Patsy's Pizzeria

[Felonius]

The NY Pizza thread brought this question to mind. I live near the UWS Patsy's (74th and Columbus) and have had good, but not amazing, pizzas there in the past. Are any of the other locations considered to be significantly better? Which one is the original?

Also, where's the best NY pizza to be had in Manhattan? A trip to DiFara's is a bit far in this weather.

[Jason Perlow]

The NY Pizza thread brought this question to mind.  I live near the UWS Patsy's (74th and Columbus) and have had good, but not amazing, pizzas there in the past.  Are any of the other locations considered to be significantly better?  Which one is the original?

Also, where's the best NY pizza to be had in Manhattan?  A trip to DiFara's is a bit far in this weather.

The Harlem location is the original and the only one worth going to. Thats the location that uses coal fired ovens.

[Felonius]

The Harlem location is the original and the only one worth going to. Thats the location that uses coal fired ovens.

I was under the impression that all Patsy's used coal fired overns. I'll have to check the UWS location next time to see if they are coal fired.

[Fat Guy]

As far as I know, all Patsy's locations other than the East Harlem original use gas-fired brick ovens. Let us know if you learn otherwise.

My understanding is that the owner of the original Patsy's licensed the name to on operator who opened the other Patsy's locations. These newer locations feature full menus (pasta, salads, etc.) as well as pizza that tastes only somewhat similar to the pizza served at the original. At some point, there was a "divorce" and the original Patsy's is no longer connected to the rest of them.

[Felonius]

Thanks for the info.

Now where's the closest place to the UWS that I can get what you'd consider an excellent slice. Anything closer than the original Patsy's?

[Fat Guy]

The closest coal-oven place to the UWS, albeit not all that close, is probably the E. 64th St. branch of John's. Only this one and the Bleecker St. one have coal ovens, I think. John's can be inconsistent, but on a good day it's terrific pizza. Or you could take the subway down to Lombardi's. Or there's Candido's on the UES.

[TrishCT]

This is sooo odd. Two days ago I received the book "New York Food" which I won from E-Gullet's Arthur Schwartz Q & A drawing. (And by the way, thank you very much, E-G!!! )

I've been super busy, so I perused it quickly and just happened to read the section about pizza. It mentioned that none of the noteworthy Manhattan places, including John's, Lombardi's and Patsy's, sell pizza by the slice. I thought this statement might be a mistake because this summer I saw Patsy's selling slices.

Then, yesterday, I got the latest issue of New York magazine, and again I only had time for a very quick perusal, and glanced at an article about NYC pizza and that article also stated that Patsy's, etc... did not sell pizza by the slice.

So, I was just wondering, does anyone know if Patsy's stopped selling pizza by the slice?

[Pan]

As of the time the eGullet Pizza Survey checked out Patsy's, they were selling slices. If that changed, the change must have been pretty recent. Seems like someone should go down there and investigate, or call them . . .

[TrishCT]

This is one that I wish I could personally go down and investigate... as I miss Patsy's thin crust specialty.

[slkinsey]

This might depend on which Patsy's one is talking about. As eGS members in the know are aware, there is a big difference between the real Patsy's in East Harlem and the imposters using the same name. At one point I was told that the other Patsy's restaurants aren't even "branches" in the sense of being under the same ownership and management as the original -- they only licensed the name.

Anyway... the East Harlem Patsy's does serve slices. As far as I know, the imposters do not.

[TrishCT]

Both Mr. Schwartz and New York Magazine are clearly only referring to the Patsy's in East Harlem, because both make mention of the imposters and discredit them.

[hillbill]

The online version of the NY magazine article:

Pizza Got a New Upper Crust.

A new generation of pie-makers is righting the wrongs perpetrated by coal-oven complacency.

Like the fashion world, the New York pizza business is a cyclical beast. ....

Sure enough, 2004 may go down as the most exciting year for pizza purists since Gennaro Lombardi first plucked a hot pie out of his coal oven. ....

And just in time: With notable exceptions, like the Coney Island Totonno’s and relative newcomer Nick’s, the great old New York pizza places—Lombardi’s, John’s, and Patsy’s—have increasingly been caught coasting on their bloated reputations and gone-haywire Zagat ratings.

Edited December 15, 2004 by hillbill (log)

[zeitoun]

This might depend on which Patsy's one is talking about.  As eGS members in the know are aware, there is a big difference between the real Patsy's in East Harlem and the imposters using the same name.  At one point I was told that the other Patsy's restaurants aren't even "branches" in the sense of being under the same ownership and management as the original -- they only licensed the name.

Anyway... the East Harlem Patsy's does serve slices.  As far as I know, the imposters do not.

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I had two slices last monday...at the real Patsy's in E. Harlem. Whenever I go there, I am always amazed to see the take out corner being swamped with customers ordering both pies and slices to go, while the sit down facility adjacent to it is almost always empty. Patsy's is essentially a take out place and as so, makes a living selling slices.

[slkinsey]

Both Mr. Schwartz and New York Magazine are clearly only referring to the Patsy's in East Harlem, because both make mention of the imposters and discredit them.

This is a shame, then, because it implies either shoddy editing or reportage. Since when has Patsy's East Harlem not served slices?

