Pizza that may be better than it sounds

At Veloce Pizzeria on First Avenue.

According to Nino's, we're still in a recession

Indeed we are. Still, as this newish sign says, pizza deals abound at Nino's on Avenue A at St. Mark's.



Meanwhile, after another slice of the artichoke pizza at Nino's...



By far a better slice than my last trip to Artichoke Basille's around the corner on 14th Street....(OK, only been there twice. Tried a few other times. I dislike the line...and a few of the people standing in it...)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nino's vs. Artichoke

Trouble in pizzadise! Someone dares say that Motorino isn't the GREATEST PIZZA KNOWN TO MANKIND!!!

Well, the nerve! So our new friends over at Launch Stalker decided to check out the much-hyped Motorino after reading the rave reviews in The New York Times. The paper's reviewer stated: "It serves the city’s best pizza." There are locations in Williamsburg and on 12th Street near First Avenue hereabouts.'

An excerpt from Stephen Kosloff's take at Launch Stalker:

The verdict: Motorino is good pizza, but it’s not the best pizza in the city.

Last night I ordered the broccoli and sausage pizza, and it was really salty. I know pizza is inherently salty, but this was an exceptionally salty pizza.

Then there is the crust, which had the exact texture and taste of Indian naan. It tasted fine, but for me the ideal crust is crispy.

Then there is the definition of “pizza,” which for me, because I come from a long line of trash-haulers and fish-mongers, means “slice.”

Sorry to all my haute pizza peeps, but if I’m at a table using a fork and knife, I’d rather be eating steak au poivre. Especially if my entree is over $12.

Gasp! Somewhere, Rachael Ray just spit out her Dunkin' Donut.

Anyway, I've never been to Motorino ... should I bother?

Stromboli Pizza continues its transformation

At Stromboli Pizza on St. Mark's and First Avenue, as seen here several years ago...



...the work continues on the sidewalk cafe... in November...



early January...



... and last night, in which the place was closed for the renovations...



[Top photo via]

Singas Pizza opening on Avenue C

Singas Famous Pizza recently closed on Second Avenue near 11th Street...



...and they've relocated to the renovated storefront on Avenue C and Sixth Street, where they'll compete with Bite Me and Moon Pie...

Also on the liquor license docket: PJ Hanley's new pizza parlor coming to 122 First Ave.

Also on the CB3/SLA liquor license agenda on Jan. 11.... The incoming pizza parlor from the PJ Hanley's folks is looking for a full liquor license at 122 First Ave.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors!: Will PJ Hanley's be opening a pizza shop on First Avenue?

A Stop Work Order for the P.J. Hanley's pizza parlor on First Avenue

A Stop Work Order for the P.J. Hanley's pizza parlor on First Avenue

On Friday, a Stop Work Order was issued on the P.J. Hanley's pizza parlor opening on First Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place....



Of course, this is 122 First Avenue, and the order lists 122 Second Avenue...



And here's with the DOB has down for the complaint:

CLR IS REPORTING THAT THE ABOVE ADDRESS COMMERCIAL SPACE ONTHE GOUNDFLOOR/ CLR STS THAT THE POSTED PERMIT HAS EXPIRED ON DEC 2 /WORKER GOES THOUGHT BASEMENT TO DO WORK/ CLR NO PERMITS & ILLEGAL CONST

Sure enough, there are no current work permits issued for this space.

By the way, Fork in the Road confirmed Hanley's arrival...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors!: Will PJ Hanley's be opening a pizza shop on First Avenue?

Avenue C's Villaggio Pizza for sale

It's listed for $250,000. Between 11th Street and 12th Street. Hasn't really been the same since the new owners took over from the Village East Pizzeria folks a few years back. As NYSonglines noted, Village East Pizzeria was "the longest-surviving pizza parlor in the neighborhood, and was featured in the 1985 kung-fu movie The Last Dragon as Daddy Green's Pizza."

Pizza place replaces pizza place: No. 28 offshoot coming to Second Avenue

A Numero 28 is coming into the former Singas Famous Pizza space on Second Avenue near 11th Street. Brick oven pizza from Naples, which is supposed to be a replica of the original -- No. 28 on Carmine Street. (Another offshoot, Numero 28 Pizzeria Romana, opened on Spring Street in October.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another East Village pizza parlor closes

Bravo Pizza coming to Union Square

Bravo Pizza is opening its seventh NYC location... coming soon to the Zeckendorf Towers on the northwest corner of Irving Place and 14th Street. It's at the former site of Rhyme & Reason, the card shop, which closed in September 2008.



As far as we know, a Chipotle is still going in the corner space.



Meanwhile, the folks at pizza parlor Amore's (who are always hiring cashiers) must be thrilled with the competition directly across the street.



Makes sense to have two pizza parlors so close to each other along this stretch. We have a Duane Reade and a Walgreens; a P.C. Richard and Best Buy; Trader Joe's and Whole Foods; an NYU dorm and an NYU dorm and an NYU dorm within a short few blocks.

And this means that Bravo has locations at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue; 19th Street and Fifth Avenue; and Park Avenue South at 21st Street. Is there a market that big for deep-dish pizza ...?

Rumors!: Will PJ Hanley's be opening a pizza shop on First Avenue?

