This blog was originally about New York....
Now, it's about potentially controversial pizza joints!
“It’s a hell of a towwwwwnnnnn!”
This blog might be a little confusing. I initially started writing this whilst in New York at the beginning of May. It has now transformed into a love letter to Pizza?
Instead of writing two separate pieces, I thought it’d be fun to just keep the two. You’ll read where it shifts, don’t worry!
Last month, I was in New York for “business” and tried to document everything I ate while being there. This was my second time being in New York in the last 5 months, I’m basically a local.
Aiyara Thai
This was the first stop near where I was staying. Just a small local shop with a lot to offer. I got a Thai tea with eggplant and chicken over jasmine rice with a spring roll.
It was good! Simple. Delicious. Did result in heartburn. You win some, you lose some.
Junior’s
Honestly, outside the cheesecake, I don’t really get the hype. I got Matzo Ball Soup, which was good! But, I bet there are other places that do it better.
After this, I kind of stopped keeping count….here’s what I remember!
We stopped at another Thai place with dim sum off of 36th and 8th. I got some chicken steamed buns (mentioned in my last blog). Very good, very comforting.
Later that night, we ate at an Italian spot on 8th Ave that was intimate, gorgeously brick, and candlelit, with artisanal pizzas and homemade pasta.
Very bougie, very expensive.
Unfortunately, I hate to say it. I’ve had better pizza in Texas….and Arkansas?
I’m making the executive decision to derail this post. Stay with me!
One of the best Native New Yorker foods…outside of New York.
The best pizza I have ever had has not been in New York (yet, I think there’s still hope). These are the top three—all of them consumed in the South.
Dough Pizzeria Napolini, San Antonio, TX.
To be transparent, I solely wanted to go because Guy Fieri stopped here on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. He’s the king of Flavor Town and an American icon, I had to try it if I was in the area.
My dad and I stopped here back in 2019, and I still think of this place. Dough Pizzeria Napolini focuses on capturing Southern Italy, starting with Neopolitan-style dough, housemade mozzarella, and a Napoletana oven that can be seen throughout the restaurant. They also had these huge proofing boxes for their pizza dough, like little semolina bunk beds!
some of my favorite dining experiences are open kitchens like Dough Pizzeria Napolini. I’ll spend the entire night watching, no small talk here.
Our menu selections weren’t too shabby. My dad orders anything adjacent to a meat lovers pizza, which in this case had house-made sausage, speck, soppressata, and pancetta. Mine was prosciutto with arugula and this bright vinegarette on top: I would’ve been in heaven if I had liked prosciutto…..or arugula at the time.
That’s bad on my part. Everything else? Top-notch!
Oven & Tap, Bentonville, AR.
This may have been my favorite pizza I’ve ever had. It’s controversial but I do think about this place whenever I want good pizza.
If you google, Oven & Tap, the first thing that shows up is a juicy yet aggrieved news story from 2021 (unfortunately, I will not be digging into that), and a long list of wild reviews (resulting in a 3.4-star rating).
All I can say is I ate here in March 2020, a week before the world shut down. And it was delicious. Upon reflection though, I don’t know if I’ll eat here again…..
Grimaldi’s…the pizza chain.
Okay, here me out, Grimaldi’s was born in Brooklyn! So it’s close enough to a New York slice.
Unfortunately, it is one of my favorites. If you’ve never been to a Grimaldi’s, GO.
Their slice is what I wished the place in New York was like; chewy, stable, flavorful, and just a little bit of crunch.
My family and I would go here as a special treat and would share about 2 pizzas, always with leftovers in hand for the next day. Grimaldi’s aesthetics remind me of what “fine dining in the big city” would feel like as a kid and made me excited to explore bigger cities and try new foods.
When in reality, it was dim lighting, great font choices, and Frank Sinatra playing in the background.
At the end of the day, I think I just love a good, Neopolitan pizza.
If it’s got a leopard-printed crust, I’m a happy camper. I apologize to the court if any of my pizza thoughts were upsetting or simply incorrect.
I look forward to the day where I can find a great, New York slice, but until then, my local Grimaldi’s.
Thanks for reading!
With Love,
Cara