You sure see a lot of pizza places when you walk the streets of Manhattan. The Pizza Snob however has self-imposed limitations dealing with time and calories. I therefore try to be selective and rely upon recommendations rather than fearlessly making surprise walk-ins to unfamiliar pizza joints. In the last few years, I must have walked by and passed over Fiore’s Pizza on Bleecker Street a dozen times asking myself “Why would we need another pizza place around here?”

Well, after a late summer night musical experience at the City Winery, it was a nice evening for a stroll through the Village. Of course I had getting a slice of pizza on my mind, and seeing Fiore’s, I said “What the heck?” Unexpectedly, this casual decision resulted in one of the most delightfully surprising adventures in Pizza Snob history!

Peeking through Fiore’s open air façade, I spotted delivery activity behind the counter and a handful of patrons in the square front dining area. In the rear was perhaps the biggest pizza oven I had even seen—a massive machine against the back wall! I found that Fiore’s sells pizza, calzone, rolls and salad, but no booze.

My pizza senses detected that the product in the counter display was something other than your typical NY street slice. The regular cheese slice looked solid and crisp with blotchy cheese (made from cubes) and a darker richer tomato sauce. I was getting quite interested!

My interest however took a back seat to the guy working the counter. He was certainly no “Pizza Nazi” and spent several minutes fumbling with the previous customer’s credit card payment before casually requesting my order.

“Mr. Casual” eventually reheated my cheese slice selection ($2.75) to an absolute perfect temperature for consumption. It was good and hot throughout, but safe from any mouth-scalding danger. I immediately realized that Fiore’s slice was rock solid crisp with a firm crunchy crust. When I folded it, I could even hear an audible cracking sound. It sized up being on the thin side with pizza bones that retained this slimness to the very end.

I really was taken with how classy Fiore’s slice looked. The light oil on top of the cheese and tomato sauce gave it a nice sheen that was tempting and enticing to the taste buds. The tomato sauce was tasty, tangy and perhaps borderline sweet while the cheese was just right. Biting through that crunch, I found this slice simply dee-lish! Everything was just so fresh and tasty that it was hard for me to refrain from having another.

I joyfully departed knowing that I would be welcoming this shining star of a slice into the Pizza Snob Hall of Fame. This is one I can’t wait to try again.

P.S. I was touched to learn that the owner named his pizza joint in honor of his good friend, Mike Fiore, a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Fiore’s Pizza
165 Bleecker Street (between Sullivan & Thompson Streets)
New York, NY  10012
212-982-8663
www.fiorespizzanyc.com

The Pizza Snob had been on such a roll lately (five “five-slice” ratings in a row) that I needed a reality check to see if I had lost my pizza-objectivity. So after a recent late night Manhattan adventure, I moseyed over to the Lower East Side to revisit a place that I recall disappointing me back in my pre-Snob days.  My visit to this branch of Famous Original Ray’s Pizza became a sad reminder that you can actually get a bad slice of pizza in New York City.

Prior to my visit, I was not aware that this Ray’s location was connected to a chain of eight: two “up” (town), three “mid,” two “down” and one out on Long Island. I previously tasted at the one near Times Square which somehow was not as dismal as this one turned out to be.

This part of the Lower East Side was for me a flashback to the City in the 70s. The area just doesn’t present itself as safe and clean as the rest of currently revitalized Manhattan. Likewise, this Ray’s location is not quite the place you’d take your date to after the prom, or perhaps any time for that matter.

It was close to midnight when I found my way to the open air Ray’s storefront on the south side of Houston Street. The place looked like it had been through a long day, and that it was time for the cleaning crew to arrive. While the seating area was empty, I unfortunately managed to arrive just behind a bunch of late-night revelers and a trio of New York City’s Finest on break. I was surprised to find that the later didn’t have better pizza-sense, but at least their presence made me feel safer.

When I got a look at the plain cheese slice ($2.35) that would be mine, I knew I was in for a big letdown. The slice had a dreaded pale white cheese look, and I anticipated it being served dead on arrival. I doubted that anything could bring this sad-looking slice back to life. Despite a lengthy reheat in the pizza oven, it still came out cold on the inside. The real problems though were its bland taste and inferior ingredients.  It was also way heavy on the dough, and getting all the way through to the end crust turned out to be a real chore. Dull and lifeless sums this one up.

Ray’s is into offering a lot of weird slices, and a lifeless basic cheese slice can’t be resurrected by simply covering it up with non-traditional toppings. With the real original Ray’s gone, I guess the name Ray’s in NYC just doesn’t mean much anymore to the pizza world. I will chalk this up as the worst slice I have ever had in Manhattan for more than a dollar.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ** Why Did I Waste Those Calories?
Famous Original Ray’s Pizza
195 E. Houston Street (at Orchard Street)
New York, NY  10002
212-358-7980
www.rayspizza.com

Please forgive me for saying it again, but can there really be more pizza places for The Pizza Snob to discover in his hometown? Well, last trip home to Bayonne I found another. On a targeted trek to the now “made-famous-by television” Pizza Linos, I noticed Rana’s Pizzeria, directly across the street from Bayonne High School. So on this next trip, I worked it in among excursions into that great Pizza City on the other side of the Hudson.

It was late afternoon, and school had long let out making for a rather quiet time at Rana’s. My cursory review revealed an opportunistic business enterprise that capitalized on their proximity across the street smack dab in the middle of Bayonne High School. My two takeaways were their offering of a before-school light breakfast menu and their student-friendly pricing evidenced in the photo below.

