"Food Wars" hosts Harry Kersh and Joe Avella travel across New York City to find the best pizza in the city. They'll be visiting five locations in just one day to see what the city has to offer. This is "Food Tours."
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00:00 I lived in New York for years,
00:01 and it has some of the best food in the world.
00:03 I invited my man, Harry Kirsch, over from the UK
00:06 to show him how we do things in NYC.
00:10 We're visiting five of the best pizza places in the city
00:14 all in one day to see if we can find New York's best pizza.
00:18 This is "Food Tours."
00:20 First stop of the day, Bleecker Street Pizza.
00:23 -So we're at Bleecker Street Pizza. -Yes.
00:24 -Why are we here? -Okay, so TripAdvisor said
00:26 this is one of the best slices of pizza in New York City.
00:28 Food Network said this is the best slice
00:30 for the past three years.
00:32 I mean, come on.
00:33 The place is normally just packed.
00:35 We're here early. Thank God to get our slice of pizza.
00:37 So I thought I had to take you here.
00:38 -I'm liking Bleecker Street so far.
00:40 It's a friendly vibe in here. Very cold.
00:42 -I can see that. [ Laughter ]
00:44 -We need to get this on camera.
00:46 -You see my breath?
00:48 It's freezing in here.
00:51 -So how are we categorizing the pizza places
00:53 that we're hitting today? -Glad you asked.
00:54 Now, obviously, there's a bunch of different variations
00:56 of what New Yorkers would consider pizza.
00:58 All fantastic.
00:59 But for this, I want to make sure we're getting
01:01 the authentic New York cheese thin slice, right?
01:05 Not doing the square cut, not doing the grandma cut
01:07 or whatever it's called, the Sicilian grandma cut
01:09 or whatever that it is.
01:11 We're not going to Domino's.
01:12 We might do some variations depending on where we go.
01:15 -Yay! -Thank you.
01:17 There we go.
01:19 New York slice. Talk me through some, like,
01:20 key components, key elements here
01:22 that I should be looking out for and judging.
01:24 -All right, so, first of all, the crust.
01:26 It's going to have this thin yet crackery
01:28 but not too brittle texture to it.
01:32 Now, the mozzarella they use here in New York,
01:34 like, this low-moisture cheese, the way they do that is,
01:37 even though it has, like, a greasy top on it,
01:38 it kind of makes it so it melts a lot more evenly
01:41 and doesn't burn as quick.
01:43 -'Cause it's, like, good cheese coverage.
01:44 It's, like, full, full coverage when it comes to the cheese.
01:46 -But you know, okay, so it's floppy,
01:48 but it's not breaking.
01:49 It's not, like, it's not white.
01:50 -Yeah, it's still, like, crispy on the bottom.
01:52 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Yeah.
01:53 -But, I mean, the thing that makes it great is its taste.
01:55 So, you want to take a bite? -Yeah, I really, really do.
01:56 -Can we? -Give it a try.
01:58 -All right, get in there.
02:00 Mmm. -Oh.
02:01 -Mmm.
02:04 -Mmm.
02:07 -It alludes to the rest of the world
02:08 of how to make pizza this good.
02:10 It really does, right?
02:11 -It's distinct.
02:13 This is, like, unlike most of the pizzas
02:15 that I've had in London. -Right.
02:16 -There isn't really any way of doing pizza like this in London.
02:18 I really like the crispy crust. -Yeah.
02:20 -Again, like, not something you find in the UK a lot,
02:23 and the texture contrast you get with that is lovely.
02:25 -Yeah. It's not very greasy.
02:27 Like, if you make a pizza at home,
02:29 and you go to some places that aren't so great,
02:30 it's just grease.
02:32 -There's nothing wrong with a little bit of grease.
02:33 It's about its flavor. I'm liking it.
02:35 -And also, as you notice, it's also, like, portable, right?
02:37 Like, you just, like, take this on the train,
02:39 take this down the street, take this to work.
02:41 -Which, again, in the UK, not something that we do.
