Great Pizza, Food Network Food and Wine Event & Restaurant choices

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Every year my husband and I head to NY for a chowhound long weekend and this year we are going during the Food Network Food and Wine Festival, which we have tickets to several events. Anyone Else Going?? Haven't seen much talk about it!

However, with all of our trips we have never indulged in NY Pizza. Can NY Chowhounds please give some suggestions for outrageous NY Pizza? We are staying near the West Village but traveling is not a problem.

BTW – Here is our schedule…feedback appreciated! Other places we were thinking about Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwich Shop, Scarpetta, Fatty Crab, Perilla…Price is not concern, however husband will not dress up for lunch or dinner.

Thursday Arrive
Lunch: OPEN
HH: OPEN
9.00 Chelsea After Dark

Friday
Breakfast & Lunch: OPEN
Dinner: CRAFT

Saturday
Breakfast & Lunch: Open
2PM Tour De Beef (meatpacking district)
8PM Mario Batali discussion at Times Centre
Late dinner: OPEN

Sunday
Brunch: OPEN
4 PM Olive Oil and Cheese tasting at Fig & Olive
Dinner: Public’s Sunday Supper

Monday
Breakfast & Lunch: Open

[smokeandapancake]

Pizza-Keste

[kathryn]

Since you're coming in only 2 weeks, you may have missed the window to get into some of the more popular restaurants in NYC unless you're willing to eat late/early, BTW. But that might actually work to your advantage given the schedule you have already.

I'd encourage you to try out some street food while you're here.

Best street food:
http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/33527/
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/653353
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/636263

See also midtownlunch.com and streetvendor.org/vendys for the Vendy awards.

For pizza:
There are a few distinct styles of round pizza found in NYC: New York style (gas-oven), Neopolitan style, and a hybrid style of the two (usually coal oven). And Di Fara is kind of out there, Dom at Di Fara is definitely doing his own thing with the olive oil drizzle and multiple kinds of cheeses and lots of fresh basil. Then to throw another wrench into things, some places are known more for square pies (like Artichoke). Note that lot of famous places like John's of Bleecker, Grimaldi's, and Lombardi's are pies only. John's, Grimaldi's, and Lombardi's are famous, a bit touristy (and most likely suffer from inconsistent oven temperature and oversaucing), and I think some newcomers are kicking their butts lately.

My favorites in Manhattan are:
Co. aka "Company" (pies only, no takeout). Neopolitan-ish style with nouveau toppings, similar to Mozza in LA but less broad/puffy crust. 7-8 pies to chooses from. Very popular. Lunch and dinner. Lunch is much more chill than dinner. However, my last meal there was only OK, I think they are inconsistent.
Patsy's of East Harlem (117th street location only, pies and slices, there is a dining room and takeout area). Coal oven. A NY classic. Their toppings aren't that great but when the crust is good, it's heavenly.
Artichoke (I recommend the square slice only, takeout only). Tasty, they are from Staten Island, but I feel like they are kind of doing their own thing since the crust is VERY thick for NY pizza. DON'T get the artichoke slice or regular slice. Repeat: DON'T get the artichoke or regular slice. Please. And they have no seating or atmosphere to speak of. It's a slice joint, really.
Motorino East Village (they also have a Brooklyn branch) - a lighter, fluffier crust than Company, a little bit easier to get into (I guess because they have two locations), loved their spicy sopressata pie and their basil/garlic/olive oil pies. Nice char. Good toppings. Nice price. A little cramped though. Naples style. Excellent but not traditional NY.

Keste is a competitor to Motorino, lots of people like it, but I haven't tried it yet.

My favorites outside Manhattan are Di Fara and Totonno's Coney Island but Di Fara is extraordinarily popular/chaotic/there is no line system/also no AC to speak of, and Totonno's suffered from a fire earlier this year and are in the process of fixing the place up. In Brooklyn, Lucali is quite highly (I haven't tried yet). Franny's is good but the crust is a bit too thin (though that bianca is GREAT and I love love love their crostino and pastas), and frankly the apps/pastas are better than the pies there. I wasn't impressed by newcomer Veloce either (too heavy/buttery).

