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From Slice
Posted by correspondent, March 27, 2007 at 4:15 PM
LA RUSTIQUE BAKERIA
Address: 84 1/2 Morris Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 (near Exchange Place)
Phone: 201-860-4010
Hours: Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat-Sun 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (hours can be quirky; call ahead)
Payment: Cash and all major credit cards
The Skinny: Takeout and delivery only, with some outdoor seating
All photographs by Michael Parillo
BY MICHAEL PARILLO .:::. As both a lifelong New Jerseyan and a pizza obsessive, I've been known to get gloomy about the state of the slice in my area. Too many ten-gallon cans of industrial-grade tomatoes, too much sweet and spongy dough. So a couple of years ago when I was tipped off about a killer pie in Jersey City, I made a beeline to La Rustique Bakeria.
JC isn't exactly in my neck of the woods, but if you have pizza, I will travel. I loved the pie, and I vowed to return. But then, whether out of laziness or wanting to avoid faraway takeout—La Rustique has just one table inside but adds outdoor seating in the warmer months—or simply because I've been captivated by my wife's homemade pizza and the impressive recent offerings in New York City, I didn't make it back until now.
Not much has changed at the small, modest-looking storefront bakery and pizzeria. A blown-up 1938 mug shot of Frank Sinatra still watches over the pizzaioli as they stretch their dough ("Nice and thin, gumbah—attaboy," I imagine Blue Eyes saying), and a glass case by the register still holds a tempting array of enormous pies—larger than those on the menu—which are cut and sold as "oversized slices" (Margherita $3; with toppings, $3.50).
Since this wasn't a warmer month, I had to order my pies to go. I went with a large Margherita with half sausage (large Margherita, $14.30; small, $8.50), and a small white pie with spinach (large white, $16.95; small, $10.95). The owner seemed suspicious when he saw me snap a photo from the sidewalk, and I didn't want to blow my cover, so I faded into the woodwork for a few minutes while my pies cooked. (I would defend my right to photograph, sans flash, to the ends of the earth, but I prefer to avoid confrontation with people who are feeding me.) Luckily, the baking didn't take long, given the intensity of the inferno beneath the brick oven's high-heat tiles.
After paying and shrugging off a sarcastic comment about my "taking pictures for posterity"—did he think I was trying to steal his design secrets?—I threw my short stack of boxes in my car and drove away. This is the part that kept messing me up. I was staked with hot pizzas, but I had no nearby safe house at which to tuck into them—home was almost 20 miles away. Park bench? Hourly motel room? I pulled over and settled for a few quick bites of the white pie—you know, because it would be unfair not to eat some of the stuff while it was as hot as possible. This was a good move, for the moment.
But then, as I drove, with my windows fogging over and my taste buds teased into great expectation, I had to endure the tantalizing aroma of smoke, herbs, tomatoes, and hot cardboard (I love the scent of pizza-warmed cardboard, a perk of the takeout experience). I avoided looking at my speedometer, and I'm lucky I wasn't pulled over.
I made it home while the pizza was still warm, and I went to work in earnest. The Margherita looked similar to the one I had the last time, which I'd photographed, for posterity. Today's specimen was a gorgeous, colorful pie, with snow-white house-made mozzarella peeking out from under the bright red blush of San Marzano tomatoes. (The cheese is so delicate and low in moisture that it must be placed beneath the tomatoes or it will burn.) The vibrant red was blurred to a fuzzier hue where Parmesan cheese had been sprinkled. The end crust bore the precious burn marks that I've come to value so highly.
Unfortunately, the pizza wasn't thin enough in the middle, and some of the internal areas met my teeth with a somewhat gluey texture. It seemed the bottom had charred before the dough directly beneath the cheese had had a chance to set fully.
Still, this was one tasty pizza, albeit subtly so. La Rustique achieves a refined savoriness rather than favoring forceful flavors. In fact, it's a pizza that resists being adorned. I liked the sausage slices, but the fennel-rich links, though nice, threw the flavor out of balance a bit. There's no question in my mind that ordering a Margherita is the way to best appreciate this pie as a whole—the creamy and mild mozzarella, the tangy and not-too-sweet tomatoes, the salty Parm, the nicely charred crust, all in harmony.
