Staten Island Pizza

[NYJewboy]

I keep hearing people proclaim magnificent things about Staten Island's pizza. If the hot tips abound I want to go to try some representative samplings. What are the best places and special items?

[TBird]

i've had a file on my desktop since i moved to ny(2.5 years ago) titled "staten island pizza" with this inside:

Joe & Pat's - 1758 Victory Blvd
Denino's - 524 Port Richmond Ave

i've yet to make it to either, but this weekend sounds like the time!

[NYJewboy]

Thanks TBird. Staten Islanders often sound like the New Haven crowd about how nothing compares to their pizza (I am no better of course with my DiFara obsession). I will try to get out there.

[Flaco]

Start with Deninos... an hour wait sometimes but the bar is a good hang. Cash only. Joe & Pats is good as is a dozen others on the island but only Deninos has that frisson. Very working class and cheap. It's all about the crust.

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Joe & Pat's
1758 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314

Denino's
524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

[clafouti]

I was at a wake in SI last year and when we asked where to grab a bite, we were all but forced by half the people there to go to Deninos. The pizza came out bubbling hot and burned the roof of my mouth but I still think about it all the time. Really good.

[chowdude]

Joe and pats is great too. Maybe a bit pricey. I ask for well done. They use the tight beefy smaller diameter pepperoni and the thin crust pizza is right on. Great sauce. So far so good every time and I care about my pizza. So tell me a better thin crust pizza and dont mention a chain please.

[Tay]

Trattoria Romana on Hylan Blvd makes a very good thin crust pizza,(I recc the eggplant) as does the ORIGINAL Goodfella's also on Hylan.
Especially their vodka pie. With or w/o chicken
Lento's on New Dorp Lane can be hit or miss, but when they hit, the pizza is really good. .

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Lento's
289 New Dorp Ln, Staten Island, NY 10306

Trattoria Romana
1476 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

Goodfella's
1718 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

[TBird]

finally made it to denino's today. we had the "mor"(meatball, onion & ricotta) with extra garlic. the pie looked beautiful! the crust was very thick and chewy which may be a turn-off for alot, but we rolled with that one. all in all it's a decent pie if you live in the hood but FAR from the special trip i made to test the waters. the things i do for you guys...
:-) lol

ps - the beer and wine is CHEAP!!!!!! hiccup

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Denino's
524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

[Flaco]

uh oh... bad news regarding that crust... that's the whole deal there.

[Tay]

I reallly like the whole Denino's 'experience.' The pizza (I'm a Garbage pie fan, myself) is really well made but I agree, if you're a fan of really thin crust, it's not going to be your favorite. The place just gives off a very warm, neighborhood vibe. No one tries to push past anyone else (This IS, after all, Staten Island :-})

[TBird]

it was a definate people watching excursion. i saw mullets even.
:-)
lol

[Tay]

TBird...
It's not called the "Disco" Borough for nothing ...:-}

[TBird]

"TBird...
It's not called the "Disco" Borough for nothing ...:-}"

awesome! just spit coffee all over my screen! lol

[Flaco]

You know the extra room in the very back? We had gone to Deninos maybe 10 times and never were seated back there... we started thinking that maybe it was for the wiseguys or something!

I had a couple of slices recently at Joe & Pats and yes, crust was thinner... but better? Nah. Good though.

[Tay]

Flaco
'They' go elsewhere for pizza but if I told you where, I'd have to... Well, you know ..:-}

[NYJewboy]

Pizza is the perfect gustatorial answer for economic hard times. If I had the money I would fly tommorrow to Bologna. I don't. So I am going to get a slice, and it is going to be amazing because this is New York City, and pizza is still something that we have. Glory.

[comestible]

I've lived on SI for, yikes, about 30 years, but haven't fully explored the pizza scene. When I first moved here, I lived close to Joe & Pat's, but to be honest, I can't remember that it was all that exciting. Denino's is the one everyone talks about, but I rarely get over to that neighborhood somehow. Somewhere on this board, there are other Island pizzerias recommended.

