Suggestions?

Have a spot in the 5 boroughs you think I should hit up? Comment here and I'll be sure to add it to my list. Thanks!

It Means White House - Casabianca (57th Street 10th Ave)

Sometimes, even in the city that never sleeps it's hard to find a good slice of pizza. Not because they're not out there but because they, the pizza hiders like to hide themselves in some random places. In this case, they are the folks at Casabianca. I don't know much about the rent situation in NYC but I am certain it's so ridiculous that you need to be creative with where you place your eateries. It's probably why I don't have an eatery to call my own where I can serve you some of the finest treats my hands and mind can create.

Did you know Casabianca means white house? That's an Italian thing. Did you know "Paint the White House Black" was a song by George Clinton f. Ice Cube? Well it is and I own it on a cassette single. Did you also know that Casablanca was a movie from the 1940s and that means White House in Spanish. Lesson over.

If you have the pleasure of finding Casabianca you will simultaneously have the pleasure of finding a truly delicious slice of pizza. Fresh mozzarella, sauce, fresh basil. WOW! Loads of flavor here and the sauce was able to stand out . The crust was just about right and I think this slice is really worth the walk if you are in the area - especially if you consider that Luigi's place I spoke of last week. Are there other options? Sure but this is a really good bet if you're out eatercising on the UWS or in Hell's Kitchen. Just remember if you are walking down 10th you have to make a turn towards the Hudson to find this place.

Rating - 4/5 - Good flavor, good texture. Didn't blow me away but I would recommend their pizza. 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/5BoroFoodGuys 

I Need You! Queens Pizza!!

Greetings fans. I need you, yes YOU to guide me. I'm really curious about a borough I have spent the LEAST amount of time in and admittedly am afraid of. I'm looking for the BEST pizza that Queens has to offer. Not your average stuff, I want the best from LIC to LI, Glendale to Garden City (I know that's LI but I needed a G, ok?)

Leave a comment with what you think is the BEST Queens has to offer and I am there! And if it's on the LI border, I'll do it and claim it for Queens but don't try to sneak me something on the BK border because I know those boundaries!

Thanks!
DJ

No More Games - Tony's (431A Dekalb Ave - Brooklyn)

Tony's

Word on the street, that street being Dekalb Ave, is that Tony has been rockin' the spot since 1969. He's a one man show, cooking up hot and delicious pizza inside his tiny pizza joint that's big enough to hold a handful of people at most, including Tony on his side of the counter. You want no frills, this is no frills. But do not mistake no frills for no good because that's just silly, you silly goose.

Red Drink

A staple in the BK pizza scene is not the crunchy, thin crust I've raved about. It's not the delicious sauce. For me, it's actually the machine you see at right. This is not a common find outside of Brooklyn and I'm not sure it's truly, fully appreciated by the transplants. There are three things that I want from my pizza spots. Pizza, red drink, and ices. It's a very simple formula that I was spoiled by as a child. Moving away from BK, one thing became strangely obvious, red drink was really hard to come by (same goes for orange and purple but I'm a red fan myself).

That's a damn good slice

Seeing this machine puts me right back to my childhood when, many moons ago, you could get a cup of red and a slice for a buck. At Tony's, that same combo ran my $3.25 and I was not complaining. I visited here right as I finished my slice from Luigi's (the good Luigi's) and I was ready for what I had heard was another good slice. Tony delivered. Hot, fresh, delicious. The sauce really stood out as the flavors really popped when it hit my mouth.

Rating - 5/5 - Red drink and pizza. A big slice that might be good enough to fill you up with a large drink.

Editor's Note - Eatercising at it's finest is taking the train to downtown BK and hitting up Luigi's and Tony's for some great pizza. There's a lot more to do and if I may sneak something non-Pizza your way, it's filled with Nutella and it's from Dough...

The Other Brother - Luigi's (326 Dekalb Ave - Brooklyn)

Sticking with yesterday's theme, I needed to give the plumber in green a shot at redemption. No, I'm not crazy and did NOT return to that Luigi's. Instead, I found my way to the train, found my sister on said train, and hit up BK. Brooklyn, not NYC at large, has a reputation for the BEST pizza your precious pennies can buy. It has that rep because it earned it. It earned it from the most discerning critics you can imagine. It's often emulated but unless you eat some real deal Brooklyn pizza, you know it's rarely duplicated. Please keep in mind that our other Luigi's is NOT related to this Luigi's, things don't work that way thankfully, just ask the folks at Ray's in NYC. In my world, we call this, the build up. Well, we're building up to Luigi's. A tiny, neighborhood spot on Dekalb Ave (near Pratt if that means something to you) that's not much more than a store front. But who needs more? It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood so why not grab one to go and then walk and eat? I call it eatercising.

