The Manhattan Pizza War
April 11, 2012 4:37 PM Subscribe
A pizza price war in Manhattan is threatening to destroy two businesses, while providing consumers with the cheapest slice in ages.
nose, face, etc.
posted by leotrotsky at 4:44 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by leotrotsky at 4:44 PM on April 11, 2012
That link goes to the second page of the article. Here's the article on a single page.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:46 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by ocherdraco at 4:46 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
"A pizza price war greed and stupidity in Manhattan is threatening to destroy two businesses,"
posted by HuronBob at 4:50 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 4:50 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
This is fascinating.
In San Francisco the price wars at popular eateries seem to go in reverse, since there is so much prestige value associated with "organic," "sustainable" and "locally sourced" food, and there's a presumption that such food must be expensive.
posted by eugenen at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
In San Francisco the price wars at popular eateries seem to go in reverse, since there is so much prestige value associated with "organic," "sustainable" and "locally sourced" food, and there's a presumption that such food must be expensive.
posted by eugenen at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
> A pizza price war greed and stupidity pride and identity
posted by darth_tedious at 4:53 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by darth_tedious at 4:53 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, if these two places close I don't know where we'll be able to find a slice in New York.
posted by jonmc at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2012 [22 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2012 [22 favorites]
Well, at least your subway fares will be going down, New Yorkers. It must be nice to have something on Boston, for once.
posted by uosuaq at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by uosuaq at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
A number of years ago a friend and I were at the corner of Yonge and Gerrard in Toronto and he decided he wanted a hot dog. There were multiple vendors in sight, all of whom had priced their dogs at $2.00 except for one lady with a sign saying they were $1.50 in front of her cart. So he ordered a hot dog and the lady asked him for two dollars. "But the sign says $1.50!" "No! Two dollar! TWO DOLLAR!!!" They went back and forth like this for a while, and then a guy jumped out of a van behind the cart, picked up the $1.50 sign and swooped back into the van. The lady held up two fingers and shouted "YOU SEE, TWO DOLLAR!!!" Well, she got her two dollars, but it seemed like a lot of time and effort to scam people out of fifty cents.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [22 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [22 favorites]
I really like the 99 cent fresh pizza on 9th, the turnover is so high the pizza is always hot out of the oven. I notice there is a new Two Brothers a few blocks away now as well. Anyway, you can already get free pizza if you are willing to drink at crocodile lounge.
The real interesting part is the decoupling of the historic train fare pizza slice parity. The first place the break with the tradition is the real trailblazer.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
The real interesting part is the decoupling of the historic train fare pizza slice parity. The first place the break with the tradition is the real trailblazer.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:56 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
I just have to eat 848 slices and flight to NY pays for itself!
posted by mazola at 4:57 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
posted by mazola at 4:57 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
it's not just $.50, she's getting $2 more than the other jerks every time someone falls for it.
the great American race to the bottom continues.
posted by ninjew at 4:58 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
the great American race to the bottom continues.
posted by ninjew at 4:58 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Mmmm. Cheap pizza "cheese"*
*not cheese**
**more like a semi-digestable soft plastic.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:03 PM on April 11, 2012
*not cheese**
**more like a semi-digestable soft plastic.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:03 PM on April 11, 2012
hey maybe they should compete on quality and service ahahahahahahahaha who am I kidding
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:06 PM on April 11, 2012 [19 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:06 PM on April 11, 2012 [19 favorites]
I'm pretty sure the most expensive part of the pizza is the labor and the electricity to run the oven. Seeing as Two Brothers keeps expanding I don't think these guys are hurting. I am willing to bet the price of pizza is the result of some sort of price fixing scheme 50 years ago and it took this long for a few people to say fuck that.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:06 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by Ad hominem at 5:06 PM on April 11, 2012
I grew up in Northern New Jersey and in 1979 the price wars at the three pizzerias in my hometown was between 75 cents and 85 cents for a plain slice ($2.50-2.80 in 2012 money).
Thinking there could be something to fff's comment about the ingredients. The one guy in the article saying he could make money at $1 a slice blows me away. Are these things made of sawdust? Or is the margin on the soft drinks just that high?
posted by sciatica at 5:12 PM on April 11, 2012
Thinking there could be something to fff's comment about the ingredients. The one guy in the article saying he could make money at $1 a slice blows me away. Are these things made of sawdust? Or is the margin on the soft drinks just that high?
posted by sciatica at 5:12 PM on April 11, 2012
Ugh, I have not seen a single Two Brothers location that they didn't take over from a "buddy booth" porno store.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 5:14 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by Threeway Handshake at 5:14 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Mr. Kumar said he was contemplating checking with a lawyer to see if there might be a city law that somehow prohibits a business from selling pizza at outlandishly cheap prices.
