Bite Me Best Pizza, East Village

Address: 700 East 9th Street at Avenue C
Purchase: 2 regular slices
Cost: $2.50 each
Pizza Rating:


After attending the Boston Terrier Meetup at Tompkins Square this afternoon we walked over to Avenue C to get some coffee at Ninth Street Espresso and found Bite Me Best. We got some plain slices and ate them across the street in the lovely La Plaza Cultural community garden. Even though it was enjoyed under the very pleasant shade of the willow trees, the pizza was just okay. First of all, $2.50 is a little high, although it was a hearty slice. The crust was fairly thick, and a little bland. The cheese was also thick, and there was lots of sauce too. Next time I'd try the lasagna slice—maybe pasta is their thing.

Mario's, Fort Greene

Address: 224 DeKalb Avenue near Clermont Avenue
Purchase: 1 plain slice, 1 mushroom slice, 1 root beer
Cost: $2.25 per regular slice
Pizza Rating:


Meredith and I had a pizza picnic at Fort Greene Park with Bruno while she was in town a few weeks ago. We stopped at Mario's because of its window service and its proximity to the park. The slices hit the spot, but I think the quality was a little less than that of Luigi's a few blocks back up DeKalb (on the Clinton Hill side). The cheese seemed a little cheap and the sauce was a little sweet. It wouldn't stop me from going back next time I need a slice while I'm down there, I just wouldn't make a point of it. Mario's is a solid neighborhood standby slice.




The baby seemed happy enough with the slice.
Pictures courtesy Auntie Meredith!

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.

Koronet Pizza, Morningside Heights

Address: 2848 Broadway between 110th & 111th
Purchase: One jumbo slice
Cost: $2.75
Pizza Rating:


While out on the Upper West Side last night, (a very rare occasion for us Brooklynites), Lincoln took Soraya, AJ, and me to the renowned Koronet's to get a quick pre-party bite for Soraya. Certainly a great resource for hungry (or drunk) Columbia students, the most notable aspect of Koronet's is their 32 inch pie. A huge slice is only $2.75. This pizza is by no means artisanal, (more like a huge greasy mess), but still a delicious pizza-craving fix.


Soraya displays her hot, jumbo slice.

Papa John's Delivery

Address: Our apartment! (Fresh from 1111 Fulton Street)
Purchase: One large cheese pizza
Cost: $15.99 (with tax, delivery, and $3 tip)
Pizza Rating:


So a Papa John's just opened down street from us, and last night seemed as good as any to try it out (in the name of blogging research, of course). While we do consider ourselves idealist, "keep it local" folks, the convenience of online ordering, 20 minute delivery, and deliciously buttery garlic sauce, we have to indulge in the Papa once in awhile. The two and half stars were pretty much awarded entirely upon those three qualities, (the garlic sauce winning 2 whole pizza-stars (YUM!), and the convenience bringing it up a 1/2). The pizza itself was a little cold, the sauce a little sweet, and the cheese a tad bit chunky (rather then the melted warm gooeyness you get from a truly artisnal slice). I was inclined to bump it up to a 3 after enjoying a hits-the-spot slice this morning from the fridge, but AJ refused to stoop so low.

Don Filippo Pizza, Upper East Side

Address: Lexington Avenue at 78th Street
Purchase: One plain
Cost: $2.20 (I still don't get why some places don't include tax.)
Pizza Rating:


The closest *quality* slice to my school (that I've found so far, that is). A self-proclaimed "trattoria," this hole-in-the-wall pizza place offers a wide range of other Italian specialities, and even table service, although you wouldn't know it from the line of business men pushing and shoving to get a slice to go during the lunch rush. The place is a little dirty, and you can get a little clostrophobic while ordering, but it's pretty good for being right off Museum Mile, and there's almost always a place to sit once you get past the counter. The cheese slice is tasty, although the crust is a little thin and floppy. Definitely the place to go if you are starving after a visit to the Met. Anything closer to 5th Ave is a rip-off.