Food and Things » Pizza

Upper West Side: Two Boots Pizza Plans Soft Opening Next Week at New Broadway and 96th Street Location

Laura Weiss — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:53:59 +0000

Two Boots Pizza is opening soon on Broadway between 95th and 96th streets. Photo: Laura B. Weiss

Food and Things has learned that Two Boots Pizza, which is erecting a storefront on Broadway between 95th and 96th Street, is planning a soft opening for next week. The official open is slated for some time in August, according to a company spokesperson. Two Boots already sells its well regarded slices in midtown and in the East and West Village.

As is the case with other Two Boots locations, there will be a special slice designed just for the neighborhood.

Pizza topped with lox and cream cheese anyone?

Meanwhile, I’m sure those construction workers toiling away on the never-to-be-finished 96th Street subway station will flock to the new pizza palace in droves.

Upper West Side: Pinch & S’Mac, the Pizzza and Mac ‘n Cheese Combo Closes.

Laura Weiss — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:27:27 +0000

Pinch & S’Mac, the pairing of former East Side pizza restaurant Pinch, and East Village macaroni and cheese eatery S’mac, has closed its doors to make way for an Italian restaurant called Grandma’s. The Italian eatery is slated to replace Pinch & S’Mac at the Columbus Ave. space located between 82nd and 83rd St., reports the Westside Independent. Read more here.

Upper West Side: Sal & Carmine Shuttered by Health Department

Laura Weiss — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:06:14 +0000

Sal and Carmine pizza joint closed for health violations. Photo: Laura B. Weiss

The Westside Independent reports that neighborhood pizza mainstay, Sal & Carmine on Broadway located between 101st and 102nd streets, has been shut down by the city’s health department. Last summer, Sal, one of the longtime pizza makers, died suddenly last summer, saddening fans of the neighborhood slice stalwart.

The reason for the health department clampdown?

According to the Westside Independent:

The most recent health department inspection from February says the restaurant had evidence of mice, or live mice, and that the toilet facility was not properly maintained, among other violations. We are assuming there was a subsequent health department inspection that didn’t go so well.

Sal & Carmine Pizza
2671 Broadway (between 101st and 102nd)
212 663 7651

Pizza Find: Long Island Pie is Tops

Laura Weiss — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:25:19 +0000

It’s possible to stumble on great pizza in the most unexpected places. Take Mattituck on Long Island’s North Fork where we lucked into The Sicilian and its outstanding pies.

Mattituck is situated in the middle of Long Island’s North Fork. Abundant vineyards? Check. Farmstands brimming with fresh-pick produce? Check. The shimmering waters of the Peconic? Check.

But great pizza?

With its substantial population of Italian Americans, Long Island is prime pizza territory. But the pizza at The Sicilian, a bare bones parlor in an unassuming strip mall, is nothing short of terrific.

Driving back to the city, we stopped at the somewhat dingy pizzeria because it seemed like the only place around to grab a bite to eat. Once inside, we realized we had discovered a hidden gem.

The pizza maker, who barely speaks English, told us he hails from Palermo, Sicily and has been making pies for 41 years. On the wall, toward the back of the place, are vintage black and white photos of the old country, featuring the pizza maker with friends and family.

Authentic? No doubt.

There was a tomato, onion, basil and mozzarella pie in the oven, so we ordered slices, figuring it would be fresh. One bite and we knew we had struck pizza pay dirt. The crust was crispy, the toppings, which included fresh-picked local tomatoes and basil, were impeccably fresh.

“They’re from his garden,” one of the countermen said, pointing to the pizza maker who was shoving another pie in the oven.

I can’t vouch for the pies lined up on the warming tray. “They’ve been sitting here 45 minutes,” the counterman said, shrugging when I asked him if they were as good as the heavenly pizza we had just wolfed down.

So if you’re on the North Fork for the weekend, stop by The Sicilian, where you can also order pasta, heroes, and other standard Italian-American fare.

The Sicilian
55 Route 48 (North Road)
Mattituck, NY 11952
631 298 1947

Pizza: Keste in the Village for Neopolitan Pizza

Laura Weiss — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:32:17 +0000

“How do you like the pizza?” asked the hot Italian guy sitting next to me after we had devoured our luscious pie at Keste, the Neopolitan pizza joint in the Village. When I told

Photo: By roboppy via flickr.

him I thought the topping was delicious, but objected to the soggy crust, he explained that Keste’s crust is prepared just the way they do it in Naples.

“We love this place,” he said as he and his girlfriend tucked into a classic Margherita pie.

Keste’s pizza, it’s true, is very different from the classic NY pie, like the one, for example, dished up at Sal and Carmines on the Upper West Side. There is the crust issue. But if you can get used to that, Keste’s toppings are divine, at least on the one pizza we tried. We ordered Salsiccia E Friarielli, a pie made with Italian sausages, Italian rapini, imported smoked mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil. Rich and incredibly savory, this was some of the best pizza toppings I’ve ever tasted.

Photo: By roboppy via flickr.

Authenticity is what Keste is all about. The cramped pizzeria is overseen by Rosaio Procino and his partner Roberto Caporuscio. The latter is the president of the APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) whose mission, says Keste’s web site, is “to protect and preserve the Neapolitan pizza tradition and promote the art of pizza making.” To learn more about what goes into a Neopolitan pizza, read Slice’s post on pizza making at Keste.

If you go to Keste while the weather is still summery, wear the coolest clothes you own. The night we were there, the small dining room was as hot as the blazing pizza oven. If there was AC, it was hard to tell. (Also, on a steamy night, avoid the restroom which is next to the tiny kitchen; sweat was dripping off my face by the time I got back to my table.)

Be prepared for a mob if you go any later than 6:30. Still, Keste turns over the tables quickly, and once inside, the service is quick and courteous.