Please let there be an incredibly specific law that regulates exactly this.
Please.
posted by subbes at 5:17 PM on April 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
Please let there be an incredibly specific law that regulates exactly this.
Please.
posted by subbes at 5:17 PM on April 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
trackofalljades: "I don't see L&B Spumoni Gardens mentioned, so as a necessarily opinionated NYC ex-pat with roots in Brooklyn, I claim this price war irrelevant. ;)"
As a soon to be ex-pat you have made me both happy and very, very sad.
posted by Splunge at 5:18 PM on April 11, 2012
As a soon to be ex-pat you have made me both happy and very, very sad.
posted by Splunge at 5:18 PM on April 11, 2012
Yo, Sal, how come you got no brothers up on the wall here?
posted by sciencejock at 5:19 PM on April 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
posted by sciencejock at 5:19 PM on April 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
I hope this business approach proves wildly successful and crosses national borders, because the cheapest pizza I know of here in Tokyo costs $4 per slice.
posted by Bugbread at 5:24 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by Bugbread at 5:24 PM on April 11, 2012
When I go to NY, I always eat halal. I can't imagine how anyone could eat pizza after having falafel or döner kebap.
posted by dunkadunc at 5:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by dunkadunc at 5:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
I love pizza and I like it cheap and tasty. I hope both businesses can find an equilibrium.
On another note, is it possible to get either a domain indications (e.g. "[nytimes.com]") for SLFPPs so that users don't inadvertently burn up their monthly quotas for paywall items?
posted by mistersquid at 5:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
On another note, is it possible to get either a domain indications (e.g. "[nytimes.com]") for SLFPPs so that users don't inadvertently burn up their monthly quotas for paywall items?
posted by mistersquid at 5:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
Semi-related (mostly unrelated) question: how can every place in Penn Station afford to sell 32oz craft beers for $6.50? It's madness.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:27 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by uncleozzy at 5:27 PM on April 11, 2012
mazola: it ok. you just excited good pizza.
posted by Saxon Kane at 5:32 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Saxon Kane at 5:32 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
I hope this business approach proves wildly successful and crosses national borders, because the cheapest pizza I know of here in Tokyo costs $4 per slice.
If it has mayo and eel, can you really call it pizza?
posted by indubitable at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
If it has mayo and eel, can you really call it pizza?
posted by indubitable at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
Are these things made of sawdust?
If cheap industrial pizza cheese doesn't alarm you, the pepperoni should. And oh gods can you imagine how nasty the tomatoes were before they were rendered into cheap, adulterated pizza paste?
It's really best to not think about that slice of cheap pizza. Eat it, enjoy the warmth and the robust umami flavours, and feel the pleasure of a stuffed gut for the next few days.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
If cheap industrial pizza cheese doesn't alarm you, the pepperoni should. And oh gods can you imagine how nasty the tomatoes were before they were rendered into cheap, adulterated pizza paste?
It's really best to not think about that slice of cheap pizza. Eat it, enjoy the warmth and the robust umami flavours, and feel the pleasure of a stuffed gut for the next few days.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
“We don’t sell pizza at 75 cents,” Eli Halali said. “But if they think they’re going to sit next to us and sell at 75 cents, they’ve got another think coming.”
Priceless.
posted by crackingdes at 5:44 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Priceless.
posted by crackingdes at 5:44 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I can't imagine how anyone could eat pizza after having falafel or döner kebap.
That's the choice I make, too. Döners are just so damn tasty good.
Another food where it's really best not to think about the ingredients too much. Mmm, ever-rotating, constantly-cooking hunk of compressed meat scrap product, I do love you so!
posted by five fresh fish at 5:47 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
That's the choice I make, too. Döners are just so damn tasty good.
Another food where it's really best not to think about the ingredients too much. Mmm, ever-rotating, constantly-cooking hunk of compressed meat scrap product, I do love you so!
posted by five fresh fish at 5:47 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
So in Do the Right Thing, which was 23 years ago (and yes I am well aware that it was not a documentary but its still gotta be grounded in some truth right?) Sal charged two dollars just for extra cheese for one slice. BTW I always thought that was strange since it seemed to be about the same price as the slice itself.
