With hundreds of pizza joints to choose from in New York City, we ended up at the picturesque Grimaldi's, just a few steps from the Brooklyn Bridge. Grimaldi's is known for cooking their pizzas in a coal fire oven as opposed to wood fire or gas ovens, which gives their pies a unique flavor. It's a cash only joint that doesn't sell pizzas by the slice and doesn't accept reservations. There are two stories, the second floor is almost like a balcony over looking the kitchen where every pizza is made. The dough is made fresh daily and of course they use San Marzano tomatoes. We were told by friends to expect a wait, but there were no problems getting a table at 8pm on a weeknight.
The menus is very simple, choose from one of two pizzas and add as many toppings as you'd like. The regular pizza has fresh mozzarella, crushed tomatoes and basil. A small (6 slices) is $12 and a large (8 slices) is $14. The white pizza has extra cheese, fresh garlic and no tomatoes. Small is $14 and large is $16. Most toppings are $2 extra with the exception of oven roasted sweet peppers and sun dried tomatoes, which will set you back $4. If you want more cheese, that's an extra dollar. Topping charges are the same for small and large pizzas.
Regular large pizza with pepperoni and sausage
18
Unfortunately, their alcohol license had expired and we weren't able to order beer or wine as we waited for our pizza, which was about 15 minutes. The pizza was glistening as it arrived loaded with stringy mozzarella cheese, spicy pepperoni and sausage infused with great fennel flavor. The gooey cheese was everything I expected, but the dough was slightly undercooked and lacked flavor. The toppings were the definite highlight, but the most important aspect of the pizza was under whelming and quite disappointing. Ess-A-Bagel changed the way we think of bagels and I don't think I can ever again eat a West Coast bagel...Grimaldi's however didn't deliver and we are still on the hunt for that amazing NY pie everyone in California talks about and says they can't find here.
Luckily for us, the walk back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge made up for the lackluster pizza. Perhaps pizza just isn't as good without an ice cold beer. If you do end up at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, definitely take advantage of the walk across the bridge.
Grimaldi's Pizzeria
1 Front Street
Brookly, NY 11201
What's a trip to New York without getting a bagel? The moment we started planning our trip, the infamous NY bagel was a must try item on our list. We received recommendations for several bagel spots including H&L Bagels which is no longer around (the original at least). The one bagel shop that kept coming up was Ess-A-Bagel and since we only had time to stop in at one bagel shop this trip we went with the most recommended by our friends from New York.
We landed at 8 in the morning, dropped off our luggage and enjoyed a nice walk down 3rd to Ess-A-Bagel. The weather was a perfect 65 with nice cloud covering and the mile walk helped us work up a nice appetite. When we arrived at E. 53rd & 3rd, I had to look around a few times before I spotted the inconspicuous sign.
The minute we walked in, we were greeted by a cheerful man behind the counter named Sean. He was definitely "alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic!" He walked us over to the bagel case and pointed out all the bagels that just came out of the oven. Each one of these beautiful bagels will set you back $1.15.
After we picked our bagels, we were given the difficult choice of picking a filling. As tempting as it was to get the plain cream cheese or cream cheese and lox, I decided to try one of their most popular cream cheeses. Sean even offered samples on a small pieces of bagel to make sure we made the right decision. They sliced our bagels, loaded it up with cream cheese and wrapped it in wax paper. The price was written on the paper and we took our tray to the cashier to pay our bill. When I tried to add a tip to the slip, the woman behind the counter told me "no tips" which was a first. Eager to sink our teeth into these warm bagels, we grabbed a table and tore open the wax paper.
Note: DON'T ask for your bagel to be toasted! They won't do it and I've heard from a number of people that they may even yell at you if you try and ask.
Everything bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese
3.50
The first thing I noticed before taking a bite was the amount of cream cheese between the bagel. The sun dried tomato cream cheese was thick, creamy and had nice chunks of sun dried tomato. The most noticeable difference with this bagel from others I've tasted was the crunch of the crust and the denser and chewier texture. Since the bagel was still warm, the inside of it almost stuck to my teeth when I ate it...the texture was completely different than anything on the West Coast. At first I was afraid that the amount of cream cheese would be overwhelming but I found that it was a very nice balance given how dense the bagel was. I also find that sometimes the "everything" bagel can be a bit too much, but their toppings were just right. I'm no bagel expert, but I can say this is the best bagel I've ever tasted.
