DIFARA'S PIZZA BROOKLYN NY

I want to nominate DiFara's (DiFara's Pizza 1424 Ave. J, Brooklyn, NY 11230 at E. 15th St.) as the best in NYC. Expertly made with imported Italian Mozzarella di Bufala, Grana Padana and toppings such as artichoke (recommended). The crust is perfect, thin with the right amount of chewiness. Sauce is imported tomato plus fresh basil. The drawback: the place is dingy and the pie does not travel well. Eat there, unless you live in the neighborhood.

Also try Totono's in Coney Island. Thin crust with Pecorino Romano and fresh mozzarella, sauce on top. As with DiFara's, it doesn't travel well, so eat there. Nice decor, sea breeze and the boardwalk three blocks away.

The staff at www.sliceny.com agree with you

I can attest to the pie at Totonno’s on Neptune Ave. Some of the best I've ever had. Next trip I try DiFara's.

been to new haven, all over chicago, elsewhere in ny and now the celebrated crozet; defara gets my vote for greatest pizza

We went to DiFara yesterday. It is remarkable that 1 man has been making all of the pizzas there by himself for 40+ years, and is still operating that way. With the long wait time (in a non-air conditioned dining area near the ovens) gave plenty of opportunity to watch the master at work; spreading the crust by hand, spreading the sauce, putting on the toppings (artichoke and pepperoni for ours)and squeezing off the dollops of mozzarella to drop on top of the ingredients before putting it into the oven. When he takes it out of the oven, he picks up a bundle of basil from the herb garden in the window and uses scissors to cut of a generous portion to spread over the top. (since I'm not a big fan of basil on a pizza, I stopped him before he put any on mine),

While the ingredients were among the best I've had, his heavy hand with the olive oil left a soggy bottomed crust that detracted from the overall excellence of the rest of the pie.

Make sure you have at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours for this process if you go there, and don't expect a crispy crust. Even with the less than perfect crust, this still rates in my top 5 or 6 pizza places. My top choice is a tie between Modern in New Haven and Hideaway in Oklahoma City, closely followed by Grimaldi's in Brooklyn and Patsy's near Union Square in Manhattan (when I can stop them from overwhelming the pizza taste with basil). Then either Zaferelis in Milwaukee, Geno's in Chicago, Cafe Piccolla in Raleigh or DiFaro.

And it still amazes me that the same man is still making all of the pizzas at DiFaro by himself for the past 40 years, with only 1 other person around to help take orders and box up the pies.

I've been to 11 of the Pizza places on Roadfood and most of the best places from Trenton to New Haven, but the best (AND IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE) place isn't listed -- DiFara's in Midwood, Brooklyn. DiFara's is the place that I go to (driving by 4 of the pizza places on the site) in my 90 minute drive to Brooklyn. DiFara's is the place I take people who are coming from outside the country when they want to experience REAL New York pizza. DiFara's is the Sistine Chapel, the pizza de resistance, as it were, that causes people in Brooklyn -- the home of the meanest most impatient people on the earth -- to stand 5 deep at the counter for 60 to 90 minutes in complete silence watching like a lion stalking a gazelle -- Dom DeMarco make pizzas the exact same way he's been doing for 50 years.

quote:

Originally posted by cgorange

I've been to 11 of the Pizza places on Roadfood and most of the best places from Trenton to New Haven, but the best (AND IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE) place isn't listed -- DiFara's in Midwood, Brooklyn. DiFara's is the place that I go to (driving by 4 of the pizza places on the site) in my 90 minute drive to Brooklyn. DiFara's is the place I take people who are coming from outside the country when they want to experience REAL New York pizza. DiFara's is the Sistine Chapel, the pizza de resistance, as it were, that causes people in Brooklyn -- the home of the meanest most impatient people on the earth -- to stand 5 deep at the counter for 60 to 90 minutes in complete silence watching like a lion stalking a gazelle -- Dom DeMarco make pizzas the exact same way he's been doing for 50 years.

