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!"