My trip to Europe: Le Festival des Pizzas in Grenoble, France

Each time we go to Grenoble, we go to the Quartier Saint-Laurent aka Le Quartier des Italiens or Italian neighborhood, named because of the important Italian community there. 

It is a nice area, located on one side if the Isère river and in the bottom of the Bastille that used to be a fortress, built in 1592 on the South end part of the Chartreuse mountain. It is now a ruin, with just few restaurants on top of the hill, where people like to go to get some fresh air, either walking or taking the "bulles", a spherical cable car. 

We looked at all the pizzeria there to try to find one with Saint-Marcellin, a soft cheese made of cow's milk, named after a small town nearby where they produce this divine cheese. Unfortunately, we could not find it, so we opted for Le Festival des Pizzas, simply because they were the only one proposing a five cheese pizza!

That is what I ordered in fact. Cooked in a wood fire oven for a couple of minutes, it had emmental, goat, reblochon, blue and mozzarella cheese. 

I really liked the crust, the outside being all puffed up

And the bottom having a nice char. 

This is definitely the kind of pizza any cheese lover would like, as they were generous in the quantity of cheese. 

Jodi ordered the goat cheese salad, as two pizza are too much. 

Well, the salad was big...

My mom got the Atlantico pizza that had smoked salmon in it. 

It was ok: I do not really like when smoked salmon is cooked because it releases the salt. 

Overall it was pretty good. I would definitely go back, maybe to try their white pies.

Festival des Pizzas
74 Quai Perrière
38000 Grenoble, France
www.festival-des-pizzas-grenoble.fr

Enjoy (I did)!

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Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Dumbo, Brooklyn

Alright, I finally made it to Grimaldi's, on a week day to avoid the mass of tourists and New Yorkers who want to have a piece of the most famous pie in New York. 

It was probably a smart move as we showed up few minutes before opening time and there was already a line. Tourists for sure, from France, Germany or Japan, as well as a pizza tour.

This place is impressive, located right under the Brooklyn bridge, it is an old Bank building. But it is not the original location: it was originally at 19 Old Fulton, few steps from it, where now sits another pizza place, Juliana's, opened by the original owner of Grimaldi's, Patsy Grimaldi himself. Yes, because Grimaldi's was sold by Patsy in 1998 to Frank Ciolli as Patsy wanted to retire. Few years later, Frank Ciolli had to find a new place, his landlord refusing to renew the lease because, allegedly, of problems with rent and city taxes. Hence the new location. Few years later, regretting selling, Patsy decided to do a come back, opening Juliana's where Grimaldi's was first open. Needless to say that it started a feud between the two owners, that I am not sure is settled today.

We got seated pretty fast, in one of the tables on the left after entering the restaurant.

There, you cannot order a slice and have to pay cash. So, we looked at the menu and considered the many toppings they propose. We went for a small pizza (6 slices) with mushrooms, ricotta and meatballs.

After a short wait, our pizza arrived. Ok, let say that it is 6 large slices...

Not only it looked appetizing, but it smelled fantastic, freshly cooked in the coal oven.

I truly appreciated that they put a lot of the toppings we ordered (especially the ricotta and meatballs) and did not simple drizzle few of it. The crust was nicely charred, with a delicious crispness on the outside. The tomato sauce, that I believe is cooked in advance, had a wonderful taste and it was great that they put a reasonable amount of it on the pie.

This was a succulent pizza, the crust, cooked in the coal oven, being incredibly good. I understand now why Grimaldi's is considered one of the best in the US.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Hot Dog Pizza at Ribalta in NYC, New York

Ok, I admit that the only reason I wanted to go to Ribalta, a restaurant located few steps from Union Square, was to try their hot dog pizza. Yes, you read right: a hot dog pizza. I do not see any problem about having such a pizza, having seen pizza made with cheeseburger, mac and cheese or vodka sauce. I guess it is a good way to show some creativity and have something on your menu that will make people want to try and, sometimes, talk about it...like me! 

There is one thing you need to know about Ribalta: it is owned by Rosario Procino, former founder of Keste pizzeria, and Chef Pasquale Cozzolino, former Executive Chef at Dellaroccos in Brooklyn Heights and Pizza Arte, who want to stay true to the Neapolitan pizza making. 

The place is pretty big, with high ceilings and a giant TV where people were watching the winter olympics in Sochi.

We decided to start with an appetizer and could not resist ordering the meatballs.

They were served in a Neapolitan ragu that was thick and had a very bold flavor, as well as some large slices of parmigiano cheese.

This was a delicious dish, the meatballs being perfectly moist. I admit that the star was the ragu though.

Then came the hot dog pizza:

Called the Americana, it was simply tomato sauce, mozzarella, French fries (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside) and a sliced hot dog sausage. 

Cooked in a brick oven, it had a nice char and the crust was crispy.

