Grimaldi's

Before my long blogging hiatus, I was documenting my gluttonous weekend in the city. One of the places I never got to visit on previous excursions was Grimaldi's Pizzeria, considered by many to be a New York institution. In fact, it's rated #1 year after year in Zagat, which, as we all know, is the pinnacle of honest reviews by completely objective third-party reviewers who have no interest in the matter whatsoever. So anyway, we take the subway out to Brooklyn, and walk a little bit to the shop under the bridge. First thing I spot is an ATM. Cash only. Very smart.


Pizza with mozzarella, basil, mushrooms ~12

I was extremely excited for this coal brick oven pizza, but I was let down. I hardly say this about pizzas, but it was bland. The marinara, though homemade, lacked flavor and zestiness; it tasted like a barely seasoned cooked tomato. The fresh mozarella, which was quite scarce, did not live up to Picco. The biggest problem, however, was the crust. It was more chewy than anything, and tasted a underdone. There was also some inconsistency in terms of thickness. The rim of one slice I had was like a thick sponge, but my second slice was cracker-thin. Though the pizza tasted undercooked overall, it had a surprisingly charred bottom. Verdict: lackluster.


The pizza was not worth the trek out to Brooklyn. Perhaps it's become the victim of its own fame, but Grimaldi's didn't live up to the hype. The food simply lacked soul.


Grimaldi's Pizzeria
19 Old Fulton St. under the bridge