There’s only room inside Rana’s for two round tables leading me to believe that they are mostly a “grab and go” business. I got to choose from two plain cheese slice selections: a regular for only $1.00 and a jumbo for $1.75. (I believe that the later comes from their advertised $17.00, 28-inch “Big Daddy Pizza.”) They also offered some varieties not normally seen in these parts such as stuffed and deep-dish slices. For my taste test, I went with the regular selection which was perhaps a little smaller than usual.

Well, these guys sure know what they are doing. This was a pretty darn good slice! Trim and economical, it was not a heavy filler-upper. The cheese, crust and tomato sauce were all perfect. Something though held me back from a perfect score on this one, and I think that just a little more seasoning and toasting might have taken them up to the top. While I did detect a slight touch of garlic, a further sprinkling of oregano could have possibly done the trick. Although Rana’s slice was good and crisp and set me up for a classic Fold and Rip, I think that another minute or two of reheat would have made this one a little hotter throughout.

Constructive criticism aside, this slice is certainly among the best that Bayonne has to offer. And like, Pizza Linos down the street, my thanks go out to these guys for providing a great affordable opportunity for Bayonne Bee students.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****½ Nearer Perfection

Rana’s Pizzeria
674 Avenue A (Between 29th and 30th Streets)
Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-823-2222
[No website]

Sometimes the Pizza Snob falls asleep at the switch. A new pizza place opened in my adopted hometown of Franklin, and if not for my friend Pizza Joe, I might still have not heard about it!

In late 2014, Gina’s Stonefired Italian & Pizzeria opened shop in a newer strip in the Target Shopping Center on Columbia Pike. After missing the place twice when it was closed (first on a holiday and then on a Sunday), Mrs. Pie and I finally made our way there for one of our regular Saturday lunch dates. While I found that their pizza isn’t spectacular enough for me to stop wishing for Joey’s House of Pizza to come back to Williamson County, I am excited to report that there is now a fabulous and reasonably-priced Italian restaurant in Frank-town!

Gina’s has no more than a small square room in front of a counter with an open view of their namesake stone pizza oven. The room has a nice inviting décor, and I took notice of some faith-based messages displayed that explain their Sunday closure. They feature wait service and offer a fairly impressive Italian menu. As far as pizza goes, they make 12 and 18 inch sizes and also serve slices ($2.95) during the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. time slot. There is a selection of “Gourmet Pizza” available and a gluten-free option.

Ms. Pie and I have now visited Gina’s twice, and based on the four different Italian meals we have now shared, are thrilled to have this new spot on our regular local dining circuit. Gina’s Italian food is fine, fresh and authentic. We love it, and their pizza is much better than what most of Franklin has to offer, including I suspect, the Pizza Hut that sits just a few doors down! (Sal’s Family Restaurant still makes the best slice in Franklin though.)

On our first visit, I lost the race for the last cheese slice sitting under glass on the counter and had to settle for an $8.95 12-incher. However, on our second visit, I scored a slice, holding off on my review until then, since I believe that a joint that sells slices should be judged by its slices.

While my 12-incher was pretty good, it was much thicker than I prefer. This is almost always bound to happen when you make a pie this small and have to cut it down into tiny slices. Overall though it was fresh and tasty with a full-bodied flavoring coming from its oil and oregano. The sauce and cheese were both delicious atop a crust that was chewier than it was crisp. Despite scoring Gina’s pie somewhat favorably, I remained hopeful that their slice would serve up better taking such fine ingredients and perhaps serving them up slimmer and crisper.

On the second visit, Mrs. Pie and I each got a cheese slice as an appetizer to our Italian dishes. Although they were of course larger, the slices were only slightly slimmer than my previous small pie experience. Again they were quite delicious, most notably again from the flavor of the oil and oregano. But what caught my taste buds this time was that something just did not seem right about the dough—it was just a little too light and fluffy. There was no noticeable char on the bottom crust, and it did not seem to be cooked enough all the way through. This was most detectable at the end where it got quite puffy. Was it the flour they used or perhaps the stone fired oven doesn’t get hot enough?

So the Pizza Snob will chalk up Gina’s as a great Italian restaurant that makes a decent pizza. Unfortunately, it will take its place as another spot in Franklin where the pizza is good, but not good enough to make me want to go there to just get some pie. You will however find me and Mrs. Pie at Gina’s on any given Saturday for this is one darn good Italian restaurant.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing

Gina’s Stonefired Italian & Pizzeria
3046 Columbia Avenue
Franklin, TN 37064
615-669-0065
www.ginasstonefireditalian.com

Following the wedding of my youngest son, The Kid, I travelled back home to Jersey with Mom and Dad. After we arrived at Newark Airport just before noon time and Uber-ed home, I put into action my fastest ever “plane-to-pizza” plan to put some food on the table.

This was my perfect opportunity to head over to Staten Island and bring home some pies from Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern. Consistently on “Best in New York” pizza lists, I was amazed to find on Google Maps that this legendary place (making pies since 1951) was a mere three miles and nine minutes from my childhood bedroom in Bayonne. The $13 toll to cross the Bayonne Bridge however would cost almost as much as one of the pizzas!

After crossing over the bridge (currently under renovation to raise the roadway for large container ships), I found Denino’s just a few blocks off the first exit in a small commercial district. Facing the street were both its original bar entrance and another newer one to the dining room. A police vehicle was parked in front despite the fire hydrant. I was immediately impressed to notice that the corner had an honorary street sign for “Carlo Deninio’s Way” similar to one I had seen at Lee’s Tavern.

Deninio’s hosts a big dining room adjacent to their front barroom. There is also a second newer dining room which today was serving a private function. I made my way past the “Cash Only” sign to the take out area in the back. I got in line behind the policemen and ordered two plain cheese pies (one size only for $13.50 each). When the waitperson echoed back “OK, two regular pies,” we connected in a way that only a true pizza lover could understand.