Overall, it was a very good pizza, all the components working very well together. Would I go back just to get this pizza? Maybe for fun with friends, as it sounds like a crazy dish. But I would probably go back to try other pizza such as the Nobile, made of mozzarella, gorgonzola, truffle sauce and truffle shaving, or to try pasta. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Brick Pizzeria in Hoboken, NJ

We decided to try The Brick, a new pizza place uptown Hoboken. I am sure the stakes are high for The Brick considering the number of pizza places in Hoboken, such as Benny Tudino's, Johnny Pepperonni or Basile's. So I was curious to see what would make it stand out.

The decor has nothing fancy, but there is a bit of warmth from the bricks on the walls.

I decided to try their homemade mint lemonade.

It was delicious, not too sweet, with the right amount of mint, making this drink quite refreshing.


With it, they brought us some olive oil with basil, where they added a nice amount of parmesan.

We ate it with some bread.

Looking at the menu, they have interesting dishes such as their own version of chicken wings, made with siracha sauce. They also have salad, pasta and pizza.

For the appetizer, we went for their caprese bruschetta:

I was surprised to see 4 pieces of it.

It was composed of grilled eggplant, fresh tomato, basil, garlic, red onions, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella and parmigiano cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. I really liked it, the bread being soft and not too chewy and I loved the mix of flavors that made each bite unique.

Then, we ordered the margherita pizza:

It was made of tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, drizzled with olive oil. This pizza being quite common, this is the perfect choice to compare to other pizzeria.

I liked it: the tomato sauce was good and the crust deliciously crispy, although I would have liked a bit more cheese.

The second pizza we tried was The Brick pizza:

This is not your regular pizza: it is made of prosciutto, pear, fresh mozzarella and Gorgonzola cheese on a white crust.

This was even better: there was a nice amount of gorgonzola that paired perfectly with the pear that added a delicious sweetness to the pizza, counterbalancing with the saltiness of the prosciutto. I would definitely reorder it!

I liked my dinner at The Brick and I am looking forward to go back there to try some other dishes.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Lazzara's Pizza and Café in the Garment District, NYC, New York

I love pizza and with a city like New York, you can find so many different ones, each restaurant having its own way to make the crust, the sauce, to cook it...This time, we went to Lazzara's in the Garment District. You really need to know that it is there, as it is located off the beaten path and you may miss it walking on 38th street.

Opened in 1985 by the Lazzara's brother, Sebastian and Tony, the restaurant is located on the second floor of a townhouse.

The dining room has a warmth and reminded me some restaurants we ate at in Italy, especially in Venice that is in fact representing in a painting hanged on the wall.

When we sat, they brought us the menu as well as the special of the day written on a little chalk board.

There, they serve an all Italian cuisine: pizza, pasta, heroes...We decided to go for the pizza. What I like about Lazzara's is that they propose their specialty pizza in half portions. Of course, you can always add toppings on half a pie in most of the restaurants, but here, I am not talking about toppings, but the pizza itself.

As you can see on the photo above, the pizza is square; but it is not like a Sicilian pizza: the crust is thin. So, the top half of the pizza was the lasagna pizza:

It was made of ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella and some seasoning.

The second half was the margherita pizza:

It was composed of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.

I have to say that I love both: the tomato sauce was delicious and seemed to be made with fresh ingredients. There were in fact some slices of tomatoes and fortunately, it did not make the pizza soggy as it is sometimes the case. 

The lasagna pie was also very good, rendering perfectly what lasagna would be, replacing the pasta with the crust: it was very flavorful and they were generous in the quantity of meat and ricotta. I definitely recommend it.

The thin crust was on the chewy side, being crispy on the outside.

I was ready to get some dessert, but they brought us the check, making me feel dirty...I then asked if they had some homemade desserts, being interested by a tiramisu, but they do not and the waitress did not seem to be interested to tell me where they buy them. So I decided to pass...

The pizza at Lazzara's was good. It is a good spot if you want more than just a slice, although I prefer Capizzi located few block away.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Lazzara's Pizza
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Garment District / Italian / Pizza
	* Street Address
	221 West 38th St. (Between 7th Ave. & 8th Ave.), New York, NY 10018
	* Phone
	(212) 944-7792

Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

Walking in Soho, we were looking for a quick bite before going home. Pizza is always a good choice in that case, because the wait time would amount to the time to order and then to heat the slices. As we were walking, we saw Famous Ben's Pizza, a small pizza joint. We were wondering what Ben was famous for and then saw the sign indicating that it was for his Sicilian Pizza rated best by...somebody. 

This is you typical pizza joint: you would go there for the food, not the decor that was simplistic, if it was not for the quotes on the wall.

There we ordered the following slices:

Vodka slice:

This was a surprising slice: think about the vodka sauce that you typically find on penne pasta and put it on pizza instead of the classic tomato sauce. Et voila the vodka slice. Genius, original and very good!

The second slice was the Palermo pizza:

Originally, we wanted to try their marinara pizza, but their inverted the sign and ended up with this one. What a mistake: it was not good. I am not sure how it was made (tomato sauce of course and onions, but what else?), but I did not like the taste and the texture of it.

