Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I used to be a huge fan but the last 2-3 times I've went the pizza just wasn't up to par. The cheese/oil/basil still taste the same as they have in the past but the sauce was over-seasoned and dare I say overcooked? I remember it being bright red and "vibrant" back in 05/06. The last couple of batches were dark red with a consistency similar to what you find at a chain place. It wasn't BAD, but it wasn't good. Just meh. The crust though was bland, really tough, and disappointing. I thought at the time of taking a piece and then collecting crusts from 3 or 4 "decent" slice joints and letting friends test and see if they could tell which was the infamous Di Fara. In the end, I just left them on the plate- and I generally leave no bones behind. At the time I couldn't stop thinking of getting a great entree and eating it AND the plate it was served on.

While you were in Chapel Hill I would have recommended grabbing a burger at Sutton's Drug Store on Franklin St. Nick, as fan and dare I say historian of classic burger joints, the lunch counter at Sutton's is a true slice of Americana that I'm sure you would be impressed with. I believe it has been around and relatively unchanged since the 1920's.

Every time I am in town I make it a point to stop into Sutton's for a burger, a cherry smash, and to say hello to the UNC athletes who are usually dining there.

Agree 100% with Abe Froman.

Wow. That looks really good.

Great video Paulie. You are truly an inspiration to others to pursue what you love. I can't wait to come by again and keep working my way through the menu. Maybe even this weekend. Keep up the great work!

The deep fried burger pocket looks (and sounds) similar in bun consistency to the burger I had at Kizilkayalar burger in Istanbul Turkey! Perhaps I'll devote the rest of my life seeking out doughnut consistency burger pockets.

OK probably not, but I'm definitely trying this place soon. Good work AHT!

@claudiaeats & @kpelli73 thanks for the intel. I'll be visiting family sometime this spring so I will definitely check it out!

Maybe it's premature but I think Paulie Gee's should be added to the list. Lance, as a follower of Slice, it's probably a right of passage to make a pilgrimage to one of the site's biggest commenter/contributors new place.

@lacrema: http://www.homeruninntogo.com/

Great post. Agree with some, disagree with some, but your point about the best pizzas being those that strive to achieve something beyond adherence to standards rings true to me. One of my favorite (if not my #1 favorite) pie in the city is the Biancaneve at Bella Via in LIC. Call me crazy but to me it just tastes so freakin amazing.

When I was in Naples I ate 10 margherita pizzas in 30 hours and there were really only two pies that transcended the others. At both places it was about more than just making a pie. I really felt like I was experiencing something beyond just pizza.

Thanks for that honest opinion Adam.

@Daniel: they definitely have some interesting offerings. I've tried the bacon cheeseburger, the taco, the BBQ chicken, and the baked potato pies. While they all accomplish the flavor combinations they seek to attain, none of them ever strike a craving in me quite like the Pizza Pub Special. In fact, I'm craving one right now!

Perhaps the most highly anticipated pizzeria opening of all time. Certainly in my mind...

Best of luck Paulie! Can't wait to try it out!!

@Adam: Not entirely on point with info #2 but... any news on when the Grimaldi's downtown outpost is set to open? Isn't it going to be in/around the South Street Seaport? And any intel on the oven or size of the restaurant?