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 Joe Alicata is a 2009 graduate of Northport High School, he has his B.A. in Public Administration from the University at Albany. Joe works in the insurance industry, is a member of the Advisory Board for the Northport High School Academy of Finance (AOF) program, and is a Director for Northport Students Mean Business. He can be reached at etrestaurants@gmail.com |
| Perhaps no food is as often associated with New York City as pizza is. There are countless options to satisfy your craving all across the five boroughs, ranging from homogenous chain joints, to neighborhood hideaways that have become a part of the fabric of their community over decades of doing business. For those who are unacquainted with the New York City pizza scene, Patsy’s is one of the “original” pizza joints in New York, founded in 1933 in East Harlem (the Brooklyn location followed in 1990, opened by one of Patsy’s nephews) and featured traditional New York style thin crust pizza, cooked in a coal fired oven. So when I ventured into Brooklyn a few weeks back for a concert at the Barclays Center (pro tip: eat before you get there unless you want to refinance your house to buy a pretzel or pawn a kidney for a beer) I wanted to find a place that was close by, but would have some good quality food to enjoy before heading inside to head bang for the following two hours. A bit of preemptive internet research led me to Patsy’s Pizza, conveniently located less than a stone’s throw from the Barclays at 450 Dean Street, this seemed to provide the perfect spot for a pre-show nosh. Upon entering the Brooklyn location, guests enter a long, narrow seating area with the kitchen positioned in the rear. If you are seated in the back as we were, you get to walk right through where the magic happens on your way to your table. Upon being seated, diners are presented with a menu loaded with items one expects to find at your typical Italian restaurant such as chicken parmesan, veal Sorrentino, eggplant parmesan and fettucine alfredo. In addition, Patsy’s offers numerous combinations for their signature coal fired pizza, ranging from the classic margherita, to Bianca (white, no sauce), Polpette (meatballs, onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella), Capricciosa (tomato sauce, prosciutto, portobello mushrooms, black olives, mozzarella) and more. Our table opted for the classic margherita pizza, which came nicely topped and featured a crisp, flavorful crust; a direct result of the coal fired oven. In addition to the pizza, the Della casa salad is a nice option for diners who wish to eat lightly, made with mixed greens, black olives, red onions, mushrooms tossed in red wine vinaigrette. I recommend ordering the shrimp to accompany the salad, as they add a nice crunch and sweet flavor to balance the acidity of the dressing. All in all, if you are in the neighborhood and want to grab a quick bite before a show or a game, take a swing through Patsy’s and get some good old fashioned Brooklyn pizza. |
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20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000. 