Best pizza and New York style deli

[Robin Garr]

You know all this talk about finding New York style pizza over the past few years has stirred up my creative juices to try and see if I can come up with something close.

You hit it, and I'll never eat dinner at home again ...

You know all this talk about finding New York style pizza over the past few years has stirred up my creative juices to try and see if I can come up with something close. I will keep in touch and invite the New York pizza experts over to Boombozz for a focus group to guide me in the right direction.

Talk to you soon,

Tony

SO wait if I keep making posts about things I want from Boomboz you'll test them out?

Look for 8975389476843967 posts requesting vegetarian pepperoni and a Jeffersonville location in the coming weeks.

What are your favorite New York pizzerias?

Also while we are discussing this. What's the trick to make the dough "elasticy" enough to stretch that thin? I can pound out a pretty decent "thin" crust at 16 inches but I cant consistently make something that stretches NY Style thin at a large size.

What are your favorite New York pizzerias?

Lombardi's on Spring Street in Soho
Tottonno's in Coney Island
Di Fara's in Midwood
Grimaldi's in Brooklyn Heights
Carmine's in Williamsburg/Greenpoint

What are your favorite New York pizzerias?

Lombardi's on Spring Street in Soho
Tottonno's in Coney Island
Di Fara's in Midwood
Grimaldi's in Brooklyn Heights
Carmine's in Williamsburg/Greenpoint

I have brought up this site before...chicago pizza club. If you go there, scroll down and check out the out of town reviews they have a nice spread on a five day pizza tour of New York covering around a dozen spots.. They have reviews as well pictures. They show all of the above spots (except Carmines)with great pics of the pizza.

Let me tell you who NOT to emulate in town. Za's. I usually love all their pizzas, but we tried a "new york style" one from there the other day because it was a new (to us) offering on their menu. It was hideous. The crust was so thin, it was burnt on the bottom and somehow also limp. Plus, too many toppings were on the top, so when you pulled on a slice to separate it from the pie, only the crust and toppings came away in your hand. We literally could not eat it. I actually went so far as to take it back to them a couple days later. Remember, we have always enjoyed their pizza in the past. So I told the manager on duty what happened, and that since it was New Years' Day we just didn't call them back because we knew they were busy and it might just have been a misstep. Well, he took one look at the pizza and said "that's burned. And it has too many toppings." Great, we agree!

Problem was, he said he'd "look up our phone number" and "send us a coupon for a free pizza". No refund was offered. And we never heard from them again.

Boo.

[Robin Garr]

Also while we are discussing this. What's the trick to make the dough "elasticy" enough to stretch that thin? I can pound out a pretty decent "thin" crust at 16 inches but I cant consistently make something that stretches NY Style thin at a large size.

Spin it! You don't have to toss it over your head, Mike. Just drape it over the backs of your hands and keep your fists moving until it stretches out into a rough circle. You won't get it very round, but don't worry, it tastes as good and looks more artisanal, and you can easily get it to pass the "windowpane" test.

You know all this talk about finding New York style pizza over the past few years has stirred up my creative juices to try and see if I can come up with something close. I will keep in touch and invite the New York pizza experts over to Boombozz for a focus group to guide me in the right direction.

Talk to you soon,

Tony

amen im tired of hearing about this topic on here! however i think one of those big italian deli places would do so well on bardstown road in a highly visible location with parking. i am thinking that vacant strip mall at bardstown and grinstead would be perfect!!!! tony b, you are italian right? maybe you should try something. another good location would be somewhere in st matthews near whole foods.

For a New York style deli, only one in Louisville is Jason's, on Hurstbourne just East of Shelbyville . . . I know Robin "doesn't get it", but for over-stuffed sandwiches with decent corned beef & pastrami it's the only option in town.

(NOTE: I'm not saying it stands up to Carnegie et al, just that it's the best Louisville has to offer)

Okay. New York pizza - Joes in the Village is the quintessential New York slice joint. No tables, just a counter and black, charcoal dust on the bottom of the slice. Johns on Bleeker was great until they chained out. Grimaldis is good, but too darn popular. Although, I love walking over the Bridge to get there. I think, at present, local pizza joints in New York are the best. My favorite is "Hi Fi Pizza Pie" in Mt. Vernon. By the way, want to experience the real Little Italy in New York? Go to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.

As for delis, I loved Second Ave. Deli until the owner was shot. Now, I think Katz's on the Lower East Side has the best pastrami. Hey, all this talk about the "City" makes me want to be sitting in Katz's right now!

[Robin Garr]

(NOTE: I'm not saying it stands up to Carnegie et al, just that it's the best Louisville has to offer)

Have you ever gone to Stevens & Stevens, Andrew? Tried the pastrami? Just curious.

Frankly, I probably don't get NYC deli. We lived in NYC for four years fairly recently, and I spent summers there as a teen. I never did get kosher-style deli. I thought it was heavy and greasy, and the rude waiters didn't add much. But maybe that's just me. Now, Italian-style deli was fine, but we really do approximate that here with Lotsa Pasta.

Our cheesecake at Sweet Surrender is more Philadelphia style than anything else, but it has a lot of fans. Similar flavor but a little lighter and creamier. Although, this weekend we made an apricot ricotta cheesecake to switch things up a bit. I hope you'll give us a try, if you have a sweet craving one day.

Man Tony,
That would be awesome. Especially if you get the former New Yorkers to help with pizza. I have been reading this blog and would like to try a TRUE NYC style pizza. While you are on my list of places to try, (hopefully soon) the best I ever had was on the boardwalk in San Antonio TX. The piece was real big, thin, and when you held it by the crust, none of the toppings fell off. It was best to fold it before you ate it....man that was a good pie!! Please keep us posted...It would really be great for the area.

Welcome to Louisville Phil. There is a lot of great pizza in Louisville. Unfortunately there is little good NY style Pizza. I hate it when NY'ers put down pizza because it's not NY style. That doesn't mean it's not really good, just different. Sort of like a Texan eating great BBQ in Memphis and saying that it isn't good. Anyway, off the soapbox.

Luigi's is by far the closest to the real thing. I just personnaly am not enamored by his sauce. Frascelli's is OK and Spenelli's can be very good but some here don't care for it. I love their sweet sauce. I actually just ordered a NY Thin crust from Impellizeri's. Not bad. The first time I had it I looked at it and thought.... another wanna be but by the time I finished it I was thinking not bad at all. And just to put a yardstick on the advice you're getting.......... I was born and spent 21 years of my life in or around the city.