Yes, the Margherita is the star, but the white pie might earn top billing elsewhere. Not surprisingly, it, too, had subtle charms, given all of its innocent white, so its generous dusting of oregano and its scattered slivers of basil really picked up the flavors. And it contained no mozzarella, only a thin layer of ricotta. My thoughts on ricotta-topped pizza can go both ways—as much as I love No. 28 in Manhattan, I've found the ricotta on its white pie to be too pillowy—and so I was glad that La Rustique got the ricotta-to-other-stuff ratio exactly right. My only complaint about this pizza was that I could not detect the presence of the roasted garlic that was noted on the menu as being blended with the ricotta, which sounded like a nice touch.
Overall, with both pies, the very best parts were the burnt bits. There's just nothing like an oven that's hot enough to literally put its mark on a pizza. La Rustique's dough itself is good, not quite baking up crisp-chewy at the end crust—the ultimate—but offering a satisfying crunch before the cornicione collapses. Where it's charred, though, and where the smokiness of the burn marks can mix with the flavor of the cheese and the tomatoes—now that's heaven on earth. Jersey, listen up: No more pale pizzas!
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, January 30, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Dewey's Pizza (four locations)
3814 Madison Road, Cincinnati OH 45227 [map]; 513-731-7755
265 Hosea Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45220 [map]; 513-221-0400
300 Main Street, Cincinnati OH 45202 [map]; 513-352-0032
11338 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati OH 45249 [map]; 513-247-9955
Words and Photographs by Steve F. | This transplant from the East Coast says, "Cincinnati is a ghost town for pizza." Ask the locals, and they'll vehemently disagree—because they grew up with their favorite pizza chains, such as LaRosa's and Donato's. These local chains offer pizza that is one step above microwaveable pizza. Simply put, it's junk. However, if you really explore Cincinnati, there is one worthy mention for Slice, and that's Dewey's Pizza.
Dewey's has the closest thing to New York–style pizza in Cincinnati, with a couple of glaring differences. First off: No slices. Yup, it's whole pies or nothing. Second: Dewey's is a polished, stylish restaurant, a big difference from most New York pizza joints. But is that so bad? I don't think so. Dewey's looks sharp, inside and out. Inside, there are big windows that fully expose the ovens and prep counters. Cool!
Let's get to the pizza. I always get the large pie (17-inch) for $11.95. I make sure to order it well done, which gives it that crisp dough and a slight crunch—otherwise, Dewey's usually bakes it on the light side, and it gets a bit too chewy and doughy. The cheese is 100 percent mozzarella (the only place in Cincy that uses all mozzarella on its pies). The red sauce is bit spicy, and not as sweet as I like it, but it's tasty nonetheless.
Overall, Dewey's is a damn good pie, and if you grade on a curve for the Midwest, then Dewey's is a fantastic pie.
I grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York (great pizza there!), then moved to Long Island (great pizza!), then Philadelphia (great pizza!), and now Cincinnati (crappy pizza!). I'm extremely thankful for Dewey's—a solid pizza place that keeps this ghost town haunted.
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, January 16, 2007 at 3:42 PM
DISPATCH AND PHOTOS BY DAVE, Special to Slice .::. No discussion of New York-style pizza around Rochester, New York, would be complete without taking into account Cam’s New York Pizzeria, if for no other reason than that it's one of only two pizzerias in the area (Sal’s New York Pizzeria on Monroe Avenue being the other) whose name expressly claims it to serve "New York" pizza. That aside, it’s still worth a mention for serving up pizza that, while more of an approximation than a classic example of the New York style, is pretty good in its own right.
Cam’s is, dare I say it, a chain (stay with me here) that has slowly grown from what I think was its original location on Lyell Avenue in Rochester out to the ’burbs and beyond, with locations now as far away as Watertown to the north and the Finger Lakes to the south. According to its website, each location is independently owned and operated, and each location makes its own dough daily, but in my experience, the results have been pretty consistent from one to the next.
So how is it? It’s good. Very good, even. Although whether it’s "authentic" New York–style pizza is, well, debatable. The crust, while thin (especially by local standards), is a tad thicker than you would get at the typical corner slice joint in New York City, with a chewy breadiness that lacks the exterior crunch that I associate with New York pizza.
Still, that’s hardly cause for complaint, as the texture and flavor of Cam’s crust are what make its pizza so good. It has a fresh, yeasty, breadlike quality, and though not paper thin, it’s thin enough that you can polish off several slices without getting stuffed. The sauce has a lively, tomatoey tang, and the mozzarella isn’t piled on too thick, with the occasional pocket of sauce visible here and there.
