DeMarco's Pizzeria

[wannabechef]

I tasted a slice of square and of round pizza at DeMarco's today.  I was pleasantly suprised . . .

Thanks for the report! Have you been to DiFaras? Is there any comparison to be made here?

[snausages2000]

Grabbed a couple slices at DeMarco's on Saturday afternoon.

The restaurant has two entrances: the Houston side looks like your standard neighborhood slice joint and the MacDougal entrance opens into a small, waiter-service, sit-down area plus a full bar (I can't imagine this bar serving much purpose, but who knows).

Tried one square plain ($2.50) and one round plain ($2.50). Both took twenty minutes to arrive, as if to prove the connection to DiFara.

The Sicilian slice was heavily sauced. A couple slabs of cheese on it, but it was mostly about the rich, tangy sauce and the crispy crust.

The round-pie slice was nicely charred - it's so rare to get a crispy slice of pizza in the city

that comes from a fresh pie. The crisp usually comes from reheating.

The cheese wasn't as sharp as on a typical DiFara slice. To me, that's the defining quality at DiFara's, so I hope DeMarco's doesn't hold back on the sharp cheese.

I spoke to one of the owners (not part of the DeMarco family - just a guy "who's been eating DiFara pizza for 30 years") and he said that DiFara's has an extremely hot electric oven that can't be bought anymore. He was saying that they're still working to get the temperatures in their new gas oven to match those at the mothership.

[baw]

I just went to Demarco's again.. this time for a sitdown lunch in the restaurant part. I've been dreaming of the soupy not-so-saucy round slices, and the saucier sqaure slices for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the pizza today. It was good, but nothing I will dream about tonite. We ordered a whole square and a whole round pie. Both pies were served with the same sauce/cheese ratio. The cheese was not at all soupy on the round piece and there was quite a bit of sauce and the crust was crisp. The sauce was tangy and good and the 4 cheeses were very tasty, but I had readied my stomach for the soupy slice. The square pie was half sausage and half garlic. The sauce tasted like it was the same sauce as on the round, and there was a *lot* of cheese on the pizza. The pizza was quite greasy and most of the pieces needed to be eaten with a knife and fork. Quite different than the slice I had before, but still good. Overall, people liked the round pie better . Ive never been to DiFara, so I have no comparison to their pizza. But if I wanted to get a pizza in my 'hood, I would go to Demarco's and get a round pie instead of going to John's, Lombardi's, or any of the other local places Im familiar with.

Has anyone else been there this week? I wonder if they changed they way they are making the pizza, or if there are just inconsistencies because the place is new and different people are making the pizzas.

[wannabechef]

Thanks for the report. One question - is a "soupy" slice considered a good thing?

[Jason Perlow]

Come on, we want to see some photos!

[Pan]

Baw, what do you think of Arturo's pizza?

[weinoo]

Baw, what do you think of Arturo's pizza?

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We ate at Arturo's last night, and the pizza was really excellent, as it has been my last 3 visits...but I have a question.

We ordered 2 small pies to share for 4 people. Do you think they make the small pies starting out with the same amount of dough as the large pies? The reason I ask is because the crust was slightly thicker than the large pies that I've always ordered here. So I'm thinking that they just don't stretch it out as much - is that possible?

[ghostrider]

Perhaps slightly OT, but not worthy of a separate topic either --

I've noticed here & in other threads that folks don't seem to think much of Lombardi's anymore. I haven't been there in 3-4 years, but I thought it was pretty darned good then; the crust was nicely charred & smoky, as I'd expected, & the sauce seemed particularly tangy & flavorful.

Has Lombardi's definitely slipped? Or have they simply been eclipsed by places that have different approaches, are using different ingredients, etc.?

[SethG]

I wasn't fortunate enough to be along for the ride, but eGullet's New York Pizza Survey thought Lombardi's was definitely coasting. Follow the link to read all about it in detail. (The discussion begins at post #199.)

[ghostrider]

Thanks SethG. Great thread.

It does sound like Lombardi's has slipped since I was last there. The guy from the Slice site says pretty much the same thing. Pity.

[Liz B-F]

I ordered delivery from Lombardi's often until recently--it used to be that every pie was reliably delicious...increasingly, the pie arrives with something "off"--less-tasty romano, older basil, acrid olives--I do think the quality has slipped.

[baw]

Pan - I havent eaten at Arturos in sooo long .. I can't remember what I thought of it! From weinoo's comments, i really need to get back there.

Wannabechef - 'soupy' isnt necessarily a good thing :) But had I such a great memory of that first soupy slice from Demarco's that I really wanted another like it.

I agree with the Lombardi's not-so-great sentiments. But I can be convinced to go if I have munchies from after work beer.

I am a bad pizza eater .. I should have taken photos with my new, fun digital camera, but I was embarassed. Ill get some next time! (slightly OT: I tried to eat at Frannys tonight, and they were closed for the holidays :( )

Edited January 10, 2005 by baw (log)

[bpearis]

Slice weighs in with an in-depth report on DeMarco's.

It goes without saying that a DeMarco's slice will never be the same as a Di Fara slice. Dom's pies have been honed against forty years' hard work—seven days a week, with hardly any vacations or holidays. But the DeMarco's slices this weblog had Tuesday night for dinner and yesterday afternoon for lunch were very good approximations of the master's craft.

