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A Slice of Brooklyn: The Original New York Pizza Tour
Dear Adam ,I grew up in Bensonhurst,son of Sicilian immigrants and I am sure glad That non-Italian americans are finally finding out what REAL Pizza and Italian food in general,is. I am 55 years old and Spumoni Gardens was there as long as long as can remember.The funny thing is that in the 60's when I was a kid the old "cumpari" -Immigrant Italians-didn't think that Spumoni Garden's Sicilian Pizza was that great-my grandma Paolina's (bon ai'ma) homemade was much better. However, the old folks thought that L&B was a good place to take their grandkids for "gelati" on Sunday afternoon because it had outdoor space and tables.This was when most people outside of NYC didn't know gelato from Shinola!Spumoni,BTW, is an ice cream flavor-of Neapoltan origin. I now live in the Tampa Bay area,and if there was a place like L&B here -it would get rave reviews in "The Weekly Planet" and people would be standing on line to get in,but to the old cumpari it just was "gooda fo' da bambini to play". You visited Lenny's Pizzeria on 86th St. and 20th ave-featured in Saturday Night Fever-The EL train overhead of Lenny's -the B train that goes from Coney Island into the City (Manhattan in Bensonhurstian) was the Train that Gene Hackman raced up 86th St. to keep up with in a car to catch the Corsican French gangster that had tried to shoot him in "The French Connection". Sal's Pizzeria up in "Da Ridge" (Bay Ridge) on 4th Ave.&86th was also OK by Bensonhurst standards; it would be a rave outside of the Northeast.I don't know if Sal's is still there though. La Grand Dame of the area-Totonno's -is actually in Coney Island and not in the 'Hurst. Totonno's is probably the best Pizzeria I can think of-though there are contenders in NYC.Totonno's is better than pizza that I have eaten in Italian cities like Verona,Vicenza, Roma and Palermo-in fact I can only think of 2 places in Italy that are better! Ci' sintemmu!
Italian Fiesta Pizzeria: The Obamas' Chicago Pizza Favorite, Reviewed
All I can say about Italian Fiesta is this: if they can't use the proper Italian word for "holiday" or "feast"---"festa" instead of the Spanish "fiesta",they can't be that good.BTW, $20 for a pizza is no bargain.If President Obama wants to enjoy a good Pizza,let him come to my birthplace ,NYC,and go to "Totonno's " out in Coney Island (rumored to be the 2nd oldest Pizzeria in the USA-founded around 1900) or "Gentile's" out in Totenville ,Staten Island-where REAL Italians make REAL Pizza! As far as Pi's and the "Broccoli O'Bama",if you tried ordering "yuppie crap" like that in Totonno's,they would look at you like you had 3 eyes in your forehead!
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I am Bensonhurst native-Down here in Florida you can fahgedaboud places like Totonnos- people in the Tampa Bay area where I live think Papa Johns is great. However, I found one place that is OK -for NYC,Very Good for Florida. The Pizzeria is Pino's-it is on U.S. Hwy.19 and Alderman Road in Palm Harbor,over in Pinellas County-about 40 minutes from Tampa Airport. Owner Pino is a Napolitano who used to run a Pizzeria in Brooklyn when he first came to the US.Pino's is kind of a trattoria-they serve Pasta alla Carbonara,other,Pasta,good Veal Parmeggiano and and fried Calamari that are not burnt like Onion rings.Unlike other alleged Italian restaurants down here,Calamari heads and tentacles are served ,,and if people think that's "icky"- Olive Gardens are all over. Crowded on Weekends-expect 1/2 hr. or more wait.No delivery-Call and order your pie about 15 min. in advance.