria. The counter guy was the man though, seeing as he called an old woman bro. Dude was killin’ it. Anyway, good ‘za spot, but it’s got some tough competition in the area that it just cannot compete with.

Rating: 4/5

-Tom

p.s. Drew took the picture since he just needs the credit.

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I believe today is day 3 in a row of having pizza for dinner and, let me tell you, it’s been a great three days. Tonight I went with Ms. Jackie Brooks to LaPiazza in Merrick, NY. It looked nice from the outside, and the pizza lived up to the appearance. I got a grandma slice and a buffalo chicken slice while Jackie got a whole wheat brick oven Margherita pie. They advertise the brick oven, so I’m assuming it’s pretty cool. I didn’t try any of it, but Jackie seemed to really enjoy it so I’m sure it rocked. It was suuuper thin though and the crust kinda tasted like burnt crackers, so if you don’t like thin (read: Tom Werring), this probably won’t be your thing. I was thoroughly impressed with both of my slices. The tomato sauce on the grandma slice was nice and juicy and tasted awesome. I don’t really like tomato sauce (weird right? I love pizza) but something about it was just awesome. If you like grandma slices, I definitely recommend theirs’. The buffalo chicken was also very good. It’s still not my favorite (Angelo’s will always have a special place in my heart) but it’s pretty high up there. On presentation alone it was great. I saw it when I walked through the door and knew I had to give it a try. It had quite a bit of bleu cheese on it, but it was not overpowering in the least; it really added to the slice. The chicken was also very good and while it was not super spicy, it had a nice little kick to it. A lot of times buffalo chicken slices are too heavy and you don’t want to finish them, but I wanted to eat every last bite of this one. Great slice. I didn’t catch how much eat slice costed, but it totaled out to $6.50, which may be a little pricey, but honestly was worth it. I really enjoyed this pizzeria and have to say it’s worth checking out if you’re in Merrick. I don’t know if Dan Clemens will agree, but whatever he’s an asshole anyway. Rating: 4.75/5 -Tom

I believe today is day 3 in a row of having pizza for dinner and, let me tell you, it’s been a great three days. Tonight I went with Ms. Jackie Brooks to LaPiazza in Merrick, NY. It looked nice from the outside, and the pizza lived up to the appearance. I got a grandma slice and a buffalo chicken slice while Jackie got a whole wheat brick oven Margherita pie. They advertise the brick oven, so I’m assuming it’s pretty cool. I didn’t try any of it, but Jackie seemed to really enjoy it so I’m sure it rocked. It was suuuper thin though and the crust kinda tasted like burnt crackers, so if you don’t like thin (read: Tom Werring), this probably won’t be your thing. I was thoroughly impressed with both of my slices. The tomato sauce on the grandma slice was nice and juicy and tasted awesome. I don’t really like tomato sauce (weird right? I love pizza) but something about it was just awesome. If you like grandma slices, I definitely recommend theirs’. The buffalo chicken was also very good. It’s still not my favorite (Angelo’s will always have a special place in my heart) but it’s pretty high up there. On presentation alone it was great. I saw it when I walked through the door and knew I had to give it a try. It had quite a bit of bleu cheese on it, but it was not overpowering in the least; it really added to the slice. The chicken was also very good and while it was not super spicy, it had a nice little kick to it. A lot of times buffalo chicken slices are too heavy and you don’t want to finish them, but I wanted to eat every last bite of this one. Great slice. I didn’t catch how much eat slice costed, but it totaled out to $6.50, which may be a little pricey, but honestly was worth it. I really enjoyed this pizzeria and have to say it’s worth checking out if you’re in Merrick. I don’t know if Dan Clemens will agree, but whatever he’s an asshole anyway.

Rating: 4.75/5

-Tom

Ya boy’s been slacking, but I have some solid reviews coming up. I just have to take 3 finals first…in the mean time check out this barbecue chicken slice I had recently when I went to Del Fiore’s in Patchogue Village with a lovely young lady. I already reviewed this spot, so check it here. The barbecue slice lived up to what I’ve had already. The sauce had a nice kick to it and the spots of mozzarella were cool. I’ve decided the crust here is a little unorthodox and it threw me off on this slice in particular, but I grew accustomed to it.

Ya boy’s been slacking, but I have some solid reviews coming up. I just have to take 3 finals first…in the mean time check out this barbecue chicken slice I had recently when I went to Del Fiore’s in Patchogue Village with a lovely young lady. I already reviewed this spot, so check it here. The barbecue slice lived up to what I’ve had already. The sauce had a nice kick to it and the spots of mozzarella were cool. I’ve decided the crust here is a little unorthodox and it threw me off on this slice in particular, but I grew accustomed to it.