When you say "husband does not dress up" does this you expect to be in shorts, sneakers, and t-shirts the whole time? You can certainly stay casual with a polo or button down shirt but non-sneaker shoes, and could then go to places that are a little nicer. Very few spots are jackets required these days but a few do ask no sneakers/no jeans.

Best breakfast and brunch in NY:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/598414

A lot of where you eat for breakfast/brunch depends on whether or not you can stand long lines and what time of day and what day of the week.

> Thursday Arrive
> Lunch:

Where are you staying? What are you looking for? Be sure also to account for if you get delayed along the way, as well.

> HH:
> 9.00 Chelsea After Dark

What is HH? Do you want to be eating somewhere, on the early side, near Chelsea Market? I would try to get an early table at Scarpetta. You can also dine at the bar there.

> Friday
> Breakfast & Lunch: OPEN
> Dinner: CRAFT

I would recommend Shopsin's, Clinton St. Baking Company (lines are too long on weekends), Balthazar, or Locanda Verde for great weekday breakfast. Only the latter two takes reservations.

Research Shopsin's before you go (and don't go if you are picky, have allergies, or can't stand swearing). Shopsin's is closed Mondays so I'd do Shopsin's on Friday and maybe Clinton Street on Monday. Locanda Verde also serves on weekends but since you can reserve, it's less crazy. Balthazar is insane on weekends so I'd reserve ASAP if you want to dine there for brunch.

> Saturday
> Breakfast & Lunch: Open
> 2PM Tour De Beef (meatpacking district
)> 8PM Mario Batali discussion at Times Centre
> Late dinner: OPEN

For breakfast/brunch, I would make a reservation at Five Points or Jane, maybe, or go to Blue Ribbon Bakery (no reservations unless you have 5+ people). Pastis is IN the Meatpacking District, and a decent option as well, especially if the weather is nice (make a reservation).

Options on the west side are probably more convenient on Saturday since you might be pressed for time. BTW, most Manhattan restaurants serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays (usually there's no separate breakfast/lunch service).

Actually a brunch progression of Shopsin's -> Balthazar or Five Points -> Locanda Verde -> Clinton Street Baking Co. sounds pretty good right now.

For your late dinner, are you going to stay in the Times Square area or go elsewhere? What time do you expect to eat? I'd recommend you go downtown for more options.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Thanks for all the Pizza info!!

I pretty much have reservations where we really wanted to try this trip (Craft & Public) anything else I would consider a bonus!

We are staying near the West Village

HH - Happy Hour! (natch) Scarpetta at the Bar sounds nice

My husband always wears a button down shirt, never t-shirts, however he will not wear a tie, Jacket maybe, guess I should have given a little more detail. (He has worn Jackets before to get into certain places) He never wears sneakers, always docksiders. He does dress quite nice, just no tie and jacket (if it can be helped)

Do like Blue Ribbon, forgot about them!

We LOVE the bruch service in NY WAY better than Bermuda!

Apparently the Mario event ends around 9.30 (Time Centre), probably go back down to the village and find somewhere there, late night bar eating make me happy maybe we will just play that evening by ear.

Of course I will report back after!

[kathryn]

Sharp casual, no tie, no jacket, no sneakers will get you into the door of basically everywhere, so no worries.

For Thursday lunch, I'd consider Little Owl. It's cute, neighborhoody, and perpetually mobbed for dinner. So lunch might be a better bet. Lunch is served 12-2pm on weekdays.

For late night eats, there's tons of places, especially around the West Village. You could try walking into Lupa, Otto, Blue Ribbon, Blue Ribbon Bakery... Or maybe you'd feel safer making a reservation? It is Saturday night.

NB: some of the artisanal/Naples style pizza pies serve only until they run out of dough, so it might be worth it to pop in for lunch or early dinner rather than trying later on in the evening.