The TRUTH ABOUT JOE'S PIZZA ?
I'm Sorry to day, "IT'S NOT VERY GOOD"
What it is, Is the Most Overated Pizza in New York ?
Joe's Pizza, Carmine Street
JOE'S PIZZA
Greenwich Village, New York
"NOT VERY GOOD"
Despite what you might have heard, Joe's Pizza of Carmine Street is not very good. In fact the pizza is quite "Mediocre" and of just moderate quality. I have felt this for ary long time, every since I moved to New York City 39 years ago. How Joe's Pizza gets rated by many as one of if not the best slice of pizza in New York is beyond me. I just don't get it. It's not that very the pizza is very good and you could debate of the numerous slices of Pizza in New York City, which of the Top Rated Pizzerias has the best pizza. The Pizza at Joe's is not in the same league as the top eselon Pizza Parlars in New York City. "Not even close. The Pizza at Joe's is merely sub-par, and I would surmise that the only reason that Joe's is rated so highly amongst the media, is for the reason that is often the case, the people writing for magazines and newspapers on food, often are not really qualified to be writing about food, and are put into improtant positions simply because they are writers, and they go along with the crowd ( general public & other writers), simply because it's the easy way out, the can write the piece, though it may be very inaccurate of the facts, as in the case with writers writing that Joe's Pizza is one of the best in the city, and that the Pizza at Joe's is good, it's just not true.
Though I don't really like Joe's Pizza, and never have thought highly of it, I have eaten it numerous times over the past 30 years or so, simply because I have a good friend who likes it, as well as my cosuin, and I'd end up in Joe's many times, eating the pizza, simply because I was along for the ride. Some times it was OK, but it never knocked my socks off. "Never."
I live just one block from Joe's, and for years there was a great Pizzeria called Pizza Box on Bleecker Street, less than two blocks away from Joe's, and that's were I always went to get a slice or two. The pizza at Pizza Box was "Excellent" and that was the Pizza and Pizzeria that made the Best Pizza in the area, and "Not Joe's" And Pizza Box should have been getting all the high praise from magazines and local newspapers, Not Joe's. But they didn't. The under-qualified writers who wrote great things about Joe's, never wrote anything about Pizza Box, as these writers were followers, and went along with everyon else. People who really knew pizza, and lived in the neighborhood, they all went to Pizza Box. And besides having Superior Pizza, Pizza Box was a much nicer pizzeria physically. They had tables that you could sit in, unlike Joe's, which I always hated that you couldn't sit down, and relax while eating your slice. Not good (Joe's) at all. And the Pizza Box had a beautiful garden in the back, where you could enjoy your pizza as well. And for those who love Beer, Pizza Box sold beer as well, and they made great Meatball Parm Sandwiches, and the oner Julio was a real nice man. I
I really miss Pizza Box, a place that made superior pizz than Joe's. Though the Pizza Box is gone, there is an alternative in the neaighborhood, for tasty pizza. Pizza that is superior to Joe's pizza. The place is Artichoke Pizza on Macdougal Street, just one block from Joe's Pizza, and the pizza at Artichoke Pizza is so "much better" than Joe's it isn't even funny. And I'm not talking about the Artichoke Pizza slice that made Artichoke Pizzeria famous, but the regular Cheese Slice, also known as Pizza Margherita. The regular cheese slice at Artichoke Pizza is one of the Best Slices of Pizza in town. And not only is the pizza at Joe's not very good, but it's quite "Expensive" at $4 a slice for just average pizza. "A complete and total Rip-Off" !!!
The regular Cheese Slice at Artichoke, may be $5 a slice, but it's gigantic, almost twice the size of a regular slice anywhere else, including Joe's. And the regular slice is "oh so Tasty" you will absolutely Love it, unlike Joe's, which you will only love, if you're a Followerm and don't know good pizza if it smacks you in the face, then you probably like Joe's.
Again, in the last 2 months, the Pizza we got at Joe's reconfirmed just how mediocre and lackluster this grossly overated Pizza truly is. Again, my cousin Joe who loves it, brought me there again. We were out having dinner and celebrating my cousin Eddie 25ht Birhtday. Then we hung out at Harry's downtown drinking wine, and it was getting late and the restaurant was closing. As usual, cousin Joe wanted to go get a couple slices of Pizza, before going home. So 6 of us went over there, and our friend Max ordered a couple Cheese Pies. We got them, and started eating, and I've never seen cousin Joe get so mad. He held up the Pizza, and said in disgust, "It's friggin burnt! It Sucks"! I kid you not. Those were his exact words, and I agreed, ans d so did our other 4 friends as well. They were all apalled at how terribly BAd the Pizza was. I was not surprised. I've said for years, that Joe's Pizza was grossly overated and that I never cared for it, and for my local Pizza, I always went to the Pizza Box and theri excellent pizza, and nver to Joe's by choice unless someone dragged me over there.
