It's hard to believe that I would have anything more to say about pizza considering the breath and depth of the previous pizza post, but I do.
Last Sunday, N. and I went with our friends to Lucali over in Carroll Gardens. The owner/pizzailio was influenced by Dom at DiFara. Well, the influence is in the pies. Three or four cheeses, thin crust, fresh herbs. In terms of the ambiance, Lucali couldn't be more different. It's low-key but charming and has waiter service, which is kind of nice considering getting a pie at DiFara's is a waiting game. We did get to Lucali about fifteen minutes before they opened, which is key, but once we got seated the wait wasn't bad at all. All they have are pies and calzones; the toppings change depending on the day. We got a plain pie with basil, which was very similar in its tastiness to DiFara's. If DiFara does anything better, it's probably only that the pies are a little hotter. But that's pretty minor. Four of us shared a pie and a calzone. The calzone was truly amazing. I know, calzones got gross back in 8th grade. I don't think I've eaten one since then but the one at Lucali is really good. Ours had mushrooms and basil. What's really good about the calzone is that it's light and airy--not like the heavy, oily ones that are just dough filled with processed mozzarella cheese. At Lucali there are several different cheeses and it doesn't make you feel sick or cheesed out afterwards. N. and I would definitely go back to Lucali for the calzone. It's the only place we'd ever eat one.
To top off our pizza eating, N. and I spontaneously shelpped out to Coney Island yesterday and made the pilgrimage to Totonno's. I think we got lucky because there wasn't a wait. In terms of ambiance Totonno's falls somewhere between DiFara's and Lucali. It's on a pretty dingy block, but the place is bright and clean and there are tables with waiter service. The order came very quickly too. N. and I shared a plain small pie. I think that's the way to try a pizza place. Toppings can make things weird. I do have to say that the pepperoni on the pie next to us did look pretty good and I don't even like pepperoni. At first I found the slice disappointing; I even put a little salt on it because marinara sauce tasted a little bland. But after another few slices (they were thin crust and small) I got into it and didn't salt again. Totonno's is good but different from Lucali and DiFara's because the sauce isn't all about the herbs and spices. I also think the slices got better as the cheese and sauce solidified. N. and I left happy and satisfied without feeling too sick or cheesed out.
If I had to give out grades I'd say Lucali gets an A and Totonno's gets an A-.
It's back to the leafy greens this week. Our arteries have been working overtime.
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