Goodfella's has its adherents, but of course it is a chain.

Frankly, these days I'm grateful most pizzerias make a great side dish: sauteed spinach with garlic. It's a whopping portion for about $4.50, tasty, and more nutritious than pizza. But I still like a slice of great pizza now and then. :)

[Tay]

The original Goodfella's on Hylan Blvd has pretty good pizza, as does Denino's (Get a "Garbage Pie" ) Trattoria Romana,on Hylan Blvd (Great eggplant pie) and, surprisingly, Lento's on New Dorp Lane.(inventors of the Vodka Pie) Pasticceria Bruno on Hylan Blvd. and Justino's on Guyon Ave. (Well done Grandma pie) Inost of these places you have to commit to a pie, but some of them make personal size pies.

http://www.whereyoueat.com/NY/StatenIsland/10305/DineIn/Pasticceria-Bruno.html
http://www.whereyoueat.com/NY/StatenIsland/10306/DineIn/Lentos.html

http://www.whereyoueat.com/NY/StatenIsland/10314/Both/JoePats.html
http://www.whereyoueat.com/NY/StatenI...

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Denino's
524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

Lento's
289 New Dorp Ln, Staten Island, NY 10306

Pasticceria Bruno
1650 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

Justino's
89 Guyon Ave, Staten Island, NY 10306

Trattoria Romana
1476 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

Goodfella's
1718 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

[MShapiro]

Is Lento's in New Dorp related to the old Lento's in Bay Ridge?

[Tay]

MShapiro
Yup... One of the same owners. But it's an entirely different dining experience. They serve tasty pizza, and very good quality food, but don't expect to find that cracker-like crust pizza served on those upside down heavy trays by Waiters older than dirt, or that DOM bar atmosphere. Unfortunately, THAT they couldn't shlep over the bridge. . :-}

[knulp]

nucci's on forest and denino's are my favorites. joe and pat's are ok but i don't think they make it with love.

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Joe & Pat's
1758 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314

Denino's
524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

Nucci's
616 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310

[Tay]

I'd like to correct my posting of 2/14 at 1:15am.

Goodfella's NOT Lento's invented the Vodka Pie.

[desantmj]

Denino's is where it's at. The sausage pie is killer, as are the white pie, and the broccoli rabe. Get some fried calamari to start. If you have a small group, grab a table by the bar to avoid the wait. Like most of the better pizza places on the island: no slices.

[lludra]

Denino's great pizza...packed every night though..................and nunzio's on hylan blvd midland beach area. both great

[Tay]

Denino's... Great.... Nunzio's?... Not so much.

[Flaco]

Starving today after shopping with my suegra I stopped at Brothers right there at Port Richmond and Forest. We had a couple of Grandma squares and even she was impressed... this place does seem to have it's own very blue collar following.

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Brother's Pizzeria
750 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

[Tay]

Flaco
I've had some very decent pizza from there. It just needed a bit more parm cheese. I'm more of a Denino's fan, but that's just a matter of personal taste. There are lots of decent slices around.

[Flaco]

Yeah Deninos has that amazing consistency of the crust. They also upgraded their basic salad which I think is mandatory at my age when having pizza for dinner. Now tell me, is there anywhere on the island where I can get a small pie with arugula (rocket) throw on top? You know, kill two birds with one pie?

[Tay]

Flaco...lol!
You speak your own language: AKA: "FlacoSpeak"..I'm assuming you want pizza with arugula, correct? I'd recc you try Trattoria Romana. Their food is good, esp their pasta dishes and they make very nice specialty pizza's. I happen to like their eggpplant pizza, but I'm reasonably sure any topping on their very good basic pie would be delicious. Be forewarned: It's a restaurant, not a pizzaria,and it's very popular/crowded, especially on the weekends. Here's their site. If you go, I'd love to read a post RE: Your experience, Good, bad or ugly:-}

http://www.trattoriaromana.com/index....

