NYC Pizza Survey

[bergerka]

I don't know what to add about the pizza that hasn't already been posted! Suffice it to say that it was absolutely delicious, all of it, to the extent that even though I became almost painfully full (yes, Joe, you're right, I should've just unbuttoned the damned jeans. Better yet, I shouldn't have chosen a pizza outing to break in a new pair of 'em! ), I found myself unable to stop nibbling.

My favorites were the pepperoni (oh my GOD, that was such good pepperoni), and, upon reflection, the prosciutto/broccoli rabe calzone. At first I thought I preferred the porcini one, which WAS delicious, but the combination of the salty meat, tender, slightly bitter, flavorful rabe and the mix of ricotta and mozzarella with the super tasty crust has stayed with me all afternoon and I suspect it will be that taste I crave when I start feeling the need to return to DiFara's. Which, I expect, will be soon. Very soon. I'd say "now," but I seem to be unable to move from the comfy chair (NOT THE COMFY CHAIR!) and I keep nodding off in mid-type...ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

I can't believe no one has mentioned the ready availability of Aranciata, Limonata and Chinotto (two differnt brands of the latter!). I haven't had Aranciata in MONTHS, and it's such a beautiful thing...goes perfectly with pizza, too.

The company complemented the pizza as spectacularly as did the Aranciata, and I can't wait to do this again.

K, now off to plan the regular exercise program that will once again be a mandatory part of life if that much pizza is going to play a role in her waistline.

[JosephB]

Fabulous reports from Sam, MRX, and Bergerka!

Also, lots of thanks to Sherribabee for being official photographer. Can't wait to see those photos!

I really think that Sam captured what makes Di Fara special. It’s really about one man’s commitment to using quality ingredients to produce the best product that he can. Never have I seen Reggiano-Parmigiano, or freshly cooked artichokes, or porcini in such abundance in a pizza parlor. Dom spreads these ingredients generously on his pizza and calzone, raising the flavor level several notches above the familiar. To be sure, I was swept away by the calzone with broccoli rape, prosciutto, and a velvety combination of ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and Parmigiano.

While the calzone, and the pan-pizza for that matter, are not comparable to the Neapolitan pizza, and will therefore make comparison difficult, they nevertheless stand on their own merit. They rank high, and deserved the wild praise they received.

The gastronomic experience at Di Fara was greatly enhanced by watching Dom operate behind the counter. By my calculations Dom is at least 65 years old, and probably older (He arrived in the US when he was 23, and Di Fara has been in business for 42 years), but he works alone, except for the kid running some prep for him. Throughout the day, Dom methodically turns the dough, spreads the sauce and toppings, slices and grates the cheese as he goes, and works in and out of the oven with the peel (and sometimes with his bare hands). It’s not exactly clear how Dom keeps track of the orders being called out, but everything is seemingly under control. The adoring crowd leans forward to watch, giving quiet reverence to the man behind the counter. It’s a moment to remember, and another reason to return to Di Fara.

[sherribabee]

Here are the pictures. I still feel full.

Edited January 25, 2004 by sherribabee (log)

[sherribabee]

The square pepperoni pizza was my favorite. I didn't know pizza could taste THAT good.

I think I'm spoiled for all future pizza now.

[JosephB]

I never eat pepperoni, but will admit that these pepperoni were delicious.

[Pan]

Great pictures, Sherri!

I do agree with everyone that the plain round pizza was the least interesting of the things we got yesterday, and that it was still pretty damned good. But as for which of the other things were best, I think that's purely a matter of individual taste. And it pays to come back and try different ingredients.

So am I meeting some eGulleteers at DiFara's again next Saturday? How about earlier, like at 1:00 or 1:30? Who wants to come next Saturday, January 31?

[wesza]

The pictures are as good as the Pizza, actually almost nothing has changed since they opened.

I used to live at 777 Foster Avenue and my wifes family lived at east 8th Street and Avenue H nearby. The first time I tried Di Farias was when I was walking my sister in law back from Midwood High School and I think the Menu was even bright yellow then.

Enjoyed the trip down memory lane and definitely covet those of you whom enjoy New Yorks culinary treasures. Is Stern's Bakery still on Avenue J they had very good ruggalah.

Irwin

[Fat Guy]

Some comments, just from listening to the reports:

- It seems to me that tasting a plain cheese pizza after all that other stuff is the equivalent of putting the white wines at the end of a wine tasting. Comments like "least interesting" are bound to occur when you sequence the flavors that way. It might make the most sense always to try plain cheese first.

- Was that calzone a special-order item? I ask because Sam raised an objection to crust-to-filling ratio, yet that comment might not apply to the standard calzone (assuming this one was not something served every day at the establishment).

- Did Dom discuss the exact nature of his cheeses? I believe one of them is buffalo.

- My and Ellen's contribution to this endeavor is going to be that we will lead a trip to New Haven, but not until summer.

