New York's Finest

You could read the reviews of NY Times food critic Sam Sifton (or, Frank Bruni's web archives), watch Anthony Bourdain, or browse through chowhound. All of those resources will probably steer you to some very good meals. But when it comes to pizza, I think the best judge of whether you should spend your time and money on a slice is who is inside the pizzeria eating it. And if the answer is blue collar workers, police officers, and MTA employees, then you know you've found something good.

Louie & Ernie's in B.F.E. Bronx (Schuylerville to be exact). It seems to be a real pain to get out there via NY Transit, but I was fortunate enough to be on my way back from Connecticut - in a car, no less. So, to me, it seemed like the easiest thing in the world.

When we entered this little pizzeria, which is neatly tucked away in the bottom half of a split-level residential house, all the customers seemed to be wearing abbreviations: MTA, NYPD, FDNY. I'm just glad there wasn't any IRS. These were big guys with big appetites A very good sign.

It was a pretty cold day out so I was surprised to see the pizzaiolo wearing shorts. He must be one of the owners and might even live upstairs. But, hey, if the pizza is good, he could be wearing a thong for all I care.

And the pizza was good. There's wasn't much of a char on the bottom, but the crust wa very thing and flavorful. It was a bit chewier than other NY pizzas, but that's not a bad thing. The cheese was incredibly creamy and the tomato sauce was fresh but a bit light.

I heard that the topping to order here is the sausage, so we also ordered a slice loaded with the crumbly stuff. While it was well-seasoned and not too salty, it was a bit of an overload for me. There was so much meat that it just rolled off my slice. I wish it had been incorporated rather than just thrown on top.

The atmosphere was fun and cozy, the pizza was well-prepared and tasty, and thanks to the clientele, I felt safe from a fire, crime, and any possible subway delays. And I also felt safe from the possibility of crappy pizza.

Is Louie & Ernie's the best pizza in NY? It gets a 7 out of 10 because it's a great example of NY style pizza. It may not be worth the trek all the way out the ends of the Bronx, but if you happen to be passing through, you could do a lot worse.

A Coal New World

There are so many different possibilities with pizza. You can have thin crust, thick crust, white, deep dish, stuffed, vegetarian, organic, kosher, leftover. The variations are endless. And what's great (but daunting for me) is that New York seems to offer every single option.

One type of pizza that was completely foreign to me was grilled pizza. I didn't know you could cook pizza outside of an oven. But why the hell not? Just slap it on the grill and you've created a whole new pizza experience.

Grilled pizza was made famous at Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and was brought to NY in the 80's by the late Vincent Scotto. Scotto was a sous chef at Al Forno and opened Gonzo, Fresco, and the now closed Scopa here in the city. These Italian restaurants are all slightly upscale but offer the rare grilled pizza.

For my first grilled pizza experience, I skipped the hoity toity trattorias and decided to go to a newer, more casual spot in the far reaches of Morris Park in the Bronx. Coals stands on a busy intersection amongst hospitals and medical schools. The doctors and med students sure need a local watering hole to blow off some steam. And if you eat enough of Coals' grilled pizza, you just might need the doctors and med students for your cholesterol.

The restaurant made me think of a college bar that had been renovated to be more family-friendly. It was definitely homey and comfortable. There was even a cozy little nook in the front furnished with a stocked bookcase and an inviting sofa. Nothing screams college bar more than a bookcase and a sofa!!

At the bar (where I imagine most people know your name), I was impressed by their extensive craft beer list. Maybe I was still in the five boroughs after all.

The grilled pizzas came in two different sizes and some delicious sounding combinations - I was especially tempted by the Sloppy Joe with smoked mozzarella and fontina and the Pure Bliss with ricotta, tomato sauce, and pesto. But I had to try the margherita since it was the most basic and the starting point for all the others.

When the small pie arrived, it was so thin and looked cracker-y. It reminded me of the matzoh pizzas my mom would make for me on Passover. Oh, if only mom had made them this good!

There was nothing cracker-y about this. Sure, it was thin and crispy, but very rich, buttery, and tender. The grilled pizza reminded me a bit of a grilled cheese sandwich (I bet you never saw that one coming), but lighter and more balanced.

The bread was slathered with mozzarella and there were beautiful red mountains of tomato sauce and restrained slivers of basil dotting the canvas. The flavors were in perfect harmony. I was surprised actually since the sauce was a bit sparse, but the strong savory flavors lingered and married well with the buttery cheesy crust. There was also a nice garnish of sharp pecorino cheese which gave the pizza an edgy bite.

I also had to try the fluffernutter dessert which, like the name of the restaurant (the pizza never touches coals) is a misnomer because fluffernutters include both peanut butter and marshmallow. This one didn't have either. It was basically a grilled crepe with a nutella and marscapone filling. It was very tasty, but reminiscent of the pizza I just ate. I'm sorry, but for dessert, I'd like something different than what I had for dinner.

The grilled pizzas at Coals are unique and delicious and I might even have to make another inconvenient trip to the Bronx to try their other options. This is not your usual New York pie, but it'll broaden your horizons and might convert you to the ingenious grilled pizza. Now if only they could figure out a way to make other variations (like fat free pizza) taste this good...

Is Coals the best pizza in NY? It's inventive and really enjoyable, so that's why I give it an 8 out of 10, but this is a creative variation on our beloved pizza and not quite what one thinks of when it comes to NY style.