DJ Bubbles's Profile
The Ten Most Recent Posts By DJ Bubbles
From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, April 7, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Artichoke, man. What can be said about this place that hasn't already been argued about on Slice and a slew of other websites in recent weeks? I have been to the joint three different times—twice last weekend after word first broke on Slice and Chowhound and once this past Friday night—and I'm here to say that their pizza has already improved.
I had a chat with Francis Basille, one of the owners who grew up making pies at Basille's in Staten Island and asked him about Eric Miller (doesn't know him from Adam—not Kuban, the proverbial Adam!), the ingredients he uses, and the opening of his restaurant in the pizza-saturated East Village.
Now I'm gonna have a chat with you guys about why Artichoke's reception has been so incendiary—there have certainly been differences in opinion and we'll see if we can get to the bottom of this once and for all. I want to hear from those of you who've tried the joint when it first opened and went back in recent days to see if anyone agrees with my contention that Artichoke's plain slice is better now than it was when they opened.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, March 18, 2008 at 12:30 PM
The sixth slice is as good as the first. Yes, I just said 'sixth.'
I would like to piggyback off of the Real Slim Shady's recent comments on America's Favorite Pizza Weblog and take it one step further with respect to his top two NYC pizzerias. I recently visited both Di Fara and Patsy's within 24 hours of each other, and my memories of both are still fresh in my mind.
When Patsy's of East Harlem is "on," as AK likes to say, they are not only number one in New York, there is some serious distance between them and Di Fara, and I'll tell you why: balance. I may sound like a broken record to some of you, but let's lay it down, and if the comments pour in disagreeing with me, then so be it.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, March 11, 2008 at 8:00 AM
"I don't get why Vezzo is so popular just like I don't get why some people spend their Saturday nights at one of those souped-up frat houses on Third Avenue."
Every neighborhood in Manhattan has its pros and cons. It's probably true that a lot of West Villagers would say they have nothing to complain about. But, then again, they still have to deal with the fact that Bleecker Street Pizza sits on Seventh Avenue South. Snap! You could argue that some 'hoods have more pros than cons when matching one up against another, but I guess there's an upside and downside to living anywhere in the city. I mean, take my 'hood, Murray Hill, for instance. You could certainly say the place is a toolbox, given the type of crowd that frequents the Third Avenue watering holes. But, its residents also have the benefit of three strong pizza delivery places (Totonno's, Pizza 33, and Libretto's) that allows me to see past some of Murray Hill's shortcomings.
So why am I getting greedy and trying to find a fourth? Why did I insist on trying Vezzo a third time this past weekend, knowing that I had been disappointed on my first two orders? Is it the consistently strong crowds it draws, making me wonder if I've missed something? Is it the flack I took after my first post on Vezzo was critical of the place? Should I feel bad about that (I'll answer that one now—F NO!)? Was it the promising crisp crust that maybe just needed to be topped with higher quality ingredients? These are all viable questions, but here's the most important inquiry: Is Vezzo back in BUBBLE TROUBLE? Let's find out.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, February 27, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Pizza Box: A new top-5 Manhattan slice contender? Find out below »
It's all good in the hood. I am happy to report that the state of the slice below 14th Street in Manhattan could be much worse. I know I haven't hollered at you in a minute, but I've been around town, and I'm about to break it down.
In recent weeks, I've traversed all three Villages, SoHo, and several other sub-14 neighborhoods—stopping at joints that haven't been hit by a DJB Drive By and checking in at some of my familiar spots. I've hit up Vinny Vincenz on two different occasions, took Una Pizza to school on a Sunday night, and housed random slices at random joints. Should I ease off the pie pedal to appease my Doc and go for the six pack? No, it's not gonna go down like that—I'm keeping it real and charging it back to the pie game! Here's a breakdown of some of the highlights (and disappointments) of my recent jaunts.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, January 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM
A New Year always brings about the opportunity for renewed optimism and reconciliation. It's a time to set new goals and get your priorities in order. As I was walking down Second Avenue, I decided I had two New Year's resolutions: I wanted to be healthier in 2008, and I wanted to try the remaining pizza joints in Manhattan that I hadn't already hit. I know, I'm kinda setting myself up to fail the first resolution if I am successful with the second. At any rate, it was with that spirit that I decided to grant a temporary Bubble amnesty to the Abitino's on 39th and Second Avenue, despite its recent transgressions.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, January 3, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Isabella's Oven, 365 Grand Street, New York NY 10002 (near Essex Street; map); 212-529-5206
It's been a while since the Bubbster has had much to say about anything on this fair weblog. I've been astray for some time now, but I've found my way home. Although, I must say, it doesn't feel much like home in recent weeks. Isabella's Oven causing such an uproar on the site because of a recent dip in quality certainly isn't music to my ears. And who wants to respond to comments in CAPS from Jeff B when he suggests that Two Boots is on point. Isabella's on its worst day would take Two Boots to special ed. That's almost as bad as Prairie condemning Pizza 33 without trying it but instead passing judgment based on a picture of its Margherita on Flickr. Say what you will about 33, but just say it after you've tried it!
The last time I was at Isabella's, Luigi was there, too. I had brought a friend to share in the magic, and Luigi didn't disappoint—he never did. It pains me to think that the joint is now among the chain Patsy's of this city. Isabella's was much more than that. I feel like I'm writing an obituary right now, but let's not get carried away—Isabella's management may take notice and set things straight.
Alright, enough of the hijinx. Sliceheads, just because I've been incommunicado of late does not mean I haven't been pounding the pavement (and the Zantac, for that matter) making sure that I'm staying on top of all things NY-PIE!
