Come go with me - Pizza Pangs: Di Fara Pizza

Been around since '65 and now have an outpost in Vegas. Where else am I speaking of but the famous or maybe notorious, Di Fara Pizza in Midwood Brooklyn. Di Fara known for its legendary pizza pies, slices and squares has been named by Zagats the #1 pizza joint in NYC for 8 years in a row. I love my NYC pizza but I don't indulge nearly enough. There are a bajjillion number of pizza slice joints and once you have tasted one, you have tasted all. Particularly in NYC where all kinds of nationalities are running pizza joints. However there are stand out places, some of them terribly overrated and frankly I am not sure if Di Fara is one of them.

So here is the rundown. I sauntered in right smack in the middle of the day on a weekday and didn't think I would still have to wait 45 mins to get a round and a square! Silly me. There was orders up the wazoo and I am sure the lovely lady behind the counter who was taking orders suppressed a good natured chuckle when I thought I could just order my pizza in one breath and inhale it with the other...

I contemplated leaving for a micro second and then though hey their 'byline' does say, 'it's worth the wait' and I shall have to find now, shan't I? While I waited I peeped the careful methodical way, using the freshest ingredients,  the proprietor(s) prepared their pizza - that was almost a tongue twister; almost lol.

Fresh sauce...

Fresh cheese. I gathered that they use three different cheeses for their pies. By now the anticipation is building guys...

After 40 minutes or so of waiting, I received my single mushroom square. And oh points for carrying my nice and not too sweet mexican sodas. Yes to sugar - never thought the day would come that I would publicly hail sugar but anything is better than HFCS I say! 

It was nice and piping hot, straight out of the oven. I definitely should have waited longer for it to cool down (where had I heard again that pizza is not really enjoyed super hot? Well wherever it was, they were right). But I couldn't wait, I had waited 40 minutes and maybe indeed a couple of years, to have this scrumptious bite of Di Fara pizza. I did feel like a sucker paying $5 for a square and also waiting that long for it but oh well.

Then another 10 minutes or so came the plain cheese slice. I had to add my oregano and pepper flakes - on the side this time heheh.

Up close and personal...

The verdict.

So here goes. I spent almost an hour, on a day there was virtually not a line outside the door as is usually reported. I paid 5 bucks for each of the slice and square I got, this is DOUBLE the regular price of a standard pizza joint in the city. For me, then the pizza should have be entirely knock your socks off, blow your mind away exquisite, to compensate for the bother. BUT after all said and done,  it was good, not great. And I know my pizza, trust me when I say I'm picky as heck, a food taste snob if I may say so myself so this is not me running it down. It certainly didn't taste like the other pizzas you would have in a random pizza shop in the city. Not at all. It was delish alright, but they could be less heavy handed on the salt and the oil. Pictures don't lie, take a second look above...

I do have to say, the pizza tasted very fresh and flavorful but the fact that the salt and oil bothered me in addition to the inconveniences of time and MONEY, the overall verdict is good, not great. For me, that is - I am sure Di Fara will continue to have and probably deserves its cult following! Will I be back? Well, if and only if I am in the neighborhood, and can afford the time and money, probably...

I'm gonna segway into the topic of the very best pizza slice I have had in the city so far and I have had quite a few; in fact, I make it a point to visit the big name, big rated joints just to see if they measure up to my place but no chance! The fact that it is just another unassuming pizza hint where the slices are in the same range as regular fare makes it that much more mind blowing. I will be posting about this place soon so keep your eyes peeled...no pomp and pageantry just a wonderful unassuming, delicioso slice of scrumptiousness. Yummm, I had to close my eyes just thinking about it...

Til the next food jaunt

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