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Comin’ atcha today we have a guest review from Miss Alexandra Bochetto of Massapequa, NY, straight outta Loyola University, set in the murderous streets of Baltimore from which she has spun a yarn of the glories and downfalls of Maryland pizza. “I’ve learned a few things from going to school in Baltimore: 1. You will never find decent pizza, and 2. If you do, it will be extremely overpriced. Loyola has a pretty decent spread at the dining halls, but unfortunately, that stops at the Vocelli’s counter. Vocelli’s, our pizza place and local Baltimore chain, has by far the worst pizza I have ever had the displeasure of eating. However, there is one saving grace on the menu; Cheesy Sticks. In essence, it’s pretty much just pizza crust covered with a garlic sauce and a couple of different cheeses that’s served with a side of marinara sauce. It’s definitely one of my favorite things to eat down here and, as my roommates would say, it’s “tied with sex on the pleasure scale”. Unfortunately, our Vocelli’s is super inconsistent, and depending on the time of day, they’ll deliver it to you extremely burnt and it’s disgusting. Also, since we have to deal with private school prices, it’s around $7.00, which in my opinion is a little overpriced for something so inconsistent. Either way I give it a 2.5 (Poor rating due to inconsistency and price). If you’re ever at Loyola, try it, but I wouldn’t ever suggest eating Baltimore pizza if you’re a New Yorker.” Rating: 2.5/5 -Alex Thanks girl!

Comin’ atcha today we have a guest review from Miss Alexandra Bochetto of Massapequa, NY, straight outta Loyola University, set in the murderous streets of Baltimore from which she has spun a yarn of the glories and downfalls of Maryland pizza.

“I’ve learned a few things from going to school in Baltimore: 1. You will never find decent pizza, and 2. If you do, it will be extremely overpriced. Loyola has a pretty decent spread at the dining halls, but unfortunately, that stops at the Vocelli’s counter. Vocelli’s, our pizza place and local Baltimore chain, has by far the worst pizza I have ever had the displeasure of eating. However, there is one saving grace on the menu; Cheesy Sticks. In essence, it’s pretty much just pizza crust covered with a garlic sauce and a couple of different cheeses that’s served with a side of marinara sauce. It’s definitely one of my favorite things to eat down here and, as my roommates would say, it’s “tied with sex on the pleasure scale”. Unfortunately, our Vocelli’s is super inconsistent, and depending on the time of day, they’ll deliver it to you extremely burnt and it’s disgusting. Also, since we have to deal with private school prices, it’s around $7.00, which in my opinion is a little overpriced for something so inconsistent.

Either way I give it a 2.5 (Poor rating due to inconsistency and price). If you’re ever at Loyola, try it, but I wouldn’t ever suggest eating Baltimore pizza if you’re a New Yorker.”

Rating: 2.5/5

-Alex

Thanks girl!

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Me and the one and only Drew ventured out for some pizza tonight and, on the way to our destination, stopped at a different pizzeria that neither of us had ever been to called Mamma Lombardi’s Ristorante in Holbrook, NY. From outside, the place had a very upscale feel to it, but that’s because half of it’s a fancy Italian restaurant and the other half is a super nice pizzeria. I got the plain and buffalo chicken slice and Drew claims I forced him to get the grandma and eggplant slice. I started with the plain and it seriously killed it. Really, really solid slice. The cheese sat just right on the sauce and the ratio was excellent, as was the crust. Definitely up there for best Long Island slice. The buffalo chicken unfortunately could not compare. It wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t really anything stellar about it either. It was just a slice of buffalo chicken pizza. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I tried Drew’s grandma slice as well. It was way too saucy for my tastes but if grandma slices are your thing, I’d say scope it out. He was going to let me try the eggplant slice too, but he guaranteed I would not like it. He liked both his slices though, and generally Drew knows what it is when it comes to food. We both thought this place was going to be kinda pricey too from the looks of it, but the slices were pretty standard for a Long Island pizzeria. The plain slice was $2.07, which is a deal for such a killer slice, and the buffalo chicken was like $3.75, which in this case wasn’t really worth it. Definitely a great spot to check out if you’re starting to get a little deeper into Suffolk. Apparently their other menu items are also great, so you could take a nice lady here for dinner too. How romantic.

Rating: 5/5 for the plain. I won’t go any farther

-Tom

Oh, and Drew said I never credit him when he takes pictures for me, so in case you cared, Drew took the iPhone pics.