So...have prices gone down on something in the last 20 years, or whaaaa?
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:48 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
So...have prices gone down on something in the last 20 years, or whaaaa?
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:48 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I take it these slices aren't exactly Grimaldis under the Brooklyn bridge quality? Why would you eat pizza in the NYC area that wasn't the best pizza in the world. You're in fucking New York already.
posted by Chekhovian at 5:49 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Chekhovian at 5:49 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I saw this article and was annoyed:
The special of two slices and a drink dropped to $2.25 from $2.75.
I have seen this in the NYTimes before. Prices drop from A to Z. Prices do not drop to Z from A. If you list the two prices in ascending order, they seem like a price rise. Who in the hell writes like that? What editor is approving this?
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [25 favorites]
The special of two slices and a drink dropped to $2.25 from $2.75.
I have seen this in the NYTimes before. Prices drop from A to Z. Prices do not drop to Z from A. If you list the two prices in ascending order, they seem like a price rise. Who in the hell writes like that? What editor is approving this?
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [25 favorites]
I'm going to mail them some deep dish from Pequod's.
posted by shakespeherian at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
deep dish
See, deep dish is sort of appealing at first. Then you eat one slice and you want to die. Then there's St. Louis style ultra thin pizza drenched in this weird ultra low temperature melting eutic alloy gooey cheese. No NYC pizza is the best, well, the top notch kind I mean.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:02 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
See, deep dish is sort of appealing at first. Then you eat one slice and you want to die. Then there's St. Louis style ultra thin pizza drenched in this weird ultra low temperature melting eutic alloy gooey cheese. No NYC pizza is the best, well, the top notch kind I mean.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:02 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
It is standard pizza. There isn't anything wrong with it. Probably the exact same ingredients from the exact same supplier as 99% of pizza places. This is just standard lunch or after bar food. Street food without the truck. I ain't planning my night around hitting Two Brothers and I can't take the train and wait for a table at Grimaldi's the 2-3 times a week I have pizza for lunch.
posted by Ad hominem at 6:09 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Ad hominem at 6:09 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
this brings up fond memories of the samosa war on fraser street in vancouver around 1996. one indian sweets shop went from two to three or maybe it was three to four samosas to the dollar. madness ensued. a rival shop went to five, another upped it to six, then you had to offer seven to stay in the game and if i remember correctly i actually once bought eight samosas for a dollar, while thinking...how can it be cheaper here than in india?
posted by ecourbanist at 6:14 PM on April 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by ecourbanist at 6:14 PM on April 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
the best pizzas I've had in Italy
The homestyle Italian pizza I've had was alway very simple, very little tomato sauce, very little cheese. Just dressed up garlic bread sort of. Pizza is like the one foreign food that america has imported and actually improved upon. Well that and the toasted ravioli. Lol. Breading and frying pasta. Take that, rest of the world! USA USA USA
posted by Chekhovian at 6:30 PM on April 11, 2012 [10 favorites]
The homestyle Italian pizza I've had was alway very simple, very little tomato sauce, very little cheese. Just dressed up garlic bread sort of. Pizza is like the one foreign food that america has imported and actually improved upon. Well that and the toasted ravioli. Lol. Breading and frying pasta. Take that, rest of the world! USA USA USA
posted by Chekhovian at 6:30 PM on April 11, 2012 [10 favorites]
As long as we can all agree that the world's worst pizza is in Australia. When my ex-girlfriend from down under visited Canada she bought a slice from Pizza Pizza (the most generic, cardboardy chain pizza you could possibly imagine) and immediately pronounced it the best she'd ever tasted. I stared at her in confusion - because damn - but years later I visited Australia and learned for myself.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:34 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:34 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Dressed up garlic bread sort of? Where did you have this?
When some Italian people made dinner for me. But they were expats, so maybe Italians expel everyone that sucks at pizza making.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:36 PM on April 11, 2012
When some Italian people made dinner for me. But they were expats, so maybe Italians expel everyone that sucks at pizza making.
posted by Chekhovian at 6:36 PM on April 11, 2012
I'm not even Italian and I am deeply offended at this.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 6:51 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by Threeway Handshake at 6:51 PM on April 11, 2012
all this fuss over utility pizza.
posted by ninjew at 6:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by ninjew at 6:55 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Lol. Breading and frying pasta. Take that, rest of the world! USA USA USA
Amateurs. The Scots batter and deep-fry pizzas and serve them up with chips.
