Pulino's pizza in NYC, New York

One of my favorite pizza is the four cheese pizza, but one with real cheeses, not some kind of processed cheeses! So we decided to try Pulino's in Nolita as they had a four cheese pizza on their menu.

The place was very nice with its high ceilings, wood oven and walls covered in bottles.

There was even part covered with magazines that the patrons could borrow, adding a casual atmosphere to the place..

We went for brunch where the menu offers a wide variety of either standard brunch items such as eggs or pancakes, as well as true Italian dishes such as spaghetti or pizza. For pizza, you can add some toppings such as olives, pancetta, anchovies...making the pizza a bit pricey.

So we decided to start with an appetizer. The choice was easy: burrata.

They served it with roasted tomatoes on the vine, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. All of this was rested on a piece of bread, fettunta style, meaning like a bruschetta. 

This was fantastic! The burrata tasted very fresh and was very creamy. It was a perfect combination of flavors, mixed with the tomatoes, a hint of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Then we got our four cheese pizza!

The pizza looked beautiful with all the cheeses, the caramelized onions and the crust, burnt in some areas.

The crust was very thin and crispy. What I liked was also the fact that they had, on the table, some olive oil with chili peppers inside: you drizzle some oil on the pizza and it gives a delicious kick to it!

The cheeses on the pizza were: mozzarella, grana, fontina and gorgonzola. It also had some caramelized onions on top. I loved that pizza! There was a lot of cheese and the idea of putting caramelized onions on it was fabulous! It added some sweetness to the pizza that was perfect to counterbalance the sharpness of the cheese. It was definitely a great pizza that I recommend!

We skipped the desserts as we wanted to go grab something at Francois Payard, but it is another story...

Although the service was so so, we really enjoyed our brunch at Pulino's! I am sure I will go back there to try some of their specialties, such as the nutella pizette....

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Philippo's in Clark, NJ

Last time, we grab some sandwiches at Philippo's Pizza in Clark, NJ. I love Italian sandwiches: I find it a very comforting food. What is important for me in an Italian sandwich is a soft bread and lots of cheese!

It is the second time we tried food there. This time, we went with an all parmigiana menu: eggplant parmigiana and chicken parmigiana subs.

The subs are huge!

Imagine that what you are seeing on the photo is half a eggplant parmigiana sandwich on a regular plate! And it only costs $8.50!

I loved it: great taste and not greasy at all! They were very generous with the amount of eggplant.

The chicken parmigiana sub was also big and loaded with cheese. It was good, but the chicken was cut too thin so its taste did not always go through.

For this second try, this was again very good, at a very reasonable price. Definitely a good place to go to if you crave Italian subs, cold or hot!

Enjoy (I did)!

Delicious food at The Food Truck Festival in South Street Seaport - NYC, New York

Yesterday, Jodi and I went to The Food Truck Festival in South Street Seaport. This festival takes place couple of times a year, always at the same place, and features close to 30 food trucks from all over the city!

We decided to go in the morning, at around 11:30am as last year we went later and it was packed! This year, we picked the correct time! Not that many people, so limited wait! Our plan was to go to different trucks and try one of their dish on the menu.

We started with Chinese Mirch.

Mirch means chili in Hindi. This truck is a fusion between chinese food and indian food. We decided to try the Tibetan Momos, that are hand-rolled pan fried dumplings. We picked the vegetarian ones, made with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and some "secret" spices. 

The dumplings are served with a hot or sweet sauce. We chose the sweet as it was hot outside. The dumplings were pretty good: the shell was light and well cooked (I was surprised to see it steamed as they advertised pan fried!). The stuffing was delicious and flavorful. The only negative was that there was not enough sauce. Besides that, I really enjoyed it! The 5 dumplings costed $4.

The second truck was The Kimchi Taco Truck.

I love Korean food and was eager to try a fusion taco! What was great is that they proposed a tasting of 3 tacos for $7. Our pick was (top to bottom on the photo):

• Tofu edamame falafel: tofu, edamame and chickpea blended with Asian spices with kimchi infused refried beans, cucumber kimchi, pickled daikon and pico de gallo.
• BBQ beef short ribs served with their signature marinade, topped with red cabbage, apple, pear kimchi slaw.
• Fried chicken, battered in sweet rice flour tossed in organic blue agave nectar and ginger, garlic Korean pepper sauce and served with pickled diakon, queso blanco and sesame seeds.

