Lucali

Hidden in the residential sector of Carroll Gardens lie the pizzeria called Lucali. The small venue fits about 20-30 people inside, promoting a relaxing night out to dinner. The candle-lit tables, BYOB policy and lack of menu options (just pizza pies or calzones) all exhibit the simplicity that defines Lucali. The restaurant has a way of making a simple meal seem classy.

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Pizza Overall Grade: B/B+

Cheese: 4

Sauce: 3.5

Bread/Crust: 4

Presentation: 4.5
Pizzeria: 3.5
Service: 3

Lucali's small venue definitely made my pizza pie feel more special. With one oven and one preparation station in the back of the restaurant, it was clear that each and every pie was made with care. When I first saw the pie, it looked well-made, clean, and most importantly, delicious. The cheese was not only melted perfectly, but it was also rich in flavor, which is rare from the other pizzerias I have visited. The sauce was also tasty, but not as noticeable as the taste of the cheese. However, the bread was my favorite part of the pizza. The thin crust and smoky flavor really set this pizza apart from the competition. The combination of all these factors made for a great slice.

That being said, each slice didn't hold all three of these components for too long. It seemed like each slice only was covered with cheese and sauce on the bottom half. While the cheese and sauce were both great, there wasn't much of it to eat with each slice. The bread, or crust per slice was much larger than any other of the pizzerias I have visited. Combine this with the fact that thin sliced pizza doesn't fill you up very easily, and you'll be asking for more.

The pizzeria is away from the busy main streets of the neighborhood and is nicely organized inside, but it is very small. To eat in, you will probably have to call for reservations, especially on the weekends. The service is good, but there is only one waitress for the restaurant, along with one pizza oven, so wait times for your food could get long.

I gave Lucali a B/B+ because I really enjoyed the key ingredients of the pizza. However, Lucali would have had a much better grade if they used more cheese and sauce to fill up their pizza.

Lucali is located at 575 Henry Street in Brooklyn.
Phone: (718) 858-4086
Take-out, Eat-in, No Delivery
Cost of Pie: $24
Dept. of Health Grade: A

BYOB  ‎

E-mail Suggestions!

Hello everyone!

It has been two years since I last embarked on my hunt for the best pizzerias in New York City. This summer I want to reopen the project and visit some places I have not been before, especially those that viewers like you have recommended time and time again. Please comment on this post or e-mail me suggestions for pizzerias to review in the city, I am open to all suggestions.

I just visited Lucali's pizzeria in Brooklyn on Spring Break, the review will be up shortly.

Here are some of the suggestions I have received:
-Two Boots
-Totonno's
-Joe's (The Village)
-Motorino

Once again, comment on the blog or e-mail suggestions to dso35@cornell.edu.

Thanks,
Daniel

Di Fara Pizza

Possibly the most famous pizzeria in Brooklyn, Di Fara's Pizza has been serving its loyal customers for decades. The owner, Dom DeMarco, makes each and every pie himself, meaning there will be extremely long waits for a pie that is made carefully. What makes Di Fara different from other pizzerias is that Dom uses imported ingredients from Italy on all his pies, and even adds a little flavor to your pie before its handed over.

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Pizza Overall Grade: A-

Cheese: 5

Sauce: 5

Bread/Crust: 4.5

Presentation: 5

Pizzeria: 2.5

Service: 1

Before coming here, I checked many reviews of the pizzeria, and most them obsessed over how Dom makes his amazing pizza. I have to say, this was the best slice I have tried, by far, because of the delicious ingredients and homemade feel the pie had. Seeing Dom make my own pizza and add mozzarella, fresh cut basil, and a little bit of olive oil was definitely an experience itself. Yet, the slice I had was even more incredible. The cheese was delicious, especially with the extra mozzarella on top. The sauce was very rich, and some parts of the pie had pieces of tomatoes, which were really tasty. The bread and crust were really thin and acted as a perfect complement to the rest of the ingredients. Also, the freshly cut basil added even more flavor to the outstanding pie.

