Pizza City: The Ultimate Guide to New York’s Favorite Food

202 Pages·2013·6.52 MB·English

by  Peter Genovese

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Rivergate Regionals
Rivergate Regionals is a collection of books published by Rutgers University Press
focusing on New Jersey and the surrounding area. Since its founding in 1936,
Rutgers University Press has been devoted to serving the people of New Jersey
and this collection solidifies that tradition. The books in the Rivergate Regionals
Collection explore history, politics, nature and the environment, recreation,
sports, health and medicine, and the arts. By incorporating the collection within
the larger Rutgers University Press editorial program, the Rivergate Regionals
Collection enhances our commitment to publishing the best books about our
great state and the surrounding region.
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P I Z Z A
C I T Y
The Ultimate Guide
to New York’s Favorite Food
P E T E R G E N O V E S E
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS
New Brunswick, New Jersey, and London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Genovese, Peter, 1952–
Pizza city : the ultimate guide to New York's favorite food / Peter Genovese.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–8135–5868–4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978–0–8135–5869–1 (e-book : alk. paper)
1. Restaurants—New York (State)—New York—Guidebooks. 2. New York (N.Y.)—Guidebooks. 3. Pizza.
I. Title.
TX907.3.N72G45 2013
641.82'48—dc23 2012023494
A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.
Copyright © 2013 by Peter Genovese
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
Please contact Rutgers University Press, 105 Somerset Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The only exception
to this prohibition is “fair use” as defined by U.S. copyright law.
Visit our website: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
Manufactured in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to Kristin and Shirley, my pizza-eating pals,
and the New York City subway system, without which this book
would not have been possible.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Pizza People Pizza Reviews
Pizza Conquers the World 5 The Bronx 129
Totonno’s 11 Brooklyn 134
The Founder of Slice 16 Manhattan 146
Wait for the Rainbow It Will Decorate the Sky 21 Queens 174
Paulie Gee 27 Staten Island 181
Don’t Mess with Ray’s or Famous Ray’s or . . . 31
The Oldest Italian Cheese Store in the Country 37 Index 185
Joe’s on Carmine 41
Miki 45
The Magic Pizza Bus 49
John’s on Bleecker 54
Best Move I Ever Make 58
Denino’s 64
He Dreams of Pizza 69
Tripping in Bushwick 73
Going Mobile 79
Lombardi’s 83
The Pizza Self-Sufficiency Center 87
It’s Italian for Scooter 92
No Pizza Box Is Safe 97
World’s Greatest Pizza Comedian 102
John’s of Elmhurst 106
The Greatest Thing Since . . . 109
The Pizza Net 113
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Acknowledgments
Most of the interviews for this book were done by simply calling up or showing up,
unannounced, at the pizzerias profiled. Not one owner told me to go away, or get lost,
and for that I am grateful. Who said New Yorkers are not friendly and helpful?
Thanks to Louise “Cookie’’ Ciminieri, the inimitable co-owner of Totonno’s, for sitting
down one afternoon to tell me the history of the classic Coney Island pizzeria.
To Adam Kuban, who traced his love for pizza, and the beginning of Slice, at
an Upper East Side pizzeria one night.
To Salvatore Natale, the irrepressible owner of Pugsley’s, for his time and
enthusiasm, and to his son, Pietro, for telling me his dad should be in the book!
To Paul Giannone, owner of Paulie Gee’s, for the account of a Jersey guy
who made his name in the big city.
To Agatha Mangano, the most determined woman in New York City, for
talking about Ray’s/F amous Ray’s, and for allowing me to look at several
boxes of photos, menus, and other memorabilia.
To Bob Alleva, owner of Alleva Dairy, for the stories of the country’s
oldest cheese store, especially the Great Cheese Heist.
To Joe Pozzuoli, the always-young owner of Joe’s on Carmine, for the
lowdown on the classic Village slice joint.
To Miki Agrawal, the dynamic owner of SLICE; wish I had half her energy.
A sign of the times, To Scott Wiener, founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours, for his inexhaustible pizza
Manhattan. knowledge. Take a tour!
To Michael Frank, manager of John’s on Bleecker, for his frank (couldn’t help it!)
discussion of the landmark pizzeria.
To Domenico DeMarco, owner of Di Fara’s, for sitting down one rainy morning to
talk about the legendary Brooklyn pizzeria.
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To Palma Denino and her stepdaughter, Carla, and son, Michael, for their old-school
warmth and friendliness, as befits Staten Island’s best-known pizzeria.
To Jason Feirman, founder of the I Dream of Pizza blog, for his help, and for
suggesting John’s in Elmhurst as a subject.
To Chris Parachini, co-owner of Roberta’s in Bushwick, who said he doesn’t do
interviews, but agreed to do one with me.
To Debbie Jones, manager of Eddie’s Pizza Truck, and Mike Vallario, owner of
Valducci’s, for describing the ins and outs of the not-so-glamorous pizza truck business.
To John Brescia, co-owner of Lombardi’s, for the history of the country’s oldest
pizzeria.
To Mark Bello, founder of Pizza a Casa, for letting me attend his pizza school, and for
introducing me to Bob Alleva at Alleva Dairy.
To Mathieu Palombino, owner of Motorino, for taking the time in a tight schedule to
discuss his West Village pizzeria.
To Shirley Chow, for opening up my eyes to the art and beauty of the lowly pizza
box.
To Greg Barris, co-owner of L’Asso, for describing the joys and heartache of not only
pizza making but also stand-up comedy.
To Rose and Susan Bagali, owners of John’s in Elmhurst, for allowing me to hang out
in their pizzeria all afternoon.
Finally, I’ve sung their praises before and I’m going to sing them again. It’s been
nearly ten years since I’ve worked with the wonderful folks at Rutgers University Press,
and it was a joy to collaborate with them on Pizza City.Thanks first to Marlie Wasserman,
the Press’s director, for saying yes once again. Then Allyson Fields, her assistant;
Marilyn Campbell, the prepress director; Anne Hegeman, the production manager;
Ellen C. Dawson, the book designer and typesetter; and Elizabeth Scarpelli, the sales
and marketing director. A writer is only as good as his copy editor, and India Cooper—
a former New Yorker, she knows from pizza—did a terrific job with the manuscript.
Hopefully it won’t be another ten years before we all meet again.
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