I don’t feel shame in admitting that I have pizza at least twice a week, usually one slice for lunch or maybe two for dinner. I’m not adventurous, though; I only have plain or pepperoni. I have been tempted to have the honey-infused pizza made famous by Paulie Gee in Greenpoint, but I’ll get to that later. I’ve increasingly noticed that pizza palaces around town feature old or traditional signs, or perhaps, in fewer cases, new and groundbreaking signs. I keep meaning to do a feature page, but that would entail a whole lot of footwork, so I’ll just show a few here. Most pizza slices in NYC are quite good, especially if they’re fresh. I favor slightly more sauce than cheese and a thin crust, but I’ll take Sicilian, Detroit and “grandma” as well.
Joe’s Pizza on Bedford Avenue in the heart of Williamsburg features the vinyl lettering in the Italian flag colors of red, white and green. I’m unsure if this is a decades-old sign or a retro sign carefully designed to look old.
I can definitely say that Ace’s Pizza on Driggs near Metropolitan features a new, handlettered and etched glass lettered sign since I wandered in and chatted with the proprietor. The pizza on offer here is thick crust Detroit style.
L’Arte Della Pizza, 5th Avenue near Union, stands out because of its red paint job. Red is usually the province of firehouses and some Irish bars, but I hadn’t seen it used to this degree at a pizzeria.
That brings me to Paulie Gee, which opened a pie place a few years ago on Greenpoint Avenue, with a more recent slice joint at Franklin and Noble. I have passed by twice over the past few months ready to sample, but Paulie Gee has an ironclad takeout-only policy and without outside seating I’m out of luck; unlike Tony Manero, I’m not a walk-and-eat guy. I imagine the policy is due to the Covid Pandemic, but similarly-spaced places allow in-store seating. Places that disallow it drive me nuts.
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8/11/21
8 comments
You can also get Paulie Gee at MSG when going to a Knicks or Rangers game, and I did have the Hellboy Slice when I took it at a Knicks game not that long ago.
Why don’t you get the Paulie Gee pizza and eat it in McCarren park?
Not really close.
Huh?!? What McCarren Park?!? American Playground, aka “Milton St. Park”, is literally across the street, Kevin. There’s no way you could not have noticed it. You could have chowed down on a slice or two there.
I’m with you Kevin. I prefer thin crust and a lot of red sauce. My only complaint is that if there is a Grandma slice, then why not a Grandpa slice as well? I’m joking, of course, but that would be nice to see occasionally. My two grandkids are fond of pizza as well
Veggie Supreme pizzas are the fun way to please your Mom by eating your vegetables. What is a pizza, without the onions, peppers, ‘shrooms, olives (and even sun-dried tomatoes if you want to take it to THAT extreme!), with some basil on it too? And NO, I’m NOT a vegetarian or anything, and I have been known to have a pizza wit’ salzeech, usually of the “hot” kind. but I won’t turn my nose up at the “sweet” kind with the fennel seeds.
They say NY pizza is the best because of they use NY water.Theres actually a pizza parlor in Florida
that claims they use NY water in their pies.I can just see them attach a hose to a faucet and fill a tank,
then drive it down I-95,the water in the tank sloshing back and forth…
That’s bagels…