[irvingk]

Tay
I agree with you 100% about Trattoria Romano. Delicious pizza and pasta dishes. Also everything else is very good.

[Tay]

irrviingk
Thank you. I agree. They have very good food in general. My only complaint is that with the crowds on weekends, the noise levels can be off the charts. We were going to go last night, but the thought of the weekend crowds made us decide to opt for a more traditional, less noisy" red sauce" dinner kind of place.The food was surprisingly good. We ordered 3 appetizers for 4 people and they were HUGE! Mozzarella en carozza, eggplant rollatini and a gigantic platter of deliciously tender , non greasy, calamari. On weekends they serve complimentary bruschetta, so between that and the appetizers, we basically ended up taking our entree's home . We'll save Trattoria Romana for a week night visit. :-}

[verrazanohound]

I truly believe that Staten Island is underrated where Pizza is concerned. To me, Staten Island at this point in time is very much like the Bronx and Brooklyn was thirty years ago when you had a number of very good pizzeria/pizza restaurants around. Here are my choices for pizza definitely worth tasting on the Island :

1. LEE'S TAVERN - Dongan Hills 2. DENINO'S - Port Richmond 3. CIRO'S - Huguenot 4. NUNZIO'S - Hylan Blvd. 5. JOE & PAT'S - Manor Rd. 6. KINGS - Victory Blvd. 7. JIMMY MAXX - Watchogue Rd. 8. PRIMO - Richmond Rd. 9. CAFE LUNA - Hylan Blvd. 10. VALDUCCI (Sicilian) - Amboy Rd. 11. GENNARO'S (Fried Calzone) - New Dorp

I hope you'll have a chance to sample some of them. Enjoy !

[Tay]

ver
I love Denino's and I like Joe&Pat's and Cafe Luna's (Though the place is too loud) Nunzio's used to be decent, but IMO not very good anymore.and I think Valducci's advertising is better than their pizza.:-} I've never been to Ciro's, or Lee's and I've never heard of Jimmy Maxx., Primo or King's. I had dinner at Gennaro's last night.I didn't have it last night but I agree: Gennaro's fried calzones (mushroom for me) are lethally delicious. I also recc their Fried Calamari.The portions are HUGE and last night,it was extremely tender..
I'm planning on trying Lee's and Ciro's. If I run into them, I'll try the rest.
Thanks for the reccs. :-}

[Bella123456]

I have to agree with Verrazanohond's 1st 7 places (i havent been to the rest). I would also add Trattoria Romana, the pizza there is phenomenal!! If you are looking for quick take out pizza, I highly recommend Pazza Pizza on Manor Road right near A&C, it doesnt loook like it but this place has some great pizza!! If you are looking for a fattening way to finish dinner, try the oreo zeppoles

[pdc2007]

Another vote for Lee's Tavern here. It's right by the Dongan Hills train station so if you choose not to drive to SI and take the ferry instead you can hop on the SIR (don't be afraid, it's the same 2 bucks as the subway and a free transfer if you took the subway to the ferry in Manhattan) and ride about 12 minutes. There's no sign, it just looks like a corner bar. You can eat in or take it to go, they don't deliver because they don't have to. Locals are willing to order and pick up. It's that good.

Caveat: if thin crust is not your thing, then you'll hate it.

[Flaco]

Went to Chucks tonight that just opened at Victory and Cebra... the Albanian/Sri Lankan neighborhood. Had a good pie... not the best but very respectable. Place has an Albanian spin which I'm open to... they offer a "smoked pie" which I'll have to try. Very nice inside.

Lee's and Trattoria Romano are next on my list.