Last was of course the Sicilian pizza. Remember: "Rated Best Sicilian Pizza".

Well, it was just ok. For a better slice of this kind, I prefer Stromboli that is not too far from there.

I was a bit disappointed, not that I had high expectations, but sometimes, you find these little hidden gems. Famous Ben's Pizza is not one of them, although their vodka slice is delicious and I would just go back for that one!

Enjoy (...)!


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Cheap eats: Alberto's Pizza and Cheesesteaks in Chelsea, NYC, New York

Wandering close to Union Square, we found Alberto's Pizza and Cheesesteak. I admit that I wanted to try it not for the pizza, but for the cheesesteak as I love that sandwich and was a bit disappointed when I went to Shorty's. 

This is your typical pizza place and you do not go for the decor, for the service or to get some warmth (except probably if you are a regular customer). 

I ordered a cheesesteak with onions and provolone that they prepared on the grill, next to the entrance.

It was a decent sandwich: the bread was soft and the meat tender and juicy.

Jodi ordered an eggplant parmesan sandwich that was made with the same bread.

It was a good sandwich, served hot, with a nice amount of cheese.

Alberto's Pizza and Cheesesteak is a good cheap place, at least for what we tried. I may go back at some point to try some other Italian sandwiches or pizza. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Couple of weeks ago, we wanted to have dinner at L'Ybane (know that L'Ybane closed in 2018), close to Times Square, but the place was so packed that we decided to try Il Forno  Hell's Kitchen, an Italian restaurant that opened recently. 

When we arrived, the place was packed. And then, after 8pm, it was empty. The explanation: early diners eager to find a place to eat before their show.

Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

The place has an interesting decor: you get the impression you are eating at a terrace of a restaurant in the middle of a village in Italy. Pretty well done!

Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Their menu proposes pretty common Italian dishes, such as pasta, risotto and pizette, that are small pizzas, enough for one person. Of course, that does not prevent you from sharing...

We decided to start with the warm caprese salad that was served with burrata instead of the usual mozzarella. 

Burrata Caprese salad at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Besides of the burrata, it was composed of cherry tomatoes and arugula, and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was good, fresh and creamy, but not worth the $14 price tag considering the quantity they served.

Black label pizza at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Then we ordered two pizettes. The first one was the black label, made with prosciutto black label, mozzarella, caramelized cippolini onions and basil.

Black label pizza at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

The second one was the Margherita pizette.

margherita pizza at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

In fact, they brought us first on with bacon and we sent it back as it was not what we ordered.

bacon pizza at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

The pizette were good, being between a pizza and a flammekueche or tarte flambée. The black label was the best one, having a lot of flavors. The Margherita was just ok, missing a bit of cheese.

margherita pizza at Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

I have to mention that the food took forever to come and between the wrong dish sent and the wait, it kind of spoiled the experience, regardless of the torrent of excuses from the waiter. That explains also why I skipped dessert that day. So, would I go back? Maybe, but then to try pasta and risotto. For pizza, I would go to Capizzi that is few blocks from there and is far better!

Enjoy (...)!

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Cheap eats: Stromboli Pizza in NYC, New York

One of the safe bets for cheap eats is pizza, as lots of pizza parlors serve by the slice, except if you have a gargantuan appetite and need a whole pie! This time, we went to Stromboli pizza on University Place. In fact we went twice. It is a small place with couple of stools, perfect if people watching is your favorite activity or for students as they propose a great deal:

There, we tried the following pizzas:

Sicilian (we always ask for a corner):

White pie (fortunately it was not packed with garlic):

Plain:

Pepperoni rolls (a bit too dough-y):

The pizza was overall good, not earth shattering, but good. Not that I was expecting the best pizza for that price! A great thing is that they have these students' discounts!

So if you are looking for a cheap eat in that area and like pizza, Stromboli is your place. 

Enjoy (i did)!

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My nephew culinary visit: day 2 / part 2 - John's pizzeria in Times Square, NYC, New York

That time, we wanted Valentin to try a good pizza. Not that where he lives there is none. In fact there is a large Italian community and lots of pizzerias. So, we decided to bring him to John's Pizzeria in Times Square. For the pizza, but mainly for the decor as this place, that opened in 1997, used to be the Gospel Tabernacle Church. 

The decor is fantastic, especially the ceiling that was kept untouched. It is also a huge place, supposed to be the largest pizzeria in the US.

The place was packed (it was Saturday night around 8:30pm) and they sat us in one of the dark adjacent rooms. We decided to start with some chicken wings:

They were served with blue cheese sauce, full of blue cheese chunks, and celery. They were delicious, but I would have liked a little bit of kick to it. 

Then, we ordered two pizzas, small size that is six slices:

The top one was the pizza bianca, made with ricotta and mozzarella cheese (no tomato sauce).

