Il Réfolo, Venezia

Address: San Giacomo dell'Orio, Santa Croce 1459, Venice
Purchase: 2 pizzas, 1/2 liter carafe of vino rosso, aqua frizzante
Cost: 37.80 euro (about $50)
Payment: Cards accepted
Pizza Rating:


Il Réfolo was probably the most note-worthy pizza we had during AJ's and my recent trip to Germany and Italy. It was certainly the best of Venice, and the crap we had in Germany didn't even compare. (In Catania, we were spoiled by Angelo's home cooking, and didn't get out much.) The crust was thin, but bready, the flavors were rich, and the atmosphere was the least touristy of all the places we went in Venice. Plus they have lots of outdoor seating, tucked away behind a church along a small canal. Che bello!


Il Réfolo, with outdoor seating by a small canal in the Santa Croce section of Venice.




The Porcini Pizza


The Buffalo Bill Pizza (with buffalo mozzarella)

Lil' Frankie's Pizza, East Village

Address: 19 1st Avenue (at 1st Street)
Purchase: 1 Pizza Margherita, 1 Pizza Salsiccia, 1 Calzone, 1 Ravioli di Zucca
Cost: $62 including tip (10" pizzas are $9-12)
Payment: Cash only
Pizza Rating:


Ginny was visiting the city this week, finally back from Thailand, so we took the opportunity to check out Lil' Frankie's in the East Village. The pizza was... blah. It was fresh, with good ingredients, but kind of starchy and bland. However, they had a great beer selection, a nice and informative bartender, and a pleasant atmosphere (even though we didn't get to sit in the backyard garden). Even though Lil Frankie's seems to do a lot of pizza business, the highlight of our meal ended up being the homemade ravioli of the day, Ravioli di Zucca (squash) with truffle oil, which Ginny ordered for $15.95. It was especially delicious. Maybe Frankie should put as much care into his pizzas as he does into his pasta.


Pizza Margherita


Lincoln's Pizza Salsiccia


AJ's Spinach Calzone


We were on our best behavior.


Ginny and AJ


Lil' Frankie has a hairy butt!

Lucali, Carroll Gardens

Address: 575 Henry Street, at 1st Place
Purchase: 1 pizza with basil
Price: $19
Payment: Cash Only
Pizza Rating:

UPDATE

When our waitress placed our fresh Lucali's pizza right under our noses, I was sure even before my first bite that it was going to get the five pizzas rating. I was still pretty convinced after I'd finished my first slice. But, unlike Grimaldi's, where the five pizza rating went without saying, AJ and I had to talk Lucali's out. Before we could really settle on that exclusive honor of Slices of the City perfection, we decided that we would try the espresso at the end, as a little tie breaker between Lucali's and some of our very favorites, like Driggs or Sam's. So, when the espresso machine wasn't even working... we had to settle with four and a half. (Which is pretty darn good pizza!)



Let me tell you, Lucali's was one of the freshest-tasting pies I've ever had. The crust was soft, but thin, the sauce was salty and tangy, with a hint of roasted garlic, and the buffalo mozzarella—topped with Grana Padano and basil after it came out of the oven—was heavenly.

The dining area is pleasant and homey, and the kitchen (if you can call an oven and two pizza makers at a table a "kitchen") is open and candle-lit, just like all the tables. Their simple menu adds to the charm. Two choices: pizza (one size only), or calzone. They offer a few toppings (pepperoni, sausage, peppers, garlic, basil, etc.), but all pizzas are $19, tax included. And, it's BYOB, with a $4 wine fee.

Many thanks to Marc for the stellar recommendation. Only when I was double checking the address online did I realize that Lucali, which just opened last fall, had already won 2007 Best Neighborhood Pizzeria in New York Magazine. I guess we're a little out of the loop... unlike the line of people waiting outside when we got there. One last tip—call ahead.


For pizzaiolo Mark Iacono's story about opening this neighborhood gem, you can check out the Times' review.




Hours of Operation: "6pm til we run out"


After dinner we walked down Carroll Street and over the BQE to Red Hook for a few drinks at the best little bar in Brooklyn.