They put the tacos next to each other and the shells were too small for the quantity of stuffing, so it was a bit messy to eat! The tofu edamame falafel was a bit mushy: I did not like it. The BBQ short rib was pretty good: it was tender and not dry thanks to the marinade. The last one I tried was the chicken one: I would have never thought it was fried chicken! Last, the taco shell was a bit hard on some parts of the tacos.

I was a bit disappointed: I think they put too many things on the taco and you lose the main flavors.

The next truck was Nuchas truck that serves empanadas.

They offer different types of empanadas: meat, veggie or sweet. We ordered the Argentine empanada ($3): ground beef, onions, pepper, scallions, potatoes and olives.

When the empanada came, it looked like the cocas that my family cooks with sheshoukah! It really liked it although it was a bit greasy. It had nice flavors and was just a bit spicy, but not too much. 

Then was the long awaited Valducci's pizza truck!

We were looking forward to get a slice from that truck since we tried it last year! It was so good! So we reordered the same slice: thin crust, pizza sauce, just a bit of cheese and olive oil.

This pizza is the proof that less is more! The crust was incredibly crispy and the sauce amazing! I think it is one of my favorite pizza in New York! I would not have liked to try other trucks, I would have gone for another slice! The slice costed $5.

Next to Valducci's was the Gorilla Cheese truck, specialized in grilled cheese.

They have standard grilled cheese as well as more elaborated ones. I decided to try a standard one and picked the Cheddar grilled cheese with white bread.

For sure there was a lot of cheese.

But, for $6, you can expect a better cheese and a better bread! I can make a better grilled cheese home for cheaper! Disappointing!

Then, we were on our way to leave when we saw the Red Hook Lobster Pound! Last year, I ate a fantastic lobster roll there! With all the food we ate, I was not sure I could have one. But Jodi knew how to find the good words to convince me: "If you do not get one, you will regret and keep talking about it!". I did not need more to order the $16 Connecticut lobster roll:

It is pricey, but there is a lot of lobster in it (I got 2 claws for sure as you can see on the photo), making it a bit challenging to eat! I love the Connecticut one: it is poached in butter! Better than with tons of mayo that could overpower the lobster taste!
The bread was deliciously buttered and toasted. If you do not like butter, it is not for you! I love this place!

After that, I was full and could not even try any of the desserts trucks. This is a great festival and I am looking forward for the next one!
On a side note, it was funny to see people eating at the terrace of the restaurants next to the festival: why would you pay overpriced food when you have an incredible event like this next to you?

If you went to the Food Truck Festival, let me know what you think!

Enjoy (I did)!

Angelo's Coal Oven Pizza in NYC, New York

I went to Angelo's pizza several times and always preferred going to the location on Broadway as it is much quieter and less crowded. It is in fact surprising considering that it is next to the Late Show with David Letterman studio!

Both restaurants are on two floors, but the one in Broadway is much spacious and can much easily welcome a large party.

Besides pizza and pasta, the restaurant serves soups and salads, like the Insalata Siciliana on the photo below.

They also serve panini; the one on the photo below is a chicken parm panini. 

Previously, I tried their pasta, specifically the Fettuccine Alfredo and the Rigatoni A La Vodka. It was good and they were generous with the sauce. But, know that the pasta are not homemade.

This time, we got pizza. When you order, you have to go through a simple selection process:

• First, pick the size of the pie: you can either order a small (6 slices) or a large pizza.
• Second, you decide if you want a white pie (made with ricotta or mozzarella - no tomato sauce) or a regular pie (tomato and mozzarella).
• Last, you pick your toppings. They propose several ones like mushroom, olives, pepperoni, anchovies, broccoli (seriously? Do you think it will make it healthier???), onions, prosciutto...

So we decided to share two large pizza. The first one was a white pie.

This one was disappointing: it was very dry and there was not that much cheese!

The second one was a regular pie with mushrooms and prosciutto di Parma.

It was delicious! The pizza sauce was good and they put some good quality prosciutto on it. I also like the crust on both pizza: thin, crispy and slightly blackened, result of the cooking in the coal oven that you can see when you enter the restaurant.