Also, Italian pizza is generally the best in my experience. Consistent high quality is the key. I've never been served anything but decent pizza in Italy, even in mass-catering style environments. I'm sure bad Italian pizza exists, but it seems rare to me.
posted by howfar at 7:07 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
Amateurs. The Scots batter and deep-fry pizzas and serve them up with chips.
Also, Italian pizza is generally the best in my experience. Consistent high quality is the key. I've never been served anything but decent pizza in Italy, even in mass-catering style environments. I'm sure bad Italian pizza exists, but it seems rare to me.
posted by howfar at 7:07 PM on April 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
Madison used to have a couple different NYC style pizza places, and now they're both gone :( Both places were busy, especially Sal's so I have no idea why they ended up closing shop. Poor management? *sigh*
I MISS IT SO MUCH.
posted by symbioid at 7:11 PM on April 11, 2012
I MISS IT SO MUCH.
posted by symbioid at 7:11 PM on April 11, 2012
I lived through a hot dog price war. Busy intersection had had 3 hot dog carts on one corner with two of them side by side. These are the two that started the price war. Prices seemed to drop every time I walked by and they were actively hawking customers from each other's queues. It think it was down to $0.50 or $0.75 for a hot dog or $1 for a sausage, which is 3 to 4 times less than the going rate.
One of the two side-by-side vendors was gone one day, but by that time the vendor around the corner had been roped in. And then, there was only one. And prices went up even higher than they were before the war.
posted by thecjm at 7:14 PM on April 11, 2012
One of the two side-by-side vendors was gone one day, but by that time the vendor around the corner had been roped in. And then, there was only one. And prices went up even higher than they were before the war.
posted by thecjm at 7:14 PM on April 11, 2012
“But if they think they’re going to sit next to us and sell at 75 cents, they’ve got another think coming.”
This whole article was worth it just to see this phrase used correctly.
posted by jacalata at 7:16 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
This whole article was worth it just to see this phrase used correctly.
posted by jacalata at 7:16 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
Why would you eat pizza in the NYC area that wasn't the best pizza in the world.
what, seriously? because some people only have 30 minutes for lunch and thus do not have time to haul all the way out to goddamn brooklyn, that's why.
fucking brooklyn.
posted by elizardbits at 7:19 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
what, seriously? because some people only have 30 minutes for lunch and thus do not have time to haul all the way out to goddamn brooklyn, that's why.
fucking brooklyn.
posted by elizardbits at 7:19 PM on April 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
Don't forget Staten Island. Is Goodfellas still plying its trade in delicious charred doughy products?
(this question and indeed entire threat made intolerable by the current Passover hametz crisis in the 1adam12 household).
posted by 1adam12 at 7:24 PM on April 11, 2012
(this question and indeed entire threat made intolerable by the current Passover hametz crisis in the 1adam12 household).
posted by 1adam12 at 7:24 PM on April 11, 2012
Also because, if MetaFilter has taught me anything, if you try to ask anyone in NY who makes the best pizza, then no matter what they recommend, someone else will rush to explain that it is in fact shit, and that some other pizza place is the best...and then someone else will rush in to explain that the pizza at both the pizza places suggested so far are worse than cancer, and that some other place makes the best pizza. This process will continue until the heat death of our solar system.
After a while, the take away becomes "For any given pizza place, there will be one person who likes it, and hundreds who say it's terrible. So fuck it, this place is nearby and cheap."
posted by Bugbread at 7:29 PM on April 11, 2012 [14 favorites]
After a while, the take away becomes "For any given pizza place, there will be one person who likes it, and hundreds who say it's terrible. So fuck it, this place is nearby and cheap."
posted by Bugbread at 7:29 PM on April 11, 2012 [14 favorites]
This sounds like a corollary to Shakespeherian's Rule, which is that any given piece of media (movie, album, etc) is at least one person's favorite. Which is a legitimately depressing rule.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:31 PM on April 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 7:31 PM on April 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
Shakespeherian's Rule
Someone was just talking about what a great idea Midichlrorians were, so a point in your favor.
posted by Chekhovian at 7:37 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Someone was just talking about what a great idea Midichlrorians were, so a point in your favor.
posted by Chekhovian at 7:37 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Anything that is just one person's favourite is fine by me. It's the things that lots of people sort of like that get me down. Dan Brown for example:
"The famous man looked at the red cup".
posted by howfar at 7:40 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
"The famous man looked at the red cup".
posted by howfar at 7:40 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
But the Rule includes SyFy original movies.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:43 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 7:43 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
It's like the Cold War, but with pizza.
posted by deathpanels at 7:46 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by deathpanels at 7:46 PM on April 11, 2012
@symbioid, ah, Sal's, you're making me nostalgic. Casa Bianca being the 2nd place, I assume?
posted by rossmeissl at 7:54 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by rossmeissl at 7:54 PM on April 11, 2012
I weep when I hear about cheap "street food" like this; maybe I'm just in the wrong part of Houston, but the closest place that sells pizza "by the slice" wants $2.50 each.