While waiting, I toured the room taking notice of the wall full of pizza awards and the graphics depicting Staten Island facts about its four bridges and famous natives. Most of all, I saw many happy late-lunching diners enjoying a fine-looking assortment of Italian dishes and great-looking pizza.

My pies didn’t take long, and soon I was taking two warm white pizza boxes to the car. My plan of trying a single hot fresh slice before heading back home was simply not enough. I know that it is against the law to use a cell phone in these parts, but I knew of no prohibition against eating slices out of a pizza box while driving. By the time I got back to Bayonne, my cargo was reduced to a pie and a half!

Denino’s pie is a masterpiece! In the style of the other great pies I have had on Staten Island, it was blatantly rock solid crisp and crunchy. (The slogan on their pizza box reads “In Crust We Trust.”) There was no attempt to leave these babies the slightest degree uncooked with char visible on both top and bottom. Both the cheese and tomato sauce were swirlingly sparse, but they were well-blended atop the firm thin crust.  When you bite—it crunches. When you fold – it cracks. Pure pizza joy!

The top was coated with a healthy, but not overdone, layer of oil which was delightfully flavorful. The end crust carried a smattering of bread crumbs which added a further tasty touch at the finish. Plain and simple, this was as about as tasty and delicious as a pizza can get.

When I got back home, I wound up eating more pizza in a single settling that I had done in a long time. While I was glad I took the time to sample Denino’s pie while it was still hot and fresh, it sure aged well after the short trip back home. Mom and Dad can be tough critics, and they shared my love for this great pizza.

Staten Island’s Deninio’s is a worthy entry into the Pizza Snob Hall of Fame. A return trip will be well worth the surtax toll for the Bayonne Bridge!

P.S. They also have a joint down near the Jersey Shore in Brick if you are headed that way!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern
524 Port Richmond Avenue
Staten Island, NY  10302
718-442-9401
www.deninos.com

Finding himself unexpectedly in Elizabeth, New Jersey on a weekday afternoon, the Pizza Snob took a chance on some unplanned pie. Unfortunately, I struck out when I arrived to find that my targeted destination of well-respected pizza place Spirito’s Restaurant was closed during the day time. However, since I was jonesin’ for a slice, I maneuvered my way around town to find the unheralded Bella Pizza.

Bella sits on busy Broad Street right in the heart of downtown Elizabeth across from the Union County Courthouse. Taking advantage of the downtown hustle-bustle, Bella looks to thrive as a “street-slice spot.” Despite offering pizzas of the pan, gourmet and stuffed varieties in addition to other Italian menu items, I suspect that walk-in slices are strategically one of their best sellers.

There were a few slice styles displayed on the counter which sat off to the left opposite a row of tables and chairs on the right. The local, and hopefully in-the-know, police officer savoring a slice was a good sign. I ordered a plain cheese slice for two bucks and watched them throw it in the oven for a reheat.

The slice looked promising with the exception of being rather light in color which raised some suspicion. It had much more of a yellow tone than red. It didn’t take long to warm up, and my slice and I soon found a seat at a table in the front.

The slice was well-assembled and received an almost perfect score for construction. It had just the right amount of cheese and crust, but perhaps was scant on tomato sauce which explained its light color. My plain “cheeser” was cooked somewhat crisp despite any noticeable char on the bottom crust.

With ingredients this trim, a slice like this doesn’t take long to disappear. This can be a good thing in that a slim slice usually allows the consumption of multiple slices. However, after my 30-second dining experience, despite its inviting construction, Bella’s potentially-promising slice had to be one of the dullest-flavored that I have ever had!  I’d chalk it up to the skimpy use of tomato sauce and only a trace of seasoning.

I was also disappointed with the flavor of both the cheese and crust. The taste of both was just off.  They were not the normal satisfying flavors that the Snob’s taste buds are used to enjoying.

While I doubt I will be back in this neck of the woods anyway, I don’t think I’d care to revisit Bella. Their pizza just lacks the pizazz that I like to see in a slice. Their score gets its value from keeping the slice slim and trim and cooking it crisp. It was a case of style without the taste.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** ½ Working on a Good Thing

Bella Pizza
5 Broad Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
908-352-8888
www.bellapizzanj.biz

Walking in Manhattan one morning, I learned two bits of local trivia: (1) Hudson Street becomes 8th Avenue just before 12th Street and (2) the neighborhood of Greenwich Village extends to 14th Street. How did I uncover this vital information? Well, by taking notice of Village Pizza while I cruised uptown.

A few weeks later, I visited Village Pizza before seeing a show at the City Winery. After parking my car near the venue, I reprised my “much-longer-than-I-thought” walk up Hudson Street to their tiny storefront on the West side of the Avenue

Entering the small room, I moseyed through their few tables to order a plain cheese slice ($2.50, cash-only) at the counter. In front of me stood two layers of assorted slices on display under glass from which my slice was extracted from a whole plain cheese pie. Although Village Pizza has other Italian menu items, this place is about pizza.

While waiting for my slice to reheat in the pizza oven, I read some framed pages on the wall from an issue of Time Out New York magazine. In them, one of my favorite actresses, Ms. Julianne Moore, answered some Q&A in “The Hot Seat” feature. The question “What’s your favorite neighborhood slice?” was highlighted.” Location considered, it was no surprise that she gave the nod to Village Pizza.

Well, the actress who once played “Maude Lebowski” was spot-on right about Village Pizza. For if The Pizza Snob was so fortunate to live in the same neighborhood as Ms. Moore, he too would have responded the same. Village Pizza’s slice was fabulous!

