Joe’s Pizza
The Past, Present and Future of The Best Slice In NYC
Joe’s Pizza has the best slice in New York City. I know because I’ve been eating pizza slices all around the city for many decades—and—I am one of the highly opinionated if not respected Certified NYC Pizza Snobs™© you’ve probably heard about.
Back in the 1970s, a half-century ago, Joe’s was located at the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets in the West Village. Perfect to enjoy any time of day, it was often especially magical after a night of clubbing (CBGBs and such) as it stayed open into the late hours. To this day the place is packed any time of day I stop in—and is still open until 3 am.
I walk around the city a lot and I do try slices here and there (there’s a joint every few blocks)—Cassiano’s in Midtown East, Giovanni’s in Morningside Heights, and Pizza Park in Lenox Hill regularly get some of my pizza bucks (at least in part because of my geographical trajectories)—but I feel particularly lucky when the urge strikes and I’m near Joe’s.
What the hell are chains like Dominoes and Papa John’s and Familgia doing in New York City anyway. Who eats that crap? (Well, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump shared some slices and mutual admiration at Famiglia in Times Square in 2011. Case closed.)
For the intents of this piece, let’s be clear that we’re talking about places where you stop in to buy pizza by the slice.
Arturo’s down on West Houston, John’s on Bleecker, Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn Heights—those are something else altogether, primarily sit-down dinners with an entire pie.
And as to “Chicago-style” deep-dish pizza, which I have also enjoyed—but—as Jon Stewart pointed out in his famous rant: ”not only not better than New York pizza . . . it’s not pizza! It’s a f — –n’ casserole!”
I can enjoy all of the above local pizzerias on occasion, but give me a hot delicious slice of Joe’s—to fold in half and enjoy as I walk around the Village—any time. Crispy crust, inimitable sauce, just enough mozzarella—perfection! Real pizza aficionados, especially Certified NYC Pizza Snobs™© like myself, order theirs plain—especially from Joe’s because why would anyone try to hide that delicate perfect flavor with pepperoni or garlic or whatever the hell else people throw on pizza these days?
Vegetables on top are fine for a sit-down lunch, but let’s be clear —it is not a “slice of pizza” if I need a fork. And if you’re having “chipotle chicken ” or “penne pasta ala vodka”(really?!) as a topping, then the “pizza” is just a serving plate.
There are a number of slices of pizza I’ve eaten at Joe’s over the years and they have to number in the many hundreds.
Joe’s lost that sweet little corner spot in 2005 when his 25 year-lease ended and a gelato chain took it over. The shop moved to a hole-in-the-wall place down the block. The lines of customers typically go out the door and down the street—and fuggedaboutit on the weekends when the now ubiquitous Pizza Tours swamp the place.
Even working in this tight space, Joe’s has become legendary. The walls are covered with photos of celebrities posing with pizza master Alex Bisogni who learned everything he knows from the man who opened the shop, Pino “Joe” Pozzuoli, and has worked there for almost 30 years. Many of his crew have been there for ten and twenty years.
For those impressed by celebrity, Joe’s Pizza was also see in the film Spider-Man 2—where Peter Parker once worked at Joe’s Pizza as a delivery boy.
The other night we took the subway from Harlem, heading downtown, with the express goal of slices at Joe’s and walking around the Village.
I suddenly got the notion of having my photo taken with Alex Bisogni. He graciously concurred and my partner Tammy, the other half of world famous The Anomalous Duo, snapped this shot of us.
And then Alex Bisogni gave us the great news that since the gelato place folded recently, Joe’s is moving back to that iconic corner spot at Bleecker and Carmine in a few months.
There are now Joe’s Pizza shops in five other locations, four in the city and one in (ready?) Ann Arbor, Michigan. Go figure.
Meet you there for a slice? <)
And while you’re here check out this sincere little video: “Two Slices Please” — which my partner Tammy and I made back in 2011 (WBVS — way before video saavy.)
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© AleXander Hirka 2020. All Rights Reserved.
