Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@Adam I bow to pizzasnob. Here's my little shrine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/sets/72157605787450164/

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

a fellow pizza-fiend told me about what happened - came here to find out. thanks for posting the info. i was also surprised to see my picture used here! thanks for doing so and for the credit.

What was the NY Post's headline?? They usually have the classics.

A bit of good news in the video report. The oven is still standing:

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/090314_Fire_Ravages_Coney_Island_Pizzeria

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

This is terrible! According to one channel, it was an oven fire, which I unfortunately predicted. This episode can't possibly look good for coal ovens which are already banned in many places. Hope they rebuild ASAP.

I have a new Pizza Favorite in West Village:

Pizza Mezzaluna
146 West Houston Street at MacDougal
212-533-1242
http://www.mezzalunany.com/
Free delivery, open late and a block from Bleecker. It's polished high-end Italian thin crust -- awesome pizza and as cheap as Pizza Box or Famous Joe's Pizza.

Salads are fresh and pasta was al dente.

I've eaten there a couple of times and now it's the favorite pizza at the office. Deliveries are fast.

@pauliegee everyone is quite opinionated on jclist. there wasn't as much talk about John's as there is for La Rustique, I think because Rustique is not quite a newcomer. There is also less than stellar pizza in the Van Vorst/Harsimus Cove area, so most are just grateful to have something even classified as decent. They can't go around and expect this place to have first-rate service like some of the Italian mob joints in JC.. we just have to keep stressing to people to focus on the pizza, eat it outside the cafe, or take it home!

@jerseywarren: I have to take issue with your theory about " two kinds of pizzerias". There are plenty of mediocre pizzerias in jersey city. Helen's and Stella's are perfect examples of the genre. My own take on jc pizza is as follows:
http://www.izzyeats.com/2008/08/jersey-city-pizza-debate-rages-on.html

As for John's, my experience was similar in that it wasn't stellar. I am glad to have it here though and hope it improves.

@pauliegee: I wanted to take a picture of that, but I think he would've grabbed my camera and yelled "You take-a no pictures!" Did you see the menu is half bricks as well? Next time I go in, I will sneak a picture while his back is turned.

Have you had any of the other pies yet? I've only had the Margherita and I'm hoping the whole pie is a might be a bit better than the single slice.

Over on jclist, there's a thread that keeps expanding with half supporters, half "I'll take what I can get".

To all the La Rustique people: I just had a slice tonight and to me, the sauce barely tasted of tomatoes, and the only thing I tasted was salt and crust. I enjoy a crispy crust, but I wasn't intending to eat flatbread with some slightly flavored tomato sauce and fresh mozz (is this mozzarella homemade? according to the menu it is--I wouldn't dare ask the guy taking orders in the take-out area, he's extremely unapproachable).

The slice was about as big as my face. Quantity is definitely not quality. But I'd prefer the 10 minute walk to La Rustique (so far) to Helen's, Stella's, or Esperanto's--all pizza places within 3 blocks of my apartment.

i've been to john's twice (though it was in june/july I believe) and i want to believe that they were still ironing out the kinks. our pizza was lackluster, like yours, but on top of that the service was slow and the second time the AC was broken during a heat wave. I know they can't help mechanical failures but they didn't apologize or even mention it and though it was boiling in there, our water glasses sat empty for a long time.

i want to believe that john's in jc will be better! I'll head back, but now that La Rustique is a couple blocks from my apartment the draw is less strong.

La Rustique is great. Went when they first opened at their new location on Jersey Ave.. yum!

DJ Bubbles, ya gotta try the plain slice at Village Pizza on 8th Ave and 13th St in Manhattan. One of the top slices in the city. Its a small, small place, I think they need some recognition from an enthusiast like youself.They have a great slogan to go with their little pizza shop, "They can't beat us, so eat Us!" Try a drive by!