My slice was put together perfectly—a solid vehicle for a Fold and Rip finale. The thin extra-crisp crust enticingly cracked ever so slightly when I folded it. It was topped with just the right amounts of cheese and tomato sauce deliciously blended together. A light seasoning of oregano added a tasty touch. There just enough oil to make it mouthwateringly flavorful. This work of art went down so quick that I yearned for another!

There was no doubt that Village Pizza serves a slice worthy of The Pizza Snob Hall of Fame. It is one that I would proudly refer to a fellow pizza snob or to someone looking to experience their first classic New York slice. Veteran or rookie, go treat yourself to one next time you are in the City!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard
Village Pizza
65 8th Avenue (between 13^th and 14th Streets)
New York, NY  10014
212-243-4367
[No website]

Sometimes a thrill-seeking mood strikes the Snob giving me the insatiable desire to try a new pizza place. When this happens, it helps to be in New York City where there are as many pizza joints as there are songwriters in Nashville. Recently the urge hit me while I was watching a show at Manhattan’s City Winery. As soon as the last note was played, I consulted my local New York City pizza gourmet Mitch who suggested I try Prince St. Pizza.

Together Mitch and I then proceeded to walk east to the area known as Nolita (“NOrth of Little ITAly”). There’s really nothing else like walking through Greenwich Village on a pleasant evening, and the late night activity in the “City That Never Sleeps” never fails to amaze me. We made our way through the human spillage exiting Little Italy to find Prince St. Pizza in a small open-air modern-looking store front on the north side of the street.

Inside were some stools for seating in front of the counter which partitioned the room from the brick-lined walls of the brick oven area in the back. The dining room walls were covered with photos of visiting Italian-American celebrities such as John Travolta, the late James Galdofini and Tony “Paulie Walnuts” Sirico.

Mitch then proceeded to tell me that this place was all about their square Sicilian slice which he craved. I reluctantly resisted the temptation for the sake of this NY-slice-centric blog. Prince’s menu is pretty much all pizza, and they even sell special dipping sauces for your squares. Beer is available.

While the plain cheese slice I wound up eating was delightfully delicious and tasty, I now regret not at least tasting the scrumptious-looking square specialty of the house.

My regular slice came out a little too hot, and as a result, was a tricky to eat. I fought both cheese slippage and perhaps a bit more oil than I care for. The bottom had a great char to it which made for a fine crispy crust. Overall, the Prince slice was cheesier than your typical NY-slice. But the most distinguishing feature about it was a tasty tomato sauce that was much richer and tangier than I am used to.

While the regular cheese slice at Prince Street Pizza wasn’t anything extra special, it certainly was no disappointment.  But that square slice sure looked good, and it will make me find my way back to Nolita to give it a try as soon as I get the chance.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection

Prince St. Pizza
27 Prince Street (between Mott & Elizabeth streets)
New York, NY 10012
212-966-4100
[no website]

Growing up, I never realized how close the beach and boardwalk of Coney Island were to my boyhood home of Bayonne, NJ. Choosing the Jersey Shore instead, my family never took the short trip from our hometown peninsula to this one on the Atlantic Ocean edge of Brooklyn.

Having never tasted an original Nathan’s Famous hot dog, I finally made it to Coney Island one summer a few years ago to see the Brooklyn Cyclones (named for the famous roller coaster) play minor league baseball. On a more recent visit home, I returned on behalf of my true food calling to visit the legendary Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana.

I first heard of Totonno’s after it got smacked by Hurricane Sandy. In fact, their history includes two other previous closures from fires. A true survivor, Totonno’s has now been in business since 1924 and claims to be the longest-standing pizza joint in the world run by one family. Said family’s pizza apprenticeship even traces back to Little Italy’s Lomardi’s Pizza, America’s first pizza place.

The folklore on Totonno’s is that they close when they run out of dough. (It is made fresh daily and not frozen.) So not taking chances, my brother and I headed out for an early lunch one rainy Saturday morning. Crossing the bridges Bayonne and Verrazano, we made our way to Coney Island.

In many ways, Coney Island would just be another typical New York neighborhood if it weren’t for the beach and amusement area. Totonno’s however is a few blocks away from all this activity and sits in the middle of a city block in a relatively quiet old commercial district.

I was immediately struck by charm of its traditional store front and casual interior. Inside, the white-tiled walls were completely covered with news clippings, photos and awards. We sat near the front window at one of several red tables of mismatched chairs. In the rear was an open view of the entire pizza-making operation. The oven was a big sucker, and although it had a very tiny door, it was perhaps one of the deepest I have ever seen.

There are a few warning signs as you enter: “Please No Beverages” (they sell them including beer and wine) and “Cash Only.” But the most revealing sign of all was the menu posted above the oven. Totonno’s serves pizza only, and the choices are few. The small is $16.50, the large is $19.50, and your only other decision is whether to add one of eight available topping at $2.50 each.

We ordered a large cheese (eight slices) which remarkably didn’t even take five minutes to be delivered hot and fresh to our table.

If I could only use one word to describe Totonno’s pizza, it would be chewy. Though the bottom crust was charred, it wasn’t crisp or crunchy. It was however the calling card to this magnificently delicious pizza. Believe me—it’s what will bring you back.

Nevertheless, the beautifully blended cheese and tomato sauce on top tasted as good as they were pretty. Together (despite no basil leaves on top) this all contributed to a perfect Brooklyn specimen of a pizza.

With Totonno’s pie serving up nice and light on the appetite, my brother and I took no prisoners, and there were no leftovers to bring home. We also left with no question that this work of art would be getting the Snob’s highest grade.

Afterwards, we visited the sports apparel store next store and heard tales from the store keep ( a Totonno’s cousin) about the pizza-seeking celebrity action he sees outside his window—notably New York Knicks basketball players and the caravans of black SUVs toting a recent New York City pizza-loving mayor!

