Pizza!

We've been here for over 2 weeks now, so its time to talk about pizza.

Pizza is both ubiquitous and homogenous in NYC, you can get it everywhere, and its always the same. First of all, it is massive - a typical pizza is the size of car tyre, and single slice covers a dinner plate. The base is always very thin, and the toppings are simple. 

Given its sheer size, the best way to devour a slice is to fold it longways which increases the rigidity of the slice, and thus prevents bending and potential loss of toppings. 

One of the best known pizzerias in the city is Grimaldi's in dumbo (it featured on Aus Masterchef a few seasons ago). It is so well known that there usually is a huge line of tourists waiting to get, which doesn't appeal to me. Luckily, Nic did some research, and next door is Juliana's Pizza. It turns out that the original Grimaldi family sold the business and the name a while back, then got itchy feet and decided to get back into the pizza business and opened up next door!

We ordered a large special no. 1 - mozzarella, scamorza, pancetta, spring onions and while truffle. Very simple flavours, with the thin base not dominating the toppings. We had a side salad which balanced the richness and saltiness of the pizza. The pizzas are made in a huge coal fired brick oven, set at the back of the restaurant in view of all the tables. 

While this place was a bit more expensive, pizza is typically very cheap - a slice is only a few bucks - and given the size you would struggle to eat more than 2 at a sitting. However I have a theory that the price of pizza increases, and quality of the pizza deteriorates the closer you get to Times Square, due to the naivety of tourists and the unscrupulousness of the food vendors in the touristy areas. The best bet is to steer clear of the tourist hotspots, and you can't go wrong.  

Nic risking a shirt full of pizza by not using my folding technique.