Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 12, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Editor's note: From time to time, we will run a feature called "[Insert borough here] Mashup." The goal is to wed two New York food establishments because one offers a really great thing, but an inferior other thing (that the soulmate does better). The two must be in proximity—no more than a five-minute walk away.
Borough: Brooklyn
Mashup: $4 slice [Di Fara] + $2.19 Czech Krusovice beer [Associated]
Locations: Di Fara Pizzeria at 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230 (map) + Associated Supermarket (directly across the street) at 1413 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230 (map).
Why? This is pizza and beer multiplied by infinity. Di Fara's not only has a lax BYOB policy, but is situated in a neighborhood where, thanks to many Orthodox Jews of Eastern European origins, amazing beers are stocked like Bud Lights at the supermarket across the street. Krusovice, with its sweet, almost caramel flavor, is a dark (basically black) beer, that's hardly found in the States. The last time it touched my lips, I was studying in Prague, but I never thought I'd see it on this side of the world. A cold Krusovice with a hot, olive oily, basily Di Fara's slice, is my idea of each food group at its best.
Previously
Manhattan Mashup: Gray's Papaya + Grandaisy Bakery
If you have ideas for any other Mashups in any of the five boroughs, please email nyeditor@seriouseats.com
Posted by Ed Levine, June 6, 2007 at 1:57 PM
On Slice SE Vice-Overlord Adam Kuban reported on the sorry goings-on at New York's favorite sliceria DiFara, via our friends at Eater.
Of course the question is whether he would continue to comply with the health codes once he does reopen. The more I think about it the more I think outside forces cannot influence the outcome of this impending urban tragedy. Dom has his own idiosyncratic way of doing things, and it could be he just can't adapt. Of course as a friend of mine noted, we all would be willing to sign a waiver when we walked in the door at DiFara insulating him from any foodborne illness-related lawsuits. I love the idea of a DiFara Personal Industry Waiver. Maybe we could take up a collection and find Dom new space somewhere brand spanking new, preferably in Serious Eats' neighborhood.
Posted by Ed Levine, October 10, 2006 at 6:53 AM
In honor of Columbus Day I started thinking about meatball heroes. A great meatball hero is hard to find. Most meatballs are leaden and way too dense. They're weighed down with too many breadcrumbs. Most hero rolls are cottony disasters, with no chew to the crust. When you find a good meatball hero it's cause for celebration. But when I tried to come up with a top five meatball heroes list I came up short: I could think of three that I truly loved. They are:
Frankie's Spuntino
Address: 457 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map); 17 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002 (map)
Phone: 718-403-0033, 212-403-0033
Website: frankiesspuntino.com
The gold standard of meat ball parm heroes. The meatballs are light, the mozzarella is fresh, and the bread is Sullivan Street bakery pizza.
Caputo's
Address: 460 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map)
Phone: 718-855-8852
A family-run Italian grocery store with very high standards, Caputo's features Mrs. Caputo's surprisingly light meatballs, made with beef, pork, and veal.
Leo's Latticini
Address: 46-02 104th Street, Corona, NY 11368 (map)
Phone: 718-898-6069
Also known as Mama's, Leo's Latticini only has meatballs on certain days of the week. So call first.
Crosby Connection
Address: 290 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012 (map)
Phone: 212-677-8444
Website: crosbyconnectionnyc.com
The crosby special is a meatball hero with ricotta and mozzarella. It's a little messy and I wish the bread were a little better, but overall the Crosby Connection makes a fine meatball hero. The price is right, as well: $6.
In theory, based on their track record, the following places should be prime territory for meatball heroes:
Esposito's
Address: 357 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map)
Phone: 718-875-6863
The quintessential Brooklyn pork store, Esposito's makes meatballs, fresh mozzarella, has decent bread, and they have pretty high standards.
DiFara
Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230 (map)
Phone: 718-258-1367
I've never had a meatball parm hero at Dom's, but let's face it, the man knows how to cook and he takes great pride in everything he makes. Anybody had a meatball hero at DiFara?
Meatball Hero Emeritus
Corona Heights Pork Store: The Corona Heights Pork Store is closed (I haven't been able to get in touch with the Cappezzas to find out why), but Mary Lou made a meatball parm hero that was as good as an old school hero could be. Her meatballs were clouds, her sauce was loaded with meaty pork flavor, and she used excellent hero rolls from Rose and Joe's Bakery in Astoria.
I'm also thinking that Faicco's on Bleecker St. and Brooklyn must make a really fine meatball hero, but I've never had one there. Any reports? And what about Royal Crown in Brooklyn?
Posted by Ed Levine, August 1, 2006 at 3:29 PM
By popular demand, here's a list of my top ten pizza slices in NYC:
1) DiFara (you all know where it is)
2) Adrienne's (Old Stone St., Wall Street)
3) Patsy's (117th and First Avenue)
4) Joe and Pat's (Staten Island)
5) Nunzio's (Staten Island)
6) Sullivan Street Bakery
7) Sal and Carmine's (102nd and Broadway)
8) Joe's (Carmine Street and Park Slope)
9) Grandma Slices at Maffei (22nd and Sixth)
10) Louie and Ernie's (Bronx)
Anybody beg to differ?
Posted by Ed Levine, March 30, 2006 at 12:40 PM
I find most chicken and/or turkey sausage dry and tasteless. So when I discovered DiPaola's Turkey Sausage at my local greenmarket a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. DiPaola is a local poultry farm located in Trenton, NJ. Its sweet turkey sausage actually tastes like good Italian sausage. It has enough fat in it to keep the turkey meat moist and the right amount of fennel seeds. It tastes great formed into turkey sausage patties, crumbled into pasta sauces (I just brown the sausage and throw it into some Patsy's Marinara Sauce), or served alongside a couple of softly scrambled eggs in the morning.
DiPaola Turkeys, Trenton, NJ Ph: 609-587-9311
At 16 New York greenmarkets, including Union Square on Wednesdays and Fridays; Grand Army Plaza, Fort Greene, Borough Hall and Cortelyou in Brooklyn on Saturdays; Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on Wednesdays; West 97th Street on Fridays; St. George and Historic Richmond Town, Staten Island, on Saturdays; Columbia University on Sundays.