02:44 I don't know if you can catch that,
02:45 but Dax Shepard said
02:48 this was the greatest slice of pizza he's ever had.
02:51 -It's a weird way he said it.
02:52 That was the greatest slice of pizza
02:53 I've ever put in my mouth. -I've ever put in my mouth.
02:55 What's he done with the other good slices of pizza?
02:57 -I just recently found out you eat pizza with your mouth.
02:59 Really, Dax. -Game-changer.
03:01 -Thanks for saying goodbye.
03:03 -Real game-changer.
03:05 -Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. -Hey.
03:06 -Oh, look at the steam coming off of this.
03:09 -Okay. That's steamy.
03:11 Yeah, I don't know if the pizza is exceptionally hot
03:13 or if it's just extra cold in here.
03:15 -Both, baby. Let's go. -Which it definitely is.
03:16 -Can I bite?
03:19 'Cause you got the shots, guys.
03:20 -Patience, Joe. Patience. -No.
03:23 It's New York, damn it. I don't got time.
03:25 -This thing looks, like, scaldingly hot.
03:27 I'm gonna wait for you to bite and see
03:28 if you scald your mouth or not.
03:29 -Mm, mm, mm. -Okay?
03:30 Got the thumbs up.
03:32 -Right? I'm gonna tell you.
03:34 What'd I tell you?
03:36 The first casualty.
03:39 -This is delicious.
03:40 -I'm gonna say something that sounds kind of weird.
03:41 -Go on. -But the sauce on this
03:44 is the star of the show. -Yeah.
03:46 -It is so flavorful.
03:48 You can see they even got, like, the tomatoes in there.
03:51 Because it isn't a --
03:52 The distribution's a bit differently,
03:53 like, they put the cheese in first
03:54 and then ladle the sauce on there.
03:56 -Yeah. -Oh, it's so good, though.
03:58 -I want the sauce to almost be the star of the show.
04:01 I think, obviously, in the ideal world,
04:02 like, everything is good, everything works together.
04:04 But, like, a really flavorful sauce
04:06 where you actually taste the tomato is, like, yeah, crucial.
04:09 I love the basil in here, as well.
04:10 But, yeah, this is a really good slice, Dan.
04:12 -All right. -Is this the same cheese?
04:14 'Cause this feels, like, way stringier.
04:15 We're getting, like, cheese pulls here.
04:17 -So, they're doing two different types of cheese.
04:19 The sauce is different, but they use the regular cheese
04:20 and then a second cheese. -You can kind of see it.
04:22 'Cause it's, like, bubbled up a lot more.
04:23 You get those, like, caramelized bits.
04:25 -They really cheesed it up on this one.
04:26 -That's the -- -Not as easy to eat
04:28 on the go, this slice, is it? -No.
04:31 -This one you got to take a seat for.
04:33 This one you take to the Dax Shepard booth.
04:36 -Just Dax's usual spot, please.
04:37 -Yeah, Dax, it's just this one, the chair facing the wall.
04:41 All right, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
04:42 We're going to, like, seven other places.
04:43 Calm your ass down. -True, but also,
04:45 I'm really hungry, so... -All right, well,
04:46 you'll still be hungry in the next place.
04:48 -All right, this was really good,
04:49 as far as starting points go.
04:51 Pretty excellent benchmark, yeah.
04:53 -Literally just across the street,
04:55 our next stop, John's at Bleaker Street.
04:58 Now, I want to talk about something very interesting.
05:00 -Please do. -Pizza ovens.
05:02 -I love pizza ovens. Let's go.
05:03 -When pizza first started popping off in New York City,
05:05 they were using, almost primarily, coal ovens.
05:07 Then the gas ovens got introduced sometimes,
05:09 I think, in the '40s or '50s.
05:10 A coal oven cooks way hotter.
05:13 Now, this is important for pizza. Pay attention.
05:15 As you're aware, Italians really up their butt
05:17 about how pizza should be and, more importantly,
05:19 should not be made. It's all nonsense.
05:21 But they cook it at 850 degrees Fahrenheit,
05:23 way hotter than a standard gas oven can do.
