Hey guys sorry I've been missing for a while. A lot of exciting things happening.
First and foremost, I like to thank everyone for viewing this blog, I will be in the process of doing re-reviews of these places and being more up to date (also with a new website). I will also cover ground on the Staten Island pizza scene by being a contributor of the slice.seriouseats.com blog. Staten Island pizza is scarce on there.
Also I am starting production of my documentary The Ketchup Theory. It's about three pizza makers in the city and what they believe about the recent food laws being passed. Also with hypotheticals such as what would happen if pizza was banned in NYC. I like to thank Scott from Scott Pizza Tours for helping me out by shooting his tour and the Slice Out Hunger event.
The new website will launch middle of October and it will have a small trailer for my film, as well as new entries so keep a lookout for that. Also E-MAIL ME tell me which places to go to and what you though of it.
mike.lopezrodriguez@gmail.com
keep on reading! thanks!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Bario's Pizza- New Springville, Staten Island
Due to the closing of SoHo Pizza Factory a few months ago there have been no solution for great pizza in this area in Staten Island. Gino's VilleMonte, Mr Pizza Pasta House and D'Oro all make pretty subpar pizza. If you want great pizza you'll have to go as far as Forest Ave and South Ave.
Bario's is in the $1 slice craze. While it's not the best dollar spent, it is a value among the other spots on the island. You can get a sicilian, Grandma and Regular slice for a dollar +tax. So I guess it's not truly $1 pizza but $1.10. However, if you get an individual it's a womping $7. Now I am not complaining. I get pizza fresh, but that is not a good slice, price ratio.
I think they should slow down on making the house pies because they have that old crusty look to it before you order it. I am a fan of Fresh Pizza, along with any enthusiast out there, so when I don't see a fresh pie I either walk out or order an individual. I feel like if I order a slice I won't be able to properly review it. So I ordered a personal pie with an extra cup of sauce.
The pizza was a bit of a step forward, considering I don't go here to often. The times I do I get sick from the pizza being undercooked. This time the pizza had a nice crisp to it, but there was something missing.
The pizza itself has no flavor to it, to is very bland and it doesn't give that extra kick of flavor. I solutioned it with black pepper to make it stand out a bit. Also there is NOT ENOUGH SAUCE. The cheese was overpowering the pie and it made me feel like I was eating cheesy bread. With the sauce and pepper added it made a pretty tolerable pie! My stomach didn't hate me, which it usually does when I come here, and I had a decent experience.
If you're looking for dollar pizza in Staten Island this is the spot. It has an option to get individual pies which where you can't find anywhere else to properly taste it. While there overall score is a six in my book I come here when I either crave it (on a rare occasion) or if I want a fresher fix of pizza.
Bario's is in the $1 slice craze. While it's not the best dollar spent, it is a value among the other spots on the island. You can get a sicilian, Grandma and Regular slice for a dollar +tax. So I guess it's not truly $1 pizza but $1.10. However, if you get an individual it's a womping $7. Now I am not complaining. I get pizza fresh, but that is not a good slice, price ratio.
I think they should slow down on making the house pies because they have that old crusty look to it before you order it. I am a fan of Fresh Pizza, along with any enthusiast out there, so when I don't see a fresh pie I either walk out or order an individual. I feel like if I order a slice I won't be able to properly review it. So I ordered a personal pie with an extra cup of sauce.
The pizza was a bit of a step forward, considering I don't go here to often. The times I do I get sick from the pizza being undercooked. This time the pizza had a nice crisp to it, but there was something missing.
The pizza itself has no flavor to it, to is very bland and it doesn't give that extra kick of flavor. I solutioned it with black pepper to make it stand out a bit. Also there is NOT ENOUGH SAUCE. The cheese was overpowering the pie and it made me feel like I was eating cheesy bread. With the sauce and pepper added it made a pretty tolerable pie! My stomach didn't hate me, which it usually does when I come here, and I had a decent experience.
If you're looking for dollar pizza in Staten Island this is the spot. It has an option to get individual pies which where you can't find anywhere else to properly taste it. While there overall score is a six in my book I come here when I either crave it (on a rare occasion) or if I want a fresher fix of pizza.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
My List
Here is my list of my top places to go to in NYC.