Angelo's pizza is not that bad, but it is clearly not the best pizza in New York. I also find that it is a bit overpriced and the service was a bit slow. So if you decide to go, avoid the white pie...

Enjoy (I half did)!

Imposto restaurant and pizza in Hoboken, NJ

Have you ever noticed that, it is always the same types of food that you crave: burgers, pizza and subs! Imposto's does not serve burgers, but they surely serve pizza and subs!

It is a small place and when you enter, you cannot miss the original pizza they display. Imagine that: Mac & Cheese, Chicken Alfredo, Freedom fries (you mean FRENCH fries?) with gravy or buffalo chicken pizza!

Of course, they also have regular pizza: white pie, margarita...We decided to try their Sicilian.

The pizza is thick (of course - but thicker than usual) and the crust has a nice charr. Unfortunately, the crust was not crispy, the sauce was average and there was not enough cheese! The pizza was very salty. This was not good; I prefer the Sicilian at Uptown pizza or Basile's.

We also tried one of their subs. As it was the first time we tried theirs, we picked the Imposto's special sub.

It was a 12 inches long sub, made with ham, capacola, salami, turkey, provolone, tomatoes and lettuce. The bread was tough (I would have preferred an Italian bread) and it was very salty too. A bit disappointing...

This was not great and if they cannot make good standard food, I do not see how the original pizza they offer can be good. Disappointing!

Enjoy (the post)!

I tested the Homemade Pizza Company - CLOSED!

Update March 25th, 2012: this place has closed! I guess people prefer not going through the hassle of cooking the pizza and considering the number of good pizza joints in Hoboken, this is not surprising!

Original post:
Imagine the concept: you like pizza, but do not know how to make one or do not have time. You still want to feel as if you made it yourself. You pick the ingredients, they prepare it for you and you bake it. That's what Homemade Pizza Company is all about! This is a great concept! 

When you go to their store, of course, there are no tables! You either pick from their own recipes (4 cheeses, mushroom...) or create your own. If you create your own, there are different steps:

1. Pick a size: cutie (serves 1), Medium (serves 2-3) or large (serves 3-4).
2. Choose a crust (regular or whole grain). 
3. Choose a base (ruby red tomato sauce, olive oil or fresh pesto). They usually come with tomato sauce and cheese.
4. Add ingredients: they propose 41 different ingredients (fresh herbs, cheeses, meat or fresh produces).
5. The last step is to bring it home and bake it! For this, they package the pizza for you, similar to the fresh pizza you can find in supermarkets and give you instructions on how to cook it. The pizza is on a parchment paper and on a cardboard, very convenient to slide and remove from the oven. You are supposed to cook for 10 to 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Ours took longer.

So we tried 2 different pizzas: 

• one with blue cheese, aged parmesan, asiago and fontinella: it was delicious! 
• the second one with goat cheese, caramelized onions and crimini mushrooms. The goat cheese and caramelized onions work so well together: it was full of nice flavors!

The pizza were really good: the crust was thin and they were not cheap on the ingredients! They also serve salads in case you want one to accompany your pizza.

Definitely good and fun to pick the ingredients! You should try it! They have restaurants in different areas of the states of New Jersey and New York.

Enjoy (I did)!

Poor Service at Napoli's pizza in Hoboken!

Imagine: we went to Napoli's pizza in Hoboken, New Jersey today and there was barely anybody in the restaurant: a table who already ordered and got their food, and us. First, we arrive and although they see us, they do not come to seat us. So we decide to seat at a table close to the windows. Couple of minutes later, they realize we are there and bring us the menu. They do not ask at this point if we would like anything to drink. Then, seeing that nobody is taking care of us, I go to the counter and the cook tells me that somebody will take care of us; he then calls the waiter. Five minutes later, still nobody asking for our order, although there were 4 people behind the counter. We decided to leave at that point and it is only then that they decide to ask us if we are ready to order. Yeah right! And then the pizza will take two hours to come???

We ended up at Benny Tudino's and had a great slice and a nice and efficient service! Look at the size of this pizza compared to the fork!

Seriously, with all the pizzeria in Hoboken, owners should make sure their restaurant treats customers properly!

Enjoy (I sure did...at Benny Tudino's)!

Filippo's on First in Hoboken, NJ: another pizza place!

