THE Ultimate Slice

If you know what's good for you, you know NY pizza is unparalleled in its deliciousness and diversity. When do we eat pizza? Let me count the ways. (feel free to contribute some of your own)

1) There is the ubiquitous early morning breakfast pizza - either leftover (I, sadly, rarely come home with leftovers - it's all eaten way before it makes it into cold storage!) or purchased on the street on the way to work. Rational: it is a complete meal! ...starch, veggies, protein, what a way to start the day.

2) The mid-day snack slice: or, the leisure slice. This is the slice that can be eaten anywhere and usually for me, it was on the go. Either heading to work, taking a break from work, or celebrating not being at work. Usually the mid-day slice is one that is easily accessible to whatever your current location is. So, if in the West Village, the slice would be from Bleecker St. Pizza (hot, oven fresh- delicious pizza, awful website) , or maybe Two Boots (if looking for some more sustenance and heavy toppings). When I was living and teaching on the UWS, Sal and Carmines was the destination. Even if it meant trekking up 15 blocks in the slushy snow for a hot salty slice.
On a very sad note: Sal, of Sal and Carmine's passed away last week. Read about it here and here such a loss in the world of artisan pizza makers...

3) Pizza For Dinner: on those nights when you I am either too lazy to cook, to hot to cook, to far from a kitchen to cook, too poor to eat for more than $5. That is when pizza for dinner comes to play. Usually pizza for dinner is 2 slices and some beer (real or root). Ordering from where ever is closest. Amazing hot pies from Sal and Carmines or moderately decent Cafe Viva Pizza back in the olden days of the UWS. Joes of Bleeker or the red vinyl booths and glass boots of Two Boots, Park Slope.

So the gist of the blog is really to tell you all about the best pizza in the world. And that is at Di Fara's on Ave. J.
I know I am slow to the game. I know I am about 10 years behind the pizza times and I also know that you told me so many times over. Oh well. Better late than never, right??


Yes, I've read the new Newsweek's (trying to hard to be a less fluffy weekly) short editorial piece about NY slices. The writer mentioned some key pizza masters and laments the imminent death of the pizza masters who are not passing down their legacies to the next generation. For a wonderful NYC pizza article, check out this wonderful photo journal on The Eaten Path)



Hot, salty, crispy, delectable everything. Crust, sauce, cheese, fresh herbs cut to order and sprinkled liberally on each slice. ahhhh. heaven, if I believed in it, would be a slice of Di Fara's.

If you haven't explored the wonders of Midwood, Bklyn. Head over. In addition to the above magic of Di Fara's (beware the long lines and secret society rules to getting a slice without pissing people off), there is a strange shnitzle bar called Shnizies and an outpost of the Pickle Guys of the LES. Food, glorious food.

Great Pizza in Minnesota?

Ruby has, for as long as I've known her, sung the praises of Jakeeno's Pizza in South Mpls., founded by good old Jack Keegan in 1975. It's a total dive, but the pizza will blow you away! She actually grew up across the street from smells of the pizza shop and Jack would always donate free coupons to her school events. She's tried all kinds of pizza, but claims that Jakeeno's is still the best pizza she's ever had. Is it nostalgia or is Minnesota pizza really something to be reckoned with?

R: You know how NY pizza makers scrimp on their sauce and cheese, right? Well Jakeeno's is known for its generous portion of sweet delicious red sauce, a tangy flavor like no other sauce I have ever sampled, plus a plentiful dose of gooey oozing-hot cheese on a cracker thin crust. The cheese is so gooey that they cut their thin-style pizza in 2x2 squares that you eat with a knife and fork (the "Minnesota way") or just fold in half and stick in your mouth. Today Jakeeno's actually bottles and sells their sauce and Jack's daughters have taken over the biz.

M: I had my doubts. As I tend to. I know I love my pizza and have yet to find a slice worthy of any praise. NY pizza is the real deal. From Sal and Carmine's on Bway /103rd to Bleecker Street Pizza to Di Fara's on Ave. J, Bklyn. Also, slices here are $5?! what kind of a 'cheap' lunch is that? So when Ruby and Char decided that it was time for Jakeeno's, I was ready to take the plunge. It has been almost 3.5 months with no good pizza. What choice did I have??
One word. Delcious. Not NY but damn close. little cute bite sized squares, hot, melts, thin crust, sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Great topping combos. We ordered a half potato/rosemary half spinach, mushroom, ricotta. mmm. Take a look!