05:26 So imagine it like this is a New York-style slice
05:31 cooked like the traditional Neapolitan Italian way.
05:35 So it's like the best of both pizza worlds.
05:38 -Fusion cuisine. -It's like how,
05:40 when the Cheesecake Factory has Southwest Egg Rolls...
05:42 -This is the Southwest Egg Roll of pizza.
05:44 [ Laughter ]
05:47 -Yeah, thank you. -Coal-fired ovens
05:48 aren't much of a thing in the UK.
05:50 If you're going to a pizza place,
05:51 it's generally wood-fired ovens.
05:53 -Which is weird, 'cause you guys are the land of chimney sweeps.
05:54 You guys know soot real well, it seems like.
05:57 -Tiny Tim just clearing it up for us.
05:59 -Dick Van Dyke's gonna come out here in a top hat
06:01 and a face full of soot to bring us our pizza, so...
06:05 What also sets this place apart is,
06:08 they don't do pizza by the slice.
06:10 Can't get pizza by the slice here, so we're getting a full pie.
06:12 -Nice, yeah, I mean, traditional definitely seems like
06:13 the vibe of this place. -Yeah.
06:15 -Sit down, these, like, tables and chairs.
06:17 They've been here basically since they opened, as well.
06:19 -Oh, I forgot.
06:21 No, this place wasn't vandalized.
06:23 Apparently, the thing to do here is to take out
06:25 a really sharp knife and carve your initials,
06:28 your name, something you want to do, somewhere in the wood.
06:32 Recognize this right here?
06:34 -Yeah, I think pepper flakes?
06:36 -No. -No?
06:37 -Red chili pepper flakes.
06:39 You know that chili pepper's a ban.
06:41 This is them in flake form. -Ah, I got it.
06:43 I have seen it occasionally,
06:45 whereas it's, like, pretty much everywhere here.
06:47 -So much so, when you get pizza delivered,
06:49 they'll have little packets of this
06:50 and little packets of Parmesan, as well.
06:52 -The red hot chili peppers. -Yeah, they suck.
06:53 -You just love them. -Really?
06:55 -Yeah, they suck.
06:56 The guitar, like, everyone else in the band
06:58 is, like, legit an amazing musician and can play,
07:01 and they write, like, these really well,
07:02 like, intricate songs, and this dumbass comes in.
07:04 He's like, "Zip-a-dub-a-goo-ba-da-boo, California!"
07:07 Someone has to step in and stop this band.
07:10 -This has to stop. -There we go.
07:12 -Oh, wow. -Doesn't look like
07:13 what you want to put in the bag.
07:15 -No, this is good.
07:16 I want you to call your attention
07:17 to how much harder-cooked the crust is.
07:20 -Yeah, man. Old-school inside the cheese pull.
07:22 -Why don't you get a plate, right?
07:25 -There we go.
07:27 ♪♪
07:33 -Alright, already just by looks, what are you thinking?
07:35 -Not, like, maybe as homogenous
07:37 in terms of the classic New York slices,
07:39 where the mozzarella and the sauce kind of blend together.
07:41 I like the fact that the mozzarella here, as well,
07:43 has got, like, a bit of that caramelization on top,
07:45 that kind of, like, bubbling.
07:46 I quite like this, 'cause generally speaking,
07:48 when you get the patches, you get, like,
07:49 a bit more flavor contrast. -Okay.
07:51 -You get, like, a nice sort of, like, crispy burn bit.
07:52 -You're learning. You're learning.
07:54 -I'm getting there. I'm getting there.
07:55 -Yeah, it's like, "This guy's hosting it."
07:56 ♪♪
07:59 Mm.
08:02 The sauce isn't as flavorful as the other places,
08:04 but the cheese, the gooeyness is incredible.
08:07 -I agree. The cheese, like, sets this apart.
08:09 There you go. -Now let's spice it up, huh?
08:11 -Hit me up. Maybe not quite that many.
08:13 -Right on. -For my weak British palate.