[Tay]

Flaco
You find the most interesting places!. I'm curious as to what a 'smoked' pie will be. Maye smoked Mozz?.. You'll have to let us know...
As for Lee's and Trattoria R... I'll be interested to see what you think. I have a thing for their eggplant pie, but most people just like the regular pie.
If you get up that way, try to see if you have room to try a Goodfella's (The original Goodfella's on Hylan near Seaview Ave) Vodka pie. It's not for every taste, but it's somehow very....Uhhh... Comforting. They also make an interesting cold antipasto
. http://www.goodfellas.com/menu_pdf/Hy...

[Flaco]

Thanks for the tips Tay... regarding Chucks, the "smoked pie" refers to the meat they put on it... most likely Qevapa sausage and/or another smoked meat. They also offer Burek which is a pastry stuffed with meat, cheese, spinach, potatoes etc and Grosh Bean soup. Tastes of home I reckon...

[comestible]

Was surprised to see the sign announcing a new pizzeria there (you can't have too many pizzerias at one intersection in SI, it seems). But the Albanian spin should make it worthwhile.

Chuck's is only the newest Albanian pizza place, there's at least one other around here (I live not far from Victory/Cebra). I must try the burek (heard about ti but haven't tried).

I like Trattoria Romana as well; haven't tried Lee's yet.

[grampart]

Here's a link to an article on Slice.com that includes a few of those mentioned here.
http://slice.seriouseats.com/tags/Sta...

[Tay]

grampart
Thanks!

[comestible]

Finally got a takeout pie from Denino's last night. Very nice. Crust pleasantly charred underneath, with a chewier texture above that melded very nicely with the cheese, which was not excessive. Mushrooms and garlic were the other add-ons, just fine.

[Tay]

Ok...
Next time try the, "Garbage pie"
:-}

[comestible]

OK, terminology time. I guess it's mostly because I'm not a native New Yorker, but what IS a "garbage pie?" What is a "grandma pie?" I hadn't heard of these before coming to NYC.

Of course, if either of those contains meat, it's not for me...I'm vegetarain. But I'm curious what they are.

[Flaco]

Grandma is for you my veggie friend... relatively thin crust square beauty with fresh mozzarella and basil... garbage pie means "the works". Sicilian is a square pie with a thick chewy crust... me no like.

[Tay]

Excellent descriptions, You might just want to mention that the Grandma Pie is also a "red sauce" pie, lest anyone think it's a non sauce, or a 'white pie' version.

[Flaco]

Okay did Lee's Tavern tonight and unless you're a local with some "enchufe" I would stay away during any rush times... like Friday early evening. At Deninos you have to wait, but once sitted the pies come flying out. Lee's does not have the oven capacity to handle rushes and too much priority was going to take out. That said, this is a very good pie with a nice thin crust and I really enjoyed the hot pepper and sausage toppings. When entering, I suggest waving at some folks at tables so staff thinks you are a regular and maybe have a NYFD sweatshirt on or something.

PS: Fried Calamari with pizza is just wrong... a sin even.

[Tay]

"When entering, I suggest waving at some folks at tables so staff thinks you are a regular and maybe have a NYFD sweatshirt on or something"

LOL! That's pretty funny, and a very clever idea. You should also do that when going to Kelly's in Neptune as the patrons are mostly retired firefighters and police. I'd agree that Fri/Sat nights are not the best times to try a new place, especially on SI which, unlike, say B'klyn or Manh, is still much more of a, "Weekdays-in-Weekends-out," kind of Borough.

[Eggsactley]

Tay you just said a mouthful regarding the Staten Island dining scene....most kitchens are overwhelmed by the Fri. and Sat. night volume and of course the food and service suffers.

[Taylor.Watson]

1. Denino's. Awesome pizza, nice restaurant, great place. In Crust We Trust!
2. Nunzio's. Right up there with Denino's. The best slice place in SI.
3. Joe and Pat's. Very good thin pizza.
4. Brother's. Gotta get the Grandma slice there. It's quite good. In fact, I should probably rank it ahead of Joe and Pat's.

