A Few Slices of Heaven

Ok- I know I promised it could be done, so here it is: a list of my favorite pizzerias in the five boros. The list is separated by boro, but other than that, not in any particular order, just in the order I thought of them…. And one more thing… I know there are so many more places out there, really great places that I won’t mention here because I haven’t been there, so before you start telling me my list isn’t definitive, just understand… this list is really the only one you need! ‘Cause Johnny Tomatoes says so!!

New York (Manhattan, to the tourists)

La Traviata 101 W 68th St
(b/t Broadway and Columbus)

Great gas oven pizza; crust is crisp and soft in all the right spots; right amount of everything – cheese, sauce, toppings; speaking of toppings, this is the only place I know of that will make a pie with green olives, a huge favorite of mine; I used to cab it to this place when I moved just outside of the delivery zone-its that good

Delizia Pizzeria
1374 1st Ave
(b/t 73rd and 74th St)

Like Traviata, good gas oven pizza; nice crust and overall a repeater; great location on the East Side; nice antipasto salad, but that’s off topic…

Steve’s Pizza 110 Trinity Pl
(@Cedar St)

Love this place for it’s heavy slices; cheese, cheese, and did I mention cheese?; always way too hot on that first bite, but there’s no other way to eat it; working Downtown, this was one of my favorite post-Happy Hour stops- always hit the spot

The Bronx

Full Moon Pizzeria
600 E 187th St (@ Arthur Ave.)
(Belmont)

This is my First “Place” from when I was a kid, back when it was the Half Moon and was a few doors down on 187th St; texture on this pie is unbelievable- perfect grit of semolina on the bottom and edge; Sicilian slice here buries everyone else in the traditional NY pizza world; crisp on bottom and a good coating of sauce and cheese lay on a pillow-like - no, make that a cloud-like layer of soft dough; pair it off with a Manhattan Special… man- it’s unbeatable

Louie and Ernie's
1300 Crosby Ave
(Pelham Bay)

Louie and Ernie's, wow- walking down those short stairs as a kid, I remember the smell hitting me and my stomach starts rumbling, even now; I have distinctive childhood memories about a great Sausage Pie from here,memories that were confimed and validated by The Hungry Cabbie: http://www.famousfatdave.com/blog/category/bronx/pelham-bay

Queens

Nick's Pizza
108-26 Ascan Ave
(Forest Hills)

Nice pizza; thin crust where the sauce can get a little soupy; great flavor though, with plenty of fresh basil

Ciro’s Pizzeria
11303 Beach Channel Dr
(Rockaway Park)

Great pizza; thin crust without flopping and getting sloppy; pretty standard, but memorable

Brooklyn

J&A Pizza
7820 New Utrecht Ave
(@78th St)

Great pizza made by a father and son team; right at the base of the stairs to the train; great slices; always hot, always fresh; crust has a great taste; two slices and a soda here are a delicious way to ruin your appetite for dinner on the way home

Lenny’s
1969 86th St

Great pie; great flavor, cheese, sauce and not too much grease; really good Sicilian too; one of the last places to not bow to conventional nutritional demands- you can still get a fried calzone here, but like the antipasto salad at Delizia, that would be off topic

Grimaldi’s
19 Old Fulton St

A little bit of coalfired history here; great, great pizza; paper-thin crisp crust; FRESH MOZZ ONLY!! (what a shame- I HATE to see that); great sauce, very fresh; nice well-done, almost burnt edges give every pie a character of its own; lotsa fresh basil- all around a must have

L&B Spumoni Gardens
2725 86th St

No list of pizzerias in Brooklyn would be complete without this; the square here is definitely the star attraction; in a little twist, you’ll find the sauce over the cheese; the flavor is distinctive, nothing in any of the boro’s even comes close to the taste or the texture; it can be a little messy, so I always tried to get a slice with a “handle” ; this stuff is addictive; everyone said I was crazy for going all the way there to pick up a pie from 16th Ave and 82nd St, but there were just those times I had to have it; and there is no substitute once the L & B craving hits you

Staten Island

I don't make it out to Staten Island all that often for pizza, between the bridge hassle and all the great pizza so close to home... Anyone want to help me out?