Ricardo's, Bed-Stuy

Address: 528 Nostrand Avenue (at Fulton)
Purchase: One large regular
Price: $11
Pizza Rating:


Perhaps better known as Pops, Ricardo's Pizza is pretty much awesome. It's cheap, it's fresh, it's right off the A train. Just look at how big our pizza is! It hardly fits in the box. So, the sauce was a little thin, and the cheese wasn't exactly buffalo mozzarella... you overlook it, cause it's Pops, and it's pretty much awesome. You don't have to take my word for it either--Pops got a pretty awesome shout in the 2007 Brooklyn Not for Tourists guide: "Best pizza in the Stuy, period. Pops is no joke with a pie."


The window at Pops--never empty.


That's one large, large pizza!
(The cheese slid around on the walk home.)


Bruno: "I gotta have my Pops!"

Pomodoro, Soho

Address: 51 Spring Street (at Mulberry)
Purchase: Vodka Pizza (House Specialty)
Price: $13 medium, $15.95 large
Pizza Rating:


We stopped by Pomodoro's with a huge crowd on Thursday night after Lincoln's reading in the final round of the L Magazine Literary Upstart competition (Yay, Lincoln!). We (of course) ordered their house special, the Vodka Pizza. It smelled good, it tasted pretty good (maybe a little bland), but we hated the crust. It was some seriously thick, bready crust. Really distracted from the sauce and cheese. I felt like I was eating a pizza sub, rather than a slice of pizza. However, our waitress was very nice, and they serve pitchers of beer, so we were happy. I would definitely try a slice yourself when you are nearby.


Steamy hot vodka sauce. Yum!


AJ, Soraya, Lincoln's friends from Columbia, and Lincoln, while we're placing our order.

Tony's Pizza Spot, Clinton Hill

Address: 431 Dekalb Avenue at Classon
Purchase: 3 regular slices
Price: $1.90 each ($12 for a whole pie)
Pizza Rating:


Tony's pizza is of a different caliber than the usual neighborhood pizza-by-the-slice joint. Rather than a scalded, greasy layer of cheese over sweet, tasteless red sauce and a soggy, thin crust (e.g. Mariella's), our slices from the Pizza Spot (fresh from the oven) had a springy, doughy crust, (still thin, but thicker than usual), yummy sauce and some good cheese. When I finished, my hunger was satisfied and I didn't feel like it was at my arteries' expense. I am curious to find out how long Tony's has been around. Though right next to Pratt, his clientele seemed pretty local. Thanks to Brooklyn Stableboy (Bruno's new dog-walker!) for the recommendation!


AJ and Bruno head over to Tony's.


The view inside Tony's. (Note: It may look like he's at the pizza oven, but he's actually watching America's Funniest Home Videos on a small TV).


A classy Saturday night dinner: pizza, paper towels, and a 16 oz. Budweiser.

Mariella Pizzeria

Address: 965 Lexington Avenue between 70th and 71st
Purchase: 1 regular slice
Price: $2.25
Pizza Rating:


Mariella's caught my eye on a walk to the post office during my lunch break. It seems to be a pretty busy place, close to Hunter College. There were still some people in line even though it was already two o'clock. They have a very large, clean, and tiled seating section, and very friendly pizza-makers. My plain slice was served up quickly, scalding hot, which means it was nice and fresh... which unfortunately also means I can't blame its poor quality on its sitting under heat lamps too long, (which I like to do when I like the place but not the pizza). The cheese was seriously greasy (see photo), the crust was extremely thin, and the sauce was so hot that the cheese was just sliding all over the place. On my way out, however, I saw their takeout menu, boasting their "best GRANDMA in Manhattan." I didn't notice any grandma slices, so it is quite possible that this claim is true, and the grandmas sold out at 11:30. Maybe I'll go back and try it next time I'm over there.




That is one shiny slice of pizza!

NYPD "Pie-racy"

It's always exciting when pizza is the cover story of a daily paper. It's even more exciting when the headlines are full of "cheesy" puns. Apparently this Florida franchise is not the only case of NYPD "pie-racy." This flickr post conveniently links to all the details.