08:14 -A little Anthony Kiedis for you.
08:16 Let's go.
08:17 ♪♪
08:24 The other pepper. -Oh.
08:25 -Mm. -Ooh.
08:27 And, you know what?
08:28 A little salt.
08:29 -This is why British food tastes bland to you guys,
08:31 'cause you put about eight different seasonings
08:33 on every mouthful. -Yeah, that's why.
08:35 -I think it's your wimpy palate, so that tea you're drinking.
08:39 The slices are -- Obviously, I got a full pie,
08:41 so slices are smaller.
08:42 So even though we're eating a whole pie,
08:44 I feel like this is equivalent of, like,
08:46 three New York City slices.
08:48 -Yeah, I'd say so.
08:49 -Even though it's a full pizza, this is our medium.
08:51 -Oh. -Yep.
08:53 We go at least one bigger over here.
08:55 -That in the U.K. is comfortably a large.
08:57 This is a big pizza.
08:58 I think you could happily feed two people off of this
08:59 on its own.
09:02 Like, do you notice the effect of the coal oven
09:04 when you eat this? Like, how does this --
09:05 -I do. My theory on that is this.
09:07 What? Because it was cooked so much faster,
09:09 the cheese is gooier,
09:10 it hasn't mixed so much with the sauce,
09:12 and it filled that dough.
09:14 And you can only see -- I mean, on the crust,
09:16 you can see where it's a little burnt here.
09:17 It's a lot crispier, right?
09:20 You can see, like, the dustiness of the coal here.
09:22 -Yeah. -Like, I mean,
09:24 it's got Dick Van Dyke all over it, buddy.
09:26 I can, like -- I could break off this slice
09:29 and, like, write on the concrete with it.
09:31 That's how charcoaled it is.
09:33 Everyone's got these annoying pizza rules
09:35 that come from who cares what can and can't be on a pizza,
09:38 how you're supposed to cook it. It's pizza. Just eat it.
09:40 I don't -- I can't stand, like, all these, like, BS rules.
09:44 -You're only saying that 'cause you're from Chicago
09:46 and everyone hates Chicago style.
09:48 -Yeah, maybe.
09:49 But pizza can be so many wonderful things
09:51 if you just kind of ease up on the made-up parameters.
09:56 It's funny I mention that
09:57 because the next place we're going to
09:58 is a very specific,
10:01 outside-the-box sort of slice of pizza.
10:03 I don't know any other place that makes it,
10:05 either in New York or in the world in general, so...
10:07 But if I find something that's breaking all the pizza rules,
10:09 maybe... -Okay, the rule book's
10:10 going out the window right now. -Right out the window.
10:12 -Let's do it. -All right.
10:14 ♪♪
10:17 All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right.
10:18 Now, I think some people watching this
10:20 might give me a little bit of attitude about this,
10:22 but this is a really special slice
10:25 that I think that everyone who comes to New York should try.
10:29 Again, I'm mixing my Red Bull and my Coke, all right?
10:31 -What is going on here?
10:34 Is this an American thing?
10:36 -No, this is me.
10:40 New York place, Artichoke Pizza, started here.
10:42 Almost all of it is right here.
10:44 Now, this slice deviates a little bit
10:45 from what we said before about trying
10:47 the classic cheese-tomato sauce,
10:49 but I have to take you here
10:51 because this slice is so ridiculous and so delicious.
10:56 I think it is important for anyone who visits New York
10:58 to try this slice.
10:59 As you can see, that tomato sauce is a white sauce,
11:02 cheese, and, of course, artichoke.
11:04 -Yeah, I mean, this doesn't look like anything
11:05 that we tried today.
11:07 -It's just a wavy --
11:08 -It feels like it's got, like, depth to it, as well.
11:09 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is a lot thicker.
11:11 -This is a thick slice, maybe the biggest slice
11:12 we've had today. -This thing is ridiculous.
11:15 -Cheers, buddy.
11:18 -Oh, my God. -Creamy, right?
11:20 It's got a really savory flavor, the artichoke.