Next time, bring a camera and write up a review so more people will know about this great place!

I recently came across this thread, so I visited Di Fara's with my camera:

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=4338&RefID=4383

Sounds yummy but artichoke? That sounds almost as bad as pineapple!

quote:

Originally posted by notchit

I recently came across this thread, so I visited Di Fara's with my camera:

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=4338&RefID=4383

Excellent!!!

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

The best. The best. The best. No doubt in my mind. Lived three blocks away. Miss it so bad.

A real treat to order when the place is slow (which doesn't occur often) is a calzone. Dominic will make it without hesitating, but he will definitely take his time. This isn't an ordinary calzone. Shaped like a kringle pastry, round with a whole in the middle. The size of a pizza. Oozing with ricotta and mozzarella. Unreal. Never had one like it.

I also liked the sicilian slice better than the regular. I think there's pork in the sicilian sauce that gives it a little more smokiness.

Always say, "Thanks Dominic." He acts like he doesn't hear you, but he remembers everything. A true master of his craft.

Yes, the whole time I lived in Brooklyn, I never visited this place. I finally ate there this summer (three different times) and it is all that everyone says about it.

My grandparents lived directly across Avenue J for a number of years, and I never ate there.

If I could have one pizza in Brooklyn, it would be his.

Steven Green

quote:

Originally posted by cornfed

The best. The best. The best. No doubt in my mind. Lived three blocks away. Miss it so bad.

A real treat to order when the place is slow (which doesn't occur often) is a calzone. Dominic will make it without hesitating, but he will definitely take his time. This isn't an ordinary calzone. Shaped like a kringle pastry, round with a whole in the middle. The size of a pizza. Oozing with ricotta and mozzarella. Unreal. Never had one like it.

I also liked the sicilian slice better than the regular. I think there's pork in the sicilian sauce that gives it a little more smokiness.

Always say, "Thanks Dominic." He acts like he doesn't hear you, but he remembers everything. A true master of his craft.

<<Sounds yummy but artichoke? That sounds almost as bad as pineapple!>>

One would think so, but there are artichokes and there are Dom's artichokes. Like nothing else. Best artichoke pizza that I have ever had (and the only artichoke pizza I will ever try).

One other point of note about Di Fara's. Because it's in a neighborhood where most of the other stores are run by Orthodox Jews, most of the stores are closed on Saturday. This makes parking real easy on Saturday, unlike just about any other shopping street in Brooklyn.

As good as it may be, please before you go up to visit BE WARNED IT IS AT LEAST AN HOUR WAIT STANDING IN LINE. We have actually waited 1.5 hours for one pizza.

We actually did a tour last year and were able to knock out Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, Difara's, John's, and Totonno's (manhttn), Nicks in one saturday afternoon on the subway. We went up with 5 of us so it was not a big deal when you have to order whole pies. If you are a big fan of NY Famous Pizzarias I would reccomend this.

Tony

I must be in a distinct minority here, but I found DiFara's to be pretty ordinary (as compared to the other Brooklyn legends - it would still trump most non-NYC-area pizza joints). We also did a pizza tour this past spring. Our stops consisted of DiFara's, Totonno's, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Fascati, Grimaldi's and Lombardi's. Of that group, I would rank DiFara's fourth - with Grimaldi's the best. Grimaldi's, IIRC, was almost universally considered the best in our group of 8 or 9 folks.

LOVE DiFara's. I live in Park Slope Brooklyn and can get from DiFara's to home in under 10 mins now if I time the lights corrrectly and drive like crazy (my record is 9 mins.) I usually ask Dom not to slice the pie so I can slice it when I get home. Seems to help.

quote:

Originally posted by The Travelin Man

I must be in a distinct minority here, but I found DiFara's to be pretty ordinary (as compared to the other Brooklyn legends - it would still trump most non-NYC-area pizza joints). We also did a pizza tour this past spring. Our stops consisted of DiFara's, Totonno's, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Fascati, Grimaldi's and Lombardi's. Of that group, I would rank DiFara's fourth - with Grimaldi's the best. Grimaldi's, IIRC, was almost universally considered the best in our group of 8 or 9 folks.