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I’ve always said that the Little Vinny’s in Huntington Station was better than the one in Lake Ronkonkoma, but I think I’m going to have to eat my words. I took my second trip to the Ronkonkoma one the other night with Drew #1 and the ‘pequa virgin crew and had the best cold cheese slices I’ve had in a while. While the Huntington one is a shorter drive for me and most of Nassau county, it’s way busier of a spot and unfortunately the pizza suffers because of it. They’re churning out so much ‘za that the quality of the slices is very hit or miss. This one definitely has that more laid back Suffolk feel that I prefer and I’m pissed it took me this long to realize it’s superior. The slices are cheaper too ($2.73 for a cold cheese slice as opposed to $3.25) so how can you complain about paying less for a better slice? Must stop spot on Long Island. This Little Vincent’s has the same hours as the other one as well (2am nightly, 4am on Fridays and Saturdays) so you can get pizza just about anytime you want it. For my older review of the Huntington spot, that actually talks about the quality of the pizza, go here. Rating: 5/5 -Tom

I’ve always said that the Little Vinny’s in Huntington Station was better than the one in Lake Ronkonkoma, but I think I’m going to have to eat my words. I took my second trip to the Ronkonkoma one the other night with Drew #1 and the ‘pequa virgin crew and had the best cold cheese slices I’ve had in a while. While the Huntington one is a shorter drive for me and most of Nassau county, it’s way busier of a spot and unfortunately the pizza suffers because of it. They’re churning out so much ‘za that the quality of the slices is very hit or miss. This one definitely has that more laid back Suffolk feel that I prefer and I’m pissed it took me this long to realize it’s superior. The slices are cheaper too ($2.73 for a cold cheese slice as opposed to $3.25) so how can you complain about paying less for a better slice? Must stop spot on Long Island. This Little Vincent’s has the same hours as the other one as well (2am nightly, 4am on Fridays and Saturdays) so you can get pizza just about anytime you want it. For my older review of the Huntington spot, that actually talks about the quality of the pizza, go here.

Rating: 5/5

-Tom

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The second slice I ate yesterday after Refused was from Rose Pizza in Penn Station over on the LIRR side waiting for my train back to Farmingdale. I got a chicken and mozzarella slice which looked pretty cool, but was not worth the $4.25 price tag at all. I don’t really expect great pizza from Penn Station, but for some reason I decided to take the risk on this slice and, unfortunately, it did not pay off. The chicken and sauce just didn’t mesh well at all. The mozzarella was this slice’s only saving grace, as it masked over the weird combination the rest of the slice had. Also, the crust was pretty fucking baller, so this slice wasn’t a complete loss. Totally not worth the price though, I should have just gotten Taco Bell for the second time in one day instead of doubling up on pizza. If you’re trying to experience New York City pizza, get it from somewhere more legit than Penn Station. Rating: 1.5/5 (the price really killed it for this one) -Tom

The second slice I ate yesterday after Refused was from Rose Pizza in Penn Station over on the LIRR side waiting for my train back to Farmingdale. I got a chicken and mozzarella slice which looked pretty cool, but was not worth the $4.25 price tag at all. I don’t really expect great pizza from Penn Station, but for some reason I decided to take the risk on this slice and, unfortunately, it did not pay off. The chicken and sauce just didn’t mesh well at all. The mozzarella was this slice’s only saving grace, as it masked over the weird combination the rest of the slice had. Also, the crust was pretty fucking baller, so this slice wasn’t a complete loss. Totally not worth the price though, I should have just gotten Taco Bell for the second time in one day instead of doubling up on pizza. If you’re trying to experience New York City pizza, get it from somewhere more legit than Penn Station.

Rating: 1.5/5 (the price really killed it for this one)

-Tom

I was in the city yesterday for the Refused gig at Terminal 5 and ended up having slices both pre and post show. On the walk from Penn to the venue, I passed by a place called Hell’s Kitchen Pizza on 10th Ave that had an all day every day special for 2 slices and a soda for $3.50 so I couldn’t walk by without stopping in. For the price, the slices were solid. I’ve had better both in and out of New York City, but for the deal, I could not complain. The slices were extra thin (which I like) and the crust was great. The sauce was a little bit lacking, but hey you can’t win ‘em all. Definitely worth a stop, as most other places in the city are ridiculously overpriced. And get an orange soda with it, you know it’s the best choice. Rating: 3.5/5 -Tom

I was in the city yesterday for the Refused gig at Terminal 5 and ended up having slices both pre and post show. On the walk from Penn to the venue, I passed by a place called Hell’s Kitchen Pizza on 10th Ave that had an all day every day special for 2 slices and a soda for $3.50 so I couldn’t walk by without stopping in. For the price, the slices were solid. I’ve had better both in and out of New York City, but for the deal, I could not complain. The slices were extra thin (which I like) and the crust was great. The sauce was a little bit lacking, but hey you can’t win ‘em all. Definitely worth a stop, as most other places in the city are ridiculously overpriced. And get an orange soda with it, you know it’s the best choice.

Rating: 3.5/5

-Tom

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