BEST PIZZA IN BKLYN?

OK, after seeing many pizza/food posts and most recently http://brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=31669

Here's new thread (no poll pitu!) on the best pizza in Brooklyn.

Let's do this by NEIGHBORHOOD, so that others can do some walkin' and grab a slice/pie from another area

I'll start with my neck-o-the-woods next...

Subject: Greenwood Hts/South Slope (15th St. to 25th St.)

1. Lenny's Pizza
Our fav is Lenny's on 5th Ave. and Prospect. Great crust, picante sauce. Would prefer fresh mushrooms over canned, but you gotta adapt!

2. Luigi's Pizza
21St and 5th Ave. Thinest crust around, but SO SALTY!!!

3. Friend's Pizza
Typical Bklyn hybrid. Consistently good if you like a sloppier crust, but good toppings.

4. Joe's pizza (several locations ?)
Same as above, and they deliver till 1AM.

But, Lenny's is the way to go!

Any others from my area?

Subject: Re: Greenwood Hts/South Slope (15th St. to 25th St.)

lostingreenwoodhts wrote:

Any others from my area?

i'm a fan of Laura's on prospect ave. and they've got fast delivery

i'm not a fan of Anthony's. don't get me wrong -- i enjoy the salads and entrees there, and i find the folks there to be really nice when i dine in. but i don't like the pizza. it's got too much garlic. so then i thought "ah-ha! i'll ask for no garlic". then it had no taste.

Subject: Re: Greenwood Hts/South Slope (15th St. to 25th St.)

shishkab wrote:
i'm a fan of Laura's on prospect ave. and they've got fast delivery

I kinda get they are a sit-down place. Have met the owner several times at Vespa Salon on 7th, but have yet to go. I will say the Italian owner of Vespa, Sergio (who is VERY picky) orders regularly from the place. Just a thought.

I'll comment once we have eaten there

I passed Lenny's 2 weeks ago and the were closed for renovations. Not sure if they opened again yet.

I am a big fan of Joe's on 5th Ave. near 12th Street.

What's the deal with Park Slope's Smiling Pizza on 7th Avenue and 9th Street? I would check it out if I weren't busy inhaling slices from Joe's Pizza at 37 7th Avenue in Park Slope.

The best slice I've ever had was from some no name place on 30th Avenue in Queens.

DiFara's. Game over.

For the Midwood/Flatbush area, I also always liked Napoli, on Nostrand between Avenue I and Campus Rd.

Sal's in Carol Gardens also makes a nice slice.

There's been a lot of backlash against Grimaldi's (fka Patsy's) lately, but I still think they make some good pizza.

Subject: name your 'nabe

NAME YOUR POSTS!

By 'nabe. Please go back and edit.

That way we can edit the best in each 'nabe.

BTW, Lenny's is doing fine

raw wrote: What's the deal with Park Slope's Smiling Pizza on 7th Avenue and 9th Street? I would check it out if I weren't busy inhaling slices from Joe's Pizza at 37 7th Avenue in Park Slope.

don't bother. stick with joe's.

or walk over to second st and seventh to two boots--definitely the best in the park slope area. thin, wood-fired crust with a little crispy cornmeal on the bottom, slightly picante sauce, tremendous array of toppings: fresh mozz, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, fresh or sun-dried, crawfish!

but the crowning achievement is that unlike other pizza places in the area, it has bass on tap.

Carnivore wrote: DiFara's. Game over.

i've heard a lot about difara's. where is it?

Smokin' Joe wrote: [quote=Carnivore]DiFara's. Game over.

i've heard a lot about difara's. where is it?
Avenue J off 15th St. Just take the Q to Avenue J and it's about a block away.

Subject: park slope

In Park Slope: Two Boots, hands down. Thin, cornmeal-crunchy crust, spicy sauce, and great toppings like goat cheese, artichokes, eggplant, garlic. Yum.

Two Boots isn't bad for what it is. But what it is isn't pizza.

Oh really. And what is your definition of pizza?

Hint: It doesn't involve cajun spices or gimmicky toppings.

DiFara'a is in a class of iwith Totonnos and maybe Grimaldis on a good day. Nothing else touches them. There's no comparing what you get at Smiling, let alone Joes on 5th (they were awful when they first opened and I hope they have improved) and certainly not Two Boots. All of these may be good eating, but it's like comparing filet mignon and hamburger.

The newer Brick Ovens like Frannys are interesting too, just not in the same class as the big 3 which combine top quality ingredients, experience, artistry, and perhaps a pinch of magic.

Carnivore wrote: Hint: It doesn't involve cajun spices or gimmicky toppings.

I'm not a big fan of rules when it comes to food so I'm not going to get into a discussion about What Are The Acceptable Spices And Toppings That May Be Used On A Pizza. All I have to say is, Two Boots is my favorite. Over and out.

laura wrote: [quote=Carnivore]Hint: It doesn't involve cajun spices or gimmicky toppings.

I'm not a big fan of rules when it comes to food so I'm not going to get into a discussion about What Are The Acceptable Spices And Toppings That May Be Used On A Pizza. All I have to say is, Two Boots is my favorite. Over and out.
I never said it wasn't tasty. I just said it wasn't real pizza and should be considered separately.
Official Italian criteria for real pizza

"These norms protect one of the most ancient and most important gastronomic traditions," said Antonio Pace, owner of one of Naples' oldest pizza restaurants and the president of a pizza-makers' association.