And the bottom one was the traditional, simply mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce:

The crust was good, crispy and not floppy, with a nice char. My favorite was the pizza bianca that fortunately did not have garlic. I also appreciated that both pizza had lots of cheese.

We had a great time at John's Pizzeria. However, I would go there for the decor rather than the pizza where I would go to Luzzo's or Motorino. Last, I have to mention that the service was not that great; but I guess it is the price to pay when dining in Times Square...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Motorino pizza in the East Village, NYC, New York

With a name like Motorino, who would have thought it was a pizza place? One would have thought it was related to an automobile or motorbike! Yes, Motorino is indeed a pizza place that started in 2008 in Williamsburg and opened some outposts in the East Village and...Hong Kong!

We found it while going to Luzzo's that is so far my favorite for Neapolitan pizza. So my expectations were high!!!

The place seems small from outside, but it can cater to a reasonable number of customers. The decor is simple and you cannot miss the beautiful pressed-metal ceiling. 

In the back is the kitchen, with the wood fire oven where they cook their pizza. 

The menu is small and you will not find there twenty different types of pizza. They also have a short list of appetizers, but know that their meatballs are apparently only available after 2pm (we went there for brunch and wanted to try them...They should mention that on the menu!). 

So, the pizza are small size pies, 4 slices, similar in size, if not slightly smaller from the pizza that you would get in France for one person. 

We decided to try the Margherita pizza:

It is a simple pie, made with tomato sauce (probably raw when preparing the pizza considering the color and taste), mozzarella di bufala (my favorite), basil and olive oil. There, they also add pecorino cheese. 

Pizza might be the only dish when burnt is welcome and the outside of the pizza had a fantastic char and bubbles that made it extremely appetizing! I loved it: the ingredients tasted fresh and the crust, with (again) its char, although floppy, was deliciously crispy.

The second pizza we tried was their brunch pizza! Pizza Al'Uovo or pizza with an egg!

I think it is a great idea to marry the pizza with one of the favorite meal of many people: brunch! It was made of fior di latte (mozzarella from cow milk), an egg, basil, smoked pancetta, pecorino, basil (nice amount) and chili oil.

There again, fantastic char and bubbles, floppy but crispy crust. The egg was perfectly cooked, the yolk being a bit runny (I dipped the pizza in it). This was full of flavors, from the smokiness of the pancetta to the kick the chili oil gave to the dish, as well as the fresh basil. This was a great pizza!

I loved the pizza there and will definitely go back to try some other one. Maybe for dinner so I can have the meatballs! Motorino is definitely on the top of my list, after Luzzo's, for Neapolitan pizza!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Luzzo's in NYC, New York

After discovering Luzzo's during one of Scott's Pizza Tours, we were eager to go back to try some other pizzas! Just thinking about the slice we got the first time we tried it, I am still drooling!

So we went back twice, on Sundays. The staff was very courteous and sat us at a table close to the back room. We could not not notice the paintings that were upside down and when we ask the waiter, he simply said: "look, everything is upside down!". In fact it was. Interesting decor I have to say!!!

In the two times we went, we tried the following dishes: meatballs appetizer.

It came in a thick tomato sauce that was divine: slow cooked, it had a fully bodied flavor. A bit salty though. The thickness was perfect to stick to the perfectly made and moist meatballs.

Fortunately, they gave us a nice soft focaccia bread that we ate with the sauce and with the olive oil that is on all tables. It was heaven!!!

Then we tried the eggplant parmesan appetizer or Parmigiana di Melanzane:

That was a great dish! Not greasy, the eggplant were skin on; often, the skin is removed because it can have some bitterness. This was not the case. Also, the eggplant was not breaded, maybe to let that succulent vegetable be the star of the dish. And for sure it was! I think it is a good idea to offer that dish as an appetizer and that portion is perfect for sharing.

Then, we got the Tartufata Pizza. 

It was made of tomato sauce, truffle paste, mozzarella di buffala and basil leaves. You could definitely smell the truffle but it was similar in a way to the one we had last time (pizza di buffala); not that it was bad, because it was a stunning pizza: the crust, very thin, was a bit crunchy although floppy, with this heavenly good char taste, especially on the outside. 

The other pizza we tasted was the 4 formaggi pizza or 4 cheese pizza!

The 4 cheese pizza is one of my favorites when I eat pizza. Hey, do not forget that I come from the country of cheeses! The cheeses were gorgonzola, mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan. There was no tomato sauce.

It was perfect: they are not cheap on the amount of cheese and there was a perfect balance as too much gorgonzola can overpower other cheeses. It was also creamy. To conclude: a must have!

I am definitely a big fan of that place! They have great pizzas and I cannot wait to go back to try their homemade pasta! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Pizza at Mezzaluna in Soho, New York City, NY

Mezzaluna is a tiny Italian restaurant located in Soho. Yes, tiny represents 17 seats, some if them at the counter next to the kitchen and then the one next to the window, perfect if you practice people watching!

The decor is interesting: colorful chairs, dark wood for the walls with plenty of pizza cutters hanged.