Grew up in rural Oklahoma, and never had proper "Chicago-style" deep dish pizza until I lived in Austin and gave Mangia a shot. I was blown away (and that large fed me for 2-3 days, seriously). Prior to that, "pizza" to me meant "Pizza Hut or Domino's".
So, tell me, where's the best place in Houston, Texas to get the closest thing to the pizza described in this article? Preferrably not deep in the heart of downtown or "I don't feel hip enough to be here" Montrose; I live in Westchase but will drive a distance for food exploration on the weekends.
posted by mrbill at 7:54 PM on April 11, 2012
Grew up in rural Oklahoma, and never had proper "Chicago-style" deep dish pizza until I lived in Austin and gave Mangia a shot. I was blown away (and that large fed me for 2-3 days, seriously). Prior to that, "pizza" to me meant "Pizza Hut or Domino's".
So, tell me, where's the best place in Houston, Texas to get the closest thing to the pizza described in this article? Preferrably not deep in the heart of downtown or "I don't feel hip enough to be here" Montrose; I live in Westchase but will drive a distance for food exploration on the weekends.
posted by mrbill at 7:54 PM on April 11, 2012
This is just like that episode of I Love Lucy when the Mertzs and the Ricardos owned competing diner businesses and got into a price war. The Mertzs got their price down to 1 cent for a burger, so Lucy gave a dollar to the customer and told him to buy 100 burgers.
Apparently the owners of these pizza joints don't watch I Love Lucy.
posted by savvysearch at 8:02 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
Apparently the owners of these pizza joints don't watch I Love Lucy.
posted by savvysearch at 8:02 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
Uosuaq, you got me excited about subway fares going down. Didn't realize it was a freakonomics sort of thing.
Secondly, haven't had australian pizza but pizza in korea with corn and pickles really wasn't that great either.
posted by bquarters at 8:06 PM on April 11, 2012
Secondly, haven't had australian pizza but pizza in korea with corn and pickles really wasn't that great either.
posted by bquarters at 8:06 PM on April 11, 2012
I had tuna pizza in Germany. Gross. Germany, perhaps unsurprisingly, does not excel at pizza.
posted by deathpanels at 8:08 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by deathpanels at 8:08 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
> the great American race to the bottom continues.
Yeah. In Toronto.
posted by elmwood at 8:17 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Yeah. In Toronto.
posted by elmwood at 8:17 PM on April 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Gah this thread is making me want pizza so bad right now but I'm in Utah and it's already too late I
*stomach grumbles savagely*
*grabs 88¢ Totino's from freezer, puts in oven*
*waiting.................ding!*
*devours entire pizza in 30 seconds*
*weeps*
posted by Doleful Creature at 8:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
*stomach grumbles savagely*
*grabs 88¢ Totino's from freezer, puts in oven*
*waiting.................ding!*
*devours entire pizza in 30 seconds*
*weeps*
posted by Doleful Creature at 8:25 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Who in the hell writes like that? What editor is approving this?
There was an AskMe covering this exact question.
posted by Lorin at 8:38 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
There was an AskMe covering this exact question.
posted by Lorin at 8:38 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song is great accompaniment to this article and thread.
posted by ignignokt at 9:05 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by ignignokt at 9:05 PM on April 11, 2012
The problem with the New York pizza embodiment of the Shakespeherian's Rule is that it isn't a bunch of people saying, "You think Gino's is the best? It's really good, don't get me wrong, but Mondo Pizza's better" or "I love Mondo Pizza, but Villarghetti's is to die for". Instead, you get "You think Gino's is the best? It's fucking horrible. Mondo Pizza is the best." and "Yeah, Mondo Pizza is the best if you're a scatophile. Villarghetti's is the only good pizza in this city"
posted by Bugbread at 9:20 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Bugbread at 9:20 PM on April 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
For those who were curious, having grabbed a slice many a time at the place on St Marks that went to $1 a few years ago, the answer is not sawdust but extremely reduced cheese. Most people appear not to notice that the cheese has been reduced by 50 or 75 percent, with large cheeseless areas where the dough has bubbled up and has only sauce on it. But even so, as an on-the-go snack, a $1 instant (as long as it isn't lunchtime) slice is a pretty good deal.
