Domino's Delivery, Clinton Hill

Address: 539 Atlantic Avenue
Phone: 718-522-3733
Purchase: One large pizza
Cost: $14.89 (not including tip)
Payment: Cards accepted
Pizza Rating:


"You Got 30 Minutes?" Try 101. Yes, an hour and 41 minutes is how long we waited for our Domino's pizza to arrive on Thursday night. It was an all-time Slices of the City low. We ordered our pizza online at 7:14 pm. We called twice, once after 55 minutes, the maximum delivery time estimated, and then again at 8:49, when according to our online "Pizza Tracker" we already had the pizza. Both times, after first having to "talk" to the computer that answered the phone, (which also falsely reported that we already had the pizza), the woman at the Atlantic Domino's told us it was "on its way" and that the driver had several stops to make. The pizza arrived at 8:55 pm.

When we opened the box the pizza was at room temperature, which made sense if we are to believe the Pizza Tracker, which reported our pizza being taken out of the oven and put in it's "heat wave" bag at 7:25 pm (which would be an hour and a half before we received it.) Also, unlike Papa John's where you can pay with credit card and even put your tip on the card when you order online, when the Domino's guy finally arrived, AJ had to give him his credit card again for him to press and sign even though he had entered it on the website already. Plus you don't get the garlic dip or pepperoncini. The only reason it is receiving half a pizza rating is because it was, in fact, pizza (also, I haven't made a zero-pizza graphic).


The online "Pizza Tracker" that "hoped we were enjoying our meal" before we'd actually received it.


Yum, doesn't that cold, stiff, orange pie look delicious? Even Bruno sniffed it suspiciously.


"Is that what you guys were waiting for?"

Home-Built Pizzas, Park Slope

Last night Carolyn and Schot invited their friend Sarah and us over for some home-made (except for the crust and sauce) pizzas. All the ingredients were fresh from the Park Slope Food Co-op, and the combination of toppings was delectable. We had sun-dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, black olives, tempeh bacon, chopped garlic, and fresh basil. After we'd licked our plates we played a lively game of Balderdash (at one point during which I was laughing so hard I was afraid I might induce labor. I was reading AJ's description of the movie The Appointment— "A man and his therapist. What will they uncover next?"). It was a lovely Saturday evening in Brooklyn.


Carolyn primes the crusts with olive oil and a little sauce.


Prepping the toppings.


Finishing up with some basil and then more cheese.


Schot pops them in the oven!

Una Pizza Napoletana, East Village

Address: 349 E. 12th Street between 1st and 2nd avenues
Purchase: 1 Margherita, 1 Filetti, 1 aranciata, 1 Moretti
Cost: $65 including tip (each 12" pizza $21)
Payment: Cash only
Pizza Rating:

UPDATE

The folks at Una Pizza Napoletana are very serious about pizza. There is even a lengthy brochure for guests to take on their way out explaining the value of true Neapolitan ingredients and techniques. The menu consists of four, $21, twelve-inch, personal pizzas. The Marinara, Margherita, Bianca, and Filetti. No substitutions, no condiments (don't ask for red pepper flakes). Each is made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella (imported from Napoli weekly), extra-virgin Souther Italian olive oil, fresh basil, and Sicilian sea salt. The dough is naturally leavened, and the pizza is baked in a wood-fired brick oven. "Nothing more pure or honestly wholesome can be bought at any price," the menu boasts (albeit somewhat defensively).

We had the Margherita and the Filetti. They were both absolutely delicious. The crust was fantastic—chewy, bubbly, fresh, and salty. We both preferred the Filetti, which has no sauce, but instead sliced cherry tomatoes, and fresh garlic (in addition to the bufala mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and sea salt that are on each of the four pizzas). It was honestly a mouth-watering combination of warm and complex flavors. Despite all the literature, and while we do recognize that the highest-quality ingredients are expensive, these "vera pizze napoletane" are a little rich for our blood. The bare-boned atmosphere and clothless marble tables didn't quite prepare me for what was probably the most expensive pizza bill of Slices of the City history. But that pizza tasted really freakin good. I'm pretty sure every pizza-lover should splurge for it at least once.

Overall, Una Pizza Napoletana serves pies of a quality with which I am fairly certain no other NYC pizzeria (and probably few in Italy) can compete. As owner Anthony Mangieri closes his brochure, "Taste may be an opinion, but quality is a fact."


The Husband


The Margherita


The Filetti


The Pizzaiolo

New York Times Sunday Style Announcement

Read about our wedding in the Times!

Graziella's, Clinton Hill

Address: 232 Vanderbilt Avenue between Dekalb and Willoughby
Purchase: 1 Arugula and Parmesan Pizza, 1 Pizza Italia, 1 Six Point Brown Draft
Cost: $40 including tip (12" pizzas $10-15)
Payment: Cards accepted
Pizza Rating:


With super friendly service, a happy and diverse clientèle, reasonable prices, and wood-burning brick oven pizza, Graziella's made for a nice Friday night out. I tried the arugula and shaved parmesan pizza, which was piled with a generous serving of fresh arugula and tangy parmesan over a regular pizza margherita, (and made me feel guilt-free about not ordering a separate salad). AJ had the Pizza Italia, with mozzarella, chopped cherry tomatoes, and a pesto swirl. My one complaint was that the crust was a little flat and singed around the edges, not as bubbly and light as it could have been. However, their draft list was quite nice for an Italian joint, and I enjoyed watching the pizzaiolo at his oven. Considering it's in Clinton Hill, there's a good chance we'll be back.


The Arugula and Shaved Parmesan Pizza


The Pizza Italia with a pesto swirl


First bite!


They also have adorable rooftop seating October-May.


We headed down Dekalb for take-out cheesecake from Junior's afterwards. Yum!