[Tay]

I just don't understand the high praise given to Nunzio's. Perhaps long ago and far away, their pizza was something special, but now it's no better than a gazillion other 'pizza joints' throughout the City. I'd definitely place the pizza at both The Original Goodfells'a and Trattoria Romana, both on Hylan Blvd, way above Nunzio's.

[Peter Cherches]

I was underwhelmed by Denino's and blown away by Joe & Pat's. Also did Nunzio's in the same day, with a few fellow Chowhounds:

http://petercherches.blogspot.com/200...

[Tay]

Peter
Thank you for the link to your SI pizza adventure. Although I absolutely disagree that, " Staten Island is the culinary bottom of the barrel", I found your review fun to read. It reminded me that pizza, like faith, is a deeply personal matter. :-} What floats one person's boat, is the kill shot to another's. I'd have to agree with you about Egger's. I didn't even think they were still in business. Sedutto's is dismal as well. The place to go for ice cream is LaRocca's, a littlebit of a place on Midland Ave. only a few blocks from the beach. Aside from creamy soft serve, they feature about 150 (Not a typo) flavors of homemade 'Italian' ices. Some of their flavors make the trip from whimsical to, well....Out there, but that's part of the fun. They also serve basic standard pizza, Not on anyone's favorites list, but nothing beats the salty tang of a slice, followed by the creamy sweetness of a swirl of soft serve or the astringent pop of a cup of ices.You'll have to pay another visit. :-}
http://www.laroccasitalianices.com/

[NYJewboy]

Hello, OP here. I tried 1 place because I hd to be in SI for work. I tried Joe & Pat's. Good solid fare. I enjoyed it. Not too doughy or undercooked and had decent respectable cheese (a blend maybe?). These are my pet peeves about pizza in general. Again, I liked what I ate. However, it certainly was not to the level of DiFara or even Lucali's. But then again, it was better than 99% of the pizza in this country. I will say that I probably liked it better than some of the less stellar pies I have had a Uno. See, I saved $20!

[Tay]

See?... We have some good pizza. :-}
I agree with you. I don't think anyone would compare it to DiFara's, but if you factor in the lack of chaos, line cutters, etc, you can see why it's a better alternative for those unwilling to put up with the hoopla that goes with the DiFara "Experience"

[grampart]

Here's a new link for you S.I. pizza hounds.
http://tinyurl.com/5hcjtm

[discomommy]

Ciros' on huguenot Avenue is consistnely AWESOME! perfect thin crust-great service.. ALso the BEST fried calamri on Staten Island..I have given Denino's a few shots, never could get the hype over this place, Ciro's , which i belive is owned by Joe and Pats, blows it away

[Tay]

I've never tried Ciro's but a couple of other people have had positive things to say about their pizza so I think I'll put it on my "Pizza List" Thanks! :-}

[Flaco]

Had a bad Grandma pie at Chuck's last night... it's burek or bust I guess. Damn.

[Tay]

I' thought you liked the pizza at Chuck's, although I am automatically suspicious of any places that serves pizza being called "Chuck's" :-} I had a pretty good pie at Trattoria Romana last week and a really good takeout Grandma Pie from a little pizzaria called Justino's on Guyon Ave. I've had theirs before. nice light thinnish, crispy crust. Just have to ask for it well done and with extra cheese.

[mistercaz]

I would try GOODFELLAS
which is 1718 Hyland Boulevard, S.I.
718-987-2422
....although I think they have a 2nd location somewheres else on this island.
They have an Old World style which is very good and one called Smokin Godfellas
which is unlike anything I have had before (in pizza) : sausages/peppers, cream sauce.

Nearby is another place, NUNZIO'S on Hyland. - Basic thin crust NY Pizza but it's very, very good.
There are a few more we will try one of these days.

[comestible]

Has anyone tried pizza from the new (reincarnation of) Pier 76 on Bay Street near the ferry? Articles I've read say they have an affiliation with, or their pizza is similar to, Joe & Pat's.