11:24 Have you ever tasted anything like this?
11:26 Right? -That's crazy.
11:27 -Isn't it crazy how good this is?
11:31 -Man, that is so, like, buttery.
11:33 -Yeah, buttery.
11:35 -Decadent, like, rich. -Yeah.
11:37 -I'm already kind of full.
11:38 -Yeah, man. One slice of the Girosolide.
11:41 -That is -- That is wild.
11:42 I don't know what I was expecting,
11:44 but that is, like, fantastic.
11:45 -That's really great, right? -Yeah.
11:46 -Definitely a must-make on the New York.
11:48 -Yeah. -It's weird because, you know,
11:50 by all accounts of the pizza purists,
11:52 who I'm just projecting all this negative attention towards,
11:55 I don't know who I'm talking about specifically.
11:56 -Who's guys? -I mean, yeah.
11:57 No tomato sauce.
11:59 Artichoke is obviously not a common topping.
12:01 It's a lot bigger than your New York City slice,
12:03 so I can see a lot of people being like,
12:05 "Oh, it doesn't count," but then they taste it.
12:06 It's like, yeah, but it's -- -Yeah.
12:08 -But as far as taste goes, absolutely fantastic.
12:10 -Some people seem to just innovate for the sake of it,
12:12 whereas this, I think, there's a purpose to it.
12:14 I think, yeah, like, buttery is my adjective.
12:17 Genuinely just, like, so velvety and rich.
12:20 That's kind of wild.
12:22 -This is a slice that, if you love it, nothing else.
12:26 I can't think of anything else you can get.
12:28 Any other pizza.
12:29 I don't know any other place doing pizza like this.
12:31 [laughing]
12:36 -Was that, like, a share?
12:38 -In the corniest song possible.
12:40 -You have those moods where you're craving,
12:42 like, a specific food. -Yeah.
12:43 -If you're craving, like, a slice of cheese pizza,
12:46 a lot of places that you can get it from,
12:48 whereas, I guess, yeah, if you're craving an artichoke pizza,
12:51 they've got you cornered.
12:51 -I used to live by the one in Bushwick,
12:53 and it was a problem.
12:54 -That's dangerous. -Yeah.
12:56 -So, I mean, like, obviously, it's a slice of pizza.
12:59 -Yes. And we're in New York.
13:01 -We're in New York.
13:02 Some people might say this isn't a New York slice.
13:05 Would you say this is a New York slice?
13:08 -Yes, I would, Harry.
13:11 But, you know, I'm not really into, like,
13:16 following a specific set of rules just for the sake of rules, so...
13:20 -That seems to be your vibe.
13:21 You're the bad boy. Don't play by the rules.
13:23 -That's right.
13:24 This jacket and a collar, straight up.
13:27 All right. Enough of this.
13:29 We got more pizza to eat.
13:30 I got more Red Bull and Cokes to make.
13:31 -I hate that so much.
13:33 -Ready to go?
13:35 Come on, let's go.
13:35 The Red Bull's kicking in, baby.
13:37 -All right.
13:38 -Our next stop might be the favorite for the tourists.
13:41 It's Joe's.
13:43 -All right, buddy.
13:43 So, I got, of course, a slice of the classic cheese.
13:45 Then I got the fresh mozzarella slice.
13:47 And the reason I'm holding this like this is for two reasons.
13:49 One, I only have two hands.
13:51 Two, you see how it's dangling down over there?
13:52 -I do. -See the dangle, the tongue,
13:54 the pizza tongue? -Big slices.
13:55 -I don't want to put this on the table.
13:56 -No. -That has never been cleaned.
13:59 'Cause it's New York City.
14:00 You got this one.
14:01 -And then you take the top one, maybe.
14:02 -Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:03 -My only concern with this situation is that this happens,
14:06 and now I've got, like, pizza on my hands.
14:09 But that's fine. -New York City, baby.
14:10 -That's New York.
14:12 -The reason I'm taking to Joe's is Joe's is arguably
14:14 the most famous in New York.
14:16 -Yes. -It's very good.