This will be a top 50 list and will be updated whenever new places wow me, I will give you the first 20
- Di Faras Pizza- Midwood
- Pizzeria Giove
- Angela's Pizza
- Forcella
- Don Antonio
- Artichoke Basille
- Giovanni's Trattoria
- Kestè
- Rizzo's Fine Pizza
- Pizzarte
- Donatella
- L&B Spumoni Gardens
- Nonna's Pizza
- Kingdom Cafe
- Lombardi's
- Patsy's
- Grimaldi's
- Denino's
- Pizza Box
- Pizza by Cer'tè
This is my list of the places That are currently in the listing of my top spots. There are honorable mentions that I will be adding. 900 Degrees was once on this list as number 9 (R.I.P)
Monday, April 9, 2012
Angela's Pizza- Woodhaven, Queens
This is where it all began. I was eight years old. Innocent. Oblivious. I stumbled upon this place with my dad after moving into the area. I was greeted by Tony, one of the brothers who made the pizza that will be known to be THE FIRST REAL PIZZA I EVER HAD. Now don't get me wrong, I had "pizza" before, and if by pizza you mean cheese off of pizza and just have bread and sauce (Whoever knew that will actually be the Marinara slice that I hate so much).
Well I didn't automatically start eating a slice with cheese, I was testing out the boundaries, tasting whatever mix it had. As a child I didn't know, I was blind, tasteless.
This will read more like a story than a blog entry, because face it, THIS FAMILY STARTED IT ALL.
I was about nine when I ate my first slice with cheese. Back then I didn't know. After that day I knew the difference that there is a thing called good pizza and bad pizza. Good pizza is what Angela's was. Nice doughy texture with homemade sauce and shredded mozzarella.
Years pass as I came here EVERY SINGLE DAY. Tony knew me as the kid with the poofy hair. I would come there when it rained, before it closed, as soon as they opened, whenever I craved a slice. Fast forward a few years later and tragedy struck. Mama Angela passed away, they were closed for a bit to mourn.
After reopening and remodeling Joe started making the pies. Same great flavor as ever before. I seen him on my last visit double baking the pies (that is making the pie with minimum cheese and sauce and after baked for a bit inserts it again).
I told him he started it all, his family created a monster. He was very happy to hear I still come here (at least during the holidays) from staten island and eat his food. 12 years and it's still outstanding. This is what I love about family businesses.
This is number three on my list of all time favorite pizzas. Only my second spot where the pizza men knew me by name. This is the fixture of my childhood what I came to love. What made me do what I do. I love doing it. I love eating pizza. This is Passion. It's not some addiction you can laugh at and say don't you eat anything else? I will forever be in debt to this family.
Well I didn't automatically start eating a slice with cheese, I was testing out the boundaries, tasting whatever mix it had. As a child I didn't know, I was blind, tasteless.
This will read more like a story than a blog entry, because face it, THIS FAMILY STARTED IT ALL.
I was about nine when I ate my first slice with cheese. Back then I didn't know. After that day I knew the difference that there is a thing called good pizza and bad pizza. Good pizza is what Angela's was. Nice doughy texture with homemade sauce and shredded mozzarella.
Years pass as I came here EVERY SINGLE DAY. Tony knew me as the kid with the poofy hair. I would come there when it rained, before it closed, as soon as they opened, whenever I craved a slice. Fast forward a few years later and tragedy struck. Mama Angela passed away, they were closed for a bit to mourn.
After reopening and remodeling Joe started making the pies. Same great flavor as ever before. I seen him on my last visit double baking the pies (that is making the pie with minimum cheese and sauce and after baked for a bit inserts it again).
I told him he started it all, his family created a monster. He was very happy to hear I still come here (at least during the holidays) from staten island and eat his food. 12 years and it's still outstanding. This is what I love about family businesses.
Forcella- Lower East Side, New York City
"La Pizza Napoletana non ha inventori non ha padri ne padroni, ma è il frutto del genio del popolo napoletano"
This quote is from Antonia Pace the president of the AVPN.
This became instantly my favorite quote because it relates to all of pizza. In english the translation is.
"The Neapolitan Pizza has no inventors, no fathers, neither any owner, but it is the result of the geniality of Napoli's People"
Genuine this place is.
The head pizza man Giulio Adriani is the creator of fried pizza in NYC. He won 4 world champions and is the head instructor of the VPN. Giulio's pizza is very unique and has two kinds. One is the regular pizza that goes straight into the oven and the other is the pizza fritte, where he dips the dough in sunflower oil and then he lightly bakes it.
He has three locations in NYC. One in Williamsburg and two in the Lower East Side. The third one is a new installation called La Montanara which only specializes in fried pizza.
I ordered three things: Pizzele Di Nonna, Margherita Extra and La Montanara.