In fact there is even a pizza cutter on the plates!

The menu is of a reasonable size, featuring a mozzarella "bar" (three different ways if serving mozzarella di buffala, my favorite, for appetizer), salads, pasta and pizza. 

The pizzas are cooked in the wood fire oven visible from the dining room.

As we were going to have an early dinner, we decided to go for a "light" lunch. We started off with a special: gazpacho.

It was good, nothing exceptional, but good and refreshing.

Then, we ordered a Quattro formagi pizza or four cheese pizza.

It was made with mozzarella, fontina, Gorgonzola and tallegio. There was for sure lots of cheese and a perfect selection because creamy and not dry. The pizza was Neapolitan style with a bubbly crust that had a bit of a char. The crust was slightly floppy. Definitely a good crust, but missing a bit of char that could have been created from that beautiful oven.

Don't get me wrong: it was good, but not to the point where, like Luzzo's, it would be on the top of my list, or at least I would absolutely want to go back, knowing that there are many places in NYC that I did not try yet!

For the area, I still prefer Pulino's that has prices not that much higher than Mezzaluna. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Scott's pizza tours in NYC, New York

Before reading this post, please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the booking site Vimbly and that the tour was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Last Sunday, I was invited to a pizza tour in New York City operated by Scott's Pizza Tours. It has been a while since we wanted to try a food tour as we have never done it and as we like food, it is a great opportunity to discover places not only with a fork, but also by learning stories about the visited places. 

They proposed that I pick any tour that Scott proposes, bus or walking. I decided to take the bus tour, thinking that, with a bus, we would probably end up in one of the five boroughs. And I was right as you will read later!

The rendez-vous was at 10:45am in front of Lombardi's Pizza, licensed by the City of New York in 1905,  hence the oldest pizzeria in the US. Well, is there any better place to start? Scott met with all the participants (some of them coming from Australia), chit-chatting with each of them (where are you from? Oh! From XYZ? Do you know the pizza place called ABC?) and, at that moment, we figured out that it would be fun, Scott having the perfect personality for this type of job!

We entered Lombardi's Pizza from a side door and after some tourists who were not part of the tour and  innocently followed us were gently showed the door, the tour started. Or maybe I should call it as Scott did: not a tour, a support group! Because you must love pizza to go to a pizza tour! It started with some facts: 67,000 pizzerias in the US and 2,000 in the five boroughs.

Then, Scott gives us some history about pizza and its origins, insisting on the fact that it was made with scraps from food thrown on a pita bread in Naples way back then, pita was was used in coal ovens to lower their temperature. Then pita became pizza! He also talked about the difference between the pizza in the US and in countries like France and he was on point: in France, a pizza is always a personal pizza (of a good size for sure) and is eaten with a knife and fork. It is often elevated in fact. For instance, I use to eat a smoked salmon pizza: it was a cheese pizza where smoked salmon was added on top, right before serving, and with a nice touch of Crème fraîche and some dill.

After telling us the story about Lombardi's (I am not going to tell you everything Scott said!!!), we headed out to the kitchen where we saw the coal oven. There, they cook the pizza for 3 to 3 and a half minutes.

This is where a food tour is great: not only do you get the story, but on top of that you can access certain areas usually denied to regular customers. But for Scott, it was not a problem! He knew the staff in each of the pizzerias we went to, talking and joking with them.

So, after taking pictures of the oven, we went to the dining room where a pizza tour survival kit composed of a notebook, a pencil and some candies was waiting for us. Pretty useful: as I was taking my photos, Jodi took some notes. We quickly started to see the pizza coming and we each got a slice.

Everybody was looking at the slice to determine the particulars of the crust, the pizza sauce and the cheese, as well as the cheese to tomato ratio or CSR as Scott called it. The pizza was a margherita made with fresh mozarella and San Marzano tomato sauce (raw).

Then we went outside to catch the bus to the second location: Luzzo's. I knew Lombardi's Pizza as I went there months ago, but did not know at all this one! So I was very excited! So the bus pulled out and...it was a school bus!

That is true that we were like pupils going to the pizza school. 

So we arrive at Luzzo's and sat in the back, next to the brick oven.

After receiving a bit of information, we went in the tiny kitchen to observe the pizza making process, once the dough was ready. So we saw this guy shape the pizza dough with his hands, but he did not do like a big show where the pizza would go over his head, spinning! 

In fact, Scott showed us how it was working, using a dough that he took from the kitchen, the staff of the restaurant wondering what he was doing!!! He then asked us to take the dough on each side, with the top of our hands and pass it from person to person, stretching it naturally and with no effort. 

So, back to the guy in the kitchen. First he was shaping the dough to a pizza size:

Then he added some raw tomato sauce. 

Then some fantastic mozzarella di buffala, coming from Italy and made from water buffalo. 

He then put the pizza in the oven for approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds, rotating the pizza from time to time.

Et voilà!