posted by chortly at 9:27 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by chortly at 9:27 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
The World Famous, I momentarily fell asleep in a fit of pizza withdrawal and have missed the window of opportunity to try Settebello tonight, but it looks AMAZING, and is now on the to-do list.
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:29 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:29 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
The problem with the New York pizza embodiment of the Shakespeherian's Rule is that it isn't a bunch of people saying, "You think Gino's is the best? It's really good, don't get me wrong, but Mondo Pizza's better" or "I love Mondo Pizza, but Villarghetti's is to die for". Instead, you get "You think Gino's is the best? It's fucking horrible. Mondo Pizza is the best." and "Yeah, Mondo Pizza is the best if you're a scatophile. Villarghetti's is the only good pizza in this city"
And then you get motherfuckers who eat pizza with a fork.
posted by Talez at 9:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
And then you get motherfuckers who eat pizza with a fork.
posted by Talez at 9:41 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
See, deep dish is sort of appealing at first. Then you eat one slice and you want to die.
Speak for yourself, weakling.
posted by adamdschneider at 9:48 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
Speak for yourself, weakling.
posted by adamdschneider at 9:48 PM on April 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
The World Famous, you may be interested to learn about Bertrand Competition.
posted by But tomorrow is another day... at 10:14 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by But tomorrow is another day... at 10:14 PM on April 11, 2012
I hope this business approach proves wildly successful and crosses national borders, because the cheapest pizza I know of here in Tokyo costs $4 per slice.
Yeah, but it comes with a piece of cheesecake on it.
posted by univac at 11:07 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, but it comes with a piece of cheesecake on it.
posted by univac at 11:07 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
There was a pizza price war in Vancouver about 15 years ago. I think the price went down to 83 cents, including tax. Later, the City targeted a lot of those cheap pizza places as part of the pizza, prostitution, porn and pawn initiative. From what I understand, a lot of them were trafficking in stolen cheese, not to mention other things. The SuperValu on Davie used to lock up the cheese at night and you had to get a manager if you wanted some cheddar. You could go outside by the Shoppers and there'd be people selling stolen cheese, as long with a ton of Life brand products (Life = Shoppers Drug Mart house brand). My friend even had a guy open up his coat once and offer a few different kinds of cheese.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 12:05 AM on April 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 12:05 AM on April 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
Pizza in Korea isn't anywhere close to "authentic". However, they're really on to something having sweet potato in it.
posted by andendau at 12:27 AM on April 12, 2012
posted by andendau at 12:27 AM on April 12, 2012
The one guy in the article saying he could make money at $1 a slice blows me away. Are these things made of sawdust? Or is the margin on the soft drinks just that high?
Both are true. Skimp on the cheese and the makings of a pizza are figuratively peanuts. The margin on soft drinks can be so high the pizza could almost be a loss leader. You just gotta flog the beverages hard and not give them alternatives other than a dixie cup of water.
posted by codswallop at 1:12 AM on April 12, 2012
Both are true. Skimp on the cheese and the makings of a pizza are figuratively peanuts. The margin on soft drinks can be so high the pizza could almost be a loss leader. You just gotta flog the beverages hard and not give them alternatives other than a dixie cup of water.
posted by codswallop at 1:12 AM on April 12, 2012
Prices drop from A to Z. Prices do not drop to Z from A.
Gosh, in at the birth of a new imaginary grammar rule for peevers to peeve over.
posted by Segundus at 1:14 AM on April 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Gosh, in at the birth of a new imaginary grammar rule for peevers to peeve over.
posted by Segundus at 1:14 AM on April 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Amateurs. The Scots batter and deep-fry pizzas and serve them up with chips.
