In this city, restaurants come and go faster than you can say "ethically sourced ramen burger." And even though there are great new additions to the culinary landscape popping up every week, you've gotta give kudos to anyone who can stick it out for over a year. With that in mind, we bring you Still Got It, our tribute to establishments that continue to serve mouthwatering meals and drinks long after the buzz has faded—or where the lingering hype is still justified.
What's the best pizza place in New York City? Lol I won't actually try to answer that question, as it's totally unanswerable. If you wrote an updated version of "Blowing In The Wind" it would be one of the warbled rhetorical questions the singer would ask. Rather than make the case that Williamsburg's Best Pizza is, as it's name would imply the best pizza place in the city, I'm just here to say that Best Pizza is a tremendous slice joint and everyone should eat there at least once.
Best Pizza was originally opened with help from the Roberta's team six years ago, but there's nothing ultra-fancy about the place and their focus on good slices of pizza. Their plain slice ($3.25) doesn't overwhelm with sauce or cheese, ably hitting the mix between the two, and it's all topped off with a basil leaf. However, the true star at Best Pizza, in my opinion, is their white slice ($3.75).
(David Colon/Gothamist)
Some places are happy to just throw some ricotta and mozzarella on a slice and call it a day. Best Pizza though, adds caramelized onions and a sesame seed crust that's just the right amount of firm but chewy, while also making sure to not overwhelm you with ricotta.
Five years ago I was hit by a car and broke my collarbone and ankle, among other bones, and had to recuperate at my parents' house in Long Beach. While I missed my friends and the ability to walk, it turned out that I missed the white slice at Best Pizza most of all. I would wake up having dreamt about it, and would get a phantom taste sensation of it while vegging out on pain pills in my parents' basement. It's a very, very good slice of pizza.
(David Colon/Gothamist)
You could order out from Best Pizza, or pop in and get a slice to bring to one of Williamsburg's many bars or to McCarren Park. But I recommend hanging out in the storefront as you chew over your slices. For starters, there's been a sound system pumping out loud hip-hop, of both the contemporary and classic varieties, from Day One. Also, eating at the restaurant itself gives you time to look over the paper plates that adorn the walls, featuring artistic interpretations and doodles of what Best Pizza means to customers who've stopped in to enjoy a slice there.
So again, I'm not here to say Best Pizza has the best slice you'll ever eat, because I'm not interested in opening up Pandora's Box. But I can't say I've eaten too many slices of pizza that I dream about later.
Best Pizza is located at 33 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn//(718) 599-2210