The pie pictured here is from the Spencerport location (about 12 miles west of downtown Rochester), which opened a few months ago at the corner of South Union Street and Route 31. Like all Cam’s pizzas, this was cooked in a steel-deck gas oven, resulting in a golden-brown underside with no charring, as you can see in the slightly out-of-focus photo. (If you like your pizza charred, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere; I wouldn’t recommend asking Cam’s to cook it longer, as you will simply end up with burnt cheese and a dried-out crust.)
CAM'S NEW YORK PIZZERIA
Address: Route 31 & 259, Spencerport NY 14559 [map]
Phone: 585-349-1040
Website: camsnypizza.com
The skinny: Pies come in 14-, 16- (pictured), and 20-inch sizes, and slices are available. By-the-slice or pie, it’ll run you about $1.50 a slice. The Spencerport location is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and till 11 p.m. on weekends. Major credit cards accepted.
Dave is Slice's Upstate New York correspondent. He prefers to go by "just 'Dave'."
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, January 5, 2007 at 1:29 PM
DISPATCH AND PHOTOS BY DAVE, Special to Slice .::. New York–style pizza is disappointingly scarce around Rochester, but it can be found. One of the better examples is produced at Main Street Pizza in Brockport, a college town about 20 miles west of the city. Main Street offers thin-crust "NYC Style" or white garlic pizzas, as well as "Traditional Pizza," which is described as "thick crust, zesty sauce with two cheeses," all available by the slice ($1.50) or pie. New York–style pies come in 12-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch sizes and average out to about $1 a slice.
At its best, Main Street puts out some damn good, authentic New York pizza, with a thin, bready crust and a judicious amount of sauce and chewy mozzarella. I say "at its best" because that's my one complaint: In my half dozen or so visits, Main Street has been somewhat inconsistent. One pie was undercooked and the crust had separated into two layers, with a paper-thin bottom that you could peel away from the other layer of dough stuck to the underside of the cheese. Still, Main Street's pizza has been good enough, often enough, that one bad experience hasn't deterred me from returning.
My most recent pie (pictured, a 16-incher) was above average, though not as nicely charred underneath as the best that I've had there. Like almost all pizzas around here, Main Street's is cooked in a gas-fired, steel-deck oven. Because Brockport is only about an hour from Buffalo, I should mention that the wings are pretty good, too.
MAIN STREET PIZZA
Address: 82 Main Street, Brockport NY 14420 [map]
Phone: 585-637-8760
Payment: Cash and credit accepted
Dave is Slice's Upstate New York correspondent. He prefers to go by "just 'Dave'."
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, May 15, 2006 at 9:00 AM
PIZZERIA REGINA
Location: 11 1/2 Thacher St., Boston MA 02135 [map]
Phone: 617-227-0765
Cost: Margherita (plain), $9.69 for small and $15.99 for large
Payment: Cash only
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN S. .::. Boston, per capita, is probably home to more expats from the New York metro area than any other place in America. Particularly among the college and graduate student populations, Boston and Cambridge are packed to the gills with folks who call the Garden State, Long Island, or one of the outer boroughs home. This gives rise to several areas of tension, particularly during baseball season, when thousands of Yankees fans are forced to root in the privacy of their own homes (thank god for MLB.tv!) or risk affronts to their personal safety (Mets fans seem to enjoy relatively harassment-free existences; most, in fact, adopt the Red Sox as their AL team of choice out of a shared distaste for the Bombers).
Food, however, is also a problematic issue. Boston's population of tri-state exiles are usually thrilled with the quality of the lobster rolls and littleneck clams. If you want a burger or a steak, you're in luck, as Boston is home to plenty of fabulous pub-style burger joints (Bartley's and R. F. O'Sullivan) and two of the best steakhouses this side of Peter Luger (Abe & Louis' and Grill 23 & Bar). However, Lord help ya, and I mean Lord help ya if you are ever in the mood for one of those two New York classics; a fresh bagel or a good old-fashioned slice.
