The New Pizza Pantheon
By Josh Ozersky, Senior Editor, Restaurants
Forget John's, Patsy's, and Grimaldi's: There's a new short list of great New York City pies that includes both legends and upstarts. And they're not resting on their laurels.
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Di Fara Pizzeria
1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY
They come from all over to watch The Master perform his glacially paced ritual in this ancient and untidy Pizza shrine. And he delivers, again and again, the greatest pizza known to man. -
Una Pizza Napoletana
349 E 12th St, New York, NY
Pizza fanatic Anthony Mangieri is as devoted in his way to the art of pizza as Di Fara's Dom De Marco; but this austere, ultra-authentic ode to "true" Naples pizza is a very different type of pie. -
Lucali
575 Henry Street, New York, NY
This Carroll Gardens upstart was conceived in tribute to Di Fara and shares the master's mix of fresh and low-moisture mozzarella, finished with unmelted grana padano, creating a crisp yet lush pizza that has won Brooklyn over. -
Fornino
187 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Another committed pizza project, this one the special province of Williamsburgers. Owner Michael Ayoub is so into making perfect pizzas that he grows his own herbs and vegetables for the pies. -
Luzzo's
211 1st Ave, New York, NY
A masterful, very Italian pie, Luzzo's is a rare hybrid of New York (thanks to its coal oven) and Italy (wood piled atop the coal, in the Napoletana style). -
Vinny Vincenz
231 1st Ave, New York, NY
No pizza pantheon could be complete without a traditional New York slice joint, and Vinny Vincenz, though unassuming, is the best the city has produced in recent years. Aggressive seasoning, good olive oil, and first-class toppings translate to a slice so good you can eat it cold.