I was urged to try Luigi's by a longtime friend that calls Luigi's his go-to pizzeria. I gladly obliged and was happy that I did. The slice here is perfect. Thin but not too thin. What does that mean? There's some depth to the dough and it's not razor thin, ready to cave from the weight of the sauce and cheese. Speaking of the sauce, it had flavor and the appropriate consistency. It was thin but not watery. The cheese provided the proper final layer and was melted nicely and not too heavy sitting on top. Unlike the OTHER Luigi's that deserves no more props who had cheese that settled so heavily on top that it laid there like Marv Albert's wig - YES!

This is the Brooklyn I know. Not that I grew up anywhere near there but you can find this perfect pizza by strolling just a couple of blocks from home. I've read some reviews that mentioned "this pizza isn't good cold" and some other nonsense. If you are gauging food that is meant to be eaten hot, (so hot that it will cause the roof of your mouth to blister) on how it tastes when cold, you are an idiot. I say to that fool, get Elio's if you want cold pizza because you surely don't deserve this. This is your basic, not so many frills pizzeria that serves up a perfectly cooked, flavorful slice without a ton of options to overwhelm the user. Want something with pineapples or any exotic toppings, save it for those chains that will satiate your every whim.

Rating - 5/5. It's neighborhood pizza at it's finest and perfect to grab a slice and go for a walk through Pratt's grounds to enjoy the artwork.

Editor's note - Dominic was often "forced" to play as Luigi as a child. We don't feel this had any impact on his psychological development and did not swing his opinion of this pizzeria in any manner.

You're No Mario - Luigi's (West End Ave - 61st St.)

Hello? Is anyone out...Oh hi! Hello there! Thanks for coming by. Before we get started I have something I really need to tell you. I, yes I, am a video game nerd. I'll even go a bit further and tell you that when I see Mario's face on a game, I'm all over it. It's been that way since forever and I'm not gonna change. He's always off on some crazy adventure to save the Princess with his brother and some mushroom men in tow. Luigi? Sidekick, straight up. But he was thrust into the spotlight once to save the Princess. JK, he had to save Mario. I'd be first in line to save my brother if he went missing but a little help is appreciated. After all, Mario always gets the girl and is constantly trying to save her and all Luigi gets to do is go to a ghost infested mansion and save Mario. Speaking of Mario, I've always found it a bit odd that his last name is Mario. Mario Mario just sounds a bit over the top but may be appropriate considering his star status, pun not intended. Luigi Mario seems like a somewhat normal name, maybe his papers got screwed up at Ellis Island, things happen.

You may recall that I recently reviewed a new Pizzeria/Restaurant in Hell's Kitchen called Uncle Mario's. That place is really going to be a contender for that neighborhood's pizza attention and rightfully so. Slightly further uptown and a bit more west is Mario's brother, not really but work with me here, Luigi's. Located on 61st and West End, Luigi's is one of the rare NYC Pizzeria's that has no competition for a long stretch of streets (assuming you stay on West End so don't get cute and walk to 10th or 9th and tell me there's something close because I won't listen.)

Luigi's is really large which leads me to believe they must serve a lot of people or else the space is just wasted. The interior is rather dark and I was thinking that a cock-fight or a numbers ring would be perfectly served in here. Maybe it is and I just don't know it? Maybe I just have a vivid imagination? Maybe, just maybe. Life's like a bowl of maybes covered in a box of chocolates. Chocolate covered maybes.

Speaking of wasted, that's what happened with my time and money. I got a slice, it was really BIG and the $2.50 paid was reasonable considering the size and that is the going rate at most NYC places. I was just hoping to eat something that didn't just look like pizza but maybe tasted like it too. Or at least tasted like pizza that wasn't IDENTICAL to what I ate in public school cafeterias growing up in Brooklyn. The taste was so eerily similar I was immediately transported back without the help of warp zones and large green pipes. Everything about this slice screamed don't eat more than one bite. So I barely did. I got half way through it, decided it was basically as gross as the sausage slice from Sal and Carmine's and had to part ways with it. The sauce was definitely out of a jar. DEFINITELY! I know jar sauce. I loathe jar sauce. I felt betrayed. Mario always saves the Princess, Luigi got to save Mario once, but nothing can save you if you stumble in here looking for a piece of real pizza.

Rating - 0.5/5 - If you are STARVING and have $2.50 and will die without any sustenance, this large slice will feed you and hold you over for a while. It's not inedible, it just tastes like it was not too fresh. The guy behind the counter seemed nice though.

Editor's note - If solely grading the sausage slice at Sal & Carmine's, that would have received the same rating.

Returning To My Roots - Totonno's (Neptune Ave.)

Whoever said you can't go home again lied. They lied right to your pretty little face. They probably lied when they told you they love you or when they complimented that sweater you wore to work last week. I'm not one that looks for reasons as to why the liars lie, I just look to punch their lying mouths until the truth comes out. Why? Because the truth hurts.

So my latest and greatest Brooklyn adventure took me back to where I will always consider home, Coney Island. It was there that my mom was raised and my grandparents and great-grandparents lived when settling in this fine country. No, CI is not nearly the same place it was back in the 50's and 60's but I'm happy to say it's not nearly the dump it was when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's either. The renaissance continues with new rides, interest, and enthusiasm for the south side of BK.