The bagel issue is for another blog (does someone want to start nybagel.com?); it will suffice for now to say that the bagel situation is grim, quite grim. But our concern for the moment is pizza. Simply put, the vast majority of pizza in the Boston area is awful—I mean, just lousy. The student areas of Allston and Brighton are chock full of slice joints that look like something you'd recognize from a Manhattan street corner, but, trust me, what they're serving up is nothing like what you or I would call pizza. The predominant style in the Boston slice joints is some abomination called "Greek style." I'm not even sure how to describe it, but it's somewhere between New York and Chicago style, with a thick, greasy crust that ususally tastes remarkably similar to cardboard or one of those bread sticks from Pizza Hut. Slices sit out in those heated carousel things behind glass, and god knows what kind of ovens the places use, because I almost never even get my slice reheated.
I came to Boston for graduate school after spending my whole life in New Jersey, and many were the nights during my first year when I would just about weep over some tasteless triangular something that was described as pizza while secretly I longed for a slice from Pizza Town in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, or PJ's in New Brunswick—anything foldable, thin, and dripping with olive oil.
Thankfully, all is not lost! Unlike New York City or North Jersey, you are unlikely to get a decent slice just by wandering into any old slice joint, but good pizza can be found if you seek it out. There's Santarpio's in East Boston, Ernesto's in the North End, and even a little New York–style slice joint in the Back Bay called Newbury Pizza than can all do in a pinch and if you feel like riding the T. And, of course, there is the bisnonna of all Boston pizzerias: Pizzeria Regina.
I'm not too much of a histoy buff, but Pizzeria Regina has cred. It opened in 1926, making it, I think, the third- or fourth-oldest pizzeria in America (someome can check my facts on that). It is tucked into Boston's North End, one of America's great Italian-American neighborhoods, a charming network of narrow streets full of fantastic restaurants, pastry joints, cafes, and historical monuments (Paul Revere's house is in the neighborhood). A tirp to the North End is all but a guaranteed good time (try Taranta's for some fantastic gnocchi).
My girlfriend and I decided to meet up with some friends on Friday Night to give Regina's a try. I had been there a couple of times before and had always been impressed. On a trip back home over Easter weekend, I had taken my girlfriend to Patsy's in East Harlem, and I was curious to see how Regina's would hold up to a classic New York coal burner.
If you go to Regina on a weekend night, be prepared for a wait. There are no reservations at this cash-only joint, and folks are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Our wait this time was mercifully brief, perhaps due to our somewhat late arrival (8:30 p.m.). Inside, Regina's is all atmosphere: crowded, noisy, and bustling, tables packed with hungry pizza seekers, surly waitresses crisscrossing the space dishing out pies and pitchers.
Regina only serves four things: pizza, beer, wine, and soda. The place has a storied reputation for curt servers (it's actually considered part of the charm), but our waitress was actually quite friendly—probably because we ordered quickly. There's a great variety of pies (you can get the list on the website), and, like a steakhouse, you are given the option to order to your desired doneness: lightly done, regular, or well done (what kind of sick freak would order a pizza "lightly done"?). Our party of five decided to go with two large pies, both cooked regular (I really wanted to get one well done, but I didn't think the rest in my party would be as high on char as I am): one classic Margherita (right) and one Saint Anthony's, a white pizza topped with homemade sausage, roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, fresh garlic, and mozz. Of course, we also ordered the Boston requisite: two pitchers of Sam Adams.
While we waited for the pies, we chatted over our beer and soaked in the atmosphere. Like Totonno's, the place is a true throwback; the decor hasn't changed in 80 years, right down to the red booths and cramped quarters. The brick oven is open to view from the dining room, filling the whole place with the smell of bubbling cheese and char. As said, the place was crowded, and the pizzaiolo (right) gives attention to each pie, so we did have to wait a bit. But, after about 15 minutes, the pies came out.
The Margherita (right) was, in my opinion, about perfect. The crust is thicker than what you get at Pasty's or Grimaldi's, more the thickness of a typical slice joint, but it's sublimely crisp on the outside and chewy within. The pizza heel gets a nice char from the wood-burning brick oven, though in a regular cooked pie, the bottom of the slice is disappointingly char free (I imagine ordering a pie well done would correct this sad particular). While a bit of tip sag was evident, it hardly detracted from the pie, and was actually much less of a problem than at my last trip to Patsy's (the thicker crust no doubt helps). The sauce is wonderful: full of flavor and not too sweet (I believe California tomatoes are used), while the cheese is a straight shredded mozz but spiked with a dusting of pecorino Romano.
Like 
The Saint Anthony's pie (right) was also quite good, but I'm not really into lots of topings. The sausage is made fresh and tasted delicious, as did the roasted peppers. But, of course, with that many toppings, mushrooms in particular, the Saint Anthony's pie was significantly soggier than its Marghertia cousin. Still, a fine loaded pie, indeed.
