I like thin and crispy crust pizza hands down. I don't care for thick crust pizza. QUESTION: Yesterday or Saturday, they had an episode of New York Style vs. Chicago Style Pizza. One of the restaurants was Genos in Chicago. Did anyone see the show. I'm wanting to know what Food Network show it was on. I've searched Foodnetwork.com and I can't find it. I was wondering what the name of the New York pizza place was.
i can't find it either. see if it might be one of these (this guy obviously has eaten alot of pizza) My Favorite Pizza Revised 3/21/2004...IN: Joe & Pat's, Tommaso, La Sorrentino 86; OUT: L&B, Pal Joey's, Goodfella's I like pizza. In fact, I like it a whole lot. And while I’ve inherited a lot of the snobbery indigenous to my Brooklyn roots in this area, my interest in Italian-American history has prevented me from having a completely provincial attitude, allowing me to be open-minded to pizza outside of New York City. When our ancestors came to America, they approximated the foods from home as best they could, with the ingredients that were available, all within a limited budget. Hence, the prevalence of Sicilians and corn in the Midwest created a pie in Chicago with a thicker crust than the thin Napolitan style of the East Coast. And you know what? They can all be good, if you know where to look. Just for the record, I don’t like forced California foo-foo pizzas with pineapple, alfalfa sprouts, or other "trendy" toppings. I prefer to stick to traditional toppings like cheese, tomatoes, sausage, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Based on the pizza I’ve tried – and I’ve tried many – here are my favorites. If I’ve missed one you think I need to sample, please let me know via e-mail. 1. Grimaldi's 19 Old Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY Grimaldi’s was known as Patsy’s, until the famous Manhattan restaurant of the same name sued them. Whatever you call them, they have finished first in the Zagat Survey for the past few years. This very thin-crusted pizza is baked in a brick oven, with their own fresh tomatoes and sliced mozzarella. Combine that with a super location under the Brooklyn Bridge, and you have a great dining experience. 2. Totonno Pizzeria Napolitano 1524 Neptune Avenue Brooklyn, NY Totonno’s is located in Coney Island, and is very important in the history of pizza. In fact, it’s almost a sacrament. The original Totonno was responsible for bringing pizza to America, in a little groceria where he was employed in Manhattan’s Little Italy, until he set off on his own. It’s the same ultra thin-crusted style as Grimaldi’s, and to me, it’s a toss-up as to which one is better. A plus: it’s still run by the same family. Come early: when they run out of dough, that’s it! Stop at Denny’s Custard on Surf Avenue afterward. 3. Denino's Pizzeria Tavern 524 Port Richmond Avenue Staten Island, NY Denino’s is a bar on Staten Island with a large dining room, which serves a more traditional New York pizza, but it’s by far the best of it’s type I’ve ever had. As a plus, Ralph’s Italian Ices is across the street. The white pie, with just cheese, garlic and onion is to die for. 4. Café Al Mercato 2344 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY This is one of the classic Italian neighborhoods in New York City. Within the Indoor Market (as seen in the opening credits of Marty), there is a stand that has some of the best homestyle Italian food I’ve tasted. They serve a variety of square pies, my favorites being the lasagna pie, (which has all of the ingredients save the pasta) and the sausage pizza. The sausage pie is not only the best of this variety I’ve tasted, but it had the best sausage I’ve ever tasted (sliced, not crumbled), probably from Peter’s Meat Market inside the building. They also have lovely fritatte (omelets to everyone else) with potatoes, peppers or broccoli rabe. There’s a nice seating area, and you can top off your meal with an espresso or cappuccino. While in the market, stop at Peter’s for sausage and Mike’s Deli for salami and prosciutto. 5. Tacconelli's Pizza 2604 East Somerset Street Philadelphia, PA We made a special trip to Tacconelli’s, tucked away in a little Italian neighborhood near I-95, on a baseball venture to Philly. It had a 26 rating for food with Zagat, so we decided to make the trip. We were not disappointed. After getting over the fact that we hadn’t called (they make only a certain amount of dough each day, thanks!) we enjoyed their "white" pie, which had a great taste of olive oil, whole plum tomatoes, and fresh spinach, with a well done, brick oven crust, a key for me. It was absolutely great. Next trip, we’ll resolve the Pat’s versus Geno’s issue on cheesesteaks in South Philly. (Psst...now that I've tried Pat's, I think they're better) 6. Joe & Pat's Pizza 1758 Victory Blvd Staten Island, NY Joe & Pat's is an old standby for me: my wife and I used to go there when we were dating, back in the day. They were gutted by fire several years ago, and have come back with a flourish. They make a thin, crisp crust, with a nice fresh sauce, regular mozzarella, and romano cheese. We rediscovered them recently when Denino's was packed, and enjoyed both the pizza and the relaxed dining area. 7. Royal Crown Bakery 1350 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island, NY This one is new to my list, and a surprise. Royal Crown is a bakery on a very busy thoroughfare, with a sidewalk café. Primarily known for their excellent pastries, the Sicilian pizza is made on their paneantico, and is only $1.75 for a huge slice. Like Totonno’s, they make a daily quota, so come early. Top it off with a cannoli and espresso. 8. Pizzeria Regina 11 1/2 Thatcher Street Boston, MA This is the North End’s Denino’s, and the pizza is very similar. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall place, with a lot of atmosphere. Walk over to Modern Pastry on Hanover Street for dessert; I recommend the chocolate cannoli. 9. Tommaso Ristorante Italiano 1042 Kearny St San Francisco, CA From the North End to the North Beach. A very nice thin-crust pizza, and a favorite spot of Francis Ford Coppola, of whom you may have heard. The block isn't that nice, but the pizza is great. 10. La Sorrentina 86 1406 86th Street Brooklyn, NY In the heart of Dyker Heights. This is a very nice little pizza cafe, with good food in general, and excellent pizza. The "plain" and Sicilian are great, and my favorite is the "upside down" pizza, where they put the sauce onto the Sicilian after the cheese. 11. Giordano's 730 North Rush Street Chicago, IL Giordano's 310 West Randolph Street Chicago, IL Chicago has three unique food styles that I really like: the hot dogs, the Italian Beef sandwiches, and of course, the thick-crusted pizza. I’ve tried several, and Giordano’s stands out. My favorite is the stuffed pizza, with a nice, fresh, garlicky tomato sauce on top. My favorite pies are the sausage and the spinach, which also come in a personal size. 12. Café Milano 401 Forest Avenue Staten Island, NY Café Milano is a fairly new entry in our neighborhood, and they’ve made a mark. They make an excellent Margherita pie, with fresh sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. They now also serve Ferrara’s Italian ices from Little Italy.
I wouldn't recognize the name of the New York place if I saw it. I just caught the end of the show. They had some firemen judging which style of pizza was the best. New York style won 7 to 2.
Giordano's in downtown Chicago is amazing! My husband has relatives up there, and we visited them last summer (my first time in Chicago.) We went to Giordano's the first night, and with the exception of sighting a guy in a Texas Longhorn's jersey outside on the street, it was a terrific experience.
