The comments I made relate to people comparing Deep-dish Style Pizza to thin crust or Brink oven style. Brian, you say you are a pizza lover, so I would expect more from you. There is nothing wrong with preferring one style of pizza over another, but your comments does not offer a reader information about the quality of John's Pizza, only that it doesn't compare to deep dish, which is obvious.<BR>

LOL NYCER:<BR>Actually any of the the &quot;Ray's&quot; are fine for the NYC pizza experience.

Anthony: The following is a comment you made which is what Brian and I were referring to.<BR><BR>&quot;Besides, Deep Dish style is NOT authentic Pizza; you will not find Deep Dish Anywhere in Italy.&quot;<BR><BR>What does that have to do with anything? 1) 99% of us know deep dish is not native to Italy; and 2) it has nothing to do with where to get the best pizza in NYC.

Actually - the Ray's are absolutely horrible - go for the hole in the wall places some have mentioned. Little Italy as someone mentioned is good - as are several pizza joints along 2nd ave btwn 42nd - 60th-ish by the bars (great drunk food!).

Sorry I have no idea what the place is called. When I stay in NYC I often stroll by a slice place and just give it a try. Last time I stayed at 45th and 5th and somewhere in a four block radius had some incredible pizza. I love that thin crispy crust! And you don't feel as &quot;stuffed&quot; as you do after a chicago pizza. I think RAYs is okay but kind of the McDonalds of NYC pizza--they are everywhere. Try any whole in the wall. Its cheap. Try several. I have had John's (the church one) it is decent, but too much like the California pizza I can have anytime.

Somebody, please tell what is so special / different with NY pizza compared to pizza in other parts of the country. Just curious.

It has a rather thick, leaden crust. Sometime almost chewy. Not a deep dish or stuffed, and not a crispy paper thin crust. The tomato sauce usually tastes like tomato paste is dependent upon the toppings.

For pies (not by the slice), John's on 44th and the other John's down on Bleecker St (the original) are excellent. Also Patsy's Pizzeria(various locations, also have great salads and good pasta) is very good and Locmbardi's on Spring St, also Arturo''s on Houston St. The best slice, Joe's Pizzeria on Carmine and Bleecker (a few doors apart), get the slice with fresh mozzarella. There is an article on pizza in todays NY Times (www.nytimes.com). For small individual sized brick oven pizza's, Cafe Picasso in the W. Village, I Coppi in the E. Village and Gigino's in Tribeca. I'm sure there are many more beside these, but these are good ones.

Mary, <BR>What makes a good pizza is good ingredients, fresh tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. Generally a good crust is thin and crisp, usually cooked in a brick oven. There is lots of lousy pizza all over NYC, but the good places really stand out.

Lombardi's is pretty good. Great atmosphere. It's somewhere Sohoish. Look it up on citysearch.com