Holy Crap!!!
Your back!!!!

I remember it was reported that DiFara's was closed down for health code violations. Has it been re-opened?

Nothing personal here, but imported mozzarella? No wonder people in NY spend big bucks on such a thin pizza... Mozz is best when made on site... Why pay all that shipping?? Just MYHO here..

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by The Travelin Man

I must be in a distinct minority here, but I found DiFara's to be pretty ordinary (as compared to the other Brooklyn legends - it would still trump most non-NYC-area pizza joints). We also did a pizza tour this past spring. Our stops consisted of DiFara's, Totonno's, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Fascati, Grimaldi's and Lombardi's. Of that group, I would rank DiFara's fourth - with Grimaldi's the best. Grimaldi's, IIRC, was almost universally considered the best in our group of 8 or 9 folks.

Holy Crap!!!
Your back!!!!

That's great news about Grimaldi's because they are opening a store next month in Dallas. Very close to me. Coal burning oven and all. Can't wait!

quote:

Originally posted by twinwillow
That's great news about Grimaldi's because they are opening a store next month in Dallas. Very close to me. Coal burning oven and all. Can't wait!

It appears that Dallas is getting a "Patsy Grimaldi's." (http://www.patsygrimaldis.com/locations.asp) There does seem to be some connection to the original NY locations, but the Grimaldi's web site (http://www.grimaldis.com/) only lists the three metro NY locations as their "restaurants." It redirects to the Patsy Grimaldi's web site for the locations out west.

I don't care what they call it, as long as it looks (and tastes) as good as this...

I just went to Grimaldi's for the first time this past weekend. I've been a NY pizza lover for years. I'm not officially a Brooklyn pizza lover. That was far ans away the best pizza I've ever had.

I know Brooklyn is IN ny. I was born in NYS. But anybody I've met from Brooklyn says they're from Brooklyn, not NY(C).

quote:

Originally posted by The Travelin Man

I must be in a distinct minority here, but I found DiFara's to be pretty ordinary (as compared to the other Brooklyn legends - it would still trump most non-NYC-area pizza joints). We also did a pizza tour this past spring. Our stops consisted of DiFara's, Totonno's, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Fascati, Grimaldi's and Lombardi's. Of that group, I would rank DiFara's fourth - with Grimaldi's the best. Grimaldi's, IIRC, was almost universally considered the best in our group of 8 or 9 folks.

Although I can't wait to try Difara's (and some others named on this thread) when I visit the Big Apple, I have this theory that the longer you have to wait, the better the food tastes, esp. if you are sitting (or standing) in front of the guy making it all that time.

The same is true for Bianco's here in Phoenix...by the time you finally sink your teeth into the pie, you've had the better part of 2 hours waiting and thinking about how great it is going to be.

Everyone raves about the pizza there, that it is the best pizza anywhere, I find it very good, but the BEST? Hmmmmmm, jury is still out on that one.

Is my theory wrong?


DD

It's the best I've had in the city so far, and I'd say I'm getting more and more well-versed in NYC pizza by the week. I still think the better pies are outside of Manhattan, though I mean no disrespect to Koronet's, Joe's, or the dollar slices over by the bus terminal. I also echo cornfed's sentiments in that his square slices are better than his round ones.

The wait, I could do without...though, to be fair, that you're able to buy slices from this guy when so many other NYC pizzeria staples are pie only should be taken into consideration. You're dealing with a customer base, and a rather annoying one at that, that you don't get with a place like Grimaldi's or Lombardi's or the other tourist tra...I mean, John's.

Still, ignore it like some publications will for its uber-cheesy name, Goodfellas in Staten Island was the long-standing number one until I ventured down the Q line.

try Joe and Pats just down the street from Goodfellas on Victory Blvd. I think its the thinnest most delicious in Staten Island!

