Day 25, Pizza Month 2010 - Saluggi's (Tribeca, NYC)

DAY 25: OCTOBER 25th, 2010

LOCATION: Saluggi's (Tribeca, Queens)

ORDER: 2 slices of brussel sprouts, 2 slices of margherita

GUEST: Kitzi Taylor, Kelli Kahn

REVIEW:
Cracker crust or bust!

Leave it to Saluggi's crispy underside to support the loads of high quality ingredients piled upon it. Ranging from the more traditional Margherita to the creative brussel sprouts white pie, toppings run the gamut at this pizzeria. Want cheese with your cracker crust? You got it!

Pedro Espinal, the pizza chef, is particularly fond of his parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheese combination. It definitely packs a solid one-two punch any cheese lover would savor. The thin and crispy signature crust offers a nice alternative to the typical pizza slice. Cooked in a gas-powered deck oven, Pedro and the Saluggi crew have cracked the code on churning out quality pizza on sturdy flatbread.

Located in the Triangle Below Canal (Tribeca) area of Manhattan, Saluggi's is within walking distance of nearly every train. The ambience features character and kitsch alike including holiday themed wall hangings, creative signs, and even a shuffleboard game downstairs. The perfect visual stimulation to complement the flavor stimulation of your pizza.

Saluggi's is a definite destination for cheese lovers, creative topping seekers, and thin-crust enthusists. Even as more of a chewy crust-sauce loving pizza guy, I'd come back for the lunch special and stay just to chat with the proud and friendly staff.


VIDEO CLIP:

RATING:
3.93 out of 5

• VALUE:
  3.5/5


• AMBIENCE:
  3/3


• TASTE:
  7/10


• SERVICE:
  3/3

16.5/21 = .786 x 5 = 3.93

MISCELLANEOUS:
1. Kelli Kahn and Kitzi Taylor went to high school together.
2. I met Jim, owner of Saluggi's and the nearby bar called the Nancy Whiskey Pub

DAY 19, Pizza Month 2009 - Yolo (Astoria)

DAY 19: OCTOBER 19th, 2009

LOCATION: YOLO - You Only Live Once (31st St. near Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, QUEENS)

ORDER: 2 slices of YOLO Fusion, 1 slice of the Italian

GUEST(S): Maddy Mako, Kitzi Taylor, Tony Carnevale

REVIEW:
Greco-Italian appetizers for the price of entrees. You Only Live Once (YOLO) fuses decent cooking with a sports bar. The result is rather confusing. Seated in brand new comfortable white booths with cloth napkins, one would hardly expect to be in plain site of nine plasma screens and a projection. With baseball and football clearly visible and overly audible from every part of the restaurant, table conversation must take place between downs, innings, and outbursts of other patrons. Not the ideal atmosphere for enjoying well crafted pizzas.

Take, for instance, my YOLO Fusion; a pesto and garlic infused sauced with expertly marinated barbeque chicken, spinach, basil, and goat cheese.

"The flavor just explodes in your mouth," our waiter explained and I could attest to.

Soon after "flavor detonation," the tasty dish was gone. My appetite, however, remained. See, the crust is so microscopically thin, the first personal pie you eat serves as an appetizer for the next. Assuming the game is still on and you have another ten dollar bill try bringing "The Italian" in for relief.



The Italian comes loaded with tomato sauce, onions, peppers, cheese and sweet Italian sausage. This, more traditional pie solidifies YOLO as a decent choice for above average tasting pizza.

Open for only a few months, YOLO is likely still trying to find its feet. They definitely have the recipes to be a great pizzeria. They also have the hardware to become a Sport lovers heaven. Assuming YOLO follows the pizza, I am confident I will return. Otherwise, I may just peak through the window and check out the score of the Mets game.

MISC.:
1. Maddy Mako is running in the New York City Marathon this year. She said one of the things that inspired her was my NYC Marathon podcast.
2. After pizza, Kitzi, Tony and I went to my apartment for some post pizza Red, White, and Blue Chili. It's my own recipe that I'm developing to compete in the Rolex Daytona Beach Chili Cook-off in late January.


VIDEO CLIP:

Video edited by Erik Tanouye
nominated for Best In Show at the 2009 Slicey Award Ceremony



RATING:
2.74/5

• VALUE:
  1.5/5


• AMBIENCE:
  1/3


• TASTE:
  6/10


• SERVICE:
  3/3

11.5/21= 0.548 x 5 = 2.74