Be sure to add a visit to Totonno’s to your pizza bucket list. But, be mindful of the time since they are closed Monday through Wednesday and open only from Noon to 8pm, or as they say “as long as there’s dough!”

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana
1524 Neptune Avenue
Brooklyn, NY  11224
718-373-8606
www.totonnosconeyisland.com

On my last trip to Manhattan, I sought out a Ray’s Pizza joint on the Lower East Side that as I expected turned out to be a dud. Working my way through the grimy streets after parking deep in the Orchard Street Shopping District, I noticed a late night pizza joint called Rosario’s Pizza. Their boastful sign of “The Best Pizza in Town, Pizza-By-the-Slice since 1963” made me put this place on my list for next time.

Rosario’s sits on a corner tucked away in the less traffic-laden part of the Lower East Side. Out walking on a recent pretty spring day, I made it my destination for a late afternoon slice. The place was in open-air mode on this nice day. The medium-sized room had ample tables for seating and a large four-deck glass counter separating the dining and oven areas.

There were plenty of plain “classic” cheese slices waiting there for me, so I summoned one up at the reasonable $2.50 asking price. Rosario’s also has some Italian restaurant fare in the form of sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes. While waiting for my slice, I visited the rest room where the graffiti-covered walls were reminiscent of the side panels of a vandalized subway train.

After a reheat in the big oven, I inspected my slice concluding that it was near perfect in content and construction. The mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and crust all seemed to be assembled just right.  The temperature too was perfect and just right for eating.

But for whatever reason, the taste of both the sauce and the crust were off and just didn’t taste right. On top of this, my slice was excessively oily. Even after draining it, this unwanted abundance of oil further contributed to its rather un-classic taste.

It was a shame that a slice looking this good turned out to be such a disappointment. My taste expectations were not met, and I also had to deal with messy hands from all the oil and some runny cheese.

For as much as I don’t care for the Lower East Side and as disappointing as Rosario’s was, the Pizza Snob won’t be back.

PIZZA SNOB RATING ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing    

Rosario’s Pizza
173 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street)
New York, NY 10002 212-777-9813
[no website]

Yes, I found another great pizza place in my hometown between the bays! This one even has a name that I could relate to: Mike’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant.

I was back home on a Sunday afternoon, and before the kickoff of the Giants game, I got hungry for a slice. Eagerly seeking out something new to the local scene since I lived here in the 70s, I found Mike’s, a pizza place as Jersey as a toll booth and as Italian as an eggplant parm.

Just a block west of Broadway, Avenue C is the city’s second most active thoroughfare, and Mike’s sits in a midtown storefront on its east side. Open noon to midnight, I caught Mike’s on the early side while things were slow except for a flurry of pre-game deliveries. I paid the price for my early arrival when Mike himself caught me snapping some photos before I indulged. Never wanting to out myself as the Snob, I got out of this one by explaining my love for pizza, and how I was a visitor thrilled to find a pizza joint named after myself.

I finally made my way inside to order a plain cheese slice ($1.75) with my English breaking the steady flow of Italian tongue. Surprisingly, the available slices were hidden from my view, but nonetheless were there in waiting.  There were things on which to dine other than pizza along the usual lines of pasta, salads and sandwiches.

My slice got quite a long reheat in the conventional oven behind the counter while I waited at a table in the small room. Upon delivery it looked classic although it was a little wider with more cheese than usual. It was also less crisp than I would have liked. But it was overall delicious and tastefully seasoned with oregano.

Although I quite enjoyed it, something I grabbed hold of today was how the combination of extra cheese and extra heat can make a slice difficult to eat. That hot cheese just has a way of being unfriendly to your mouth. Keeping a slice trim and thin still lets you toast it way up while still keeping it easy to get down.

It’s great that my namesake pizza joint makes a great classic old school slice. A little less cheese and a little more crispness would have taken this tasty treat to the top. While there are a lot of great other pizza choices in Bayonne, my namesake Mike does a great job of serving his neighborhood.

PIZZA SNOB RATING   **** Near Perfection

Mike’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant
474 Avenue C (between 20^th and 21^st Streets) Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-437-9550
[no website]

Readers of this space know of my fondness for Nizza Pizza, one of the best places to get a classic slice of New York-style pizza in the Lone Star State. After first discovering their bedrock in Mrs. Pie’s hometown of Weatherford, I later visited a family-affiliated Nizza in Fort Worth. So when a late spring business trip took me to a Texas paradise called Rough Creek Lodge, a look at the map reminded me there was a Nizza Pizza in nearby Granbury.

The Granbury Nizza, like the one in Arlington, was started by the folks in Weatherford, but was later sold to a third party. However, I would soon find that not to be an issue since the new owners have proudly held on to the high Nizza standards

Heading southwest from DFW Airport to Rough Creek Ranch is a long journey. I therefore had no problem convincing my travelling partner DW that we needed to stop mid-way for a big time pizza lunch.

Granbury Nizza works from a free-standing converted building (like the others Nizzas) in a commercial section of the highway. Once inside, I felt like I had been here before since the menu, displays and motif were quite similar to the one in Weatherford.

We walked into a rather quiet place since it was mid-afternoon by the time we arrived. There was plenty of room to sit after we placed our orders at the counter from their wide assortment of Italian foods. Being quite hungry, we overindulged by ordering garlic cheese bread, chicken Caesar salads, multiple cheese slices (plain of course) and a chocolate cannoli conclusion.

Speaking Texan, we wound up being “done satisfied” with our superb four-course meal!