There, the stability of the crust was different: at Lombardi's Pizza, although thin, it was not floppy. At Luzzo's, it was very thin on the center and thicker on the outside, like any Neopolitan pizza should be, with a nice blistering on the outside, caused by the flames. Well, when I say that the outside of the crust was thicker, I should say swollen because when they stretch the dough, they gently push the air and gas to the outside and that gas will puff up during the cooking process. Let me tell you: that crust was fantastic, with this wonderful char! 

So the dough was soft, thanks to the flour used (double zero), but also because they do not work the dough too much. 

A nice touch at Luzzo's was the olive oil on each table where you could dip your pizza. 

So it was then time to ho to our next stop: J&V in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn!

I was very excited because we do not go there that much! I know: we should considering the restaurant scene over there. 

So, J&V stands for Johnny and Vinny, the original owners. This place looked more like a pizza parlor than a full restaurant, with stools in the front and tables in the back overlooking a large amount of pizza boxes... They are more like a typical NY pizzeria. Good to know: sodas cost only $1 there that is great considering that a lot of places charge a lot for just a can!

Their oven is a gas oven that has an interesting particularity: it has several rotating panels where they cook the pizza. When they open the door, only one tray is exposed to the outside, limiting the loss of temperature.

The pizza there was the grandma pizza. The way they prepare it is that first they cook the dough for 10 minutes, with just a bit of sauce (so the dough does not dry out), then add the cheese, the tomato sauce, and then re-cook it for 5 minutes. I did not like it: the crust was too hard, overcooked. 

After this, we went to another pizzeria in Brooklyn: Sam's. Ok, you would not know it is a pizza place except if you notice "Brick Oven Pizza" on the second floor windows!

Sam's has been serving pizza in Cobble Hill since 1930. When you enter, you cannot miss the basil that they grow and serve on the pizza during the Summer time.

We entered and got greeted by Louis who has a fantastic personality. Seeing him interacting with Scott was like a TV show: fun to watch! There also, we went to the kitchen to observe the cooking of the pizza in their brick oven.

Until Louis served us the pie:

The slice was denser than in any of the pizzeria we went to, with lots of tomato sauce (raw before going to the oven) and lots of cheese. It was good that we finished with this one for two reasons: it was very filling and very good, finishing the tour on a high note!

We went back to the City with our bellies full, still getting some information from Scott about diverse topics related to pizza. For instance, he explained that a good way to heat a pizza is to use a pan. We also learnt that he will release soon a book on pizza boxes!

We had a great time and it was a great food tour. If you ask me why you should go:

• Scott's knowledge about pizza is incredible (I think he has been doing it for more than five years) and he has a true passion for what he is doing.
• You have access to kitchen / oven that you probably would not have access to if you were a regular customer.
• It was instructive and entertaining. On top of that, you never know where you will end up and if you like food and discovering new places, Scott's Pizza Tour is for you. 

Now, if you want to know how I rank the pizzerias we went to:

1. Luzzo's
2. Sam's
3. Lombardi's pizza
4. J & V

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Looking for Pizza on Bleeker: Keste Pizza and Vino, John's Pizzeria and Pizza Roma in NYC, New York

I never really noticed how many pizza places there are on Bleeker, until I went to review John's Pizzeria (an institution here in New York!), Keste Pizza and Vino and Pizza Roma! This post is about our trip to these pizza joints (not the same day...)!

Keste Pizza and Vino:

The great thing with the blog is that now, when people eat in great places, they will send me some information or give me a business card from the place, suggesting me to go. That is how I heard about Keste Pizza & Vino: one of my co-workers, Richard, recommended it. As I went down to my long list of places to try and was in the mood for pizza, I proposed Jodi to go there.

It was a Saturday and the place was not that busy. I liked the decor and the atmosphere that gave a certain authenticity to the place. Their menu was mouth watering and, as we do most of the time, we already checked it before coming and knew exactly what we would order! In fact, each time we go to a pizza place we look for two items: the homemade burrata and the four cheese pizza! And Keste had both of them!!!

So we started off with the homemade burrata.

It was a big portion and was served with half a tomato, a slice of bread and some prosciutto. It was really good, although the mozzarella shell could have been a bit thinner. It also missed a bit of olive oil and the dish could have been elevated with some balsamic vinegar that would have enhanced the delicate taste of the cream.

Then came the four cheese pizza!

It looked very appetizing with its burnt edges. The cheeses were mozzarella, grand cru (I guess pecorino), caciocavallo and parmigiano reggiano. They also put on top some fresh basil leaves and some olive oil.

The crust was delicious with all these blobs at the edges and a bit of a burnt taste here and there. Unfortunately, it lost its crispiness because there was too much olive oil that made it a bit soggy.

But overall, it was a delicious pizza that would satisfy any cheese lover! They were really generous with the amount of cheese too! Fantastic!

It was definitely a great lunch at Keste that is, by the way, the official location for The APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) whose mission is to protect and preserve the Neapolitan pizza tradition and promote the art of pizza making. I will definitely have to go back to try some of the other pizzas they offer on their menu!