In short, Pizzeria Regina does the job when it comes to alleviating the pizza withdrawal that so often afflicts the displaced tri-stater who comes to Beantown. You can even stop at Mike's or Modern Pastry on your way back to the subway for an amazing cannoli. Buon appetito a tutti!
This entry comes to Slice via a Slice correspondent. To find out how you can contribute to Slice, click here.
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, April 26, 2006 at 9:22 PM
Honey P. is a contributor at our sister site, A Hamburger Today. She's also a one-time resident of The K.C., where her parents still live. She filed this report while on a recent trip to visit them.
SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
Location: 6541 West 119th Street, Overland Park KS 66209 (b/n Metcalf and Nall) [map]
Phone: 913-451-SPIN (7746); carry-out only
Website: spinpizza.com
BY HONEY P. .::. When Papa P. said, "I'll tell you where to get the best pizza," on a recent Friday night, you can bet lil' Honey was all ears. (Yeah, so what I chill with the 'rents on weekends, nothing wrong with that, right?) Point was, Papa knows pizza, and although he lives in The K.C., where the beef is a lot easier to come by than a decent pie, he does his best to satisfy his insatiable crunchy, salty, tomato-topped needs.
Papa's vote was for Spin! Neapolitan Pizza. Not having lived in suburban Kansas City for the last 10 years, the only slice I knew Dad was cool with came from Il Trullo. Papa says what? We set our game plan in action: Mama downloaded the menu, we placed a phone order, and in 15 minutes we were picking up gourmet pies from the nearby strip mall that houses Spin. (Carry-out only; Spin does not deliver.)
Spin offers a veritable Gourmet Garage of choices, at least for these parts, but purist Pa went for pepperoni while Ma and I gloated over our much tastier "patate," topped with a layer of roasted potatoes and red peppers, goat cheese, scallions, and crispy pancetta. Although I prefer razor-thin potato slices on pizza, the half-inch-thick medallions, enveloped in garlickly goodness, melted right into the savory mess of toppings. Potato, we hardly knew ye. The patate came from the "Pizza Bianca" portion of the menu, so if you think a pie needs sauce, think again.
My only complaints are with the excess of olive oil (seems the crust is brushed with it) and the lack of charring on the underside of the pizza (maybe they should turn the heat up on those stone-lined ovens). It's hard to criticize though with such flavored toppings and crust. (Remember, you're in the K.C., bitch.) Plus, a smattering of tiny curls of Parmesan completes each pie, whether it's a "rossa" or "bianca" special, a sign that the master of the marble countertop knows a true finish.
Spin is not the cheapest. Their 12-inchers average $10.50, and additional toppings cost $1. And don't expect any two-for-one Domino's deals. However, as quality becomes just as important as quantity on take-out night with the fam, Spin-style pizza should be just what you order.
This review was written by a Slice correspondent. If you would like to submit a review to Slice, click here.
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, November 11, 2005 at 11:11 AM
Our readers are some of the best. We asked for reports and photos from the Lombardi's 5¢ pie day, and you delivered. (Unlike Lombardi's—cheap pies for dine-in customers only.) Below is a first-hand account. — Ed.
Words by Keven Roche .::. Photographs by Eli Berdougo .::. Went last night right after work and got there around 5:30 p.m. Line held about 100 people at that time. After about an hour, my friend and I got a table, ordered a pie with meatballs, and took in the entertainment. There was a "band" consisting of an accordion and various other instruments improvised from pizza-making equipment, such as pizza sheets, spatulas, salt shakers, and forks.
I think we were sitting next to some Lombardi family VIPs because these old men knew everyone (even the band) and kept ordering pie after pie and beer after beer. There was an ungodly racket going on throughout the place, but everyone was happy with their pies and happy to be inside after standing in line in the cold.
About the pie: It was the best pie I've had at Lombardi's. Period. Crust was crisp on the bottom and on the edges; a couple of blackened bubbles on top; nice, chewy tooth; slightly sour; terriffic. Nice distribution of meatballs and good
cheese–sauce ratio. I had stopped going to Lombardi's about a year ago because of inconsistency, and I could see other tables' pies that were very soggy and limp. Ours was crisp and chewy throughout, and we were able to pick up and fold each slice we ate. Too bad for those whose pies were subpar. Ours was delicious.
