5 Best Pizza Places In Staten Island
Staten Island serves some of the most legendary pizza around, due to the borough's large population of Italians and Italian Americans. Below are our five favorite pizzerias. Some have been around since the Depression, some began during the Kennedy administration, and some are newcomers to the scene. They're all incredible. By Jessica Allen.
Family-owned and operated since 1937, Denino's is an institution. The takeout box reads "In crust we trust," a testament to the crunchy thin crust done so well at this fine establishment. You can design your very own pizza, with such toppings as black olives and anchovies, or you can get one of the specials, such as the "garbage pie" (with sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, onions, and mushrooms) or "clam pie" (olive oil, fresh garlic, parsley, and "sprinkle of grated cheese").
A veritable newcomer compared to some of the other spots on this list, Giuseppe's serves up fresh, hot pizzas like buffalo chicken, pesto, chicken parmigiana, and good old mozzarella, usually available by the slice, or you can order a whole pie. Go for the taste, of course, but stay for the specials: if you order a large pie with at least three toppings, for example, you get a small pie for free. Great-tasting and cost-effective? Win-win!
The pizza at Joe & Pat's is thin, surprisingly so, and yet somehow also resilient, able to withstand all kinds of toppings and touches. As the crust cracks, you'll be hit with a blast of just-made tomato sauce, slightly sweet, and cheese, almost but not quite caramelized. Many swear by the "plain pie" (just cheese and tomatoes). Others will want to dive into the famous "vodka pie" (where the sauce is infused with vodka and cream). And some will insist on trying them all. We're with that group.
You might say that pizza is in the blood of the guy behind Pier 76. His dad runs Joe & Pat's, and he began learning the pizza ropes as a child. Eventually he went to the Culinary Institute of America. Today Jeremy Pappalardo runs Pier 76, an Italian restaurant near the Staten Island Ferry. Try the dinner for two for $50: your choice of an appetizer, a pizza (or an entree), a dessert, and a pitcher of beer or bottle of wine. (There's even a gluten-free pizza among the options.)
The last time we were at Tony's Brick Oven Pizzeria, it seemed as if half of Staten Island pulled in for a slice. While we ate our caprese, with basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes on thick dough, firefighters, teens, moms and dads, and a whole host of others bellied up to the counter for square Sicilian pies, margherita pies, etc., etc. Make sure to get a side of garlic knots too, nubby, buttery, garlickly bites. You can't have too much of a good thing, such as carbs.