They do that to everything.
posted by the cydonian at 2:03 AM on April 12, 2012
They do that to everything.
posted by the cydonian at 2:03 AM on April 12, 2012
Chekhovian: "Pizza is like the one foreign food that america has imported and actually improved upon"
Wash your mouth out with anchovy paste.
posted by arcticseal at 2:08 AM on April 12, 2012
Wash your mouth out with anchovy paste.
posted by arcticseal at 2:08 AM on April 12, 2012
I'd salute my imported chinese condensed tomato paste on pizza overlords, but the melamine used to falsify the protein content of the flour is making me sick.
posted by elpapacito at 2:24 AM on April 12, 2012
posted by elpapacito at 2:24 AM on April 12, 2012
New Yorkers may be opinionated about their favorite pizza, but nobody thinks Grimaldi's tastes bad.
posted by Stu-Pendous at 3:01 AM on April 12, 2012
posted by Stu-Pendous at 3:01 AM on April 12, 2012
@Chekhovian
"The homestyle Italian pizza I've had was alway very simple, very little tomato sauce, very little cheese. Just dressed up garlic bread sort of. Pizza is like the one foreign food that america has imported and actually improved upon."
This definitely must be an acquired taste.
@deathpanels
"I had tuna pizza in Germany. Gross. Germany, perhaps unsurprisingly, does not excel at pizza."
I strongly disagree. And "German" pizza actually is not "German" but made by Italian Immigrants and hence very close to real Italian pizza. Even the Northern African Arabic immigrants, slowly overtaking this type of business in Germany, keep the style the same. I was always glad in NYC to get real Italian pizza and not the US card boards.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 3:39 AM on April 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
but nobody thinks Grimaldi's tastes bad.
Not true. Go check out a chowhound thread on it.
posted by JPD at 5:03 AM on April 12, 2012
Not true. Go check out a chowhound thread on it.
posted by JPD at 5:03 AM on April 12, 2012
Swiss have very good pizza. Of course made by Italian-speaking folks, usually. The thing that I learned here was rocket (ruccola) on pizza. It's very tasty.
The NYC thing I still miss after having left Fulton Street over 25 years ago, are NY style calzone. Lisa's had one with sausage and ricotta that was awesome. I just checked on Street View, and I'm amazed that Lisas is still there on Fulton Street. Unexpected.
posted by Goofyy at 6:07 AM on April 12, 2012
The NYC thing I still miss after having left Fulton Street over 25 years ago, are NY style calzone. Lisa's had one with sausage and ricotta that was awesome. I just checked on Street View, and I'm amazed that Lisas is still there on Fulton Street. Unexpected.
posted by Goofyy at 6:07 AM on April 12, 2012
because some people only have 30 minutes for lunch and thus do not have time to haul all the way out to goddamn brooklyn, that's why.
fucking brooklyn.
Exactly. Why Brooklyn, when there's John & Joe's?.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:47 AM on April 12, 2012
fucking brooklyn.
Exactly. Why Brooklyn, when there's John & Joe's?.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:47 AM on April 12, 2012
samosa war
The article only refers to it briefly, but the 6th Ave Pizza place also has an elaborate chaat menu and other vegetarian Indian food. It doesn't seem like they are really relying solely on their pizza business to survive - if the 2 Brothers starts selling samosas this could get ugly.
If anyone is deeply fascinated there is a two-page archive of articles about this place on Midtown Lunch, starting in 2007 when it was mostly a newsstand selling Indian food in the back.
I think the 75-cent/slice price point mostly serves the $1 pizza vendors well by making it seem like it might not be the worst possible pizza ever.
posted by yarrow at 8:21 AM on April 12, 2012
The article only refers to it briefly, but the 6th Ave Pizza place also has an elaborate chaat menu and other vegetarian Indian food. It doesn't seem like they are really relying solely on their pizza business to survive - if the 2 Brothers starts selling samosas this could get ugly.
If anyone is deeply fascinated there is a two-page archive of articles about this place on Midtown Lunch, starting in 2007 when it was mostly a newsstand selling Indian food in the back.
I think the 75-cent/slice price point mostly serves the $1 pizza vendors well by making it seem like it might not be the worst possible pizza ever.
posted by yarrow at 8:21 AM on April 12, 2012
Many/most pizza places here in Rhode Island seems to be run by Greek families. I have worked in a couple of pizza places in my time, so…whatever. But one of my in-laws once said, in all seriousness, "Nobody makes pizza like the Greeks."
I boggled.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:36 AM on April 12, 2012
I boggled.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:36 AM on April 12, 2012
"Nobody makes pizza like the Greeks."
