Carb Loading, I

Countdown to the first half-marathon of 2009, which forgives the pizza addiction, because all good runners should overdo the carbohydrates before a race.  Tonight will be a carb-loading sesh as well, but I'll get to that tomorrow. 

Yesterday afternoon I headed to Carroll Gardens for a run with a friend and to visit said friend's husband, who recently had ankle surgery and is immobile.  Immobile, drugged up, but still hungry.  Around six, he announced that he wanted pizza.  If I'd brought my car, rather than making the trek via F train, I would have driven to the bridge and picked up a Grimaldi's pie.  Alas, no car.  According to my friends, the pizza in CG is ubiquitously "fine," with the exception of two exceptional places, neither of which deliver.  So we settled for fine.  

"Fine" came in the form of a very large pie from Francesco's on Henry Street.  Here are some details: the slices themselves were, true to form, real NY slices, cut big, pizzeria style; the cheese was ample; the crust and underbelly were not crisp enough for my liking; the peppers and onions (on half) were fresh though I didn't try the spinach/onion half; the sauce was nothing more than decent.  

All in all, the pizza gets a B.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm being hard on delivery.  Most of the time, pizza is crispiest right out of the oven and this baby was probably no exception.  I think the steamy nature of the pizza-warming bag changes the structure of the pizza, so maybe it's hard to get a good sense of how good the pie is from a delivery environment.  

I will tell you this: I am a big fan of the oversized slice and I was happy to see a solid pie arrive with more than the fast food pizza joint's anemic little slices.  So all was not lost. 

* 

Francesco's

531 Henry Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

718.834.0863

Hip To Be Square

Snowy nights--a rarity in New York--go hand in hand with delivery. In honor of the season finale of Biggest Loser, my two Astoria pals and I decided to order pizza. What better way to celebrate the extreme weight-loss of others than to pack on the pounds ourselves?

Astoria is not known for its pizza, buy locals will tell you that the two top choices are Sal's Pizzeria and Rizzo's Pizza, one known for its circular pies (the former) and the other known for its square, or Sicilian slice (the latter). I've eaten at Rizzo's before; it happens to be on my way to the train and I occasionally stop in for a slice. But I rarely order it for delivery because they're cash only, and I'm generally cash poor.

We tested Rizzo's delivery skills last night. To be fair, we were warned in advance that a large Sicilian pie (not so recession-proof, at $16, plus toppings) would take 45 minutes. In truth, it took over an hour and by the time it arrived we may have been too annoyed--and too engrossed in the weight-loss of others--to enjoy it fully. Here's the other thing: on the way from Steinway to 33rd Street, the pizza lost its snap. Yes, the sauce was still spicy and delicious. Yes, the cheese was still one slice of mozzarella, browned beyond recognition (the way I like it) in the middle of each slice. Yes, the mushrooms were sauteed in garlic and butter before landing on each slice. But the pizza was no longer crispy on the bottom. Delivery had taken its toll.

Considering the cost, time, and mediocre results of my Rizzo's delivery experience, I'll be exploring other options on those nights when walking out in the cold seems a distant possibility. Don't worry, Rizzo's: I'll still stop by for a slice when I'm in the neighborhood.

*
Rizzo's Pizza
30-13 Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.9862