Brooklyn's Workingman's Pizzerias

Dom DeMarco is the embodiment of the workingman. Having cooked up fresh pies at Di Fara's for over 40 years, the man is truly an artist. Seriously, a friend of … mine from California almost broke down in tears watching Dom handcraft one of his famous pies. I won't even tell you what his reaction was when he actually tasted the results. You will always encounter a long wait here, and oh, you will wait. I don't know how Dom does it, but his tried and true craftsmanship sets the standard for Brooklyn pizzeria fare. [link]

In one of the Italian areas that have made Brooklyn's people and accent famous, there's a neighborhood favorite that will always earn you a nod of wizened … recognition from the locals, L&B Spumoni Gardens, now in its 68th year. The pizza here has a distinctive look: a thick layer of cheese beneath a generous helping of tangy tomato sauce, served from the window to eat at the outdoor picnic tables, inside the pizzeria, or in their dining room. Also, if you've never tried spumoni (an Italian dessert that combines whipped cream with chocolate and pistachio ice cream, sprinkled with bits of fruit and nuts), you might as well get your first taste from the pizzeria so great, it has two names. [link]

There are some people that will argue that any pizzeria with waiters and a menu is not a "workingman's pizzeria," but Grimaldi's is a neighborhood staple that has earned … its stripes. Until recently called Paty's (read all the details of the lengthy legal battle on the back of the menus), this DUMBO landmark has stayed true to its roots: large, fresh pizzas cooked to perfection in a coal brick oven. [link]

Most pizza places in Brooklyn serve different kinds of rolls that consist of dough and cheese wrapped around broccoli, spinach, eggplant or chicken. I've tasted a lot of … these ubiquitous rolls in my time, and this place has the best spinach rolls. I don't know if it's because they saute the spinach with garlic first, but it certainly doesn't hurt that they also happen to be monstrously huge. [link]

I've got one word for you: riceball. Or is that two words? Either way, forget the pizza, forget the rolls, forget everything you know about pizzeria fare and just order the riceball. Stuffed with ricotta cheese or meat and drowned in a sodden sea of mozzarella and sauce, the riceballs at N&D are a life-changing experience. I used to … sneak out of high school to get one of these for lunch all the time. A 30 minute drive away, that was no small risk. It's worth it, trust me. [link]

Bragging about having the best anything at a Bensonhurst pizzeria is serious business, but Lenny's isn't just any Brooklyn pizza joint. The shop has a brief cameo in that most-famous of Brooklyn films, Saturday Night Fever. But fame aside, this place has two specialties, their vegetable pizza (your ma will love it. Ain't that right, ma?) … and their "Grandma's" style, thin-crust slices so crispy, the dough is practically a cracker. [link]