Following up on the scoop from yesterday, intrepid EV Grieve reader dmbream has heard that the PJ Hanley's folks will be opening a pizza shop at 122 First Ave. Makes sense, given that the Carroll Gardens location added a coal-burning pizza oven last year.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Carroll Gardens institution PJ Hanley's opening an East Village outpost on First Avenue

The Times on the Pizza Shop's closing

The Times notes the closing of The Pizza Shop on Avenue A... In a comment to us, co-owner Kevin Cole said that the rent was too high... Per the Times:

But the recession took a toll, as did customers’ continuing exodus to Brooklyn’s cool neighborhoods — and the $11,000 monthly rent. "It's hard to be competitive on this strip, and we just weren't doing the volume anymore," said Kevin Cole, 39, one of the four owners and an experienced pizza maker, as well as the front man for the rock band the Turbo A.C.'s.

I hope that they can find some more affordable space somehwere in the neighborhood to open another shop...we need more places like The Pizza Shop here.

Another East Village pizza parlor closes

Yesterday morning, Chris O'Leary noted that Singas Famous Pizza (below, in better days) on Second Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street had paper covering its windows...



When I walked by last night, the joint was packed up and, apparently, gone...



Previously on EV Grieve:
The Pizza Shop has closed: "The rent was too high"

The Pizza Shop has closed: "The rent was too high"

We're really sorry to hear this. We liked this place. We received a note from the folks at the Pizza Shop on Avenue A near Seventh Street:

We closed the Pizza Shop because the rent was too high. We struggled every month to make it... someone gave me an offer on the space and i decided it was best to take it. I'm looking for a new location and would love it if fans of The Pizza Shop got in touch via email so i can let you know when i'll be opening a new place. the email addy is
info@thepizzashopnyc.com
best,
Kevin Cole

Previously on EV Grieve:
Why is the Pizza Shop closed?

Stromboli Pizza getting an enclosed sidewalk cafe

At St. Mark's and First Avenue....an upgrade over this, I suppose...



Now, perhaps, they'll also renovate the exterior to make it look like the old storefront again...



[Bottom photo via]

Motorino show

Motorino, the much-discussed pizzeria from Williamsburg, opened its EV location today at 5...around 7, the place was surprisingly only half-full... maybe it's the no booze thing (a license is on the way...) S'Mac next door was noticeably more crowded...but it was earlyish and Monday and stuff...



And the pizza part of the menu...

"The Motorino sign is up!"

I was standing out front of Motorino, the new pizza place opening tomorrow on 12th Street just west of First Avenue...pretending not to be taking photos...



...and a woman walked by and exclaimed to her friend, "The Motorino sign is up!"



I'm not much of a pizza gourmet -- the two slices for $2 variety works fine for me. But some people seem really excited that Mathieu Palombino, who owns the Williamsburg Motorino, is opening a Manhattan outpost. Another reason to go stand in line! According to the Times:

His seven styles of pizzas will include some with seasonal toppings — brussels-sprout leaves in October, shaved porcini later in the fall and black truffle and taleggio cheese in the winter. There will be antipasti, like slabs of mortadella browned in the oven and vegetables roasted with pecorino. And there will be soft-serve ice cream.

It’s a playful variety of toppings and dishes that will be familiar to Motorino regulars. The simplicity of pizzeria fare has been a departure, though, for Mr. Palombino.

Trained in the most haute of French traditions, Mr. Palombino worked in Europe before moving to New York. He was chef de cuisine at BLT Fish when it was given three stars in The New York Times by Frank Bruni in 2005. (Motorino’s small wine list will be chosen by Fred Dexheimer, who worked with Mr. Palombino at BLT Fish.)

Nino's vs. Artichoke

As Grub Street noted last week, Nino's at St. Mark's and Avenue A is now serving an artichoke and spinach pizza, perhaps to rival that of the too-crowded-and-expensive-for-my-tastes Artichoke Basille's around the corner on 14th Street.

So I thought I'd try Nino's new slice for a Very Special Easter Holiday Weekend. With the Christmas tree still up, it's easy to be in the holiday spirit at Nino's.

For starters, can you tell the difference between Nino's ($3) and Artichoke ($4) in the two photos below? (Also, I realize that none of this pizza looks very appetizing thanks to my photos and the lighting. Kind of looks like a car just drove over them...)




Yeah, the top photo is the work of Nino's. (By the way, I love the fountain drinks machine at Nino's.)



Anyway! As for Nino's new artichoke slice... Well, I'm not much of a foodie/reviewer type, though I do like to use "drizzled" and "artisanal" and "seasonal" in everyday conversation... Oh, so Nino's was quite tasty...less of a gutbuster without so much cheese and the overpowering goopy garlic aftertaste of Artichoke. And it's $1 less...and Nino's has fewer annoying people in line...

Also, I've been to Artichoke twice. Back in August. I was walking by and there wasn't a line, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about ... And more recently, well, I just felt like a slice. Too bad I got stuck in line behind the NYU students who were — seriously — debating where the best ski spots are in Switzerland. (Totes, Zermatt!)

Anyway, I swear the slices at Artichoke were smaller during my second visit...the photos don't quite do them justice, but... And the Artichoke slices weren't as good as the first time. But is it ever?

Recently:



August:



P.S.
The reality is that I miss Five Rose's Pizza. That was the best. By the way, a rumormonger at Eater says the Five Rose's space on First Avenue will be home to another pizza place.

Things that I never thought I'd do

Wait in line for expensive pizza.



Doesn't look like much, to be honest. But it was really good.