Posted by Michael Stern on December 12, 2008
A great location (although a bit hard to get to) under the Brooklyn Bridge near the River Cafe, Grimaldi's is in fact a sort of spin-off from Patsy's up in Harlem. Patsy Grimaldi started working at his uncle's place at the age of 10 back in 1941. In 1990, he and his wife opened this restaurant in Brooklyn. When lawyers got involved, the name of their place needed to be changed from Patsy's Pizzeria to Grimaldi's.
Whatever the legal geneaology, the pizza here is a worthy descendant of Patsy's. It's not as plain and basic; in fact one Roadfood team member described it as a bit "too chi chi," probably because of the fresh basil strewn about the pizza. In fact there are some pretty deluxe toppings you can get at Grimaldi's, including sun-dried tomatoes and EXTRA basil, but we'd recommend sticking to the basics. The cheese is fresh, cut into slices and melting in pools atop the hot pies; and while we felt the sausage was a little sparse and also a little too sweet, we loved the roasted peppers.
Roadfood team members unanimously praised the crust as delicious -- a good balance of crunchy and chewy with faint hints of charred flavor on the underside. On our evaluation sheets, we had a category for "oil residue" because too much of it can be a problem on some pizzas. If anything, Grimaldi's pie had too little. Not that it was dry, but it didn't have the soulful oilyness that pinnacle pizzas deliver.
Overall: Worth driving from anyplace
14 out of 17 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
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"Regardless of the quality of toppings, it's crust that makes a good pizza. And this is one heck of a good crust: flavorful, puffy around the edges, and with nice charred notes all around the bottom."
Michael Stern
"Red peppers, half-way roasted in Grimaldi's ovens"
Michael Stern
"We wish the sausage had a more robust flavor. Even so, this was a nicely balanced pie."
Michael Stern
"Grimaldi's menu! My opinion is that these prices are very good for the quality they serve. Click on the photo for a readable view."
joerogo
"These tiles are in front of Grimaldi's, where you'll probably wait for a table."
Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
"We came to Grimaldi's for lunch and had no problem getting in. In the evening and on weekends, it can get mobbed."
Michael Stern
