Thursday, August 16, 2007

Real Pizza Vs. Fake Pizza

This is a question for people who live in and around New York. How is it that pizza places like Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut and Papa John's stay open for business in New York city? New York City is a town that has essentially perfected the pizza. If you live in the New York Metro area, then you live very close to a pizza place that makes very good pizza. Some are better than others, but all of them are beteter than Domino's et al. Why would one choose to order from one of these national chains that uses ingredients that aren't fresh and subpar sauce and so forth if you could instead have a real slice of pizza?

I would think that Domino's and the others would just not have a really big market share in a place like New York. I gather that this isn't true all around the country, and good pizza is hard to find in other places. And if that's the case, then I guess Domino's isn't the worst thing in the world, but shit, it's not like a real pizza costs all that much or anything. There's really no reason I can see to get a fake one.

Incidentally, the best pizza I've ever had anywhere was at a place called Bella Napoli that was on Madison Avenue in the vicinity of 26th or 27th street. It was perfectly made and what made it the best slice ever was the sauce. Something about that sauce was addictive. I used to work on 23rd and Madison and then later I worked at 34th and Madison, so I would go there a lot. I would walk from 34th street past like 4 or 5 other pizza places to go to this one.

4 comments:

The Notorious LJT said...

I agree, Open Bar used to order Domino's every once in a while and I always asked him why, in NYC, would you ever order Domino's pizza?

His answer was, 'sometimes you just feel like Domino's'.

I guess when you order Dominos you know exactly what you're getting but if you order from a new pizza place the quality could be dicey - ba dum ch.

Open Bar said...

Yeah, I lived for a year in New London, Connecticut, and I was one broke-ass mofo, so all I could really afford was McDonald's and Domino's.

I have since completely renounced all fast food (a la McDonald's, Burger King, et al), but once in a while, I do get a hankering for some Domino's. LJT hates it, but I can't explain it.

Chuck makes an inarguable point, saying that pizza in New York is light years ahead of anywhere else. (At least that I've been. Fuck you, Chicago. "Deep dish" can suck me "balls deep.") But Domino's and Pizza Hut don't have a huge hold on the market in New York. There are 10 "Original Ray's" or "Ray's Original" or "Seriously, This Is the Original Ray's, I Swear" to every Domino's or Pizza Hut.

Also, the actual "original" Ray's Pizza is on 6th Ave and 11th Street. Go there, if you haven't.

And for the record, Papa John's ain't all that bad. It's no "Ray's," but hey, it's better than anything you'll find in Toledo or Seattle or It-doesn't-really-mattersville.

Open Bar said...

Oh yeah, one more thing, Chuck...

How about a bit more originality in the tags? "New York" and "Pizza" is all you could come up with? As if anyone's gonna search our blog and look up those tags. Come on. You're better than that.

Joe Grossberg said...

Your assignment: go to a Dominos, ask five customers as they leave.