Prices range from $9 to $18 for a pie. There’s also a few salads and dessert if you still have room after finishing off your satisfying and filling pizza.

Keste Pizzeria

271 Bleecker St.

New York, NY

HOURS :

MONDAY – THURSDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 5PM to 11PM

FRIDAY – SATURDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 5PM to 11PM

SUNDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 3:30 to 10PM

Pizza Man: A Sad Night at Sal and Carmine’s

Laura Weiss — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:20:05 +0000

Last night, we walked up to Sal and Carmine’s to get a pizza.The gloomy weather matched Carmine’s mood. It was so sad to see the legendary pizza man, minus longtime partner Sal, standing all by himself in his pizza joint, gazing mournfully out the shop’s window fronting Broadway.

Asked about the circumstances surrounding Sal’s death in May, Carmine said, “the painkillers killed him.” According to Carmine, Sal went to the ER seeking relief from a bout of severe back pain. He was given pain medication. Soon, his kidneys shut down. Then, “he had a heart attack,” Carmine said, his voice registering barely above a whisper.

We walked home with our pizza, our mood’s dampened from this impromptu condolence call.

Sal and Carmine’s
2671 Broadway
New York, NY
212 663 7651
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Sal the Pizza Maker of Sal and Carmine’s Dies

Laura Weiss — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:08:18 +0000

Ed Levine of Serious Eats writes a loving tribute to pizza maker Sal Malanga, who died recently. As Levine points out, Sal was one of New York’s great pizza men.

Sal’s legacy will live on, says Levine:

I hailed a cab to take my pizza home. My son, Will, was watching the Mets-Yankees game. We each put a slice on a plate and took a bite. ‘This is such good pizza,’ Will said. I had to agree. So satisfying, so seriously delicious, and so Sal. Sal would have been proud.

Luciano (Sal’s grandson), along with Carmine, are doing everything Sal’s way, the right way, the only way.

And a charming reminiscence from the very talented playwright, Charlie Schulman:

Very sad news. Sal and Carmine’s was a staple of my diet for over ten years when I lived a block away from their place and was a young, starving writer. (Now I’m middle-aged and still hungry) Sometimes I would wait for Sal to open up the store at lunchtime. Or get the last slice of the night. They only made pizza. Sporadic delivery. A true “brother… Read More and brother” shop. Carmine was the “character” of the two. Sal took care of the business side. This was REAL, no frills, no foo-foo gourmet, New York pizza. Despite rising rents, they refused to buy lesser quality Mozzarella. Sometimes Carmine would hide the oregano and napkins to to save $. By far the best real pizza on the upper west side. For a long time above 96 street was a “no man’s land” that wasn’t even considered part of the Upper West Side. I rank it up there with Mimi’s Pizza on the Upper East Side. Another family pizza place that has been inherited and now run by Mimi’s son Steve. Long live “Sal And Carmines!”

Sal and Carmine’s

Broadway at 101st Street

New York, NY

Is the New York Pizza Slice Dead? Find a Fine One at Penn Station

Laura Weiss — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:12:37 +0000

Is the classic New York pizza slice being pushed aside by gourmet pies? That’s what Newsweek reports in a recent article. New York Magazine disagrees, and so do I.

As proof, I give you the humble slice that can be had from Rose’s Pizza, a narrow, bustling joint located along the cavernous Long Island Railroad concourse deep in the bowels of Penn Station. No, don’t stop at Domino’s Pizza. Keep going past K-Mart until you’ve almost reached the A train entrance. Rose’s is on the right.

At rush hour, this very basic pizza pit stop is mobbed. For a few bucks, you get a nice slice sporting a crisp crust that’s topped with a buttery and slightly tangy combo of cheese and sauce.

On a recent Friday, while I was waiting for my train to Greenport on the east end of Long Island, I joined the line at the counter. Genteel it isn’t. There are lots of loud-mouthed commuters who think nothing of pushing ahead of you in line.

So grab a beer, chill out and order the plain slice. There are also versions topped with all manner of veggies and meats. But for me, a New York slice is best eaten unadorned, just like the pizza gods meant it to be.

Tell me about your favorite slice joints!

Related

The Bronx: Arthur Avenue Pizza

Midtown and Murray Hill: Pizza and Sandwiches

Penn Station: Make Tracks to Tracks Raw Bar & Grill

NJ and NY: Great Pizza and Lox and Eggs

Laura Weiss — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:27:42 +0000

Who would think that two iconic New York dishes–pizza and lox and eggs–would be made better in New Jersey?

The Times today recounts how the owners of Ray’s Real Pizza migrated to the Garden State to set up shop. They were a mainstay in West Midtown, serving ordinary diners and celebrities alike. All who tasted this pie sang its praises.

Then the rent went up. So the brothers Russo, Joe and Marco, decamped to Hazlet, NJ, a hamlet right off the Garden State Parkway and a short drive from Jersey Shore communities like Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright.

It sounds like the quality of this pizza may justify a special trip to our fair neighbor across the Hudson.

Best Lox and Eggs

Meanwhile, skip Barney Greengrass and head straight for the West Avenue Grill in Jenkintown, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Full disclosure: the place is owned by my husband’s cousins.

Still, even without this family connection, I’ll be back for the exceptional lox and eggs. Unlike many attempts at this dish which render it dry and tasteless, the West Avenue Grill’s lox and eggs are rich and full of flavor. Together with a serving of fruit and a bagle, it becomes a magnificent brunch.

West Avenue Grill also serves a full menu of sandwiches, salads and egg dishes. Nothing on the lunch menu is more than $10. Dinner is also served.

Ray’s Real Pizza

Rte 35

Hazelet, NJ

(732) 203-1600

West Avenue Grill

718 West Ave.

Jenkintown, PA