The pie we (almost) conquered
The hubby and I took a little jaunt out to Midwood on Sunday for a pie at famed pizzeria Di Fara. I never thought I would so thoroughly enjoy an hour plus wait standing up, but being able to watch 73 year old proprietor Domenico De Marco at work was priceless. In his corner storefront, De Marco has been making pies in the same fashion for over 40 years. True to what I’d heard, the pizza is phenomenal, but the overall experience went way beyond my expectation.
Di Fara on Avenue J in Midwood
Though framed press clippings hung on the dining room walls are kept up-to-date, decor has truly fallen by the wayside and looks like it hasn’t changed since the 70’s. So much care is given to each pie produced, however, that it’s understandable.
Back dining area
Upon arriving, there is some semblance of a line formed at the front of the restaurant, where folks step up to the counter and place their order with Dom’s assistant — for a “regular pie,” “square pie,” or individual slices (supposedly the most expensive in the city at $4 a pop). Then a good long wait ensues.
The floor in front of the counter. Think this place has seen its share of customers?
The menu
While waiting, you can watch De Marco as he works, producing each pizza almost entirely solo. True, his assistant takes orders and assists in the production of the pies, but each pizza he produces seems to be directly touched only by his hands. And I mean directly by his hands which must be hardened by years of doing this, because he often removes the pizzas from the oven with his bare hands.
Dom and his assistant working. Assistant is grating Romano cheese.
For each pie, the dough is formed into its appropriate shape, sauce is spread atop it, buffalo mozzarella plunked down, regular mozzarella shredded on top (cheese is shredded pie-by-pie), a sprinkling of Romano cheese (freshly grated by De Marco’s assistant) applied, and some olive oil liberally doused on top. The pie is then baked, checked frequently by De Marco’s watchful eye.
De Marco standing on boxes of tomatoes and olive oil to rotate pies in the oven.
As each bubbling pie is done, De Marco removes it from the oven, puts it either on its pizza tray or in its box, asks who it’s for (not of the assistant, mind you, but of the “audience,” most of whom are paying careful attention to the waiting list). Once he knows whose pie it is, he proceeds dress it, giving the pie a healthy sprinkling of Romano cheese and clipping fresh basil onto it thoughtfully but haphazardly. Basil flies lands everywhere including on the pie, in pieces both small and large. Our pie also got a good dose of olive oil at this point. All of this gives the feeling that De Marco is dressing the pie just as you like it.
De Marco snipping basil onto the cooked pizza. Note the hands of eager customers lined up along the counter.
How did it taste? Remarkable. The tender crust is denser and heavier than many other famed NYC pizzarias (Lombardi’s, Grimaldi’s), and it still bears the marks of De Marco’s fingers. And the Romano cheese lends a sharpness that’s this pie’s signature. Most noteworthy, though, is the super fresh, slightly spicy basil that wilts from the heat of the pizza and provides contrast to the still molten olive oil and cheese.
And well, as delicious as it was, I just couldn’t pack in a fourth slice. Hopefully it will taste as good tomorrow for breakfast.
xoxoMeg
Di Fara Pizza
1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230
(718) 258-1367
http://www.difara.com/
Tags: pizza
One word — Yum.
Excellent article, I am drooling. I suggest a SF visit for research and idea exchange.