On our way out, at about 7:45 p.m., the line looked like it was twice as long as when I first began my wait. Awesome old cars out front.
Pie: 5¢
Meatballs: $3.
Pitcher of Stella: $18.
Total before tip: $21.05
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, September 26, 2005 at 9:30 AM
Words by Mark Horowitz .::. Photos by Jane Horowitz; Special to Slice .::. I think it's safe to say that most visitors to Maui don't have pizza on their minds. During my own recent visit to Maui, my mind was occupied with exploring its natural beauty, its stunning beaches, snorkeling in its clear reefs, and, from a culinary standpoint, exploring the rich, diverse cultural influences that have created a unique Pacific cuisine.
What has evolved in Hawaii is an interesting melange of styles resulting from the mixture of native Hawaiian food preferences and the various immigrant populations that have arrived during the past century and a half to work on sugar cane and pineapple plantations (Portugese, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and others) and to work in the tourism industry (mainlanders and Europeans). My only previous experiences with what might be called contemporary Hawaiian cuisine have been in my infrequent visits to various outposts of Roy Yamaguchi's restaurants in New York and Philadelphia (he has restaurants in other cities as well: roysrestaurant.com). There I have sampled ahi poke, ono, mahi, and opakapaka, the wonderful variety of fish native to Hawaiian waters.
After exploring the breathtaking (literally, at more than 10,000 feet in elevation) summit of Hale'akala volcano, we were hungry for lunch. On the road leading down from the volcano, we passed the Kula Lodge, a restaurant and inn we had heard some good things about.
The restaurant is located in the village of Kula, famous for its fresh greens, included in salads in just about every restaurant on the island. It overlooks a hillside and just about every table has a view. There is a lounge area with a giant stone fireplace. On the menu, we found Asian-influenced items, including spring rolls and local fish. We also found those same fish offered grilled on sandwiches and, to our surprise, choose-your-own-topping pizzas, prepared in stone ovens located just outside the restaurant's seating area. These ovens use a native wood, imparting a mesquitelike flavor. The toppings ran the gamut from meat to fruit to veggies. The young people with us were delighted to have pizza, instead of fish. After placing our orders, we could watch our pizzas being made in the ovens outside. The pizzas were medium-thick crusted, "personal" sized (12-inch) and priced from $10.95 and up, depending upon the number and type of toppings. The wood-fired oven flavor was wonderful, and the sauce was only slightly sweet. Toppings were fresh and generous.
Hand-crafted pizza is a refreshing change for visitors to Maui looking for a departure from the fish and meat fare. Visitors traveling with young children will find that the Kula Lodge pleases all palates.
Photograph of Kula Lodge exterior from KulaLodge.com
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, August 17, 2005 at 10:11 AM
Words and Photographs by Mark Horowitz, Special to Slice .::. Ninety miles from the Holland Tunnel and 80 miles from the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge, just across the Delaware River from New Jersey, is bucolic Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Long known for its numerous inns and beds and breakfasts, its artists colonies, its meandering riverside drives attracting daytrippers and motorcyclists, and its gay-friendly ambience, gentrification and development have made their marks on the region. With development has come the opening of several notable restaurants. In April, the area saw the opening of Jules Thin Crust in Doylestown, the county seat and its most populous town.
Housed in a spacious building steps from the center of town and featuring indoor and outdoor seating, Jules presents itself as distinctively different from the moment one enters: Posted by the entrance are "Jules Rules," which include the declarations that Jules offers "the world's finest, best-tasting all-natural thin crust pizza," which uses "wholesome, organic ingredients," including "extra-virgin olive oil, imported 00 flour" and "organic and locally grown salad produce." Jules Rules go on to declare that the company is operated in "a manner that enhances the lives of our employees, our customers and our local communities" and that it promotes "work practices that enhance the earth and environment."
The focus of action at Jules is the ordering counter (right), where 18-inch long, thin-crust oval pies with various toppings are set out as soon as they come out of the oven, which is in a rear kitchen. They are sliced into three-inch slices, selling for $2.50 to $3.25 each. After ordering slices, drinks, and salads (Jules is BYO and staff will provide a corkscrew and plastic cups for those bringing wine), customers pay for and pick up their order at one of three registers.
