Gatsby's - The location of the original Lombardi's
Awhile back Shion and I were discussing her love of pizza and my love of NYC experiences and decided to combine them both by going on a NYC Pizza Walking Tour! We had heard about this pizza tour and were curious as to whether or not it really existed. Have no fear – it does. We googled Pizza Tours in NYC and found Scott’s Pizza Tour! We immediately booked our tickets for the 3 hour walking tour. The day finally arrived this past Saturday, a blistering cold day in NYC. Shi & I braved the cold and met our tour guide Scott and the other 9 people on our tour at 11:00AM at Gatsby’s. The tour meets at Gatsby’s because that is the site of the original Lombardi’s, essentially the site of the first pizza in NYC, and the site of the pizza restaurant that started all good things pizza in NYC, according to this “pizza tree” in the New York Times.
After learning a little bit about the history of pizza in general and in NYC we mosied on over to
Alleva Cheese Shop in Little Italy. From the window we got to see them making fresh mozzarella, quite the process. Then we went inside and got to eat some of the fresh mozzarella and meet Bob (the owner of Alleva’s?) The mozzarella was really fresh and had a kind of bland inital taste but a great cheesy aftertaste. Bob, actually let Scott make his own mozzarella balls, needless to say Scott was pretty excited! Alleva is a great little Italian delicasy shop – you can get cheeses, meats, basically anything Italian. I’ll have to go back one day when I’m looking to create a real Italian feast.
After Alleva’s it was on to our first pizza stop,
Lombardi’s! I had had Lombardi’s once before, but via delivery, which just isn’t the same as eating it fresh out of the oven in the restaurant. Scott took us into the kitchen in small groups so we could see how a coal burning oven works, and how they make the pizza. Then we were allowed to sample a slice. Lombardi’s was delicious, the tomatoes were so fresh tasting, the slice was thin, but still had a doughy crust. It was pretty perfect. I would definitely return for a regular dining experience.
After Lombardi’s we visited a store where a lot of the local pizza shops purchase their supplies, it was nice to get inside and warm up a bit! Then it was off to Joe’s Pizza, sight of the famous scene in Spiderman 2. We went to Joe’s for our street slice. The slice was much larger than the slice at Lombardi’s and at Joe’s they use shredded mozzarella instead of sliced. For a street slice I have to say that Joe’s was a lot less greasier than I expected. It was a good street slice, light, cheesy, big, but it wasn’t my favorite of the 3 slices we ate on Saturday.
Then we walked around the corner, literally, to John’s Pizzeria. I had eaten at John’s Pizzeria in midtown, but not the original John’s in the Village. Scott was able to go underneath the restaurant and show us the actual coal they use for the coal burning oven. I have to say that John’s won it for me, it was my favorite slice of the day, and not because it was the last. At John’s they put the cheese (sliced mozzarella) right on the pizza and then top it with the sauce. It was the cheesiest, saltiest, most delicious piece of pizza! I loved every bite. I’m definitely going to have to go back and enjoy it again!
All in all this was a great NYC and Foodie experience! We learned so much about the history of pizza & specifically the history of pizza in NYC it was awesome. I don’t want to tell you ALL the deets, you should take the tour for yourself, it is definitely worth it. Scott, started leading these tours in April 2008. I have to say, he is really REALLY passionate about pizza. His enthusiasm was contagious. The guy just loves his PIZZA! I asked him how many slices he eats in a week and he said “20-30 depending on the week”. He eats pizza all over the world, judges pizza dough throwing competitions, is working his way through all the pizza places in New Jersey, and his passion for pizza really comes through on his tour. Shion and I made a list of pizza places we have to visit: Keste’s for the original pizza (lard, cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper), Totonno’s Pizza, Arturo’s Pizza, and many others.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience. Shion & I really enjoyed our day and our eats! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting NYC or living in NYC. I’m looking forward to hopefully taking the NYC Pizza Bus Tour in 2010 (Shi, you up for it?)
Post in Comments:
Where is your favorite place to get pizza? I would say Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn is in the lead right now for me, with John’s Pizzeria a close second. Outside of NYC, Bar in New Haven…YUM!
If I must…
This was such a great find, Beth! Thanks for inviting me!!!
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