14:17 But this one is, like, almost pop culture famous.
14:19 It was in "Spider-Man."
14:22 -I'm trying to remember which "Spider-Man" film it was in.
14:24 I feel like there's a lot of pizza in "Spider-Man."
14:26 -It's "Spider-Man 2."
14:27 -Is it the Tony McGuire one? -Yeah.
14:30 Bit of trivia about Joe's that is not really food-related
14:34 is that it's so famous in this city
14:37 that pizza places will open up with Joe's in the name,
14:40 like, "Little Joe's," "Joe Jr."
14:43 So Joe's is always having, like, "Sue's Pizza Place."
14:47 It'll be like, "Original Joe's."
14:48 It's like, "Nah, that ain't happening."
14:49 -Seize the business. -Joe himself hops on the horn.
14:51 It's like, "Nah, man."
14:53 So notice how this slice, a little bit flimsier,
14:55 but they didn't cut it in half.
14:56 -A lot of color on the bottom there.
14:58 This is quite a good char going on.
15:01 -Like, it looks a little more saucy.
15:02 -Yeah, it does. -Which is good.
15:03 But this slice, I mean, this is a tourist destination.
15:08 There's a good reason why.
15:09 I mean, other people are shooting videos in here,
15:11 so, you know, it's the spot.
15:12 -He's dressed a lot more smartly than we are.
15:14 -Are we supposed to dress up for this?
15:15 -I'm feeling underdressed now. -Yeah, dig in, buddy.
15:17 -Okay, here we go. -Good enough for one of the Spider-Mens.
15:20 -Toby McGuire, the best one.
15:22 ♪♪
15:26 Mmm.
15:27 -Sauce, right? The sauce. -Mmm.
15:29 -Right? It's thin and it's floppy,
15:31 so it just simply looks like it's gonna be a simple slice.
15:33 Nothing simple about this. -No.
15:34 -The flavors of the sauce...
15:37 It's perfect. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:38 -This is perfect. -I'm into this.
15:41 This is really good.
15:43 Well-seasoned, like, nice and salty.
15:45 Satisfying, savory.
15:46 -So you can imagine why there's pizza places
15:48 open up all over the city that's like,
15:50 "Yeah, we're also Joe's." -Mm-hmm.
15:52 -Like, I want to call everyone's attention to...
15:55 Like, it's pretty well-cooked, right?
15:56 It's pretty crispy here. -Very much so.
15:58 -It isn't breaking. It isn't falling over.
16:00 -It's a really weird mix of, like, crispy,
16:02 but also kind of soggy.
16:04 -Now, while you're working on that,
16:05 I want to tell you about this next slice.
16:07 This is the fresh mozzarella, fresh mozzarella slice.
16:09 As you can see, a little more generous with the sauce,
16:11 not so much in the cheese.
16:12 What I like about this slice is,
16:14 exactly what we were talking about before,
16:15 this is, like, almost all sauce.
16:17 -Yes. Saucy boy right here.
16:20 Talk to me about the pronunciation of "mozzarella."
16:23 -Oh, that's how they call the Sopranos.
16:25 -I'm excited about the amount of sauce on this.
16:27 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is going to be a floppier...
16:29 -A full -- This is going to be, like, a full fold.
16:31 -All right, ready? Go. -Let's go.
16:33 I'm actually going to say,
16:38 I think I just prefer the classic cheese.
16:40 -Wow, really? -Yeah.
16:42 I wasn't expecting myself to, because I think...
16:43 -It's crazy, man. I figured you for a sauce set.
16:45 I thought you were going to be like, "Give me the sauce."
16:47 -I kind of am, but for some reason...
16:48 -Yeah? -...the combination of the cheese
16:50 and sauce on this one is working better for me.
16:52 -Me, personally, I'm going to say that,
16:55 as much as I love the flavor of this slice,
16:58 when you talk about a New York slice,
16:59 it isn't just eating it, it's how you're eating it.
17:01 -Mm-hmm.
17:02 -Joe's in it. I could eat this one-handed, you know.