They, above right, used the sauce to the left to make the masterpiece seen to the right.

There are three CI constants for the last 75+ years - Nathan's, the Cyclone, and Totonno's. Totonno's is a really small, unassuming pizzeria located on Neptune Ave near W. 16th. If you're not really looking for it, you may not find it - unless the line is out the door, then you know where to go. Since 1924, Totonno's has been serving up a premier, thin-crust, Margherita style pizza. Everything here is fresh. The sauce is perfection in sauce form.

You owe it to yourself to go here and eat this true NY Legend. Why it's not mentioned more in all the "Best Pizza in NY" talk is beyond me but maybe they should start asking people who know a thing or two about pizza. I've had almost all of the so-called best and this is better than most.

Rating - 5/5 - Maybe there's a hint of nostalgia and pride added in here but there's absolutely nothing bad to say about pizza that is perfectly made, fresh to order, and sold only as a pie. Trust me, even YOU can eat one of these pies. Just wear your sweatpants and go eat it on the boardwalk.

What's Better Than Pizza For Dinner? - Max Brenner

While my affinity for pizza is quite obvious, there are so many options to choose from. I'm reminded of a recent comment from someone in Chicago that said, "There's no way pizza in New York is better than Chicago-style pizza." My reply was simply, "It's a matter of taste but have you ever tried NY style pizza." The response was, "No." And my case was rested.

There's a huge difference, obviously, and to be honest, I'm not about to dive deep (no pun intended, or was it?) into the NY-Chicago pizza feud but I can say that I've traveled across much of this country and everywhere I go there are pizzerias serving "Authentic NY Style Pizza" and I can't say the same for the Chi-town variety.

Where were we? Pizza. Right, yes pizza is something that can be eaten for all three meals - breakfast pizza is an AMAZING way to start the day and it's a natural fit for a quick lunch or easy dinner. But nearly every pizzeria is missing the boat as they're not offering a dessert option for this delectable dish. Until a chocolate man came along. Pizza, meet Max Brenner. Max, meet pizza. If you are not familiar with Max Brenner, he's bald and he <3s chocolate, a lot. It may not be that legible in the above photo but the store's sign says, "Chocolate By The Bald Man." Max has many brilliant, delicious, sweet concoctions but one that really stands out and is ordered each time I go is his Chocolate Chunks Pizza. This dessert icon is served half or whole (half is really for losers so just go full monty) and is described as follows:

Max's double chocolate melting chunks & a choice of: crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter or roasted marshmallows.

They also serve this with "The Works" for an extra dollar. Spend the dollar and do it right. If you are not a choco-holic or you don't generally enjoy dessert, do not go here thinking this man will change your outlook on the subject so don't come crying to me saying "it's too sweet" or "wow it's messy" or "he's really bald." All those topics have been covered. But if you do like chocolate and sweets in general, go here right now and stop sitting around reading this blog but please, tell your friends because sharing is caring and you really can't eat this thing alone.

Rating - 5/5. This is so sweet, messy, and delicious. It's one of the best compliments to any meal I can think of.

Marilu, Where Are You?

Authentic, Italian style pizza? What does that even mean? Have I been lied to all these years? The deception! The betrayal. Why go all the way to Italy, with the flying and the customs and the passports and what have you when you can go to 9th avenue to taste the old world?

Speaking of 9th avenue, if you're loyal to my blogging, I obviously took a stroll down there one day and as I stroll, I eat, as I eat, I blog. The strolling and blogging buys me time to eat more as I drift down the street that is littered with restaurants.

Marilu has a pretty fair amount of tables to go with an abundance of selections. I went for a simple slice and then one of their Italian style slices that had sausage and broccoli rabe - insert fat, italian kid joke here.

The plain slice was pretty much that. Plain. Oh and it was salty. Salty and plain. I didn't care for it much. Even with the crunchy crust and nicely flavored sauce. The saltiness was so overwhelming it just hit me the wrong way. Strangely enough, it seemed like the salt flavor was abundant in the dough but I'm still convinced it was the cheese. It was thin slice, but perhaps a little too thin. Maybe it was thin because summer is coming and it's almost time for bathing suit weather? Maybe I didn't need a burger and three slices with bathing suit weather bearing down on us...

Fortunately once slice can never fill me up and I opted for the piece with sausage and rabe. This is worth the trip to Marilu. There were so many options with these old world style pieces and each one looked like. The thinly sliced sausage was very flavorful and the bitterness of the broccoli rabe are always a perfect medley. The thin, crunchy crust is enhanced by the rabe n sausage. This was something very special.

Did I mention that the guy at the counter bore a resemblance to Quentin Tarantino? That is worth something in a Quentin Tarantino look-alike contest for sure.

Rating - 4.25/5 - Plain slice left a little to be desired. The other option really won me over and makes it worth a second and probably a third visit.

They are located at 791 9th Ave (between 52nd St & 53rd St)