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!)

Lombardi's

Address: 32 Spring Street (at Mott)
Purchase: Small Breadsticks, Large Original Margharita Pizza, Wine and Beer
Price: $16.95 for the pizza
Payment: Cash Only
Pizza Rating:


We've heard a lot of talk about Lombardi's, so we had pretty high expectations for this pizzeria napoletana in Soho. Licensed by the city in 1905, Lombardi's is "America's First Pizzeria." Marisa was here from DC, so we were excited to try it out. The sauce was delicious (a little sweet for AJ's taste), but the fresh mozzerella and little bits of basil, paired with the bubbly, coal-oven crust won this pie the four pizza rating. The commercialized atmosphere, complete with multiple hostesses with radios and waitlists, kept it from anything higher. We missed the "real" feeling of Grimaldi's chaotic crowd, but in all honesty, it was worth it to be able to wait at the bar instead of out in the cold. I don't know how soon I'll be back, but everyone should give this historical NYC pie a try.


Gennaro's Original® Pizza


Marisa's so pretty!


Marisa takes the first slice! (Excuse the demonic red-eye.)


The busy kitchen.


The pizza makers.


Pausing in the freezing cold for pic out front.


Marisa and I smile with Mona Lisa.

Pizzeria de Santo

*UPDATE! Pizzeria de Santo has since closed.*

Address: 173 Ludlow Street (between Houston & Stanton)
Purchase: One Margherita Slice
Cost: $3.00
Pizza Rating:


Even though the slice we had last night at this new Lower East Side blessed pizzeria was pretty much as close to cardboard as a piece of pizza can get, we were totally into it. In truth, Pizzeria de Santo's appeal was probably based on the late hour of our visit, relief from the sub-freezing temperature outside, and the fact that they (usually) have Peroni on draught. Nevertheless, We'll definitely be back. Brick oven, clean seating area, open late, holy pies--what more could you ask for?







(Late night pizza = crappy camera phone pics!)

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.

Focaccino Delivery

Address: 1069 Bedford Avenue at Lexington, Bed-Stuy
Phone: (718) 622-2228
Purchase: $11.99 (18" cheese brick-oven pizza)
Payment: Cash
Pizza Rating:


Nearby Focaccino opened in the fall, but they just left a delivery menu on our doorstep this week, so tonight was the first time we tried it. Despite some relatively poor reviews on other local blogs (see eating for brooklyn and the Clinton Hill Blog*), we were excited to order in, especially because of their almost exclusively vegetarian menu (they seem to have a thing for eggplant). To be brief, we were disappointed. The delivery was pretty quick, but when we got the pizza it was completely cold (granted, it is 24° outside and it came by bicycle). The crust was way too thin (and I like thin!) and had flecks of rosemary in it, which I didn't like. The sauce was a little sweet and a little spicy, in a kind of Prego-brand, mass-produced way. We're holding out for a in-house visit though, because from the street the place itself has some cool decor, and espresso too. Maybe a fresh, hot slice would improve Focaccino's Slices of the City rating?


Bruno smells something tasty!




AJ was disappointed before his first bite as the pizza flopped and dripped when he tried to fold it. Plates necessary.

* The pizza in her pictures seems to have a much thicker crust. Maybe she got the 10" pie?

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.

Famous Ben's Pizza of Soho

Address: 177 Spring Street at Thompson
Purchase: Two Plain Slices
Cost: $4.50
Pizza Rating:


For the life of me I cannot figure out what Ben's could possibly be famous for. The slices that we got were nearly as orange as a pumpkin and had a thick sheen of grease. The sauce was mediocre and the crust was forgettable. I know we were in Soho but when I pay $2.25 for a slice, I expect more.


Thumbs up? I don't think so.

Dr. Ho's Humble Pie

Address: The Crossroads on 29 South, North Garden, VA
Purchase: 1 Fat 'n' Sassy, 1 Medium Classico Pie (Feta, Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes), Starr Hill Beers
Cost:$45, with tip. ($16.95 for a 16" Speciality Pizza)
Payment: Cash or Check Only
Pizza Rating:


This is the second of our "Slices of the City's Christmas in VA" reviews. Dr. Ho's is a fun excuse to get out of town to the country of Albemarle County and enjoy some delicious gourmet pie. The specialty pizzas have lots of creative ingredients, and some of the best, including the famous Fat 'n' Sassy appetizer, feature delicious roasted garlic cloves. Bring your breath mints! The pizza itself is tasty, but a little topping-heavy. My favorite parts of our visit were the boys' friendly, down-home attitude, the young customers' crayon-colored paper plates that cover the walls, and the cheap local beers. It's definitely worth the trip.


AJ and Launa






The Classico and the Fat 'n' Sassy




Launa and Allie!

Crozet Pizza

Address: 5794 Three Notch'd Road, Downtown Crozet, VA
Purchase: One Medium (14"), 1/2 Cheese, 1/2 Spinach, Tomato, and Cherry Peppers, 1 Pepsi, 1 Bass Ale
Cost: $25.00
Payment: Cash or Check Only
Pizza Rating:


Crozet Pizza has been on our short list of places to review since we started this blog. We finally made the trip over our Christmas visit to Virginia. We were accompanied by Allie's little sister, Isabelle. The secret at Crozet Pizza is to only order the small or the medium pies. They use the same amount of dough for each size pie and if you order the large the crust is much thinner and more likely to be burnt. So we got a medium and chose spinach, tomato, and cherry peppers from their extensive toppings menu (which even includes peanuts!), and kept one half plain. I found the crust to be the best part of the pie; it was thin and crunchy yet still fluffy on the inside. Allie felt that the crust isn't as bubbly as it used to be and therefore not as good. (Another disappointing change is that they will no longer do 1/4 pizza toppings, which was always nice.) I thought that the peppers were too spicy and the crust got soggy rather qucikly. Overall Crozet Pizza scored so highly not due to quality of their pizza but because of the atmosphere and the memories associated with such an historic pizzeria.


Heading off towards Downtown Crozet


THE Crozet Pizza




The Menu Board


T.J.


The Back Room (also the site of Allie's 8th birthday party...)


The Pizza Maker (the next Bob Crum)


Our pizza before it entered the oven... yum!






Crozet Pizza Customers Around the World


Alex and John!


Isabelle serves it up!


Mangiamo!