Just returned from Brooklyn. I made two trips to DiFara's. Lines were shorter, now that the price is higher. Second time I shared the experience with two others from out of town. Both times I brought a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda to drink with the pizza.

If I could take one food with me to Heaven it would be a DiFara's Pizza. That says it all. It is perfect through and through every time. No pizza in the world is like Dominic's at DiFara's.

quote:

Originally posted by peppertree

Just returned from Brooklyn. I made two trips to DiFara's. Lines were shorter, now that the price is higher. Second time I shared the experience with two others from out of town. Both times I brought a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda to drink with the pizza.

If I could take one food with me to Heaven it would be a DiFara's Pizza. That says it all. It is perfect through and through every time. No pizza in the world is like Dominic's at DiFara's.

You should have been there 10-20 years ago when it was even better!
and a helluva lot cheaper too!

Di Fara is raising their price to $5 a slice.  Whole pies are going up too.  They will also now be closed Tuesdays in addition to Mondays.

Hopefully Dom will use the extra money to hire more help at the pizza joint.

In my opinion, DiFara's is over.  The food is still great, but it's absolutely not worth the ridiculous lines, the slow service, the insane subway ride out there, the dirty floors, and now the sky-high prices.  

Bossa Nova


Di Fara is raising their price to $5 a slice.  Whole pies are going up too.  They will also now be closed Tuesdays in addition to Mondays.

Yeah I saw that on Slice as well. Kind of sad but I guess it is a product of the ages. I have heard so much about this fabled pizza that it makes me crave it nearly anytime I think about pizza. I am planning a trip up to NY this November/December so I think this will be a must stop.

Pigiron


In my opinion, DiFara's is over.  The food is still great, but it's absolutely not worth the ridiculous lines, the slow service, the insane subway ride out there, the dirty floors, and now the sky-high prices.  

 Agreed- no pie is worth this hassle, even from a quiet master like Dom...

I thought that these pictures might be interesting.

What do you think of these pies?

If I am in the area I will wait and I will pay. I have done it before and I'll do it again, for the food and the experience.

Food_Fan


I thought that these pictures might be interesting.

What do you think of these pies?

Bella!!!Bella!!!---thanks for the memories!

Di Fara's was my local pizza joint, when I lived on East 10th street near Avenue J from 1988-1990. There were no lines back then. I can't remember the prices, but I believe the regular slices were probably a buck fifty and the sicillian slices were $2- they may have  been even less, I don't remember. When I moved back to Long Island I would still visit on occasion through 1992 when I left NY altogether.  I returned when I happenned to be visiting the area back in 1997, still no lines and still as good as ever. Since then  I've been back twice , in 2005 and 2007, lines and all,  but the pizza was simply not as good as I remembered those two times. Yes, it was good, but was missing something- well it was missing alot,  I'm just not sure exactly what.  So, I guess, its just not worth it.

The slices were $3 back in the spring of 2007.  I was unimpressed then - and that is a heck of a lot of inflation in an otherwise down economy.

Apparently they raised prices ---$5.00 a slice and $25.00 a pie.  it was on the 1010wins website this am.

peppertree


Just returned from Brooklyn. I made two trips to DiFara's. Lines were shorter, now that the price is higher. Second time I shared the experience with two others from out of town. Both times I brought a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda to drink with the pizza.

If I could take one food with me to Heaven it would be a DiFara's Pizza. That says it all. It is perfect through and through every time. No pizza in the world is like Dominic's at DiFara's.

You sound like someone who might enjoy this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O1CZrQwNZI
Pizza Pie
Great Uptempo Doowop from 1958

Soccer862923

Bossa Nova


Di Fara is raising their price to $5 a slice.  Whole pies are going up too.  They will also now be closed Tuesdays in addition to Mondays.

Yeah I saw that on Slice as well. Kind of sad but I guess it is a product of the ages. I have heard so much about this fabled pizza that it makes me crave it nearly anytime I think about pizza. I am planning a trip up to NY this November/December so I think this will be a must stop.

