69 7th Ave South 
Sigh. How I longed for Bleeker Street Pizza to be more than what it was. The tiny pizza parlor on the corner of Bleeker Street and 7th Avenue was cramped, dirty, and left much to be desired.
Sigh. How I longed for Bleeker Street Pizza to be more than what it was. The tiny pizza parlor on the corner of Bleeker Street and 7th Avenue was cramped, dirty, and left much to be desired. I ventured out to Bleeker Street Pizza on a snowy evening after learning the Food Network chose them as the "Best Pizza in New York." I ordered a slice of the Grandma (cheese pizza on a Sicilian crust) and was told to come back in 20 minutes when it was ready. 30 minutes later, I returned and was met by hostility by one of the workers behind the counter; he practically threw my slice at me. I brushed it off, figuring he was having a bad day.
I took the slice back to my apartment in order to “enjoy” it away from the hostile workers or the disgusting restaurant (there were crumbs everywhere). Unfortunately, there was no enjoyment to be had. My fresh-from-the-oven pizza was soggy and cold; I had to reheat it. The tomato sauce was sweet, and I would not be surprised if it was canned. The only thing making my slice bearable was the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar I added.
I have had better pizza in the city, and I have had a better Sicilian slice in the city. Bleeker Street Pizza is NOT the best pizza in Manhattan, and the attitudes of the workers were a major deal breaker.
DAMAGE ~ $3
VERDICT: Pass
I'm not sure if you're being fair here. I've had some experience in the pizza industry and a grandma slice is not just cheese pizza on a Sicilian crust, they tend to be made with plum tomatoes instead of regular tomato sauce which can account for the sweetness that you tasted. Also, the cheese is under the sauce and bakes into the crust in a different way than a sicilian slice would. the crust also tends to be thinner and crunchier than your typical sicilian slice.
ReplyDeleteLastly, not only did you show up 10 minutes after they told you when the pizza would be ready, but then you walked in the cold back to your apartment, so of course it wasn't "fresh from the oven hot"! In fact, what did you expect? The thin grandma slice was supposed to retain oven-fresh temperatures for 30 minutes until you found a convenient place to eat it? You should be fair and go back and try a plain neopolitan slice, no oil or vinegar, this is NY, we don't treat our pizza like that here.
I think I was perfectly fair. My opinion is better pizza can be found elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe plum tomatoes (if that's what they used) may have accounted for the sweetness, but what about the slice being cold? I did not take off points for this, despite the fact my apartment is literally five minutes away. The poor review came from the pizza being soggy and flavorless, in addition to the negative attitudes of the workers.
If Bleeker Street Pizza is going to brag about having the best in the city, they need to live up to those standards. Surely if they considered themselves the top, the workers would be proud to work there and happy to serve a slice of their infamous pizza to patrons. Perhaps I am too ideological, but when I know I have the best of something, I want nothing more than to share it with others.
All I'm saying is that Grandma pizza is obviously not what is bringing in the customers since they had to make a pie at your request. Next time, ask the counter guy what the best thing is, if you throw a little respect to those guys, it will usually get you a bigger, hotter slice of the pie! And eat it in the store, those crumbs on the floor are part of the culture.
ReplyDeleteYuck! You mean the culture of mice, rats, and cockroaches who depend on crumbs for a well balanced diet? Then I suppose.
ReplyDeletep.s. They did not make the Grandma pizza for me. It was in the oven when I got there. They simply told me to come back in 20 minutes. I had the second slice of the pie.