[Pan]

- It seems to me that tasting a plain cheese pizza after all that other stuff is the equivalent of putting the white wines at the end of a wine tasting. Comments like "least interesting" are bound to occur when you sequence the flavors that way. It might make the most sense always to try plain cheese first.

I agree, but remember that Dominic makes them in the order he makes them in. I suppose I could have requested the regular pie first, but in fact, he made a couple of mistakes in our order. First, he made a plain square pie when I had requested one with artichokes. A guy waiting for a pie was happy to take that home, so no harm done, and none of us minded waiting longer for the artichoke square pie. But actually, the reason why we didn't have the regular pie until the end is that Dominic asked whether our order was complete when he had finished the rest of the items for us, and I told him there was still the plain regular pie.

- Was that calzone a special-order item?

I guess both of them were kind of special-order items because both the porcini and the broccoli di rabe are special items. I think the artichokes are listed on the menu as a "special item" too. Calzoni themselves aren't special order items, however; they are listed on the regular menu.

I might say that I disagree with Sam on the amount of filling vs. crust. When you have filling as good as the filling of the porcini calzone, it's hard to be excessive.

- Did Dom discuss the exact nature of his cheeses? I believe one of them is buffalo.

I understand that you are correct. They are packages of wet mozzarella cheese packed in plastic and come from his home village near Caserta, if I remember correctly, and I observed him cutting one open, draining the liquid, and then slicing it and putting it on top of the sauce on some of that great pizza dough.

It's hard for me to say what's best about Dominic's pizze and calzoni, but the crust is remarkable in itself, and that's saying a lot.

[Fat Guy]

- Was that calzone a special-order item?

I guess both of them were kind of special-order items because both the porcini and the broccoli di rabe are special items. I think the artichokes are listed on the menu as a "special item" too. Calzoni themselves aren't special order items, however; they are listed on the regular menu.

Sorry for not being clear: I was referring to the size. In the photos, what you got looks like a calzone sized for a group, as opposed to a calzone that one person would typically order. If so, the ratios among the ingredients may have been non-standard.

[slkinsey]

From what I understand, that's the size they make the calzoni at Di Fara. Beautiful, aren't they?

I agree about tasting the round plain pizza first. But, as Pan points out, Dom makes 'em in the order he makes 'em. It was crowded off and on while we were there, and Dom was more or less working constantly (although things had thinned out appreciably by the time he left, so Joe and I were able to chat with him for a few minutes), so I am willing to make great allowances with respect to the order of the pizze. In future trips there, I'll definitely try to make sure we get the plain pizza first.

I should add that I hope my discussion of the few minor flaws with the plain pizza do not convey the impression that I didn't eat it with great enthusiasm.

[jogoode]

From what I understand, that's the size they make the calzoni at Di Fara.  Beautiful, aren't they?

Fuck yeah! (I like the picture where you and Joe are transfixed by the thing.) Great pictures; I really wish I could have come. It'll be frustrating to go to DiFara's and not be able to try all that stuff at once. Please say that you all won't mind another trip to Brooklyn in a few months.

For anyone living in Brooklyn, I just realized that DiFara's is a short drive from almost anywhere in BK with access to the expressway -- less than fifteen minutes from Cobble Hill/Carrol Gardens, etc...

[slkinsey]

From what I understand, that's the size they make the calzoni at Di Fara.  Beautiful, aren't they?

Fuck yeah! (I like the picture where you and Joe are transfixed by the thing.) Great pictures; I really wish I could have come. It'll be frustrating to go to DiFara's and not be able to try all that stuff at once. Please say that you all won't mind another trip to Brooklyn in a few months.

The pictures are awesome, aren't they? I only wish we could have got one of Dom pulling a pizza out of the oven with his bare hands. But the crush around the counter, and the angle and speed at which he works made it pretty much impossible. I love those pics where you can see straight into the oven.

As for another trip to Di Fara in a few months... definitely! JJ, we actually brought home leftovers, much to my dismay. Yes, I am sad to say that my fellow eGluttons were as big letdown. We ordered enough food to feed 18 people, and the 9 of us were only able to finish enough for 17. If you were there, I feel confident that we could have eaten enough for at least 20.

[mjc]

Did you as Dom about where he learned to make pizza?

[JosephB]

As a group, our appetites were definitely worn out a bit by the time the regular pizza arrived. It needs to be revisited. However, I don’t see my opinion about the crust changing, which mirrors Sam’s discussion of the crust.

The mozzarella was from Grande , one of the better commercial producers. We failed to ask whether he used part-skim, whole milk, or 50-50. (Pan, can you please check with him on that next week?) The fresh mozzarella was definitely NOT buffala. It was Grande’s Fior di Latte Ovoline, which was very rich and creamy, with a nice bit of acidity.

I can’t remember the brand of tomatoes Dom used to make the sauce but it’s Italian pomodori passati and comes in jars. I’ve seen the brand at Balducci. I also noticed that there were several boxes of those “on-the-vine” tomatoes in the back. We need to find out if he’s adding the fresh tomatoes to the sauce, or using it for something else.