As expected, the pizza was delish. The Nizza slice is a good one (the waitperson said they use the Weatherford recipes). They mix the tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese (with a pinch of oregano) about as perfect as a New York slice can be assembled. It’s remarkable that they can get such fine fresh ingredients delivered to this part of the country. However, I did have to deal with some faulty slice construction.

Serving slices at the right temperature is an art. Unfortunately my slices were delivered way too hot. So hot in fact that they got sloppy and difficult to eat. This situation got further exacerbated when I was too impatient to wait for an otherwise excellent slice of pizza to cool down. Cooking it this way, may have also contributed to it being a little oily. There was also a crust inconsistency that left a few soggy spots despite a good solid char on the bottom.

In my rush to devour this deliciousness, my slice wound up falling apart on my plate. Nevertheless, I managed to extinguish it completely down to the last tasty clump of cheese.

Please don’t let these design mishaps scare you away. Nizza’s pie is truly delicious. It was a meal fitting for a former Yankee like myself. I love these guys and hope that they keep bringing the great Nizza Pizza model to the small towns of Texas!

PS Watch out Stephenville. I heard talk of them opening the next Nizza there.

PIZZA SNOB RATING   **** Near Perfection

Nizza Pizza
2200 East Highway 377 Granbury, TX  76049
817-573-7575
[no website]

Here is a video produced by Elite Daily about a young New Yorker on a fun mission to visit and review every dollar slice pizza joint in New York City.

While I wish him luck in his adventures, I must admit that my fear of inferior quality makes me avoid these places. However, after he sorts through them, I may just have to check out his top picks. In my limited experience at the dollar joints, the Snob has seen both the GOOD and the BAD dollar slice.

This does make me think of the crazy things that I might do if I lived in New York City!

Here’s another link to a Village Voice piece on the subject of the dollar slice.

After several tries to “get the band back together,” my old pal Big Frank finally got The Snob Squad back together for another pizza-inspired Tennessee field trip. Big Frank was also the bearer of the exciting news that a drummer friend of his had teamed up with a pizza chef to bring some authentic pie to my hometown of Franklin. These two guys originally from Brooklyn took over the former Brothers Pizza Company and now call the place Brooklyn Brothers Pizza.

Getting right to the crust of the matter, what happened over on New Highway 96 was more than just tinkering with the name of a pizza joint. There is now a genuine New York-style pizza joint in Franklin that seems to serve up as the best pizza that the Best Small Town in Tennessee has to offer.

The Squad set its meeting for “Gary Cooper time” one recent Saturday shortly after the grand re-opening. It was great to see the old gang again, and in true Snob Squad style, everyone had skipped breakfast and was more than ready for some serious eating.

The place has yet to change much from its previous look. A temporary sign hung over the front door, and some New York-themed prints now covered the walls.

It was early, and we were their first customers. The four of us grabbed a booth ordering a large plain cheese pie (“18 inches for 18 smackers”). The guys also showed their feminine side ordering a large white pizza for which the Snob even broke protocol to try and actually like.

I was excited to see on the menu that they will be selling slices a $2.75 a pop. You can also get subs, calzones, Strombolis, salads and Italian deserts. (Our sideline sampling of a meatball sub was as incredible as our closing cannoli.)

But as we had hoped, this place is all about the pizza, and it was outstanding! Our pie was skillfully served up delightfully hot and fresh, ready for us to dive right it. The tomato sauce and Mozzarella were delicious and they sat atop an equally tasteful, gently charred crust. It was a familiar tasting classic pie which made sense when I learned that the chef used to be the manager at West Nashville’s great NY Pie.

In taking with the master afterwards, he spoke of how he has been working on bettering his crust, and we all agreed he has come up with a tasty one.

It was pretty much a four thumbs up from The Snob Squad with the consensus being that a crisper crust would have taken this great pie another step towards perfection. Nonetheless, those two large pies disappeared fast with yours truly putting down five slices of delicious pizza before needing an afternoon nap on the couch!

Doug the IT guy, summed it up pretty well saying “This place is legit!” I couldn’t agree more and hereby dub it as the best pizza in Franklin, or Williamson County for that matter!

Do yourself a favor and help these guys get their great new pizza joint on the map.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** ½ Nearer Perfection

Brooklyn Brothers’ Pizza
1441 Tennessee 96
Reid Hill Common, Corner of Downs Blvd and Hwy 96 W.
Franklin, TN 37064
615-791-8383
www.bklynbrospizza.com

Original Review: 09/26/13

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** Better Than Dominos

In a February 2^nd message on their Facebook page, the God-loving staff of Franklin’s Brothers’ Pizza Company announced that their Board of Directors has approved the sale of their business to “a couple of guys who know how to make a real New York-style pizza.”

Humbly acknowledging their struggles to make a great pie, these nice folks have turned over their keys (and sign) to the newly-christened Brooklyn Brothers Pizza.

The Pizza Snob wishes everyone at the old place the best, and welcomes these new guys to town.

NEW PIZZA SNOB RATING     R.I.P

Brothers’ Pizza Company
1441 Tennessee 96
Reid Hill Common, Corner of Downs Blvd and Hwy 96 W.
Franklin, TN 37064
615-791-8383
www.brotherspizzacompany.com

One of the thrills of being The Pizza Snob is my quest to discover the art of fine pizza-making in unexpected parts of the country. It happens–whether through the efforts of a daring local upstart, or more likely by a former apprentice migrating from Manhattan or Brooklyn to an underserved lower rent district somewhere deep in America.

It’s a risky exercise, and my exploits more often than not lead to disappointment. In fact, some like my good friend, the NYC Foodie, won’t even try. On a recent rendezvous in East Tennessee, he turned down an invitation from the Snob to explore with a simple “I don’t eat pizza out of New York City.”