Please share everything about the experience with us all!! 

Vai lì molto affamati e godere di ogni istante di questa esperienza.

Looks like all Difara's loyal customers will still enjoy this pizza, no matter what ,even at $5 a slice and 5 days a week.  For a hard pizza crust it does look good and besides the price I can see by the ingredients what the fuss is about.

I've never been to Difara's or New Haven for that matter. Those who have been to both, which pizza do you prefer or think is better, DiFara's or New Haven pizzerias like Pepe's or Sally's?

Local TV station WCBS-TV ran a story on the price increase at DiFara on the evening news tonight. They included video of Dom making pizza:
http://wcbstv.com/food/five.dollar.slices.2.1110065.html
 
The people at DiFara have figured out that anytime they get mentioned in the local media, there is a huge increase in business. This probably accounts for the increase in sales after local media reported the price increase to $5.00. Who knows. Maybe they read the stories on this forum about the $1000 pizza and $185 hamburger in Manhattan, and decided to do a copycat publicity effort. But with the average slice of pedestrian-grade pizza here now equal to the subway fare, $2.25, it still is not even too much of a ripoff. There are all sorts of hype joints now selling a personal pizza for $9.00 no where near as good as Dom's.

that slice looks great but for $5?
I'd better see God or at least Michael Hoffman.

hotdogger


Sounds yummy but artichoke? That sounds almost as bad as pineapple!

Hey I love pineapple pizza.

Let us  try to be serious about what great pizza is all about:


http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm

This is pretty sacred food for my money.

John Fox


I've never been to Difara's or New Haven for that matter. Those who have been to both, which pizza do you prefer or think is better, DiFara's or New Haven pizzerias like Pepe's or Sally's?

having grown up eating regularly at Sally's and Pepe's in CT and after that having spent 15+ years in Brooklyn eating at Difara (i knew Dom and Maggie long before he became a rock star and had pictures with "Meathead" Rob Riener on the wall), i can say that IMHO Sally's (and Pepe's) both destroy Difara. Dom has a beautiful thing going with his 4 or 5 different kinds of cheeses, the fresh basil, nice olive oil, etc. but Sally's crust absolutely creams Difara (whose crust goes from too thick to too burnt), and the overall vibe of sally's and pepe's is just far superior. Difara is filthy, a huge hassle, and generally not worth the wait. there are countless other great pies in NYC that will satisfy without all this hassle (Keste, Motorino, Patsy's UES, Totonnos Coney Island, Lucali, even L&B spumoni gardens for squares). but Dom is still the elder statesman of pizziolas and he puts out a fine fine pie, just not sure it is worth the hassle. Sally's, with its epic line also, is MUCH more with the hassle. YMMV...

Thanks for your response. I have heard that the wait is pretty long at Sally's (though not as long as DiFara's) and the service isn't all that great, but I'd love to go and try their pizza some day.

A Mr. Ian Jensen posted a charming video shot inside DiFara's on Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/8022558

The man in the blue shirt is, of course, Dom DeMarco. Its a busy video; I had to watch it three times to catch all the nuances. But, it does accurately portray the experience.

Difara's will be closed until at least June 9.   Dom is having minor health issues which need to be addressed so they are taking a little break.

Last August a Grimaldi's opened here in New Paltz - it took me until last week to get to try it - as part of my 83rd birthday celebration. It is absolutely the best thin crust pizza I've ever had. 
The owners are said to be members of the Grimaldi family; I've never met them, so I don't know.  There's a story around town that they are here because they lost their lease in Brooklyn. Does anyone know anything about that? The pizza is baked in a huge brick oven fired with wood or coal - they claim it is up 900 degrees - I know it is very hot- just walking by the oven you feel a blast of heat.
 
Cheers, John 

I believe that Grimaldi's under the famed Brooklyn Bridge received a recent reprieve in the form of a (one year?) extension to their current lease, John.
 