There are three things I do not like when ordering pizza:

1. When you ask for a topping and they are really cheap. The best example is fresh basil.
2. How the pizza will end up delivered: either crushed or not carried straight so the cheese and sauce finish on the cardboard and not the pizza.
3. The pizza have a tendency to steam and the crust loses its crunchiness (for that, you just need to pass it in the oven).

I found out that Filippo's on First was doing a great job! Their pizza is delicious and tasty and they are generous on the toppings. The crust is thin and crunchy.

Definitely another great pizza in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

Basile's Pizza - Another Pizza Joint in Hoboken, NJ

In Hoboken, there will soon be as many pizza joints as bars! Basile's pizza opened recently, in a very good location: corner of the block of Carlo's Bakery (The Cake Boss). It used to be a realtor office: I guess it is easier to sell pizza to people who wait on line for The Cake Boss than selling them houses! It is also close to the path, so people going to bars can't miss it...

Since they opened, they have been busy, especially on the week ends! So far, they have only offered outside seating, but I guess they will soon setup tables inside.

People there are courteous and I have to say that their pizzas are delicious! We tried three of them:

• The fresh mozzarella and basil.
• The white pie.
• The sicilian.

So, here are couple of common things to these slices: the pizza sauce is amazing! Especially on the sicilian. This one does not have that much cheese on it, but it does not matter at all! I guess it is their "grandma" pizza. The crust is crispy and the pizzas are not greasy at all.

What I liked with the white pie is that there was no garlic: I hate when they put too much garlic on it! What do they think? That we will be attacked by a bunch of Vampires???

Definitely good pizzas there. Try it out!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Restaurant Review: Two Boots Pizza (New York, NY)

Do you remember my story about the day when I walked out of Zen Palate? Well, that day we ended up at Two Boots Pizza. I know: I am a little behind in my posts...

So, what makes a good pizza? For me: the crust must be crispy. It can be thin or thick, I do not care. Then the second thing is the tomato sauce. Most of the pizza shops buy pizza sauce. They just need after to put some additional ingredients, such as oregano, to make the difference. What is interesting is the way pizza is eaten in France versus the US. In France, you can also have it by the slice, but only for take out in boulangeries or sandwicheries. If you go to a pizzeria, they will serve you a large pizza, bigger than a standard round plate. Then, the toppings are different. For instance, one of my favorite when I was living in Paris was one with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. They first cook the pizza and then, before serving, put generously some creme fraiche and then the salmon. I find it better this way as, if you cook the salmon directly with the pizza, the sauce will have a fishy taste and it will reveal the salt of the fish. 

Cheese being big in France (more than 400 different varieties), you have pizzas with different combinations of cheeses. One of my favorite is with St Marcellin (when I can find it!). A last example refers to my last trip there: I had a pizza with cream and ravioles that are a thiner and better version of cheese ravioli. That was so delicious!

So, to go back to Two Boots: the restaurant was opened in 1987 by 2 indie producers, explaining why their signature pizzas have name like: Mr Pink, Larry Tate or the Newman. They of course have the standard pizzas: sicilian, cheese....We tried the sicilian (awesome with a perfect crust - I need a corner), the classic cheese (lots of cheese and a great tomato sauce) and a cheese with roasted pepper (love it)! Perfect crust, perfect sauce! Perfect pizza! This is definitely a nice address to know, especially if you are in Time Square and want to go grab a quick bite before or after a movie, instead of going to a touristy, overpriced restaurant!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Benny Tudino's Pizza (Hoboken, NJ)

The New York area has great pizza! From the regular slice, to the sicilian, to the white pie! One of my favorite pizza restaurant is Benny Tudino's in Hoboken. This restaurant opened in 1968 and is known for its large $3 slice: a crispy thin crust with a tasty tomato sauce and lots of cheese! I just regret that they do not serve other types such as sicilian or white pie by the slice. 

I usually prefer eating pizza at the restaurant because, when delivered, the pizza has a tendency to steam in the box, and the crust becomes soggy or loses its crispiness. Having an oven pizza stone might do the trick!

Concerning the other type of food this restaurant serves, I heard mixed reviews: some say that the food is good, some say that it is terrible! I so love their slice that I never think about eating something else!

Last, you do not go to that restaurant for the service! A little smile would be welcome!

If you'd like a good slice, come to Benny Tudino's in Hoboken: you will not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!