Well yeah, New England Greek pizza is a distinct style, and it's pretty terrible, on the whole. But it can be good. Or at least not-awful.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:03 AM on April 12, 2012
Well yeah, New England Greek pizza is a distinct style, and it's pretty terrible, on the whole. But it can be good. Or at least not-awful.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:03 AM on April 12, 2012
Christ, I live in New England and would be pretty pissed if I got something like that after ordering a "greek pizza". Greek pizza is made with tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and feta, and is totally brilliant.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:43 AM on April 12, 2012
posted by dunkadunc at 9:43 AM on April 12, 2012
One of them just needs to lower their price to 25 cents, wait until the other shop does the same, then BUY ALL OF THEIR PIZZA. After that, raise the price to $2 a slice.
posted by orme at 9:45 AM on April 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by orme at 9:45 AM on April 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
would be pretty pissed if I got something like that after ordering a "greek pizza"
It's just "pizza." If you've ever eaten in a so-and-so's House of Pizza in New England, you've probably eaten Greek-style pizza.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:54 AM on April 12, 2012
It's just "pizza." If you've ever eaten in a so-and-so's House of Pizza in New England, you've probably eaten Greek-style pizza.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:54 AM on April 12, 2012
And then you get motherfuckers who eat pizza with a fork.
I only use the fork to scrape the toppings off. Then I eat the bread first, followed by the toppings.
It's just better that way. Don't judge me!
posted by Malice at 10:29 AM on April 12, 2012
I only use the fork to scrape the toppings off. Then I eat the bread first, followed by the toppings.
It's just better that way. Don't judge me!
posted by Malice at 10:29 AM on April 12, 2012
I lived in NYC for seven years and never heard any of the "That pizza is crap, this is the only good pizza" heated discussions that everyone else seems to have had. People also didn't insult other people's bagel choices, as far as I ever heard. I seem to have lived in some parallel universe New York.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:33 PM on April 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:33 PM on April 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yo Sal - we're gonna boycott your fat pasta ass!
posted by porn in the woods at 1:42 PM on April 12, 2012
posted by porn in the woods at 1:42 PM on April 12, 2012
I have seen this in the NYTimes before. Prices drop from A to Z. Prices do not drop to Z from A. If you list the two prices in ascending order, they seem like a price rise. Who in the hell writes like that? What editor is approving this?
Wasn't there an article in the NY Times once explaining why they did this?
posted by yeti at 2:12 PM on April 12, 2012
Wasn't there an article in the NY Times once explaining why they did this?
posted by yeti at 2:12 PM on April 12, 2012
I lived in NYC for seven years and never heard any of the "That pizza is crap, this is the only good pizza" heated discussions that everyone else seems to have had. People also didn't insult other people's bagel choices, as far as I ever heard. I seem to have lived in some parallel universe New York.
I've heard plenty of those arguments here on MeFi. I guess it's just a "New Yorkers on the Internet" thing. Or perhaps just a "New Yorkers on Mefi" thing. Or (even more likely) just a "New Yorkers who engage in discussions on Mefi about the best pizza" thing. Good to know shit like that doesn't spill back onto the streets.
posted by Bugbread at 5:37 PM on April 13, 2012
I've heard plenty of those arguments here on MeFi. I guess it's just a "New Yorkers on the Internet" thing. Or perhaps just a "New Yorkers on Mefi" thing. Or (even more likely) just a "New Yorkers who engage in discussions on Mefi about the best pizza" thing. Good to know shit like that doesn't spill back onto the streets.
posted by Bugbread at 5:37 PM on April 13, 2012
Yeah, man, idk, I have seen family members nearly engage in fisticuffs over pizza choices.
However we have also had year-long vendettas over the sunday times crossword and scrabble blood feuds so perhaps this is not the best example.
posted by elizardbits at 11:57 AM on April 14, 2012
However we have also had year-long vendettas over the sunday times crossword and scrabble blood feuds so perhaps this is not the best example.
posted by elizardbits at 11:57 AM on April 14, 2012
uncleozzy: "It's just "pizza." If you've ever eaten in a so-and-so's House of Pizza in New England, you've probably eaten Greek-style pizza."
Now I think of it, I have. I always thought it was just really, really bad pizza made by a cynical business that couldn't be bothered to use proper cheese or dough.
posted by dunkadunc at 12:31 PM on April 14, 2012
Now I think of it, I have. I always thought it was just really, really bad pizza made by a cynical business that couldn't be bothered to use proper cheese or dough.
posted by dunkadunc at 12:31 PM on April 14, 2012
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posted by trackofalljades at 4:44 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]