Mario's Pizzeria, Clinton Hill

Address: 141 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Purchase: Two plain slices
Cost: $3.50
Pizza Rating:

I really wanted to give Mario's a higher rating than 2.5--they were friendly, the slices were cheap, and there was a window for ordering outside so I didn't have to pick up Bruno and carry him while I was inside. However, my two slices were totally blah. They were both sort of soggy and not very flavorful. Mario's is not a high volume pizza place, the two slices that I got for dinner looked like they had been sitting there since lunch time. I don't think I would every go back to Mario's for slices but I would certainly order a whole pie from them. Their pizza would be quite good if ordered fresh.

Bar Toto, Park Slope

Address: 411 11th Street (at 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn
Purchase: 4 individual pizzas, and one terrible bowl of Butternut Squash soup, plus drinks
Cost: $9 to $12 a pizza
Payment: Cards accepted.
Pizza Rating:


Rating Bar Toto was tough because our visit there was so nice--good company, good conversation, great atmosphere, convenient location. Problem was, the pizza was... not so good. Despite the fun time, the definitive "no" to our standard "would-we-go-back?" screening left Bar Toto with a three-pizza rating. The Kentucky Derby brought us to Park Slope on Saturday to Carolyn's (a KY native) and Schot's apartment for Mint Juleps with their friend Jennah. After plenty of bourbon and chips and dip, we were ready for some real food, in walking distance. Bar Toto had great ambiance, and friendly service. However, the Quattro Formaggi pies that AJ and I both ordered (in spite of the menu only listing three cheeses, as Schot was so observant as to notice) started off with a warm and intriguing bacon-like flavor, but faded into a sharp burnt-cheese taste. Jennah pretty much nailed it when she described the crust, which was quite certainly of the "school cafeteria" variety.


Carolyn enjoys her first bite.


The "Quattro" Formaggi


Jennah's addition of ricotta to the traditional Margherita was a good call.


I actually like Carolyn's pizza the best--its caramelized onions and olives combination gave it a delicious sweet and salty mix.


All that crust left on AJ's plate? Not a good sign.

Bravo Pizza

Address: 146 5th Avenue at 19th Street
Purchase: 3 plain slices, 2 bottles of water
Cost: $2.25 a slice (Water $1.80!)
Pizza Rating:


Slices of the City may have been on a rather long stretch of delicious speciality pizzas, but we are still on our mission for that perfect plain slice you can grab in whatever neighborhood you find yourself. So, last weekend, when we were pressed for time on the way to the New York Boston Terrier Meetup—this month at Madison Square Park—we stopped for a slice at the first place we saw on 5th avenue. Probably won't stop there again. For me, it was an altogether Sbarros-esque experience. Greasy, and overheated. Apparently, however, they have several other locations around the city, so maybe a trip to another Bravo would raise its score.


Bravo Pizza (one of six locations.)


Bruno scopes out his new friends at the New York Boston Terrier April Meetup.

Amorina, Prospect Heights

Address: 624 Vanderbilt Avenue at Prospect Place
Purchase: 1 Norma Pizza, 1 Fava Bean and Artichoke Pizza, 1 Glass of Wine, 1 Brooklyn Pennant Ale
Price: $50 (including tip); Individual pizzas are $9 to $14.
Pizza Rating:


We actually found out aboout adorable little Amorina when it was featured in tables for two in the New Yorker a few weeks ago, and realized that not only did it sound delicious, but it was pretty nearby us, down on Vanderbilt Avenue. We walked there last night for dinner and really enjoyed it. The seating area is fairly small, (it was full the whole time we were there, but there never seemed to be a wait) and the kitchen was even smaller. Despite the take out service and deliveries, the pizzas are gourmet and individual-sized, with lots of traditional Italian ingredients, and more. AJ had the pizza special, with ricotta salata, artichoke hearts and fava beans, and it was absolutely delicious. I had the Norma, with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, ricotta salata, basil and fresh mint. The crust was a little doughy, but all in all I was very happy. Plus, the flowered wall paper and old Italian coke and gelati signs were quite charming.








The Norma, with eggplant, tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, ricotta salata, fresh basil and mint.


The pizza special of the day with ricotta salata, artichoke hearts, and fresh fava beans.