Unfortunately, it was hard to keep Dom's attention in a conversation and get information. He was distracted by his one-man show.

[Fat Guy]

That's the standard calzone size?

[docsconz]

I am embarrassed to see that even though I grew up in Brooklyn, I never heard of DiFara's pizza until this thread. Man, do I feel deprived! I wish I could be there for these outings. Those pizze and calzones sounded and looked soooo good.

I would add a note about the cheese. caserta is one of the two major mozzarella di bufala producing regions in Campania and Italy. The other is a bit to the south between Battipaglia and Paestum. One big difference between the two areas is that the milk from Caserta is pasteurized before production of the mozzarella, while that of Battipaglia is more requently made with raw milk. Because of this the mozzarelle imported into this country tends to come from the larger producers of Caserta since it follows our import rules and it lasts longer. That being said, I also believe having tried a number of fresh samples of both, that the Battipaglia/Paestum mozzarella is better. The significance of this to this topic is that even though Dom comes from around Caserta (as does my maternal grandfather - my maternal grandmother came from a town near Battipaglia), just the way the pizza is made makes it unlikely that it would be mozzarella (di bufala), since mozzarella has too much moisture and if slow cooked at a lower temperature as his appears to be would make the crust too soggy. The best pizze with mozzarella di bufala is baked quickly in a very hot oven.

[bergerka]

I can’t remember the brand of tomatoes Dom used to make the sauce but it’s Italian pomodori passati and comes in jars. I’ve seen the brand at Balducci. I also noticed that there were several boxes of those “on-the-vine” tomatoes in the back. We need to find out if he’s adding the fresh tomatoes to the sauce, or using it for something else.

Joe - in the article from the NY Times that was right in front of me as we were sitting at the table, it mentioned that part of the reason Di Fara's sauce is so good is that Dom uses a mixture of fresh and canned tomatoes. We should probably confirm this with him, though, no?

and btw, I am in (tentatively) for February 7. I'm waiting to hear about an audition that may be that afternoon, but if not, I'm all for 'za.

K

[slkinsey]

That's the standard calzone size?

As far as I know, yea. Take a look at the menu:

I only see one price for calzone, and it says "large."

To add a bit of data: I just completed the all-important "reheated leftovers" test. Put two pieces of artichoke pizza and one piece of porcini calzone on a cast iron round griddle pan and then into a 350 degree oven for around 15 minutes. The pizza crisped right back up, much better than most leftover pizza which is almost always slightly soggy no matter what you do. The calzone needed another 5 minutes to heat through and was also delicious. Definitely better than run-of-the-mill reheated pizza.

What we really need to do is go out there around 2:00 on a Tuesday or something like that. Then business will be slow, and I bet we could ask him a lot of questions. It's an interesting prospect, because I think he represents a rare level of access to this kind of expertise and he seems happy to talk about it.

[slkinsey]

I am embarrassed to see that even though I grew up in Brooklyn, I never heard of DiFara's pizza until this thread. Man, do I feel deprived! I wish I could be there for these outings.

What's the matter, your car's broken? Come for the next one.

...just the way the pizza is made makes it unlikely that it would be mozzarella (di bufala), since mozzarella has too much moisture and if slow cooked at a lower temperature as his appears to be would make the crust too soggy. The best pizze with mozzarella di bufala is baked quickly in a very hot oven.

It is definitely high-moisture fresh mozzarella but not, as Joe points out, mozzarella di buffala. It is Fior di Latte Ovoline from Grande. Dom uses something like 75% Grande low moisture mozzarella and 25% of the fior di latte fresh mozzarella, then sprinkles on some parmigiano reggiano just before taking it out of the oven. This imparts the richness and freshness of fresh mozzarella without making the pizza soggy. If you take a look at this picture, the white parts are from the fior di latte fresh mozzarella:

[Fat Guy]

Aha. Okay, so ordering a calzone there is like ordering a whole pizza. There's no slice equivalent. Never seen that before. Never even seen it at Di Fara, to which I've been about a dozen times. I'm a keen observer of my surroundings, as you can tell.

[docsconz]

By the way, the photo of the cheese pizza is reminiscent of a true Neapolitan Pizza margherita.

[JosephB]

By the way, the photo of the cheese pizza is reminiscent of a true Neapolitan Pizza margherita.

Is certainly looks like that John, but when you try it you'll agree that it's not the same. Anyway, we have to go back again and give it equal time.

[Pan]

Based on how it tastes, I'm saying that Dom uses full-fat ricotta, but I will try to remember to ask him.

baw, sorry you can't make it next Saturday.

Anyone else coming?

[JosephB]

Based on how it tastes, I'm saying that Dom uses full-fat ricotta, but I will try to remember to ask him.

baw, sorry you can't make it next Saturday.

Anyone else coming?

There's no doubt that the ricotta was whole milk. The open question is whether the regular mozzarella was whole milk. I don't think it was.