I went there a couple of weeks ago for lunch, but had pasta. I ordered the one with shiitake mushrooms. I'm glad I asked about how it was sauced because they said it would come with a marinara sauce. At my request, they happily substituted a garlic and oil sauce, much kinder to the delicate shiitakes. Even the waitress said that was a good idea. It was pretty tasty. I think you get your choice of several pasta shapes.

I also wish it were easier around here to get a glass of wine better than the usual, rather generic burgundy, chard or cab.

[comestible]

OK, I've now had pizza twice from Pier 76 and I think it's the best we have in the St. George/Tompkinsville/Stapleton area. I liked the thin, properly done crust. I've had the specialty Veggie pie and Arugula pie. Toppings were tasty and not overloaded (with the exception of the veggie pie, which was a bit much, and I personally don't think broccoli works on pizza). Next time I'm going to try a simpler pie with a couple of standard toppings.

Prices are a bit on the high side, and then they add on tax, so it can be a bit of a splurge. Of course, delivery would call for a tip on top of that....I'm close enough to pick up.

Anyway, the place gets a good review from me!

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Pier 76
76 Bay St, Staten Island, NY 10301

[ElaineC]

There are none so stop looking. I have lived on Staten Island for 5 years now. I came from Dyker Heights. Brooklyn Heights/Caroll Garden, and Bensonhurst and compared to some of those pizzerias the pizza out here is just plain crappy - with a captial C. The food out here on Staten Island is pretty much crappy but I have found a couple of places that I would actually make a repeat visit too.

[comestible]

Wow, really, ElaineC? I've heard Brooklyn pizza can be great, but so great that SI's is "just plain crappy"?? I'd love to hear from others appraising pizza in the two boroughs.

[Tay]

I would strongly disagree with ElaineC. There is excellent pizza to be had throughout the 5 boroughs.. Dyker Hts is hardly a mecca for great food. Perhaps ElaineC just hasn't checked out some previously posted SI reccs.. As for "crappy" choices RE: The quallity of other types of foods available on SI, ElaineC is just plain incorrect. Perhaps conntinued readinig of CH will serve to enlighten. I'd be interested to knowing what restaurants she would deem worthy of a return visit.

[razeup]

I also disagree. While I do prefer the pizza in Brooklyn as well as there being more sheer variety there, Staten Island is right behind and has some great pizza. What pizzerias did you like in those neighborhoods that were that good?

[squid kun]

>The food out here on Staten Island is pretty much crappy but I have found a couple of places that I would actually make a repeat visit to.

Appreciate your perspective. And I'd also love to hear about the couple of pizza places you liked.

[comestible]

Got to say, I gave Joe & Pat's an honest try today, ordering a spinach/mushroom/garlic individual pie, served at table. In my opinion, it was quite ordinary. True, the crust was thin, but there was nothing very interesting about either the crust, sauce or toppings. It didn't "come together" for me -- what I detected was a sort of dried-out effect from the oven. I actually prefer the pies from Pier 76, which has connections to Joe & Pat's, and their pizza menus are similar. For the record, I'm a fan of Lee's Tavern, Trattoria Romana -- and Salvatore's is excellent when they control the char on the crust,.

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Joe & Pat's
1758 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314

Lee's Tavern
60 Hancock St, Staten Island, NY 10305

Trattoria Romana
1476 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305

Pier 76
76 Bay St, Staten Island, NY 10301

[janie]

was in staten island on wed, husband wanted to try pizza at Nunzio's--sat in such cute little dining area, (spotless clean)--had 2 slices, excellent--thin crust, and cheese tasted good quality--other things around us looked good too....the front entrance where just counter is, is out of some other time...intense!

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Nunzio's
2155 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10306

[Mike R.]

Nunzio's dining room underwent a vast ultra-modernization some years back - glad I experienced it when it had the red-checked tablecloths and ticky-tackyness. That said, it's good to hear the pizza has held up.