OK, so two months later. Yesterday in fact, I decided to go to Joe's and get a slice, as I was making a video about having a Bleecker Street Double Header, of getting a slice of Pizza, and then a Cannoli at Rocco's . And so I did, and I brought them home to my aprtment a block away. I put on some Sinatra and sat down and ate the Pizza from Joe's, and guess what? Yes, "It Sucked!" Not very good, and I wasn't happy, having such bad pizza that cost me a Whopping $4 for the slice. Well, o doubt I was not surprised that it wasn't tasty at all, but aweful. Oh well. Then I opened the box with the Cannoli from Rocco's Italian Pastry Shop on Bleecker. It looked damn good. And guess what? It was. Damn good that it. I wasn't happy when I bought it and it had gone up to a whopping $5 ... Much too high in my opinion, when 12 years ago they cost $1.50, increasing more than 3 times in price since then. My salary hadn't increased more than 3 times, probably just about 10% ... Thus my feelings that the price of the Cannolo was way to high, and for that reason I don't buy them as often as I used to. I wasn't happy when they went up to $3.50 for one measly Cannolo,but what was I to do.
I picked up the Cannolo, and ate it. And damn, it was delisious. Expensive, but tasty, unlike the slice of mediocre Joe's Pizza. So? Well, even though both of those items are now highly over-priced, at least the Cannolo was tasty. It was good, and so I didn't feel ripped-off as I did with the terrible slice of Pizza. What could I say?
Well, I've given you the facts on Joe's mediocre pizza, and the much better option for a true tasty slice of New York Pizza at Artichoke Pizza on Macdougal Street. Now, the decision where you go is your. Mediocre Pizza or one of the Best in Town? You decide which pizza you'd rather eat.
DBZ
PS ... La Lanterna on Macdougal Street is an unknown gem, that makes some of the Best Pizza in New York, and it's pretty much unknown,. It's not a Pizzeria, but a nice modest restaurant / caffe/ wine bar, that has an extensive Wine List of reasonably priced wine, awesome Lasagna, Salads, and sone of the Best Pizza in Town. I Highly reccomend it, if you're looking for some great Pizza, and a cool relaxed place to drink some wine, and get your self some of New York's tastiest pizza in town.
Suggested : The Pizza with Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Prosciutto is out of this World delicious.
We Love the Potato Onion Pizza and the Margherita, or Margherita with Sausage are all outstanding.
LOOKING FOR GREAT PIZZA
"FORGET JOE'S"
Make Your Way to ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA
ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA
Macdougal Street, Greenwich Village
NY NY
THSI PIZZA is AMAZING !
The PIZZA MATGHERITA at ARTICHOKE PIZZA
"It's So GOOD" !!!
SUPERIOR to a SLICE at JOE'S a block away on Carmine Street
GREENWICH VILLAGE
NEW YORK NY
ARTICHOKE PIZZA made with ARTICHOKES
In CREAM SAUCE
is the THING that MADE ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA FAMOUS
I myself, and most people who really know great Pizza really do not care for
this particular type of Pizza created by cousins Fracis Garcia and Sal Basile.
Their Artichoke Pizza is very popular with the general public, who seem to
just Love it. We don't, but we absolutely LovAnd if youe their regular slice
Margherita Pizza. It's oustanding, with wonderful Tomato Taste with one of
the Best Sauces on Any Pizza in New York, along, with grated Grana Padana
Cheese, olive oil, and Fresh Basil, this pizza taste "Oh so Good" !!! And if
you give it a try, and compare it to Joe's Pizza's medicore Slice, you are sure
to Forget Joe's, and find yourself making the trip to Artichoke Pizza, whether
you live in the neighborhood, as I'm so lucky to live, or you are traveling from
futher afield, you sure to Swith from going to Joe's, to opting for a superior
slice of Pizza at Artichoke Basile Pizza instead. Nuff said.
"Be smart and go to Atichoke"
The Creators of ARTICHOKE PIZZA
STATEN ISLAND COUSINS
Francis Garcia & Sal Basile