 

John, Grimaldi's is now a chain and the brand is trademarked. Their NY Metro Area branches that I know about are in Brooklyn, Garden City, Douglaston (Queens), and Hoboken, NJ.
 
The story around town you mentioned doesn't specify the address of the building where they lost their lease. Perhaps they ran another pizza restaurant in Brooklyn under another name?

Thanks, didn't know they were part of a chain - still damn good thin crust pizza!
 
Next time I'm in that joint I'll get a little nosey and ask about the Brooklyn connection. The only restaurant I was ever in under the  Brooklyn bridge was on a barge - cant remember the name but it was upscale and very  nice - I especially remember the martinis while watching the sun set behind the downtown Manhattan skyline.
 
Cheers, John  

John, I believe the place to which you refer is The River Cafe.  It is quite nice, often featured in movie scenes and such.  The original Grimaldi's location is just up the block a touch and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is next door.

Oh Seafaring one...
I've never been to any of Grimaldi's outposts, but I sure enjoyed the original Grimaldi's in Brooklyn when  I visited during our Brooklyn Pizza tour in 2007. In fact out of the 6 or so  pizza joints we visited, Grimaldi's was my favorite.

Thanks for the reminder - it was the River Cafe. We wandered in there after spending a day touring the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and driving  toward the East River to get a late afternoon view of downtown Manhattan - still have no idea what we ate, but my Scottish blood reminds me that it was pretty expensive.
 
BT: It's a long story, but the space Grimaldi's rents here in New Paltz is pretty fancy - beautiful inlaid woodwork and such. A local neer-do-well used up his inheritance redecorating his parents utilitarian and excellent Italian Deli  and turning it into a piano bar. New Paltz is not a piano bar kind of village, and anyway, he took several years to get a liquor license, and when he did the place was sporadically open and sparsely patronized. First thing we knew it was a Grimaldi's - a great improvement on our short Main street. 
 
Cheers, John 
 
Cheers, John 

Grimaldi's has two locations in Dallas. One in Dallas' "trendy" Uptown area and one in Allen which is a Dallas suburb about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.
This ex New Yorker is ashamed to admit, I live only one mile from the Uptown location and, I haven't been there yet!

In the 2010 Zagat New York dining guide, Le Bernardin and Jean Georges get 28 out of a possible 30 points for food.  Di Fara gets 27.  So perhaps the rather high tabs here are not so bad, relatively speaking.  I personally consider my $20 (3 slices of anchovy/garlic and a diet soda) money well spent.
 
If you care, Di Fara's got 4 points for decor.  It is probably the diviest pizza joint I've ever been in and I've been in some dives.  But, again, I'm not really complaining about that (except maybe they could splurge on a few more second hand chairs from Craig's List).   It also gets 8 points for service, but I found the 3 or 4 employees and Mr. Di Fara himself quite pleasant if busier than bees in a hive.
 
The pizza is sublimely unusual (or unusually sublime).  As everybody has said, the ingredients appeared to be the best obtainable.  The mushrooms begin as fresh mushrooms.  The garlic on my slices obviously did not come out of a jar but were sliced from whole fresh garlic cloves.  The cheese was buffala.
 
But what was most unusual was the way the toppings, including the tomato sauce (delicious by the way), seemed cooked just to the point of melted perfection--not at all burned or dried out--but the crust had that black-blistered New York coal oven look (from what appeared to be the same kind of electric oven your corner pizza joint probably uses, no less).
 
Somewhere above somebody complained about the subway ride.  Again, I will demur.  I admit I enjoy riding the subway.  First thing I do when I hit NYC is buy an unlimited ride MetroCard.  Getting to Di Fara took me about 30 minutes on the B-train, one easy transfer, from Chelsea.  For those staying near Times Square, the Q also works and I took it back to see a movie on 42nd St.  For me, this jaunt was no problem at all--it's about the same as the ride to Queens for New York's best Thai food at Sripraphai which I've done a number of times.