The online version of the NY magazine article:

. . . Wth notable exceptions, like the Coney Island Totonno’s and relative newcomer Nick’s, the great old New York pizza places—Lombardi’s, John’s, and Patsy’s—have increasingly been caught coasting on their bloated reputations and gone-haywire Zagat ratings.

That they would say that the Coney Island Totonno's is still going strong while Patsy's East Harlem is coasting into decline is, in my opinion, patently ridiculous. Or, if it is true, then Patsy's East Harlem must have really been a lot better than Totonno's back in the day to be in decline and yet still so much better today.

No argument from me with respect to Lombardi's and John's.

[TrishCT]

I don't have access today to the Schwartz book or my New York magazine (which I believe has more info than the online article.) I'll post the verbatim statements from the book/article tomorrow.

[TrishCT]

Here is the relevant info, which, based on the above reports now appears to be in error:

After discussing Patsy's, Lombardi's, John's, Totonno's and Grimaldi's, Arthur Schwartz, in New York Food, p. 166, writes- "As fabulous and authentic as all these New York pizzerias are (or aren't), none of them serves pizza by the slice, which is another New York City contribution to the world of pizza."

And in New York magazine, after stating that Lombardi's, John's and Patsy's are coasting on their "bloated reputations," the article states that the slice scene is in bad shape with the closing of Joe's and that nostalgia addicts have to hoof it out to DiFara's where Dom "almost singlehandedly upholds the tradition." Sullivan Street Bakery gets a nod for serving slices too, but Patsy's, which is probably too busy dealing with its bloating reputation, isn't mentioned.

[ned]

  At one point I was told that the other Patsy's restaurants aren't even "branches" in the sense of being under the same ownership and management as the original -- they only licensed the name.

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A few months ago I asked one of the older fellows working in the dining room at Patsy's E Harlem about this. He told me they had sold the name to the Manahttan Patsy's chain (I assume that's the same as licensing it).

Edited December 16, 2004 by ned (log)

[TrishCT]

This summer, a very unusual thing happened to me, I ate at both the Patsy's in East Harlem and the Patsy's near Bloomingdale's on the same day. I can't even begin to describe how pleasant our lunch was at the East Harlem Patsy's. Not only was the pizza excellent, but the service was incredible, and that is not somethying I say lightly. They not only serve pizza, but they have a full line of other italian dishes as well. A small chalkboard announced that they had a roast chicken dinner on special that evening.

And the Patsy's near Bloomies...Blech! Although the sauce and cheese were similar to the original's, the crust on the pizza was crisp and crunchy and just ruined it really...nothing special, not in the same league as the original Patsy's. Their menu was very limited and there were no blacboard specials and no roast chicken. Their menu however, had the whole original Patsy's story on it and they pretty much are calling themselves Patsy's offspring.

[slkinsey]

. . . Patsy's, which is probably too busy dealing with its bloating reputation, isn't mentioned.

Bloating is how I would describe what I do to myself every time I go to Patsy's.

[Varmint]

Seeing I was craving a Patsy's pie last night, and explaining how wonderful it is to Mrs. Varmint, I need only ask, why would anyone want anything less than a full pie???

[TrishCT]

Seeing I was craving a Patsy's pie last night, and explaining how wonderful it is to Mrs. Varmint, I need only ask, why would anyone want anything less than a full pie???

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--You get a slice on your way out, AFTER eating a pie.

[Pan]

A friend and I went to Patsy's East Harlem for lunch today. We shared a mixed salad, a regular pie, and a fresh mozzarella pie, and he drank a beer while I had tap water (too early in the day for alcohol, I thought). I'm not sure whether he was unduly shocked by the $40+ tab, but it was about what I expected. I'm also not sure how impressed he was. As for me, I thought the regular was just as good as the time I went on a Pizza Survey outing. The crust was thin, crisp and almost wafer-like in consistency. The outer edges were perhaps over-charred, but it was a very good crust. The cheese had a nice consistency, too, and I like their tomato sauce, though my friend said not entirely approvingly that it is sweet (he said that about the fresh mozzarella pie). I liked the fresh mozzarella pie but thought it was not as good as the regular, because the cheese had a tougher consistency that made its application only on certain parts of the pie more problematic. The salad is nothing special but I thought it would be a good idea to have some vegetables/roughage with the meal.

Overall, the trip was well worth my while.

[philadining]

Lunch at Patsy's East Harlem.

The pizza was excellent, nice crunchy crust with just the right level of char, sauce was very nice, and it seemed like the perfect amount of cheese. Pepperoni wasn't especially noteworthy, but it was good. Still overall one of the best pizzas I've ever had, probably my favorite crust.

We always used to like getting fresh garlic on the pizzas at Lombardi's, so we decided to order that here too. If I had any complaint about the pizza, it was that the garlic was not all that well distributed, and was a bit overwhelming if one didn't spread it back out.

Also, the restaurant had a rather noticeable pine-cleaner odor that was a bit distracting, but the pizza was so tasty we managed to block it out.

Edited July 4, 2006 by philadining (log)

[Pan]

philadining, I'm glad you made it up to New York for some pizza. Pardon me if you posted on anything else you had in New York and I haven't read it yet, but did you get to try anything else on this visit?

[philadining]

did you get to try anything else on this visit?

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yep!