Waiting for the - slow-as-a-snail - bus to take me down Steinway to a pizza shop - raved about by my friend Michael - began to ask - "am I crazy doing this" ... "its just a slice of pizza" ..."maybe the bus not coming is a message"..."go for it !!!" -
The bus came - I overshot Rizzo's - walked back - into the ultra clean - surprisingly fresh - pizza shop - ordered a piece of Sicilian (per Michael's instructions) - lusted for a slice covered with BBQ chicken - (Americana - grilled chicken - sauteed onion - barbecue sauce) - instead asked - "what should I try ... besides the Sicilian" - the counter-man replied - "plain" - my head kicked back - so it was to be - "a slice of plain" -
The square Sicilian did not disappoint - ultra thin crust - home made - slightly sweet tomato sauce topping - not overly drenched - sprinkled with cheese - topped with a slice of mozzarella - wonderfully balanced - a dramatic departure from the traditional thick crusted "slice-of-bread" we have all come to expect when ordering Sicilian -
But then there was the simple - "plain" - slice - this was magic - ultra thin crust - crisp - same slight sweet sauce - very light on the cheese - hot from the oven - though not burn-the-roof-of-the-mouth hot - it was almost other worldly - in a pizza sort of way - immediately wanted more -
Came back a week later - had to confirm my findings - another slice of "plain" - the magic continued - plus a slice of Margarita - (tomato - fresh mozzarella - red onion - basil - extra virgin olive oil) - just when you thought it couldn't get better -
Rizzo's is family owned - since 1959 - now being run by the second generation - there's pride - a difference that's missing in so many other tee-shirt pizza shops - even the Chef pizza restaurants - that crumble when the "star" is not on the premises -
This is a pizza institution - that stands out - and deserves to be visited - enjoyed - well worth the trip for New Yorkers who many times feel that if its not in Manhattan - its simply "not" - Rizzo's proves them wrong -
Comments