anamaria

I know everyone saw my earlier thread. We are all going to NYC,DC and Boston in December. I have also looked at earlier threads and found these listed by you guys on Fodors.
Ray's pizza on prince near mott st.
Johns on Bleeker street
Grimaldi's in Brooklyn
Patsy's on upper east side
John's?
Lombardi's
Mario Batali's Otto
Nick's
Giorgio's Any more?? Please help.
This is what has been listed as best pizza places, but is it thin?

ellabella

I went to Grimaldi's on my last NYC visit, and the crust was thin, but not crispy how I like it. In my opinion, there is probably a better place. My friend who lives in NYC says John's is her favorite.

MFNYC

FOr a paper thing crust try Gonzo's. It's grilled pizza with very fesh toppings.

I have tried Lombardi's a caouple of times, once recently and have been disappointed. Grimaldi's is very good, and I've always been a fan of John's (but haven't been there in a while). The best pizza by the slice is Joe's on Carmine, near Bleecker. I haven't had the others.

anamaria

MFNYC...Gonzo's sounds just great. Were going!It sounds like we will have to try John's also.On Fodors I have only heard great reviews about Johns.

Dohlice

Grimaldi's is lousy. John's on Bleecker is great. The best pizza is in Brooklyn : )

doug_stallings

My vote is also for John's on Bleecker, both for the quality of the pizza and the location. For goodness sake, skip anything named "Ray's" which has awful pizza by the slice.

mclaurie

If you're into pizza, consider the pizza tour (of Brooklyn). I hear it's terrific. It also allows you to have slices at places that normally only sell pies.
http://bknypizza.com/

bill_boy

I agree with Doug - "Ray's" and "good pizza" shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath at all.

bill_boy

By the way, if you are on a serious quest for the BEST pizza in NYC (and possibly in the whole of US), then make a trek to Avenue J in Brooklyn for Di Fara's pizza.

Dominick Di Fara, God bless him, makes the best in the metro NY area, while everything else are going for the second best slot.

mclaurie

Actually, I thought the tour I was recommending included Di Fara's but it looks like it doesn't. Here's one that includes all the famous Brooklyn pizzerias
http://www.nylikeanative.com/generic28.html;$sessionid$0WAXNPAAAASZXTZENUFJPQWP ERWRJPX0

joan

We loved John's, we tasted a slice on our Greenwich Village Food Tour.

PS: Don't make the mistake my group did at Grimaldi's, and order too many toppings! Less is better, so as not to load down that heavenly thin crust.

anamaria

mclaurie...I think my family will love the tour. We have never done something like that.
And thanks Doug, I was nervous about trying to find a place called Ray's.There are probably 1,000 Rays in NYC.
On a thread posted awhile ago there is mention of Di Fara's in Brooklyn. Maybe we will just do a day of pizza in Brooklyn.

Dohlice

None of the best pizza places in Brooklyn only sell by the pie. I looked at that site and they list Grimaldi's (blech) and L&B. L&B definitely sells by the slice and they are really good. That tour sounds like BS to me. And I thought I was the only one here who knows where Avenue J is!

Gekko

I'm a pizza fanatic and have tried them all, many times. The best:

1. Otto / Lombardi's (tie)
3. Nick's (Upper East Side)
4. Grimaldi's
5. Giorgio's (at least 2 locations, Union Square, E. 60's.)

Patsy's, on 2nd Avenue, doesn't feature the quality ingredients that the others do, nor does John's, which I also find too greasy.

anamaria

Gekko, Thank you....I am assembling a list of Pizza places together for our trip. I am also putting together a list of places for Xmas eve dinner. I have looked back on other threads for ideas of where to eat Xmas eve dinner. I have gotten so much information from all of the NYC Fodorites already and am so grateful!
I saw mixed reviews on Lombardi's and what do you think about Gonzo's?

Gekko

Mixed reviews of Lombardi's?!? That is insane. Maybe from some deep dish moron?

Lombardi's is incredible, with the most amazing toppings ... the pepperoni is so tasty ...

I've never heard of Gonzo's.

anamaria

Gekko, I have heard of great reviews from other threads on Lombardi's. Gonzo's is a place where they serve thin crust pizza(MFNYC) grilled I think. It has good reviews. What is your fav pizza at Lombardi's.We are also Pizza fanatics and crave that perfect pizza when we get OUT of California.California (southern) just doesn't have that perfect pizza.

MFNYC

I can't say that I'm an expert, but I grew up with homemade pizza. My grandparents (1 born in Italy, the other born in Little Italy) owned a bar/piiza joint in ozone park, queens, and my dad grew up making pizza there after school.

It's been almost 30 yrs since I've had my Dad's pie, but I crave it, especially the crust. I make my own, but it's just not the same.

On repeated tries, I have found Lombardi's falls short. The crust is soggy. It doesn't matter what the quality of the toppings are, if the crust isn't right, the pizza falls short.

Even my son (15), who never had my Dad's pie, was diappointed with Lombardi's. He loves Joe's slice, and really liked Gramaldi's.

Gonzo is nothing like my father's pizza, but it's great in any case. It's like no other pizza I've ever had.

Gekko

I find that if any thin crust pizza is loaded with liquid-laden vegetables, a whole pie (which sits waiting to be eaten) can become soggy and the crust not so crisp.

I've experienced this at just about every pizza place in the city, which is why I avoid watery toppings unless I'm simply ordering a slice.


(On really crowded weekend days, I've noted that Grimaldi's can undercook a pie, but I've never experienced this at Lombardi's.)

anamaria

Thanks Gekko and MFNYC, you guys are just plain lucky that you have all of these pizza places to even argue about! I have to fly all the way to NYC to get the BEST pizza! I am so jealous that on a everyday basis you can just out of the blue say"Where to go today,Grimaldi's or Lombardi's or Nick's or maybe John's,!!!Not fair!!!