The Pizzele Di Nonna was pretty amazing. After being disappointed they didn't have the Mozzarella En Corozza anymore I ordered this.It's deep fried pizza with sauce and parmesan cheese on it. Think of a Zeppole sprinkled with sauce instead of sugar. It packs a flavor in your mouth and what's come to see when you look at fried pizza
This is the Margherita Extra. It has both Buffalo and Fresh Mozzarella. You can really taste the distinction between the two cheeses and it melted in my mouth. The San Marzano sauce gives it that extra zing and what I come to love in Neapolitan Pies. This instantly became my favorite pie on the menu.
I kinda dug in too early and forgot to snap the La Montanara. The dough was deep fried then baked. It has fresh mozzarella and San Marzano sauce.
This quote is from Antonia Pace the president of the AVPN.
This became instantly my favorite quote because it relates to all of pizza. In english the translation is.
"The Neapolitan Pizza has no inventors, no fathers, neither any owner, but it is the result of the geniality of Napoli's People"
Genuine this place is.
The head pizza man Giulio Adriani is the creator of fried pizza in NYC. He won 4 world champions and is the head instructor of the VPN. Giulio's pizza is very unique and has two kinds. One is the regular pizza that goes straight into the oven and the other is the pizza fritte, where he dips the dough in sunflower oil and then he lightly bakes it.
He has three locations in NYC. One in Williamsburg and two in the Lower East Side. The third one is a new installation called La Montanara which only specializes in fried pizza.
I ordered three things: Pizzele Di Nonna, Margherita Extra and La Montanara.
This is the Margherita Extra. It has both Buffalo and Fresh Mozzarella. You can really taste the distinction between the two cheeses and it melted in my mouth. The San Marzano sauce gives it that extra zing and what I come to love in Neapolitan Pies. This instantly became my favorite pie on the menu.
I kinda dug in too early and forgot to snap the La Montanara. The dough was deep fried then baked. It has fresh mozzarella and San Marzano sauce.
Overall the food was outstanding. Had a little trouble in understanding the waiter when I wanted the tap water not the bottled. I had the opportunity to talk to Giulio and praised him on his work with the three places. This will be a fixture in one of my favorite spots and will be number 4 on my all-time favorites list!
Monster Pizza- Closure
I am very happy to announce that Monster Pizza has finally closed. I took the pleasure to post my older entries so you can get a feel of what I am talking about. Monster Pizza was in a parody in my script that I'm writing, as well as some other skits.
It went downhill from what I heard when the people who ran the place were very rude. The family that stuck around were very intimidating.
I am very obnoxious when it comes to my pizza. It needs to be a certain why that Monster Pizza NEVER had. If anyone who knows me personally will see if I am a regular at a place I will be very loyal, however the bad places WILL be bashed and shit talked.
What made Monster Pizza bad was their sauce. Their sauce like I have explained on the older entry tasted like Preggo and Ketchup mixed.
Why settle for Monster Pizza when you can have
THE PIZZA BOX
KESTE
LA ROMA
DONATELLA'S
JOHN'S ORIGINAL
LOMBARDI'S
FORCELLA
Who are also within that general area.
Here are some other pictures of my happy findings.
It went downhill from what I heard when the people who ran the place were very rude. The family that stuck around were very intimidating.
What made Monster Pizza bad was their sauce. Their sauce like I have explained on the older entry tasted like Preggo and Ketchup mixed.
Why settle for Monster Pizza when you can have
THE PIZZA BOX
KESTE
LA ROMA
DONATELLA'S
JOHN'S ORIGINAL
LOMBARDI'S
FORCELLA
Who are also within that general area.
Here are some other pictures of my happy findings.
Rossopomodoro (Eataly)- Flat Iron District, New York City
(This was an older post from my tumblr)
After my little mishap with Monster Pizza I was in much need of some good pizza. After finding out that Donnatella’s was closed, I ventured deeper into 23rd street to Eataly. Eataly’s masterminds are no other than Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Oscar Farinetti.
After a 15 minute wait (originally told 30-45 minutes but received bar seats) I was well underway to get my beautiful Neapolitan pie that I have been craving all morning. Now let me tell you this…they have a wood-burning brick oven that is designed to have heat travel a great distance inside the oven to perfectly char the pies and have that rich doughy charred flavor.
I have always loved Neapolitan pies because most use San Marzano tomatoes in their sauce to get the it nice and sweet and have that light texture. They also use Buffalo Mozzarella to have that nice creamy cheese melt in your mouth.
Neapolitan pies are all about the sweet. With having sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and either using Fresh Mozzarella or Buffalo it achieves that flavor. Rossopomodoro has no contest in making the finest pies because everything is imported from Italy. That’s what makes it so great.
Overall this is the perfect spot for a starter in Neapolitan pies. At $15 a pie you cannot go wrong. I highly suggest you go with a small group because like all restaurants it can result in a longer wait for your party.
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