I'm already planning my next trip to New York and Ess-A-Bagel will definitely be on my list. There are so many fillings from cream cheese and lox to curry chicken salad and I can't wait to try more. A big thank you to all our friends for the suggestions.
What's your favorite bagel spot in New York?
Ess-a-Bagel
831 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022
Two words: Michael Cimarusti. Need I go on or are you already hooked? The chef of Providence, one of LA's top restaurants and likely on every foodie's bucket list, created his version of a Rhode Island seafood house. The space used to be an old diner, but you'd never be able to tell by looking at it. As you walk up, there is a large patio. Step inside and you find a large informal dining room and open kitchen. Guests are greeted by a giant glass case of lobsters waiting to be assembled onto one of their famous rolls. Because of the large open space, you feel like part of the magic as you watch the masters at work behind the raw bar shucking oysters and turning out mouth water seafood platters. If you love seafood, this is a great place to be.
Cocktails: Porch Swing, Bloody Mary, Narragansett Cooler
12 each
We stopped in for Sunday "brunch", so of course we had to order some cocktails. The Porch Swing was my favorite. Made with sauvignon blanc, cognac and grand manrier. The bloody mary had a nice kick with more clam flavor than others I've tasted. We asked that it be sent "spicy" and it had a nice hit of heat. The Narragansett cooler was hard to pronounce, but easy to drink. Who doesn't love bourbon, ginger ale and orange juice? There are plenty of other options including a good beer list if you're not in the mood for a cocktail.
Oysters: Kiwi Cup (left) and Kusshi (right)
3 each
The oyster menu had a nice variety with at least 12 different oysters listed. I decided to go with the smaller varieties. The Kusshi is a west coast oyster that looks similar to a Kumamoto. The oyster might be small but it packs an intensely clean flavor. The Kiwi Cup is from New Zealand and had a richer and creamier taste that's very different from the Kusshi. If you're not into oysters, this would be a good place to try them. The staff is quite knowledgeable and will be able to guide you in the right direction.
Santa Barbara Uni
18
Being big uni lovers, we couldn't resist the fresh Santa Barbara uni and lucky for us, we got the last one of the day. It was perfect: creamy, sweet, and fresh. I did have some flashbacks to our meal at Maruhide Uni Club and wished there was a giant bowl of uni as opposed to the few spoonfuls we each tasted. The Uni came with what looked like buttered toast but we ate the Uni straight. This is a must if they still have any when you go.
Rhode Island Clear Chowder
9 bowl
What is Rhode Island chowder? It's a brothier version of the New England clam chowder without the roux. In my opinion, it's better than the New England clam chowder because you can really taste all the flavors in the broth. The chowder was loaded with large pieces of clams and chunks of potatoes. This was so good I think I caught someone trying to lick the bottom when we were through. Go with the bowl, you'll be glad you did.
Shellfish Marinara with clams and mussels
16
This giant tub of mussels and clams were cooked to perfection. I thought I knew what clams and mussels should taste like, but I was wrong. Thank you Connie & Ted's for showing me the light. Every piece was plump, juicy and fresh like they were just pulled out of the ocean. The rich tomato sauce added a nice acidity to the dish and had some heat in it as well. Don't be afraid to ask for a spoon so you can get more sauce with each bite.
Housemade ice cream: mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, pistachio
6 each
All the ice cream is made in house and mint chocolate chip was by far the best I have ever tasted. It's made with fresh mint which adds a bright punch to each bite. The mint chocolate chip literally changed our lives...it was so good that we have been ruined for other mint ice creams. The butter pecan was also unbelievably good with huge pieces of pecan and you could literally taste the butter in the ice cream. The pistachio ice cream highlighted the velvety smooth consistency of the ice cream and what real pistachio ice cream should taste like. It was amazing how they could get the pistachio flavor through each bite like that. The ice cream alone is worth going back for.
We had a great meal at Connie and Ted's and can't wait to go back for more. The experience from the wait staff to the dishes all show how much the restaurant respects the seafood. Each dish was prepared and seasoned to highlight the freshness. Have you eaten at Connie and Ted's? What did you think?
Connie and Ted's
8171 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
