Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

White Manna should be #1

Lento's lives on at the Canteena at the corner of 80th and 5th in Bay Ridge! I've had it a few times and it's exactly the same. They bought the old Lento's oven.

I took a Village walk-thru yesterday eve(5-6:30pm) and picked up a few slices... I hadn't had pizza or pasta in over a week, so I was gastro-primed for whatever was in store. It was essentially a, "GIVE ME RED SAUCE, OR GIVE ME DEATH..." kind of moment. I was hungry.

My intentions were to go with standard slices; limiting myself to one per joint. But what man's fortitude is strong enough to deny first-cut of a hot virgin pie capped with fresh mozz? Don't strain the grey matter--it's a whole different ball game when she's looking you in the face. Being speechless, I pointed, and $3.25 later, I was out on the sidewalk in front of Joe's. After one good bite, I ventured across to that fine triangular park to bench with my newly found piece of pie'ss.

First stop: Joe's, $3.25. Uber fresh and hot, excellent hand-feel & fold('libretto') great crunch to the crust, good depth with a nice chewy texture. Cheese tasted great, nice and tender, no gummy residue. Sauce tasted ok, a bit bland(akin to canned paste) and overall, was missing something... I do prefer some fresh basil on a this genre of pie. Verdict: A solid slice; better than average.

Second stop: Pizza Box, $3.50(I think). Needed a quick reheat, but did seem freshly made. "Bleeker, we have a problem with the crust!" I would love to maintain a direct writing style here, but we need to be frank about the failure of my crust last night... (Ask your doctor about C.D...) I tried to hold the fold; I really wanted it. I even offered her rest in between attempts... Nothing but soggy limpness. I was let down. I marched slowly to the fork tray, and returned to my seat, keeping my gaze directed away from the ovens... The last three inches of slice entirely collapsed, causing a cheese + sauce avalanche of sorts. I wish I could post the pic. here... Alas, armed with my fork, I ate on.

Moving along: cheese was okay, a bit tough, leaving a slight gummy afterchew, but not too polly-o (it did need to be deliverd via utensil, so it's consistency may have been concentrated, per lack of crust.) The sauce was very good and really satisfied my crave of things red. I'd say a bit more oily that watery, and left an oily residue on the paper plate, yet I really was enjoying the balance of salt to sweet, with the constant kick of the fresh basil. Verdict: An unacceptable slice; disqualified by the crust SNAFU. The sauce scored enough yum points to bring me back for a chance at redemption.

Third stop: Bleeker Street Pizza, $2.75. Fresh, but with a reheat. Can a crust be too cruchy? Yes. I don't know what they cook the pie on, but it comes out with a fabricated texture--a fine grid pattern. When attempting to fold, it literally cracks along its fault lines. The end result is an awkward hand feel, with jagged sharp approaches to the bites. The chew is a masticatory assault--sharp, crispy, yet finishing loose..."Where the hell is my gluten?" Risoterria may have been smiling, but I was not. The finish reminded me of what happens intra-mouth after chewing down a cheap graham cracker, or Capt'n Cruch--a reduction to homogeneity. Whatever it was, it seems like they were unnaturally forcing the crunch quality, therefore compromising the ideal crusts which crunch only to reveal a softer, more breadlike center. The cheese was nice--well-located, good taste and texture, without gummy residue. Sauce was very good, and the basil taste was excellent. Verdict: Pizza is bread, not cheese and crackers--the crew needs to go re-read the chapter on leavening dough. But, for that dime, I'll be going back to check for improvements...

So, with that, each slice had it's merits. And it was clear that all the shops were serious about their pies. I'd like to have a $3.00 max per slice price, and all to receive the basil treatment. I suppose if the crust issues are a chronic problem, I could slap a Pizza Box slice over a Bleeker slice, and see what happens with the hybrid... Next week I'm walking with a friend to see what those coal ovens can do...

Animals feed. Humans eat. Foodies dine.

Pick one.

Unfortunately, Canteena is an Old El Passo esque Mexican joint with pretty pedestrian food. The environment is Bay Ridge frat drinking types, so having a Lento's pie there is just not the same.
As least the old beat up Lento's had the old NY dive charm that's hard to come by these Disney days.

You should check out Yellow Hook Grille, which replaced it.
The pie isn't on par with Lento's, but they did a great job renovating and
it ain't bad for a bar pie.

this DJ Bubbles Guy kicks ass and gets it right everytime due to serious research and personal sacrifice. Thank goodness he is walking to each location as he would have some significant health issues without logging the miles ! lets make sure that DJ Doggles gets a slice now and then as he is a dead ringer for the recent Beagle winner of the Westminster show. An interesting comment by "juan meatball" and look for this to become the name of a new hit restaurant in Manhattan

DJ Bubbles-

By Fred Levine, do you mean Ed Levine of Serious Eats fame?

Your defense is unnecessary man, opinion is opinion, I respect yours but I have to give mine. You never stated you judge against the plain slice so I wanted to find out. No need to get snappy or offensive. We're all here for the same reason correct? Guiding people to good food and steering them away from bad.

BSP is not bad pizza. For a slice joint, it's a better pie than Joe's, I hold to that. You can't compare it to John's or Pizza 28, those are pizza restaurants. That's like comparing BSP & Joe's to Una Pizza. Not in the same league. I differentiate between slice joints and pizza restaurants in my NY Pizza Tour. I don't think Bella Napoli is amazing or the best, but for a slice joint in Midtown, it's pretty much tops and as Ed Levine says on Ed Levine Eats, "Dean's is damn good". I'm on an equal opportunity NY Pizza Tour, there's no discriminating.

According to DJ Bubbles what are the top 3 pies and top 3 slices in Manhattan?

I reopen the floor... class continues....

Bubbles-

No disrespect but I'm confused by the aim of this article. What are you judging all of these places on? Is it their pie or their plain slice?

You don't go to Bleecker Street Pizza for the plain slice, you go, like you said, for the Nonna or in my case the Nonna and the Grandma.

I'd go to BSP over Joe's every night of the week. Joe's sauce is weak and there's a good chance you'll get an undersized slice for $2.50, which is BS. I'll take my chances at BSP where they appreciate the patronage and dole out pies with better ingredients and slices that are tastier and better value.

If you're stubmling drunk, go to Joe's, at least you have a chance of forgetting you were ripped off.

As far as Pizza Box goes, I'm going to have to check it out and see if all the praise you dumped on it is worth the talk.

And yes, I also prayed for DeMarco's success but after the shooting next door, I'm not surprised it folded. Plus the location is weak. I looked into Buona the other night and it looked awful. I didn't even try it and I was starving.