"We don't want the others not to make pizza, only we want them to make it as we make it — as it should be done," he said Wednesday.

oh please carnivore. no need for anti-eclectic snobbery here. if you want a classic style pizza with traditional ingredients, a two boots pizza with fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil is as good as any anywhere. the crust doesn't have the slightly charred, bubbled delicateness of grimaldi's, but the cornmeal crispness has its own appeal and the toppings beat grimaldi's, whether you go traditional tomato and cheese or violate your religious beliefs and opt for artichoke and sun-dried tomato which, while admittedly yuppie, is pretty fabulous.

Their sauce is just plain wrong. And pizza is not supposed to taste like cornmeal.

Don't get me wrong- I eat at or order from Two Boots from time to time. But their "pizza" is as much a pizza as a lamejun ("Turkish pizza") is a pizza. It's tasty. It's just something other than pizza.

plus: bass on tap.

they don't have that in naples. they can keep their rules and their cheap chianti. pizza had to immigrate to america to meet its soulmate, beer.

Your "real" pizza diatribe again, eh? Gimme a break. If we play by these "rules," I doubt that anything in the city qualifies as pizza. I can guarantee you that the ovens at neither Grimaldi's nor DiFara's reaches 905 degrees. And nothing over 14" is pizza? No thicker than .1" in the center? Only 3 combinations of approved toppings? As the Click and Clack would say, "Boh-ou-oh-ou-oh-GUS!" I gots much love for ya, Carny, but you can keep your ruler, micrometer and thermometer - I'm gonna go have PIZZA with my peeps.

Smokin' Joe wrote: pizza had to immigrate to america to meet its soulmate, beer.

lolllll! i love it.

Carnivore wrote:
I never said it wasn't tasty. I just said it wasn't real pizza and should be considered separately.
Official Italian criteria for real pizza

If this is the criteria the only place I know of that holds a pizza license from the city of Naples is La Pizza Fresca in the city on 20th St between Broadway and Park

http://www.lapizzafrescaristorante.com


But I do agree I like what Two Boots does but it ain't pizza

Smiling is terrible - in my opinion, of course.

I hear Franny's is great - I'm going there on Saturday.

Subject: Park Slope

I went to Two Boots a few years back. Hands down, some of the worst pizza I've ever had. Soggy, too many toppings (to me, the sign of a bad pizza), and a dirty restaurant.

Best pizza in Park Slope:

1. Franny's: ok, it's across Flatbush, but still better than anything in the Slope. Delicious, thin crust, simple toppings.

2. La Villa: everyone loves to hate this place, but I still think their pizza is the ultimate comfort food.

3. Anthony's: another great pizza place, but I've only been there once and service was abit lacking

4. Roma: a fantastic, simple, cheap Grandma pizza. The best "regular" pizza place in the slope.

5. Pepperoncino: not bad, but not great

Best in Brooklyn, and therefore the U.S.: DiFara

In Park Slope: La Villa (no slices) and Pizza by the Park stand out. Haven't had Franny's or the place in South Slope on 7th Ave. Smiling is a totally average NYC pizza joint, neither especially good or bad. I think Two Boots is good but inconsistent--I've had over and undercooked pies there too often.

linusvanpelt wrote: Best in Brooklyn, and therefore the U.S...

Blasphemy. I'll argue that until the day I die.

I'm not sure how/why Brooklyn became synonymous with the "best" pizza. I've had nothing but sub-par to good-but-far-from-earth-shattering pies since moving here.

Carnivore wrote: Two Boots isn't bad for what it is. But what it is isn't pizza.

Agreed. Although I think DiFara's is over rated as well. Smiling used to be great, the same with Lenny's, hopefully they'll get back to their old way of doing slices after they renovate. There is a pizza place in Windsor Terrace whose name escapes me that is pretty good. It's around E.5th and Ft Hamilton. They also make good ziti.

BrookFetish wrote: [quote=linusvanpelt]Best in Brooklyn, and therefore the U.S...

Blasphemy. I'll argue that until the day I die.

I'm not sure how/why Brooklyn became synonymous with the "best" pizza. I've had nothing but sub-par to good-but-far-from-earth-shattering pies since moving here.

I was pretty suprised and disappointed with the quality of pizza here as well. I couldn't believe that I could get better pizza on a regular basis on Long Island.

BrookFetish wrote: [quote=linusvanpelt]Best in Brooklyn, and therefore the U.S...

Blasphemy. I'll argue that until the day I die.

I'm not sure how/why Brooklyn became synonymous with the "best" pizza. I've had nothing but sub-par to good-but-far-from-earth-shattering pies since moving here.

Quite honestly I find sub par all over the states. I've had it in Chicago, Milwaukee, Vegas, Reno, Seattle, New Orleans, it comes down to the same cheese and sauce with slight variations. Heaven help me I miss the old public school pizza I got when I was a kid. They'd plop sloppy joes on a thick stale square crust and top it with tomato sauce and cheese. Other than that I was a devoted Antonio's fan.