Is there any decent NY style pizza between Ocala and Jacksonville, FL?

We are still looking.

Sorry, we are still looking (Jax) but there seem to be mostly pizza chain restaurants. The couple of small private Italian places that we have tried, don't make anything near a thin crust NY pie. But we will keep trying and will let you know if and when we find one

Don't know if it's considered New York-style or not, but IMO the best pizza in Jacksonville is Al's Pizza. Al's has three locations, one in Atlantic Beach (the original and the best), one in Ponte Vedra and one in the Walmart shopping center at Beach Blvd. and San Pablo.

Meredith, several years ago my husband and I had some excellent pizza on A1A just north of Jax Beach. When I went back a few years ago, I couldn't find it. Would Atlantic Beach be just north of Jax Beach?

There's some pizza in Gainesville that comes close to what I like, but the pizza is a little too thick and dense.

My husband and I drive all over in search of good (we've given up on great) pizza. Al's might be the next stop!

Thank you Postal for asking this question Meredith, we are driving out to the beach tomorrow to find a pizza LOL

If you "drive all over" in search of good pizza, head on down to Tampa. There is a place in downtown called Eddy & Sam's that claims to bring their water in from New York City -- they say they have NY pizza. There is another place called Cesare's on Dale Mabry. Cesare used to have a pizza place across from Yankee Stadium before he packed up and moved to Tampa. He says he serves NY pizza. Linny and Vinny's is a local chain that claims to also have NY style pizza. The question is begged: what is NY pizza? My personal favorite in Tampa is Bella's which is wood-burned thin crust pizza, a la California. But then sometimes I like Sally O-Neals, they make a mean white pizza. And Gourmet Pizza makes a terrific thai chicken pizza with peanut sauce.

Postal, head on down to Tampa so you can tell us which is the best NY pizza

Doesn't Pizza Hut offer the Big New Yorker down there?

Scarlett, enjoy! And when you are done with the pizza, wander through the shops of Atlantic and Neptune Beach. There are some great little boutiques there. And the Book Mark (which is just a few steps from Al's Pizza) is my favorite bookstore in town!

And Postal, yes, Atlantic Beach is just north of Jax Beach. (Well, actually, Neptune Beach is directly north of Jax Beach, and Atlantic Beach is just north of Neptune Beach... But all three towns are within a mile of each other!) Anyhooo, Al's is at the intersection of A1A and Atlantic Blvd.

Meredith, there is a shop in Atlantic Beach called Hibernia, around the corner from the SunDog Diner. He has all this wonderful fabric and pottery from Ireland and to top it off, he has two Standard Poodles So we always try to stop by there when out at the beaches.
We have to go out on Atlantic (my least favorite blvd) when we take our car for work, tires are needed, we can for pizza after

THANKS, Tandoori Girl! I have tried Linny & Vinny's and it was OK but not great. Cesare's sounds like it'll be worth a visit next time we're down that way. Is it on Dale Mabry by the new Yankee spring training stadium? Just wondering if he followed the Yankees down to Tampa!

What is NY pizza? Well, it's NOT the New Yorker from Pizza Hut. The tomato sauce and cheese are important, but for me it's the crust that comes up lacking. Some swear you have to have NYC water (which is carried by aqueducts from the mountains in upstate NY and is very good), so Eddy & Sam's has the right idea.

Also, the dough has to be thrown as it's stretched to allow air in and make those bubbles you see on the edge. The pizza dough here is way too dense and thick. I think the water may actually make the difference.

I guess I'm not doing a great job of describing it - you just know it when you see it and bite into it!

And I'm definitely heading back to the Jax area (I used to be stationed at Mayport) to see if Al's is the place that was so good - maybe I just didn;t go far enough north from Jax Beach!

Postal, I know what you mean..the crust has to have a certain thin-ness, crisp and crunchy on the edge, not too much sauce because it just gets soggy and too many times it tastes of tomato paste and just the right amount of cheese. The Yankee always says, Thin Crust Well done, well well done..and sometimes they do get that part.
If it is the water, then that must be the same reason as bagels not tasting the same?
Good luck, when will you be down here?
The weather is amazing right now

Hey, I was just trying to be glib. Truth is, I am a native New Yorker and I'm very familiar with NY pizza.

I suppose if it was easy to duplicate elsewhere, it wouldn't be special to New York, now would it? Where else can you walk down the street eating a folded up piece of pizza?

Stuck in KC, now.....

I live in Florida, Scarlett. Just moved from Orlando (18 years) to the Gainesville area. Did find a couple of good places in Orlando over the years, and we DO often drive the 90 minutes from Gainesville for that pizza!

Hi Postal!
We just got home from a day spent shopping in Orlando! Wow! what a good shopping town! We spent it all at the Millenium Mall...sigh..I knew it was meant for me when I saw the Big Neiman Marcus sign
It sort of reminded me of Las Vegas LOL the mall, not Orlando

How do you like Gainesville, I hear it is beautiful, rolling hills etc..but alas, no NY style pizza

I must say I'm still not sure what NY pizza is -- but in Gainesville, try 5-Star and Satchell's.

I finally went to Sam & Eddie's in downtown Tampa last week. They claim to import NY water for their pizza dough. It was really great. Get this -- it was better than NY pizza because it wasn't freezing and snowy outside. haha. It was really very good, and I think between it and Cesare's that Tampa has cornered the market on NY style pizza.

Have you tried Frankie's Pizza in Town & Country (Tampa)? It's on Hanley at Woodbridge behind the big Ice Cream Cone (Twisty Treat). It's fantastic and really NY style pizza. The crust is to die for and they cheese they use is the best I've ever eaten. My father-in-law is from Cicily and NY and says Frankie's rocks!!

Hi Precious. Town and Country is a bit north for me but I might just have to make a special trip to try Frankie's! I will also check into delivery from there to S. Tampa. Thanks for the tip.