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!

Time Out for Pizza

Check out Time Out Magazine's all pizza feature this week.

Grimaldi's, DUMBO

Address: 19 Old Fulton Street, Under the Brooklyn Bridge
Purchase: One regular with garlic, One regular with riccotta, and half sausage, One bottle Chianti.
Cost:$75 including tip. One large pizza is $16.
Payment: Cash Only
Pizza Rating:


Finally Grimaldi's! After many recommendations, we made the trip to DUMBO for one of the most famous pies in the city, in honor of AJ's birthday. Lincoln and Andreas joined us, which made standing in line outside in the 40˚ for 45 minutes waiting for a table a little more fun. When we finally got a table, it was perfect. The menu is simple, no crazy preconceived combinations of toppings, you just choose your own. And since they come with a delicious crushed tomato sauce, the most exquisite mozzerella, fresh basil and grated parmesan, it doesn't really need anything. The crust is thin and crispy, without being brittle or charred, probably the result of the super-fast cooking time in the coal burning brick oven. We all agreed to give it five stars—not because it's Plato's ideal pizza, or even the best pizza I ever expect to have in New York, but just because it was really freaking good. Don't pass it up—just remember your hat and gloves!


Yep, that's the line.


We made it to the front!


There they are, making pizzas!


Check out that coal-burning oven.


So hungry.


Don't miss the view of Manhattan right down the hill! Bellissima!

Wedding Pizza at Joe's

wedding pizza
Originally uploaded by jsmooth995.

While AJ procrastinates actually reviewing Joe's (despite eating there four times a week), he did at least stumble across this very appropriate slice-of-the-city shot on flickr.

Pizza can be so romantic!

Fornino, Williamsburg

Address: 187 Bedford Ave. at N 7th, Williamsburg
Purchase: One bottle of wine ($18), One large Al Roker Pizza, One large Spinach Pizza
Cost: About $75 with tip (about $20 for each 8-slice, large, speciality pie)
Pizza Rating:


I realize this is our second (and overdue) non-traditional "Slices of the City" review, but good pizza is good pizza. Last weekend Meredith was in town from Boston, Lincoln came down from the UWS, and we met up with Helen, (who actually lives in Williamsburg) to finally try out Fornino. As expected from its rave reviews from all the reliable sources (Zagat: 22, 14, 18, $21), it was delicious! Truly "artisnal," and unique!

The spinach pie had fresh spinach leaves with white truffle oil (yum!), ricotta, pecorino, and pinenuts. The Al Roker, with roasted peppers, caramalized onions, garlic, rosemary (we held the prosciutto), had a red base and a really good flavor. The pizza on a whole was just like it would have been in Italy, especially the crispy crust. I'll admit, our server often dissappeared for long periods of time--perhaps because we were seated in the back room with the greenhouse (where they grow their own herbs and other ingredients), but that's not going to stop me from craving another Fornino pizza again soon!




The Spinach Pizza


The Al Roker