17:05 I'll surf the Internet on my phone.
17:07 This one requires a little more attention, so...
17:12 -Yeah, it's this one. No contest.
17:14 -Wow.
17:15 -Stick to the classics if you're coming to Joe's.
17:19 -That's right. It has to be regular.
17:20 It has to be Joe's Pizza.
17:22 That Little Joe's, that Duke of Joe's...
17:26 -No. -...that classic Joe's,
17:28 famous Joe's, original Joe's.
17:29 -Duke of Joe's. -Yeah, right?
17:32 -When are we going to Harry's Pizza?
17:34 Is that the next stop? -I never heard of this.
17:36 Have fun.
17:37 I need that dump.
17:39 -So, I mean, this is, like, a wildly popular tourist spot.
17:41 -Yeah.
17:43 -But, honestly, I'm kind of into it.
17:45 I was worried it would be a complete tourist trap.
17:47 -Yeah. -Really bad quality, cheap.
17:49 I feel like you can't get complacent
17:51 just with the sheer amount of competition.
17:52 -Yeah. -If you got even a little bit
17:54 complacent, someone else is, like,
17:55 zooming in and stealing it.
17:57 -You still want to have some more pizza?
17:58 I know we've eaten a lot.
17:59 -I can always eat pizza. -Yeah, me, too.
18:00 Okay, let's go to the next spot. Come on.
18:02 Let's leave it there. -Leave it there.
18:03 That's fine. The pigeons can have it.
18:05 -I don't know where Harry went. He's on his own.
18:07 He's on the line. I think he'll figure out the train system.
18:10 I'm on some of that pizza.
18:13 We're right by the Brooklyn Bridge, as you saw.
18:15 We're in the town of Dumbo, named after the elephant.
18:18 It's one of the biggest chains.
18:19 They have, like, 43 locations of this chain.
18:23 So they're doing pretty well.
18:24 -Speaking of. -Yes.
18:25 -Ooh! -Oh, man.
18:27 -Thank you.
18:29 Look at these.
18:31 -I forget to mention this, but here in New York,
18:34 people think that one of the reasons
18:35 why New York City pizza is so good is the water.
18:38 -Yeah, I've heard this. -I've heard this, too.
18:40 Some people say yes, some people say no.
18:42 But in 2010, they got a bunch of scientists together
18:46 to actually examine the water.
18:48 And then at all their other locations,
18:50 apparently, they have this machine,
18:51 this proprietary machine or process
18:54 where they can remake New York City water at their location
18:58 so when they make the dough, it's with the special water.
19:01 -That's pretty cool. -Now, I personally think
19:02 that's nonsense, but good on them for doing it.
19:05 I mean, it's cool.
19:06 -I mean, the pizza's been pretty good today.
19:07 Maybe it is the water that's making a difference.
19:09 Who's to say?
19:10 -So, these look amazing. What have we got here?
19:12 So, we've got the classic, like, cheese margarita.
19:15 -The signature of the Brooklyn Bridge.
19:16 -Brooklyn Bridge. -It has sausage, ricotta, tomatoes.
19:19 -Mm. -Fantastic.
19:27 Oh, wow, that's very good.
19:30 Very good.
19:32 Look at this guy.
19:34 Man, you got a cheesy slice.
19:37 -Cheers, my man.
19:39 -A few sips, Mr. Vermin. I don't know where they went.
19:42 The sauce is the star of the show.
19:45 Reminiscent to me of the flavor a lot, like John's.
19:47 -Yeah. -Looks like they really --
19:49 Scorched-rice pizza, high heat.
19:51 It's, like, gooey and kind of melted.
19:54 -So, it's another coal-fired one like John's?
19:55 -Yeah, it's another coal-fired one.
19:56 So, you can see, like, the burnt out,
19:58 but also, like, how the stuff kind of melted together
20:02 but stayed separate.
20:03 They have one, but it cooks so fast,
20:05 they don't blend right away.
20:06 -I like it.
20:08 -Almost like a stronger cheese taste
20:10 than some of the places today. -Yeah.
