Not Ray's Pizza, Fort Greene

Address: 690 Fulton Street (at S. Portland)
Purchase: Two regular slices and a can of Coke
Cost: $6.00 ($2.50/slice)
Pizza Rating:


Well, $2.50 seems to be the new $2 in regular slices. However, at a place like Not Ray's, it's decidedly worth it. Not only does Not Ray's win extra points for its humorous name, but the slices are quality, if a little greasy. This was one of the first pizza places we visited after we moved to Brooklyn, so it's fitting that we got to review it before we leave. (P.S. This is baby Louisa's first official appearance (on the outside) on Slices of the City!)




Sitting outside Habana Outpost (which to many passerbys' disappointment, is closed Tuesdays)

Rosario's, Lower East Side

Address: 173 Orchard Street (at the corner of Stanton)
Purchase: 1 regular slice
Cost: $2.25
Pizza Rating:


Rosario's is the perfect place to grab a slice when your down around the LES. It's only a block away from the gallery, so I go there often when I am working. The guys are really friendly and the pizza is very dependable. Always fresh, tasty, and never over-reheated. The crust has a good flavor and good texture without being too thick or bready. Yesterday I also tried one of their spinach and cheese rollini which was had a generous garlic and cheese filling for only $3. It took a while to heat up, but I was happily watching the Mets home-opener on their tv while I waited (they were still winning at that point). I'd definitely choose Rosario's over the competition when you're looking for pizza around here.


A little greasy, but cheesy and delicious.

Otto, Greenwich Village

Address: 1 Fifth Avenue at 8th Street
Purchase: Many personal pizzas, antipasti, wine, gelato
Cost: $10 to $14 each pizza
Payment: Cards accepted
Pizza Rating:


In honor of Marisa's special birthday celebration in NYC, Slices of the City had its first taste of celebrity-chef pizza at Mario Batali's Otto. The place was packed, as it has been every time we have walked by. However, we were seated as soon as our whole party of eight arrived, even though we were a little late for the reservation. The service was very good, once the waitress finally stuck around our table long enough to take our order.

The distinctive thing about Otto's pizza is its crust. It is very thin and very crispy, more like a cracker than a bubbly, yeasty dough. The toppings go right to the edge. The Margherita, which is really the standard with which we judge this type of pizzeria, was a little disappointing. The sauce was too sweet for AJ's taste, and a little too thick for mine, and I think they were a bit too sparing with buffala mozzarella. The Funghi and Taleggio was delicious, salty, and flavorful, but a little overpowering for a whole pie. Would have made a delicious bruschetta, especially with its parsley garnish. Our favorite was Meredith's choice, the Balsamic Onion and Goat Cheese, which was scrumptious. Highly recommended, especially for a twist on the sometimes bland white pizza.

The highlight of my meal was the gelato. The chocolate hazelnut sauce on our Black and White was divine. Don't skip dessert!


The Margherita D.O.P.


Funghi and Taleggio


Balsamic Onion and Goat Cheese


The delicious Black and White gelato dessert


I loved the refurbed Italian flip board. Very cool. Marisa and Jon are cute too.

Happy Birthday, Marisa!

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!

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)

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.

Capone's

Address: 221 N 9th Street (between Driggs and Roebling)
Purchase: 2 Newcastles... with 2 free pizzas!
Cost: One free pizza with each $5 drink
Payment: Cash Only (and their ATM is always broken)
Pizza Rating:


Free pizza! It's true. And it's not half bad! Williamsburg's Capone's actually makes you a fresh, personal, thin crust, cheese pizza for every drink you buy (you can pay extra for toppings). With no school on Monday, and no groceries in the fridge, Capone's was calling my name on Sunday night. It wasn't our first visit, but this time I brought my camera. So, cool bar, free pizza. Word to the first-time visitor: don't be discouraged by the closed door. The bar is open! ...just don't tell anybody! You can also check out their two other locations, Alligator Lounge on Metropolitan at Lorimer, or Crocodile Lounge in the East Village. Pizza is served daily from 6 pm to 3:30 am.


Cheers!


Look! I told you--it's not half bad!




Sweet Kuszyk graffiti across the street.


We got a second round of drinks (and a third pizza to share!) and even had a piece leftover for Bruno. (That picture is for you, Lincoln!)

Franny's

Address: 295 Flatbush Avenue at Prospect Place
Purchase: Four pizzas (they come personal sized), one carafe of wine
Cost: $100 including tip. (Pizzas are about $14 each.)
Payment: Cards accepted.
Pizza Rating:


Franny's was ranked number 10 in the recent Time Out pizza review, so this weekend, while my sisters were visiting, we made a trip to nearby Prospect Heights to see for ourselves. It ended up being very different from the other places we've reviewed. Upon first impression Franny's had a lot of hip potential, considering its exposed brick, eco-friendly philosophies, and trendy minimalistic menu. But in the end, it was pretty expensive—a little too "Manhattan wine bar" rather than "Brooklyn pizzeria" for our taste—and, to be honest, a little bland. AJ's choice was by far the best: the white Buffalo Mozzarella, Garlic, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt combo. The regular Buffalo and Tomato pizza could have used a little spice. But the crust was thin and bubbly and the wood-burning oven gave it a delicious Italian-true flavor.


My tomato and buffalo mozzarella pie.


AJ's pizza gave me serious entrée envy.


Margaret and Isabelle, guest Slices of the City reviewers.




The happy pizza makers.