Where is the best slice in Brooklyn

November 17, 2006 8:26 AM

Prototypical, definitive, best-you-can get New York slice. In Brooklyn?

I'm headed to NYC for a business trip, and will have spouse & sons in tow for the first night -- they're driving down with me to arrive Sat evening and they will return to Boston Sunday evening.

Looking for the most unbelievably-good, if-you-looked-slice-up-in-the-dictionary, really really memorable pizza slices we can find, as close as possible to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

posted by srlbraintree to travel & transportation (19 comments total)

I'm not going to claim that I'm an expert on pizza or anything, but I am going to link you to Slice NY, which should aid you in your search.
posted by anjamu at 8:38 AM on November 17, 2006

DiFara's, Avenue J and 15th street. Incredible.
Very busy at lunch time. Be nice to the locals.
Here's a succinct blog post about its excellence.
posted by Mngo at 8:52 AM on November 17, 2006

Oh, Difara's is on the other side of Prospect Park from the Museum, and by train I think you'd have to change for the Q, so maybe it's not all that convenient. But it's worth the pilgrimage and the wait...
posted by Mngo at 8:57 AM on November 17, 2006

Mike Doughty swears by DiFara's.
posted by blueshammer at 8:57 AM on November 17, 2006

When it comes to New York pizza, I always hear about Famous Ray's. Although there are now many, many Ray's pizza joints, the "original" is supposed to be some of the best pizza in existence. I'm not sure of the proximity to Brooklyn, but here is a Google Map search for you. Might be a kinda touristy destination, but hey.

My favorite pizza joint EVER, which tragically closed for personal reasons, was constantly compared to Famous Ray's by visiting New Yorkers. If truly it IS anything like Anthony's Pizza was in Downtown Denver, you're in for a serious treat.
posted by dozo at 9:01 AM on November 17, 2006

Grimaldi's is the best according to Zagat/the celebrity pictures on the wall. It's at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and the views from around there are awesome.
posted by crookedneighbor at 9:15 AM on November 17, 2006

Avoid anything with "Ray" in the name.

The best slice, BAR NONE, is from Stromboli's on 1st and St Marks, right near the park.

If you're committed to staying in Brooklyn, I suggest Nick & Joe's on Court Street. Though I happen to think their eggplant parm sandwich is even better.
posted by ImJustRick at 9:15 AM on November 17, 2006

DiFara's. DiFara's.

You can get a decent pie at Grimaldi's, but if you're out at the Brooklyn Museum, head out to DiFara's.
posted by andrewraff at 9:22 AM on November 17, 2006

Seconded to avoid anything with Rays in the name. AVOID.

DiFara's is a great choice, but on Saturday night it will be a madhouse - It is located in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood (though DiFara's is far, far from Kosher) where people do a lot of their shopping on Sat. nights for religious reasons. Parking will be a struggle around Avenue J around then. But the pizza... My god. So good.

In the vicinity of the Brooklyn Museum, Franny's makes amazing pizza though it is nouveau and far from the platonic Brooklyn slice. My alternate recommendation would be Anthony's or Tomato & Basil in Park Slope. Both are great pizzerias relatively close to the Museum, though Tomato & Basil only has minimal eating-in facilities.
posted by huskerdont at 9:50 AM on November 17, 2006

Seconding that Tomato & Basil is great, although I can't claim to know the best in all of Brooklyn. Definitely the best in Park Slope, though.

(And there's at least one Famous Ray's that's actually good, IMO--the one on 6th and 11th in Manhattan.)
posted by equalpants at 10:37 AM on November 17, 2006

Nick & Joe's closed.
posted by sad_otter at 10:51 AM on November 17, 2006

Tomato and freakin Basil? Come on. I live two blocks from that joint and while it is decent there's no way I'd put that near the level of DiFara's or any of the places in Coney Island like Totonno's.
posted by spicynuts at 11:01 AM on November 17, 2006

Sheesh, where did anybody say it was at that level? It's a good choice close to the museum, was the point.
posted by equalpants at 12:37 PM on November 17, 2006

Thirding that Ray's, Famous Ray's, Ray's Original, Famous Ray's Original, etc., is completely awful.

I know it doesn't really answer the question, but the word really needs to get out to the tourists that these are the worst pizza joints in existence.
posted by falconred at 1:26 PM on November 17, 2006

I live near Grimaldis and, while it's definitely good, I think it's over-rated. DiFara's.
posted by nathancaswell at 1:51 PM on November 17, 2006

Do you want a slice or a pie? DiFara, Grimaldi's and the like are pie joints, where the pizza has fresh ingredients and basil and so forth. The suggestions listed are all worth noting.

For a slice, though, you want a different kind of pizza joint, like a Ray's (but lordy there is no longer an "original" one; give up now) or Stromboli mentioned above or Joe's on Carmine Street in Manhattan. I myself order Stromboli from my apartment. It's good. But that Joe's slice is the best, hands-down. For a New York-style experience--think John Travolta stacking two in "Saturday Night Fever"--Joe's still has the best combination of ingredients, flavor and style, even in its new location.

But I digress, because these options are nowhere near Brooklyn, so go to DiFara's and enjoy.
posted by werty at 7:13 PM on November 17, 2006

Totonno's is the best, and since you'll have a car anyway, you might head out & enjoy Coney Island with your kids - even if it's evening & stuff is closed, it's still worth seeing.
posted by judith at 9:21 PM on November 17, 2006

DIFARAS hands down. My friend used to go there to have a slice or two for dessert. Be prepared to wait while drooling. :)
posted by pinksoftsoap at 11:18 PM on November 17, 2006

Check that DiFaras hasnt been screwed over by the healt department during your visit. Mmmm mouse pizza.
posted by lalochezia at 10:04 AM on March 26, 2007