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, September 27, 2007 at 5:45 PM
Or, 'A Plain Slice Review of Pizza 33, Mike's Pizza, Andiamo Pizzeria, Pizzanini, Ben's Pizzeria, and DeMarco's'
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This past Sunday, like so many of mine, was all about the pie. I started with a noon jaunt down to Luzzo's to reconfirm my love for the Naples-born Margherita DOC. However, as I was coming from uptown, I stumbled first upon good ol' Vinny Vincenz, as it's only one block north of Luzzo's on First Avenue. I had to at least stop in and grab one of Vin's excellent Sicilian slices, just to use it as a base case! Besides, Vinny has always been a friend of Slice's, and they even have E-Rock's classic review of the joint taped to their window—if other pie joints could only be so savvy! Of course, if I were Vezzo or L'Asso, I don't know if that would be such a good idea.
Anyway, Luzzo's was terrific (although you have to order their Margheritas with extra mozz, since they're awfully stingy with that), and Vincenzo was on point, Sicilian-style, and I went home satisfied. As a quick aside, I will say that Luzzo's crust is on par with Isabella's (on a good night, of course). The best indication that Luzzo's is on point has to be that it sits a half block from Una Pizza Napoletana and still draws comparable crowds on Friday nights.
At dinner time, I realized I hadn't been on a slice walk in some time. A slice walk is a pilgrimage to pie that I make every so often, typically on Sunday nights, where I have dinner by means of trying 3 or 4 slices from different Manhattan pizzerias. A slice walk is how I've tried, by my own modest estimate, approximately 200-plus pizzerias in Manhattan alone. These walks will never be all inclusive—I'm not eating pizza from a "deli" where I can also buy Rolos, and I'll never buy a slice from a joint after walking in and looking down at a monstrosity of a slice pie (trust me, you can tell when a slice is gonna be downright bad after going on enough of these, or so I thought).
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, September 10, 2007 at 5:00 PM
Vezzo
Address: 178 Lexington Avenue, New York NY
Phone: 212-839-8300
The draw: Strong word-of-mouth recommendations to the DJ, "Thin Crust Pizza," two sister pizzerias (Gruppo and Posto) that are also doing very well, a brick-oven, cash only (often indicative of high quality, e.g., Patsy's of East Harlem, Una Pizza Napoletana), and an exceptional Zagat rating for Gruppo (26 for quality—Vezzo makes the same pie, trust me).
The facts: Wow, it's Sunday night and it's been a busy weekend. Kinda want to just stay on the couch, maybe order in. A dinner jaunt doesn't sound good right now, not even for a pie. I know, pretty pathetic. I had been seeing some big crowds while walking past Vezzo lately and I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And, although you know that I don't like to rate a joint's delivery pie, in this instance, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. A trip to Vezzo for a fresh made pie would not undermine any of the DJ's conclusions contained in this article.
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, August 14, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Ladies and gents, the always opinionated DJ Bubbles has checked in once again. Because I never know when he's going to strike, I'd been unofficially calling his stunning dispatches "drive-bys." Now I'm formalizing it. Here's the DJ Bubbles Drive-By on Isabella's Oven. It's a must-read, so do click through the jump. —Adam
Words by DJ Bubbles | It has been said before that having a great meal can be a transcendent experience. When someone has poured all his soul, energy, and being into something so divine, you can taste it in every bite. It isn't something that happens all that often in these times, but when it does, you don't soon forget it. To say that I had one of these experiences this Saturday may be true—I'm still not sure. How is that possible, you ask? That's a good question, and all I know is it happened on my second trip to Isabella's Oven after a very mediocre first visit. The difference in pie quality was immediately apparent after I had my first slice of an individual Margherita while sitting on Isabella's outdoor patio. However, the questions regarding this newbie's consistency linger, and I have to ask myself—was this past Saturday the beginning of a beautiful friendship or a flash in the pan, mere pizza fool's gold?
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From Slice
Posted by DJ Bubbles, July 30, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Ladies and gents, Slice's favorite drive-by pizza reviewer is back after a long absence. That's right, DJ Bubbles, whose credentials are best explained by the man himself in his message below, has resurfaced with the following email, to which he attached two photos—one presumably of himself and the other, I'm guessing, his dog, who I'm going to christen DJ Doggles. Buon appetito! —The Mgmt.
Attenzione, New Yorkers: Slice is in Bubble Trouble again as New York City's number one player hater is back on attack. The primogenitor of the Definitive NYC Top Ten Pizza List (the most commented-on article in Slice's history) has undertaken many exploratory slice walks throughout New York County in search of the borough's best grandma, or nonna, slice. Rest assured, I found it, and it certainly was not the Levine-endorsed Maffei on 22nd Street and Sixth Avenue nor the bootleg hybrid that is Lazzara's pan pie. No, my new No. 1 nonna hosed both of those knockoffs.
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The Ten Most Recent Comments By DJ Bubbles
Responses to Comments by DJ Bubbles
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Location: NY, NY
About: Devoted to slice science, crust theory, and sauce studies; an all-around sweet dude
Favorite foods: Come on now....other than pizza, let's talk about cadbury eggs, chewy chocolate chip cookies, seared scallops, quesadillas, miso soup, mahn doo, jab chae, good mashed potatoes, cole's garlic bread, red velvet cake
Last bite on earth: Fratelli la Bufala or Ristorante L'Europeo in Napoli - eggplant parm, margherita, red wine, coffee, limoncello or Gaetana's (in W Village) penne alla vodka finished off with Frankie's homemade limoncello