I have to agree that pizza from Northern NJ is the best. I’d recommend Secaucus Pizza, it’s in the middle of town. If you drive into NYC from the west on Route 3, take the service road after the bridge over the Hackensack river, hang a right after the Sunoco station, go 20 yards and make a right into the shopping center & you’re there.
In Manhatten there’s a place on the northeast corner of 33rd & 3rd thats pretty good, I don’t recall the name of it.
I’ll have to try Ichbin Dubist’s place in Jersey City on Newark St. although I haven’t been in JC for years.
You’re going to come back and tell us who your winner is, right?
I wouldn’t call this representative of the quintessential New York pizza, but if you want creative toppings (by the slice or by the pie), you can’t beat Two Boots. There you will find the “Bayou Beast,” mentioned upthread, and my personal favorite, “The Dude.” There are a few locations around town, though for authenticity I’d stick with the East Village (Avenue A) branches. The one on 3rd street is attached to a video store and a movie theater that shows quirky independent films. It is a good way to take in the New York scene AND some good pizza.
Glad to know it’s still there! I moved out of NYC in 1989, so I’m not up to speed on what’s still around and what’s gone the way of renovation/gentrification.
Quick story: the last time I visited was 1995 on a vacation with the first Mrs. Know. We were staying with my dad on Staten Island; one night, I suggested driving into Manhattan. Going up 6th Avenue, I suggested getting some food. We pulled up to Ray’s, ordered a couple of slices, and dug in. The look on her face after that first bite was priceless (she’d spent her whole life in the South). I looked her in the eye and said, “Beats the crap outta Pizza Hut, don’t it?”
And as I write this and read the other posts, I am looking at the leftover Pizza Hut in my lunchbag today and getting very depressed!
There’s the gas ovens and then the wood-fired. And apparently there are ones that look wood-fired but are a wood/gas combo.
And then, it’s the wood-fired style–thin, burnt taste, more crust showing and more delicate ingredients. It’s more popular up here in New England and I truly miss a good old NYC slice. And it’s true almost any neighborhood will have a great spot for it.
Resurrecting this thread because I was in NY yesterday and had a couple of slices at NY Pizza Suprema, which has been at the top of some internet lists. It’s definitely up there among the best pizza I’ve ever had. Any updated thoughts about NYC pizza?
For years I’d heard good things about Grimaldi’s, even mentioned on an episode of Law & Order, but I’ve never been. From what I can find online, the original owner sold the location and name, and opened a new place next door called Juliana’s. I’d love to try it if I ever make it back to NYC.
The thing about NYC is that if you avoid the chains it’s damn near impossible not to get a good slice of.pizza. Except for places like Totonno’s and Gimaldi’s I’d be hard pressed to give you a name. Walk down any street in the outer boroughs, to in the first pizza place you see that’s not a chain, and you’ll be fine.
Right, it’s now Juliana’s, and is IMO The Best Pizza In The World. Fresh mozzarella, coal oven. Awesome. Expect to wait, and they don’t do slices. Not cheap, either. But so, so worth it.
^ this. Our first night in NYC a few years ago my son and I were hungry, so we left our hotel and hit the first pizza place within sight - Cavallo’s at 7th and W 28th, down the street from Penn station. He still measures every west coast pizza according to how good that was.
I’ve heard great things about L&B Spumoni Gardens, but have not yet tried it!
Be warned, they only do Sicilian style…thick chewy dough (1/2 to 3/4 inch), covered with sauce and a little more cheese than a regular pie. My Chicago father-in-law tried Sicilian years ago and complained that it was “all bread.”
Something new in NYC since this thread started in 2006 is the Grandma pie, aka Nonna-style.
The dough is stretched into a rectangular pan, over a good juicing of olive oil, and not allowed to rise. The result is a dense, chewy underpinning, and crispy crust. This is a real treat, and is becoming a serious rival to the tradition Neapolitan style.
The classic version is topped with uncooked tomatoes, herbs, and fresh mozzarella, but it’s available with anything you want. Don’t overdo the toppings, though, because the crust will collapse under them.
When my sons and I got to Port Authority late one evening we turned our nose up at the Sbarro’s, even though we were starving. Catty-corner from the exit their was a parlor so small people were elbow to elbow. It was so good I wanted to slap my grandmother.