John's Pizza:

Walking around Bleeker while waiting for Keste Pizza and Vino to open, I eyed at John's pizza and decided to go there for my next Pizzeria review. This place has been around for quite some time: opened in 1929 by John Sasso, it looks as if it was suspended in time! 

We went early because there is always a line and they sat us at one of these tight booths, overlooking the busy kitchen (the coal oven was not visible from there)! 

Sitting there, you cannot miss the walls, full of carved graffiti:

Their menu is simple: pizza, a few pasta dishes and meatballs: no way you can get overwhelmed by a large choice, but for sure, you would want to order a bit of everything! Yes, this is the type of restaurant that smells authentic and where you wish there was a tasting menu!

We decided to go simple and order a 14 inch pizza (6 slices) with mushrooms:

The pizza was delicious: the crust, a bit burnt on the edges, was perfectly crispy!

The pizza sauce was very good with just enough cheese, but not enough mushrooms (at $3 a topping, they could have put more!).

It was a good pizza, but I remain convinced that San Matteo Pizza on the Upper East Side is the best!!!

Pizza Roma:

The last pizza place we tried on Bleeker (last but not least for sure!) was Pizza Roma, a small joint, steps away from Keste and John's pizzeria! We passed by few times and could not miss the delicious slices of pizza at the window! So here we are! We can either order pizza or some other food, but the choice for us was fairly quick! 

The way it works is that you pick what pizza you want and they will slice it for you, eat it and serve at one of the few tables near the entrance.

We decided to go for the mushroom pizza and the Cipola Y Gorgonzola (onions and gorgonzola) pizza:

as well as the plain pizza and Tricolore (Basil pesto and mozzarella di buffala):

The mushroom pizza was good except that the mushrooms were mushy. The best of all was the onion and gorgonzola one, but unfortunately there was not enough cheese! The plain was good but the pizza sauce tasted like any can you can buy...

The slice with the basil pesto and mozzarella di Buffala looked very appetizing, but the pesto was so overpowering...

So, the slices were not that great and it was expensive: more than $26 for all of this with a coke...Definitely, they cannot measure up to Keste or John's Pizza!

Enjoy (...)!

 


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Pie By The Pound in NYC, New York

Pizza is definitely one of my favorite meals, although I probably say this about everything I eat!!! I love pizza: it is comforting and often cheap. This is the type of food where you would say that less is more: a plain slice can be so good. No need to add tons of toppings on top!

A big difference between the US and France is that, in France, except in boulangeries (bakeries) and sandwicheries (for sandwiches), you cannot find pizza by the slice. So usually, in a pizzeria, people would order their own pie. I prefer by the slice because you can try few. So you can imagine how excited I was to go to Pie by the pound, where they sell slices...by the pound!!!

I tried the location near Union Square. I guess they cater to students as the place has an area with a copier, or people who want to hang out with books (mainly about food, gluten free food) and even games (not that they are only for them). 

They have a large selection of pies and what you do is choose your pie, tell them how much you want of it; they will weight it to determine the price et voila!

We selected the following slices:

The snow white (mozzarella, ricotta, oregano and garlic)

Mushroom (mozzarella, tomato sauce, portobello mushroom and arugula)

Fresh Mozzarella (fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil)

It was really good! The crust was thin and crispy. The tomato sauce was delicious (well, what makes the difference between one pizzeria and another is the tomato sauce for the most part!). My favorite was the mushroom one as it was made with fresh mushrooms that did not seem out of a can! I also appreciated that there was not too much garlic on the white pie!

Pie By The Pound is definitely a place to know for a nice, cheap bite! And if you prefer whole wheat or gluten free, they have something for you!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Neapolitan pizza at Numero 28 in NYC, New York

I did not realize until recently how many pizzerias making Neapolitan pizza there are in NYC! Lots of pizza places yes, but Neapolitan, no. So, we were looking for a pizza place downtown and found Numero 28 whose name comes from its location on the Number 28 of Carmine street. 

Similar to many pizza places we visited, it has a rustic feel that makes you immediately comfortable and confident that you have found the perfect place for your meal.

Sadly, the brick oven was located in the room next to the dinning room; having it visible by the patrons gives an additional dimension to the experience as it is always fascinating to see the pizza going in and then out, bubbling and hot.

They did not have burrata as an appetizer, thus we decided to order two pizzas. In fact, they serve pizza in three sizes: small, medium and large. So the two pizzas we ordered were small size, that corresponded to 4 slices each.

The first one was the Margherita.

Margherita is made with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil.

The pizza was delicious: the tomato sauce was fantastic and they were generous with cheese. The crust was pretty good and crispy with a nice char.

The second pizza was 5 cheese pizza:

The 5 cheeses were Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano, Fontina and Provolone. In this one too, there was a lot of cheese.

Unfortunately, I think it was a bit overcooked: the cheese was not gooey but a bit hard. It was decent though.

