Well I'm already on record as saying I love Sicilian pie, but I will agree, best pizza is in Brooklyn and LI. I grew up about 10 mins from Umberto's and that was some great great pie. Lived in Bay Ridge back in the mid-80s and that was some crazy good pizza. Yeah, I have no problem with grandma pies at all, I just prefer an original triangle slice. _
The only way I can describe it is it's sort of like a thin crust Sicilian. It's done in a greased pan(cast iron?). Usually the sauce goes on top of the cheese. The sauce itself is also usually pretty simple, kinda like what you would find on a Brooklyn-style brick oven pizza, ie basic crushed San Marzano tomatoes. The consistency of the dough is different from a regular pie and a Sicilian though. I've had facsimiles of it here in Jersey but have yet to find anyone that makes anything close to what you can find on LI...and I've tried many.
It's fantastic- much thinner than Sicilian, less thick cheese, more emphasis on the sauce (but not too saucy) and it also has a bit of garlic in there. I don't really see it in Manhattan too much, it's mainly on LI that I've had it. You should put grandma's pizza on your list of things you have to try.
Yeah, it's a relatively new invention--I don't remember seeing it more than the last 15 years. My kids like it now. It's not anything near Sicilian--it's a very thin crust like a regular pie, just cut square. Think of a round thin crust pizza, square, and cut in squares. _
I forget who said it, but it's true. Pizza is like sex. When it's good, it's really good. And even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. _
In all honesty, if you're not on LI, don't bother. If you do, then check out Umberto's as they're kind of the benchmark when it comes to grandma pies. As a matter of fact, I think they claim to be the creators of it. And I disagree with Stokes saying it's the same as a regular pizza that's just square. When done properly, the crust is very different, a bit greasier due to the oil in the pan it's cooked in, and the sauce is usually on top of the cheese.
Okay, we talking Umberto's in New Hyde Park? I am all over that place. When I'm on LI, which is very fortunately not frequently.
This would be the same Umbertos which brags about its affiliation with a certain football team that didn't play a stones throw away for all those years.
Yeah, I don't order it much and I don't go back to LI other than for weddings and funerals. And if I didn't like the person, I don't even go for the funeral. _
Valid reason, but the pizza really is better there. And yes, as Stokes said, the one in New Hyde Park that caters to the blue ballers. For my taste, there are better places but Umberto's is a solid starting point.
I was going to Umberto's in the early 70s when I was in junior high and high school when there was nothing else around (other than Vincent's in Albertson and The Roma Cafe in Roslyn). I haven't been there since. Have no idea what it is now. _
So hook a brother up. I typically try to time my departure so I'm cruising by Umbertos around lunchtime.
If you're already gonna be around Umberto's, I'm not sure it's worth it to go out of your way to go to the other spots. Like I said, these are places that I like better, but others will swear by Umberto's. But in case you happen to be in or around Port Washington, I like this little hole-in-the-wall called Rosa Pizza, and if you're in Glen Cove I like the grandma at La Famiglia...their other food is very unspectacular though. But in all honesty, I think your best bet is Umberto's as it's probably the most convenient to get to and their other menu items(entrees, pastas, antipasti, etc.) are top notch in case you wanted something else too. Give us an update as to what you think!