Well, early last winter, business took me to uncharted Biloxi, MS. Since there was time for leisure on the weekend, I brought Mrs. Pie along. We each did our own advance prep—me for pizza and her for activities. My investigation turned up no desirable leads, including the uninviting Biloxi bar that named its pizzas after Led Zeppelin songs!  I pretty much decided that this would be a pizza-less journey for the Snob.

Mrs. Pie did discover the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival in neighboring Ocean Springs which turned out to be one of the biggest of these things I had ever seen! And as chance would have it, while walking through the miles and miles of arts and crafts booths overtaking the main shopping drag, I came across a sidewalk sign for Tom’s Extreme Pizzeria.

I walked over to their free-standing building to find Tom’s not conducive to anything quick—no slices and like everyplace else it was packed. For me to sample, I would have to get a table and order an 8-inch pie since they did not sell slices. Glancing at some of the patron’s pizza, I wasn’t enticed either. It didn’t look worthy of my time, and Mrs. Pie also wasn’t gonna wait just so I could eat some bad pizza to write about.

But, lo and behold, Tom’s had a special booth out front for the Festival that was selling beer and slices. Pizza journalism would not get shut out.

My endeavor commenced rather skeptically since these slices were obviously made some time ago, and there was no reheat apparatus available out there on the sidewalk. Their scant remaining selection of pizza slices was simply sitting covered in a silver buffet style serving dish. Worse yet, all they had left was peperoni, and everyone knows that the Snob doesn’t do ronis!

I decided to get a slice ($3.00) and just pluck the ronis off. Doing this left their greasy trail behind atop a chunky-looking slice that already looked way too juicy with oil. I knew that this wouldn’t be anywhere near a perfect pizza adventure, but quite surprisingly, it wound up being a lot better than I thought it would.

While my lukewarm slice was much too cheesy and oily for my liking, strangely enough, the crust was sturdy and crisp. But the real surprise was how all the sensors in my pizza taste buds managed to be touched. I was able to find some delight and satisfaction from the familiar refreshing tastes of tomato sauce and cheese.

It may be a stretch rating this slice so high, but on the other hand, Tom’s certainly isn’t getting the chance to put their best effort forward in a situation like this.

I guess the NYC Foodie was right, and I shouldn’t have been expecting perfect pizza in Southern Mississippi in the first place. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and nothing to blog about.

I left Biloxi looking forward to my upcoming trip to New York City.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** Better than Dominos

Tom’s Extreme Pizzeria
1006 Robinson Avenue
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
228-872-4340
[no website]

I often get asked “Pizza Snob, what’s the best way to reheat a leftover slice of great New York-style pizza?” Well, here’s a look at the options:

• Microwave

• Toaster Oven

• Conventional Oven

• None of the Above

The correct answer is “D” since there is never any leftover great New York-style pizza! Unless of course, like me, you purposely over-order to stock some slices up for the future.

Here’s what I do with my leftover slices:

Storage: Keep those babies in the freezer. I use aluminum foil although Mrs. Pie says that’s not really necessary. A larger Tupperware container works well, but you will want to put some wax paper in between the slices so you will be able to separate them easily. Their shelf live in the freezer is a pretty long one. I recently enjoyed some leftover Super Bowl slices from a Five Points Pizza over-order during our March Nashville snow days.

Reheating: Forget the microwave. It will simply suck any life out of your slice making it dry and soggy. I even tried putting a glass of water in the microwave like someone suggested and it still turned out limp.

A lot of folks like the toaster oven because it heats up faster than the conventional oven. However, there is generally only room for a single slice, and without a small pan you are subject to the melting cheese making a royal mess!

So, the Snob prefers to reheat his slices in the conventional oven. I will preheat it to 450 degrees (usually just 350 when I get impatient) laying the slices on a small round pizza pan. This seems to do the trick nicely with 3-4 minutes being the sweet spot.

Here’s a nice crisp and crunchy slice from one of my recent efforts. My only word of caution is that the longer they stay in the freezer, the drier they will be after their resurrection. Nonetheless, buy yourself some good extra pizza today for a pleasant surprise in the future!

Last winter, on a dark, damp and dreary Friday evening, Mrs. Pie and I found ourselves in the Garden State with no plans whatsoever. Perhaps asking way too much of her for the sake of this Pizza Snob business, I suggested a leisurely drive to visit a place I had bookmarked called Lodi Pizza. This joint got on my dance card a few years ago when it showed up in a Tri-State Area pizza poll.

Lodi Pizza is nothing more than a small shack that sits off the westbound lane of busy US 46 just a few miles west of its intersection with Route 17—undoubtedly one of the most gnarly traffic spots in the USA. Oddly enough, it’s an easy exit off the highway, and there is plenty of free parking out in front.

The place was well-worn and looks to have been around quite a while. I started getting signals from Mrs. Pie that her idea of a night out on the town was more than just visiting to an old rundown pizza joint. Like we used to say, this was not the kind of place you’d take your date to after the prom!

The place has two small rooms and we grabbed one of several booths facing the counter in the main area. There was no mistake about being in Jersey with the walls full of Sopranos and Sinatra. There is also a big fat ATM in the main room since Lodi Pizza is cash-only.

At the counter to order, I noticed that there were plenty of $2.00 slices (regular and Sicilian) available. I summoned up one of each for me and a regular for the Mrs. The plastic menu board above the oven listed some Italian dishes, salads, subs and surprisingly soup. We chose to precede our pizza with a bowl of lentil soup—one of our fave dishes.

I first made a visit to the restroom which turned out to be a strange journey back outside through a fence, around the building and through the kitchen!

