Saturday, February 11, 2017

Di Fara Pizza, the "Best of the Best"



I had been looking forward to going to Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn (1424 avenue J, Brooklyn, New York 11230) for a very long time. It's not exactly the easiest place to get to for tourists visiting NYC. Far from the glitz of Manhattan it's a relatively long subway ride out into the depths of Brooklyn. It's the kind of place that you have to go out of your way to visit, but it is oh so worth the effort to get there.

Disembarking from the subway train I was completely among the Brooklyn natives. No double-decker red tour buses or naked cowboys anywhere in site. At this moment I'm starting to feel sorry for all the fanny pack wearing tourists stuffing their faces with Sbarro in Times Square.

I got there a little after 1:00pm during the week and there was no one lined up for pizza. I had read about the long lines at this place but today I was treated like a VIP. I had the whole place to myself. 

I walked in to what amounts to a rundown looking building with a few tables and a decor that looks decades old. The pizza smell in the air was like a siren's song calling me in. I knew I was in for a damn good meal. 


I went for the "Di Fara Classic Pie". I figured this was probably the crown jewel on their menu. I paid up the cash (they are cash only) and sat patiently while my pie was created from scratch.


I took the first bite and knew from that moment on that all other pizza would never compare to this one. There is a reason that hundreds, maybe thousands, of people go out of their way to make a pilgrimage here. It is simply head and shoulders far superior to any other pizza you'll ever try. The pictures or descriptions of the flavors will never do this pizza justice. You just have to trust me.

I've been to Lombardy's and John's in Manhattan. I've eaten all the deep dish places in Chicago, but they pale in comparison to Di Fara. It is truly a pizza I don't feel worthy enough to eat.