[Bux]

I passed by DeMarco's the other day thinking about stopping in for a slice, but the chairs were up on the tables in the restaurant and there were guys working on the place in the slice and kitchen section. There was also a sign in the window looking for help -- waiters, pizza maker, etc. No pizza for sale. What gives? It almost looks as if it's changing hands.

[mascarpone]

I stopped by DeMarco today and had a sausage slice and a plain square. It was good, but it was not the same as DiFara. A difference was the speed. I ordered, and as I was the only one there (at around 12:30) I was eating within ten minutes.

As many have pointed out, the difference is Dom. At DiFara, he is the only one who makes the pizza. He has such a long and close relationship with his oven (like fifty years) he knows exactly how long pies should bake for the best result. The quality of the pizza at DeMarco can't approach DiFara because Dom and his oven are not at DeMarco.

Perhaps it would be different if I would have been there later when there would have been a faster turn over; or I should go there with a group and order a whole pie instead of geting reheated slices.

But in my opinion, it will be very difficult for DeMarco to catch DiFara; they are related, yet very different. DiFara is focused, it is ninety-nine percent about pizza and a master is always at the helm, whereas at DeMarco, they do other dishes, there is a nice space, waiters, a bar I think . . .

[little ms foodie]

I had DeMarco's special (cheese and sauce) pizza last week and I thought it was much too greasy and soupy. I had to let it 'set up' a bit and even then had a tough time eating it. There wasn't anything about the pizza that would make me go back or recommend it. It was about 1pm on a Tuesday also and the place was empty.....should have been my first clue.....

[slkinsey]

Yea... I've been a few times, and it doesn't look like DeMarco's is going to pan out as the "Di Fara Manhattan" we all hoped it might be.

If anything, I think this has to do with the fact, as I am led to believe, that the driving force behind Di Fara, Domenico DeMarco, hasn't given much support to his children's venture and hasn't ever made any real effort to transfer his legacy of technique and expertise to his children. You'd think that Dom's children would be so steeped in their father's methods, having made thousands of pizze at his side over the years, that a pizza from their hands would be virtually identical to one from his. But none of these things appears to be the case. I gather from those that are in a better position to know than I that he's actively resisted bringing his kids along in the craft. (I'd welcome any input from those who are in a position to have additional or, hopefully, contradictory information on this.)

Of course, the one lesson taught at Di Fara above all is that you have to have someone who cares about making the best pizza working the oven -- someone with a personal investment. It's possible, I suppose, that the pizza at DeMarco's would be a lot better if Dom's children were actually there making the pizza every day. Last I heard, though, they weren't.

[tcavallo]

Has anyone been back recently? I go whenever I can and I have to say, the round pies are remarkably close these days. I was fortunate enough to get a little info from Dom's daughter when I was there last. It sounds like they finnaly have 2 "pizza guys" who are making the pies consistently now, and Dom's son comes in and does it on the weekends. It's true that Dom hasn't given much support, but the funniest thing I heard was that Dom DID used to let the kids make the pies at DiFara's!!! Up until about 5 years ago when word really got out about the place, he wasn't such a showman. Now since he's "the man," he doesn't let anyone else interfere. Gotta love that.

Anyway, just want to say that everyone should check it out again, if it's slipped your mind.

[JohnL]

Yea... I've been a few times, and it doesn't look like DeMarco's is going to pan out as the "Di Fara Manhattan" we all hoped it might be.

If anything, I think this has to do with the fact, as I am led to believe, that the driving force behind Di Fara, Domenico DeMarco, hasn't given much support to his children's venture and hasn't ever made any real effort to transfer his legacy of technique and expertise to his children.  You'd think that Dom's children would be so steeped in their father's methods, having made thousands of pizze at his side over the years, that a pizza from their hands would be virtually identical to one from his.  But none of these things appears to be the case.  I gather from those that are in a better position to know than I that he's actively resisted bringing his kids along in the craft.  (I'd welcome any input from those who are in a position to have additional or, hopefully, contradictory information on this.)

Of course, the one lesson taught at Di Fara above all is that you have to have someone who cares about making the best pizza working the oven -- someone with a personal investment.  It's possible, I suppose, that the pizza at DeMarco's would be a lot better if Dom's children were actually there making the pizza every day.  Last I heard, though, they weren't.

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I really agree.

Consistency is the result of not just using the same ingredients or technique it is caring deeply about producing the best pie they can every time every pie.

I recently watched a pie being made at my favorite place--one location family owned. The family is always there--the pies are made exactly the same way each time i go and watch--but either the old man or the sons or help--watch the ovens like hawks--constantly moving pies around sometimes just turning them in seemingly precise degrees etc.

I get the feeling that they want these pies to be perfect!

One may prefer other places pizza making methods and ingredients but i am convinced that the key to consistency is care and knowledge/experience and wanting to make the very best pizza one possibly can.

I have seen too many instances of standards falling proportionate to the number of outlets and the distance from the mother shop!

[slkinsey]

According to the NY Post, DeMarco's is probably going to close for good:

The West Houston Street restaurant closed after the March 14 massacre in which employee Alfredo Romero Morales, 33, was shot in the back 15 times.

"I don't think my daughter is going to reopen the restaurant," said Dom De Marco, owner of Di Fara Pizzeria in Brooklyn.

Apparently the restaurant had been on the brink of closure for some time anyway, which doesn't come as too big a surprise to those of us who had followed the place since it's opening. The pizza simply wasn't ever very good, and there was little reason not to walk a few blocks East to Arturos for a better (and cheaper, I'd guess) pizza.