Our slices were reheated quickly, and they made a great first impression looking to be rock solid, firm and crunchy like the Snob prefers. They were however unusually in the shape of small equilateral triangles. The first bite instantly brought a smile to my face. The tomato sauce was bright and tangy with a good dosing of oregano. The lush tasty mozzarella held tightly to the crust which turned out to be firm without being overly charred or crunchy. The crust however was dry and tasted a bit pale, possibly lacking salt.

As an aside, the Sicilian was enjoyable although not much different than the regular slice other than the extra dough required to fulfil its traditional thicker construction. While we still lingered around finishing our soup, I ordered a second slice which for whatever reason did not meet the standards of my first. It was quite oily with loose cheese, and was not as tasty as that first slice.

Despite its lack of flair and the surprising letdown in standards for my second slice, Lodi is a neat old Jersey pizza joint that is worthy of a stop if you are in the area. It’s a great slice that I believe you will enjoy.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection

Lodi Pizza
19 US 46
Lodi, NJ 07644
973-478-3306
[no website]

I seldom if ever will pass on a new pizza experience. Even if I am already stuffed to the gills, there usually is some room to squeeze in a slice in the name of research. Usually, I am not able to always do this when Mrs. Pie is along for the ride—unless of course it involves gelato!

Following our recent Pizza State adventure at Lodi Pizza, a wrong turn led to an amazing discovery—both pizza and gelato at the co-branded Pizza Mania / Gelato Mania complex on the main drag in Garfield, NJ. For Mrs. Pie and I, no retail marriage could better represent a union of our personal food passions.

Honestly, I was a little reluctant to try a Pizza Mania slice after just having three over in Lodi and first savoring some sweet delicious gelato with Mrs. Pie in the adjoining business next store. But, after letting my palate settle, I couldn’t resist the opportunity, so I moseyed over to sample a slice.

The long counter displayed a wide selection of exotic slice varieties (e.g. a chicken Caesar salad slice) up for sale while their broader menu focused on salads and sandwiches. Delivery action was quite busy at this hour. There were no plain cheese slices in view, but when I ordered one ($2.25) it quickly appeared from storage space under the counter. Mrs. Pie opted to close her evening’s meal like the French do with a salad.

After a reheat in the CPO (“conventional pizza oven”), my slice came out looking a bit too hot and steamy to eat right off, so I gave it sometime too cool. Often this is a sign that it is carrying perhaps a bit too much oily cheese which is retaining all that heat.

I quickly realized that this was just a run-of-the-mill attempt at a classic slice. There was nothing special about it, especially one coming from the Pizza State. The crust was rather dry and tasteless, and despite some char on the bottom, it lacked any real crispness. As I expected, the slice was overall too oily and cheesy. Neither the tomato sauce nor cheese was screaming with any real noticeable flavor. It did have the classic construction and long thin look, but while Pizza Mania’s slice looked the part, it was just a bit too plain and dull for the Snob.

As for the other half of the operation, Mrs. Pie was thumbs ups about the gelato. However, there’s just much better pizza to find in Jersey. It was however a nice, classy joint, and I do see the possible potential of launching great pizza/gelato chain.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** ½ Working on a Good Thing

Pizza Mania / Gelato Mania
390 Midland Avenue
Garfield, NJ  07026
973-859-0855
www.pizzamaniagarfield.com

The Pizza Snob can only walk by a Manhattan pizza joint so many times without having to pay a visit. Such was the case with Rosa’s Pizza on the busy downtown thoroughfare of 14th Street—especially when there’s a cute little pizza guy statue out front trying to lure me in.

It was a family day in the City, and the entire time I was plotting a quick drop-in at Rosa’s. My set up was perfect when I inconspicuously led our group for a rest and a cup at a nearby Starbucks. I knew that in the time it would take for them to relax, I could make the three-block walk to and from Rosa’s with time to grab a slice in between.

Rosa’s is a pizza, salads and subs joint that also offers a rather full menu of your usual Italian dishes. Inside, a double-layered glass display presented their slices at the counter. Despite their advertisement of “Rated Best Sicilian Pizza” and the rather appealing look of the said square slice, I stuck to the basics and ordered a plain cheese slice ($2.75).

Just as they plopped my slice into the oven for a quick toast-up, a sea of New York City policemen entered the joint—fortunately on break and not on business. After a few such encounters, the Snob is not sure whether the presence of NYC’s Finest means they know where to find the best pizza or if they are simply limited to the confines of their beat.

Sitting at one of the few small tables, I was shortly summoned up to claim my slice which looked much wider than usual and was approaching equilateral triangle status. There was also so much steam coming from it that I knew it would be too hot to eat. This was a disappointment since the Snob is always ready to dive right in on delivery and doesn’t like to wait for a cool-down. Like I have said before, there is an art in knowing how to reheat a slice that’s bite-ready upon delivery.

Rosa’s slice was also a tad on the oily side. When added to the heat issues and some runny cheese, this slice was somewhat of a challenge to eat—especially when I was in a hurry to get back to the family over at S-bux. This execution flaw was a shame since otherwise we would have been dealing with an otherwise spectacular slice of pizza.

Rosa’s crust scored quite high with the Snob. The bottom was covered with a full char that made for a tasty crust with a good solid crunch. The Mozzarella cheese was delightfully seasoned and tasted delicious. It was however a shame to see the loss of some runny cheese to the wax paper after I was finished.

All in all, Rosa’s is a fine example of a New York slice that I would not hesitate to both order again and recommend. I just hope it doesn’t come out so hot next time. Maybe I will even give that Sicilian a try.

PS They also have a joint in Port Washington out on the north shore of Long Island.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     **** Near Perfection

Rosa’s Pizza
2 West 14th Street (between 5th and 6^th) New York, NY 10011
212-898-9898
www.rosapizzanyc.com