During two recent Friday evening visits, I sampled at least six different toppings and watched the Jules team in action. Jules has become quite popular, and the line at the ordering counter usually extends nearly to the entrance. Although the ordering process goes relatively smoothly, there is usually a bottleneck at the registers, where, apparently, customers must be rung up by the employee who took their order once. This results in needless delays and cooling of pizza.
Jules purchases its tomatoes from New Jersey farmers, its vegetables from Pennsylvania farmers, and its salad greens from a nearby organic farm. The freshness of its product is immediately apparent: Mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, and spinach were flavorful and nicely complemented the sauce. The sauce was sweet but not sugary and was applied in a layer about equal to the thickness of the slice.
Starting with a plain tomato-basil slice or a mozzarella slice and progressing to a vegetable topped pie seems a natural progression. Our party also enjoyed a greek salad slice, with assorted salad vegetables and feta cheese so densely applied that much of it ended up being eaten with a fork. We also sampled Jules's potato chip pie (see main photo, above), which proved a surprise. The crunch and flavor of the slice was a pleasant diversion. The children in our party enjoyed a dessert slice of chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries.
Jules does not take reservations, and, despite its size, tables fill up. Pies are available for take out. In addition to slices, whole pies can be ordered at the registers.
JULES THIN CRUST
Location: 78 South Main Street, Doylestown PA 18901
Phone: 215-345-8565
Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (possibly later, depending)
Price: $2.50 to $3.25 per slice
The Skinny: Long, oval pies ordered in 3-inch increments. Organic, locally grown vegetables and toppings; Tipo "00" flour imported from Italy. Quickly becoming a favorite among Bucks County residents.
From Slice
Posted by correspondent, July 12, 2005 at 10:00 AM
WORDS BY CLAIRE L. .::. PIZZA PHOTOS BY DAN DICKINSON .::. Your Queens correspondent lived for a spell in Paris, and during her last two weeks there, she discovered an amazing restaurant chain called Flam's. Specializing in Flammenküche, a pizzalike Alsatian specialty, Flam's had a rather un-Parisian policy: It was all you-can-eat. Though other all-you-can-eat restaurants do exist in Paris, the only people I ever saw going into them were shady busloads of confused tourists, and they were darkly lit buffets, not unlike New York City's weird Midtown delis full of steamer tables.
The classic Flammenküche, also known as tarte flambée, has a thin crust topped with fromage blanc, lardons, and onions. Like any good chain, Flam's offers a bunch of salty and sweet variations as well. At Flam's you can order Flammenküche individually or you can pay a set price and have as many savory and sweet pies as you want. It was awesome.
Anyway. I was unable to remember the name of this amazing food after I ate it ("flukeykook" was as close as I came to recalling it) and sadly moped around New York upon my return, occasionally muttering about this amazing pizzalike food. After I posted about this mystery food on the Martha Stewart cooking bulletin boards, a representative from the French Culinary Institute kindly posted André Soltner's very own recipe with helpful hints for tarte flambée. (Click through the jump for recipes, including the Lutèce variation.) But still. I’m lazy, and though I was grateful for Mr. Soltner's recipe, I wanted a Flam's of my own in New York!
I never did find a Flam's (and sadly, Lutèce closed its doors before I had a chance to celebrate there à la Chloe Sevigny in The Last Days of Disco), but I did find 718.
Located in the awesome borough of Queens, 718 offers a number of different types of tartes flambée. [The one pictured above is a tuna tarte flambée. The photos I took of the classic tarte flambée were too dark, so I used Mr. Dickinson's photo. You get the general idea. Claire L. did not try this kind; she prefers the classic version. —Ed.] Though it does not have the all-you-can-eat menu of Flam's (boo), the classic tarte flambée is quite good. It's a tad heavy on the lardons for my taste, but overall, mighty delicious. Their tarte is pretty big, so you might want to consider sharing it as well as another appetizer. Unfortunately, they don’t offer any of the sweet variations that Flam’s does, but it’s still worth a visit. 718 is owned by a native Alsatian, Raphaël Sutter, so he would probably be horrified to hear his restaurant compared to Flam's. Like if we compared a real pizzeria to Domino's. But hey, what are you gonna do?
718 also has fancier aspirations than a lot of the neighborhood's surrounding restaurants, with mood lighting, nicely upholstered banquettes, and dramatically sculpted plates. That doesn’t mean the restaurant has not succumbed to a wacky Astorian tradition though—belly-dancing during dinner.
718
Location: 35-01 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria NY
Phone: 718-204-5553
Website: 718restaurant.com
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