Despite having amazing pizza, Di Fara's Pizza does have a few problems. For one, the lines are extremely long. Customers can wait from half an hour to an incredible three hours for their pies. Also, the venue itself is pretty small, so a large group of customers can get disorderly quickly. In fact, the service at Di Fara's is friendly but loosely structured, although they have taken initiative to fix this problem. The last complaint I have about Di Fara's Pizza is that it is very overpriced at $5 a slice and $28 a pie. Even worse, the pies are smaller than your usual pies, so you are getting less for your money.

I gave Di Fara an A- because they had the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted. The service at Di Fara, however, was terrible. The long wait and chaotic atmosphere of the pizzeria, along with the price of the pizza, are all factors to consider when visiting this pizzeria.

Di Fara's Pizza is located at 1424 Avenue J on 15th Street.

Phone: (718) 258-1367

Take-out, Eat-in, No Delivery

Cost of Slice: $5       Cost of Pie: $28

Dept. of Health Grade: B

Honorable Mention: Square Pie

Koronet Pizza

Koronet Pizza is located on the Upper West Side in a small pizzeria. This size of the venue may be misleading, since the size of a slice there is enormous. Every pie is made extra large, which is the norm at Koronet and for its customers. You definitely won't see people ordering a couple slices here, one is big enough. I dare anyone to try to eat this pizza with just one hand.

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Pizza Overall Grade: B

Cheese: 3.5
Sauce: 3
Bread/Crust: 4
Presentation: 4
Pizzeria: 3.5
Service: 4

Koronet is distinguishable for one reason: their gigantic slices. I had never eaten or seen a slice so big before. At Koronet, every pie is made the same way, so you better come hungry. The pizza itself was pretty good, I liked the cheese more than the sauce though. The bread and crust were crisp and cooked well; it was able to hold the big slice together. The slice itself also looked great, resembling what a classic pizza shop slice should look like. The service at Koronet was great too, I got my food quickly from a friendly employee. Koronet has many pies prepared for peak hours, so you won't be waiting long.

Although I like the pizza at Koronet, there wasn't anything special about the way it tasted. It was very plain, which can sometimes be both a good and bad thing. Plain is good when you try to serve good pizza, but being exotic and taking risks is what makes the good pizza into the best pizza.

I gave Koronet a B because I really liked how big their slices were. That definitely helps the pizzeria stand out from others in the neighborhood. However, I think the slice was very ordinary and not rich in any aspect.

Koronet Pizzeria is located at 2848 Broadway between 110th and 111th streets.
Phone: (212) 222-1566
Take-out, Eat-in, Delivery (Free)
Cost of slice: $3.75 (Jumbo Slice)
Dept. of Health Grade: A

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

One of the most famous pizzerias in Brooklyn is Grimaldi's, which is right below the Brooklyn Bridge. If you have ever been to Grimaldi's, you know that there is always a long line to get in the restaurant, even if you want to order to-go. For the locals and antsy tourists, the wait is worth the whole experience.

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Pizza Overall Grade: B/B+

Cheese: 3

Sauce:4

Bread/Crust: 4.5

Presentation: 3.5

Pizzeria: 4

Service: 2

Grimaldi's definitely has that 'famous pizzeria' feel to it. As soon as I got there, there was a long line outside of the venue that has become customary. The pizzeria itself, once you finally get in, is more like a small restaurant rather than a pizzeria. When I got my pizza, I really enjoyed the bread and the crust of the slice I had. It was made just right, so that it was not too soft nor too hard (or burnt). The sauce and the cheese were pretty good, but definitely not amazing. Still, the pizza itself was good enough to have its own restaurant.

I didn't like how the employees at Grimaldi's were unapproachable and pompous. I sensed that friendly service was not a priority for them because they know their dedicated customers will come back anyway. It might be the excessive tourism that they get, but a hospitable business should always come across as friendly. I also didn't think that Grimaldi's lived up to the hype. I always hear suggestions for Grimaldi's, but I wasn't too impressed with what I ate. On another note, the pizzeria was cramped: almost every square inch of space is used there

I gave Grimaldi's a B/B+ because the pizza was good, but the service was terrible. Also, I didn't think that it fared as well as the others I tried, even though it was much more hyped than the others.