The pizza was good at Numero 28, but clearly not as good as the one we had at Lombardi's, Pulino's or San Matteo.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Neapolitan Pizza at San Matteo Pizzeria in NYC, New York

After watching the TV show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" that took place in Naples, and seeing some mouth watering Neapolitan pizza, we decided to try San Matteo on the Upper East Side. What I did not know, before watching the show and looking on the internet, is that there are certain rules to follow for the pizza to be called Neapolitan. These rules can be found on the website of The True Neapolitan Pizza Association. For instance:

• The dough ball must weigh between 180 and 250 grams.
• ingredients should be flour type "00", sea salt and water with a Ph of 6 to 7 (with a temperature of 20 to 22 degree Celsius). The yeast must be compressed, biologically produced.
• The pizza is created with a single dough ball, with a motion from the center outward, and with the pressure from the fingers from both hands. From the center, the thickness must be about 0.4 cm (+ or - 10%) and the border 1 to 2 cm.

These are just few examples, but there are plenty of rules such as which tomatoes to use. And I do not know why, but knowing this made me look at the pizza differently!

So here we are on the Upper East Side, excited to go to a restaurant that is making such pizza. Walking there, I have to say that we could have missed it, also because we were not expecting such a tiny place!

I liked the place: small with a lot of character, it had some authenticity to it and a rustic feel.

In the back of the room, was the brick oven, another criterion to have a pizza called Neapolitan!

We started off with the burrata:

The plate was very appetizing and had fantastic colors between the green from the salad and the olives, the red from the tomatoes and the black of the balsamic vinegar, that contrasted perfectly with the white of the burrata. If you do not know what burrata is, it is made of mozzarella (outer shell) with cheese inside. Fresh, it is exquisite!

From the discussion we had with the people from the restaurant, we understood that there were shipping their mozzarella directly from Italy!

This burrata was good, but not the best I ever tried for sure. I found that the mozzarella was a bit tougher than it should be. I, anyway, enjoyed it!

Then, we got a pizza! We decided to go with a traditional one: the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil).

I could have definitely eaten that pizza myself. Again, the contrast of colors and the blob of the crust made it extremely appetizing. Just look at the crust on the photo below and tell me you would not want a bite of it!

Yes, that crust was fantastic, as was the pizza! It tasted fresh (they put fresh basil leaves) and they were generous with the mozzarella. It was soft in the center and crispy on the outside. Perfect and yummy!

San Matteo is definitely a little gem on the Upper East Side! The food is good and the service courteous and fast. I definitely want to try other pizzas over there!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Pizza at Dusal's Italian Restaurant in Freehold, NJ

Recently we were in Freehold, NJ and needed a quick bite. We ended up at Dusal's, an Italian restaurant and Pizzeria.

The restaurant has two rooms: in the front is for the pizzeria and in the back, the restaurant. We decided to try three of their slices:

The plain slice:

It was good, although pretty standard. The crust was thin and crispy with a nice char in the bottom.

The Sicilian pie:

Good, with lots of cheese and a nice pizza sauce. However, the crust was a bit hard on the corner.

The white pie:

This was a great pie because they put a lot of ricotta all along and not only some patches of it! Also, they did not load it with garlic that overpowers the cheese. A hit!

So, Dusal's is definitely a great pizza place!

Enjoy (I did)!

Lombardi, the oldest pizzeria in the US - NYC, New York

It has been a while since I wanted to go to Lombardi's Pizza, the oldest pizzeria in the US, located in New York City. We went last Saturday and the place was not packed, until 12:30pm where patrons started to come and even had to wait outside! I guess this place is in all the guides, explaining the sudden rush!

We saw two dining rooms there: the one at the entrance, with its bar, and the one in the back. We got seated in the first one. It definitely had a rustic and traditional feel with its brick walls and the white and red table clothes. The service was quick and courteous that is sometimes missing in popular restaurants!

I started off with an Italian Soda that is seltzer with vanilla flavored syrup and whipped cream.

This was the first time I tried this! It was interesting: the color of the drink itself was like crystal and had of course a strong vanilla taste thanks to the syrup. But the best was when mixing the whipped cream with the drink. It added more sweetness to it. Delicious, but not a drink I would crave!

Then we ordered a pizza: small size (6 slices) with wild mushrooms and homemade meatballs (beef and pork).

The pizza, cooked in a coal oven, smelled amazingly good! The crust was thin and crispy with a nice char in the bottom and the sides.

Each topping was $3 and they put a lot of it! The meatballs, although small, were moist and tasty.

They also did not cheat us on the wild mushrooms. Another thing I appreciated was the amount of basil they put on the pizza: usually, you get few leafs. At Lombardi's, they put a lot. This gave additional flavors to this great pie!

I definitely liked Lombardi's pizza! It is definitely a place to visit, with or without the title of oldest pizzeria in the US!

Be careful though: it is cash only, like when they opened...

Enjoy (I did)!