Holding out for Springtime and our own Manhattan Skyline

The winter is no time for a vacation in Minneapolis.
We are realizing this fact the hard way. The sun in the sky is not an indicator of a lovely day for a walk. The sunniest days have been the coldest. Though we are trying to get out of the house and have at least one adventure a day, it seems like it's easier to stay put. Sunset at 5:20, dinner at 7. Depressing thoughts.
We left the house yesterday, computer and novels a-tow.
We parked the car on 24th street and as I got out I noticed the house with the flowerbox. Sweet. Still holding out for springtime??
I know I am.



Cross the street to Nicollet. Arrive at Spyhouse. Surly baristas, average coffee, stale food, dirty tables, packed 24/7, strange collection of students, chess playing weird old men, loafers and grimy furniture. Ahhhh... feels like home!! We miss you, NY! Feels like the Tea Lounge on Union St. Brooklyn minus the babies and stroller brigade. The sweet part of the evening was taking pictures of the cafe and realizing how many of the kitchy 50's era art was of the Manhattan skyline! Check it out:

Only in NYC? or so we thought...

A couple of gleanings about the title above:

Only in NYC- Last month, snow still minimal and temperatures still bearable, we found a reputable piece of furniture/trash on the street! An amazing find for those of you who do not know the wonders of living out of other people's refuse but for those of you from NY- this is no big deal and definitely nothing to write home about. We have embraced our little custom built 1950's green leather business chair made by a local company- Fritz-Cross. What a find! We made her feel at home in our mini bedroom on the 2nd floor of 5532 Emerson.

Only in NYC- Today was a beautiful sunny Sunday and Ruby and I were out for our walk around Lake Calhoun. (We are trying very hard to make it a daily activity because otherwise we will too easily slip into that hibernating squirrel mode of eating acorns and watching HBO.) So we are beginning our 3.1 mile walk, getting warmed up, trying not to slip on the icy path. Coming towards us around the bend is a young woman with long hair who appears to be wearing a nude colored ski suit. Or so we thought. As she approached on our left, it was quite evident that she was not only not wearing a nude colored ski suit, she was not wearing anything at all. Bear footed, bear breasted, muff triangle intact, seemingly trance-like in her focus, she marched past us. Hmm. It was as if she was performing the reverse of the hot-coal meditative circus act. We thought, are we in NY? The only reason we knew were were not in NY is because we were only 2 of 4 people on the path who had witnessed the bizarre nude walker. Had we been home, there would have also been tourists with cameras at the ready. It wasn't the nudity that was perturbing - rather the 20 degree weather and the barefootedness that made us shake in our boots. Literally. Minutes later, as we looked back, a Minneapolis police car had made an about-turn and picked up our lady. A couple of runners on the path were finding articles of her clothing and running back with them. Alls well. We hope.
-m&r

DEAR DIARY: Where oh where art thou, NY?

Wow, this is way harder then I thought it would be. I miss NYC so much, it physically hurts. I guess NYC is really in my blood, the intimate relationship with every street, corners where I've met people for the first time, parks where I fell in love. None of that is here. I'm trying to stay positive and find out about all the cool things here in Mpls., but woah winter kind of halts that. Well, at least you can still buy a 3-bedroom house here for under $100,000. And, there are retail store fronts galore with for rent signs. Maybe, I really am a New Yorker? It took leaving for me to finally come to terms. -Ruby

I know what you mean. I miss New York like I miss a dear friend. I too feel like NY is a place like no other. Though it was so easy for us to complain bitterly and endlessly about how much our lives sucked and how terribly annoying our day to day routines were becoming - I think that it has begun to set in that we are really NY girls through and through. I know that there are awesome places out there, great outdoor spaces, lots of giant rat free streets with no urine stained walls and funky smelling people crowding the already over populated street-scapes. I know that no one should have to live check to check, live without insurance ('cause it costs way to much to afford with the $2000 we pay in rent each month), cram themselves into closet sized rooms to save $ and never turn on the heat in the winter if heat is not included in the building costs. It's insane. But there are so many NY moments that will just never survive outside of the 5 borough confines. Those are the things I miss. List to follow. -miya