Grimaldi's is located at 19 Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn.
Phone: (718) 858-4300
Take-out, Eat-in, No Delivery
Cost of Pie: $14
Dept. of Health Grade: A  ‎

John's Pizzeria

Hidden within the bright lights and excessive tourism that make up Times Square, John's Pizzeria seems like an ordinary New York City eatery from the outside. Once you enter, however, you will see how deceptive John's Pizzeria is, housing an enormous restaurant that is consistently packed with guests. I had been to John's before, and I was really looking forward to my first visit in over a year.

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Pizza Overall Grade: A

Cheese: 5

Sauce: 4

Bread/Crust: 4.5

Presentation: 5

Pizzeria: 5

Service: 3

Wow. My experience at John's pizzeria definitely topped my previous visit to John's, and possible my visits to all of these other pizzerias. When entering John's, one might not expect to see a two-story restaurant inside with a huge wall mural, along with decorative art nearby each and every table. When the pizza arrived to the table, I was astounded by how great the pizza looked. Even though they are responsible for satisfying a large crowd, John's pizzeria was able to serve me and my friends two perfect pies. The funny thing is, the pizza tasted better than it looked! The cheese was my favorite type of cheese: one that is both stretchy and flavorful. The cheese really trumped the sauce, but the sauce was good too. The bread and crust were very thin and acted well as a support to the pizza itself.

The only thing I can complain about John's Pizzeria was the service. Our table was confused at one point because one waiter told us refills were free when another said they weren't. Also, the food took longer than a normal pie usually takes, but the venue was busy that night. Another thing is that the pies are smaller than usual, even if you order a large pie.

I gave John's Pizzeria an A because the pizza and the pizzeria were amazing. I would definitely come here again to enjoy both the beautiful scenery and the delicious pizza. It was so good, after our meal, we had to order another pie!

John's Pizzeria is located at 260 W44th Street, between 7th and 8th avenue in Manhattan.

Phone: (212) 391-7560

Delivery, Take-out, Eat-in

Cost of Pie:   Small (13.75)    Large ($15.75)

Dept. of Health Grade: A

Goodfellas Pizzeria

Goodfellas Pizzeria has been raved about for many years, but many people do not want to take the trip to Staten Island. Goodfellas is known for making a variety of delicious pizzas in their brick oven, such as their Pizza Alla Vodka or their Sally Pizza(pizza with lemon garlic chicken and other toppings). If that's not enough, Goodfellas has won the title of "World's Best Pizza" at the International Pizza Expo a few times.

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Pizza Overall Grade: A-/A

Cheese: 4
Sauce:5
Bread/Crust: 4.5
Presentation: 2
Pizzeria: 5
Service: 4

After a long trek to see Goodfellas Pizzeria, I have to say the trip was worth it. The service was great because I was greeted by friendly employees and I got my food in a reasonable amount of time. Goodfellas Pizzeria has plenty of space to sit in its restaurant, even for large parties. Despite all this, the best thing about Goodfellas was the pizza itself. The sauce was much richer than any other sauce I had tasted. It seemed like a sauce that was only used in expensive dishes rather than a pie of pizza. The cheese was also great because it had a lot of flavor. The bread and crust of this pizza was very thin and had a light smoky taste, thanks to the brick oven.

The only thing I did not like about Goodfellas Pizzeria was the presentation of the pie itself. I had a bad impression from the start with a messy pizza that had random blobs of cheese and sauce, but after trying the pizza I did not hold a grudge.

I gave Goodfellas Pizzeria an A-/A because the pizza was very, very good. I think the presentation of the pizza will turn some people away, but it is definitely worth eating. Heading out to Staten Island can be a drag for some, but this pizza is one more reason to head over.

Goodfellas Pizzeria is located 1718 Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island
Phone: (718) 987-2422
Delivery, Take-out, Eat-in
Cost of Pie: Individual ($7.50)     Square ($12.50)      Large: (14.99)
Dept. of Health Grade: A

Honorable Mention: Sally Pizza