Famous Joe's Pizza   

7 Carmine St # 7
New York, NY 10014
212-366-1182

Directions   Email   Send to Cell  

Although New Yorkers take great civic pride in their town's pizza, most Big Apple street joints serve a rubbery, oil-slick slice, while the classier option -- a brick-oven, gentrified pie -- is a pain when all you crave is some quick, hot, tomatoey-sweet satisfaction. If you're looking for that doughy-cheesy rush, check out Joe's. Pino 'Joe' Pozzueli arrived on these shores from Southern Italy in the early '70s, and has been making pizza the way it ought to be ever since. Pozzueli claims his secret is the sauce, which he cooks up by gallons in a locked room (his staff swears it's true), ably abetted by a crisp crust and creamy mozzarella. Despite the somewhat grubby atmosphere, Joe's is the gold standard by which all other street pizza must forever after be judged -- Nirvana at a couple bucks for a plain slice. -- Rhonda Markowitz