20:11 -The cheese itself has a bit more of a flavor.
20:14 -I mean, I'm curious about the Brooklyn Bridge one.
20:15 I might just jump into this right now.
20:17 ♪♪
20:20 Want a slice of this? -Yeah, absolutely.
20:23 Why not? -I touched it. I'm sorry.
20:26 -Mm. -Yeah.
20:29 -That's so cheesy, man. -Surprise.
20:31 -Oh, speaking of, even more cheese to your cheese.
20:34 -Oh, no.
20:37 -It's maybe not as strong,
20:39 a kind of, like, coal-finished charred flavor.
20:41 I personally, I think, want more of that.
20:44 -Me, too.
20:46 I want to feel like I literally just took off the coals.
20:49 -Like I'm just biting into a piece of charcoal.
20:50 -Yeah, yeah.
20:52 I've noticed the bubbles here. -See, yeah.
20:54 -That's all that flavor.
20:55 -I love the, like, charred bits.
20:56 It's so tasty.
20:58 Mm.
20:59 -They put charcoal in it.
21:01 Like, that's really popular with, like,
21:02 soaps and toothpastes and stuff.
21:04 -Is that a scam, or does that actually do anything?
21:07 Like, I've ate charcoal. -I'm certain it does nothing.
21:09 My wife, she used the charcoal toothpaste.
21:13 -Sure. -It all did was turn our sink black.
21:15 I said, like, the white foam was, like, black foam.
21:17 It's like, "Please stop doing this."
21:18 -That's just how it looks when the average British person
21:20 brushes their teeth anyway, so it's fine.
21:22 [ Both laugh ]
21:25 -Such a cup of tea. Why is it all just --
21:27 [ Both laugh ]
21:29 Well, you do it only on Sundays.
21:31 -I do. I brush my teeth once a week,
21:33 whether it needs it or not.
21:35 -Whether it needs it or not.
21:37 These are the best pizza places I felt like taking you today
21:40 in New York City, but what are some of your vibes?
21:42 Where are you at? -I mean, overall,
21:44 I think we've had some fantastic slices.
21:46 I think we've, like, covered quite a few vibes, as well.
21:48 I like the vibe in here. It's a bit more of, like,
21:50 old-school, like, red-and-white tablecloth family joint.
21:53 And then, obviously, we've hit the slice shop,
21:54 where you just grab, go.
21:56 Very authentic New York experience, so...
21:58 I think between all of these, we've covered, like,
22:00 what feels like a lot. -I'm thinking just, like,
22:02 the top ones, when they get, like, a good sense
22:04 of what New York City has to offer.
22:06 Pizza consumption, just in general for a lot of people,
22:08 is how much meat you can put on it
22:09 or how many different varieties of things
22:11 and eating a lot of it.
22:13 But I love all the places, but here,
22:15 most part of it is just sauce, cheese, bread.
22:18 -Yeah. -Main element.
22:19 -I think that's a great point.
22:20 Just given how few ingredients there are,
22:22 the small differences are really noticeable.
22:24 The little differences in the crust or the type of cheese
22:26 or how you're cooking it really can make
22:28 a very, very different experience.
22:30 I think in terms of the best individual slice
22:33 we've had today... -Yeah.
22:34 -...the Nonna Slice at Bleaker Street
22:36 is probably my favorite. -Okay.
22:38 -However... -However.
22:40 But wait, there's more.
22:42 -I wasn't blown away by their cheese slice.
22:44 I think if I were to come back to New York
22:45 or if a friend of mine were visiting
22:47 and wanted a pizza recommendation,
22:50 I think I'd actually go with John's of Bleaker Street.
22:53 I think that coal-fired pie was fantastic.
22:56 -You think better than this coal-fired?
22:57 -I think better than this one.
22:58 I think the sauce and the cheese
23:02 tasted better. -Mm.
23:04 -And you got more of the kind of, like,
23:05 coal-fired, smoky flavor.
23:07 The char on it was lovely.
23:09 I just like the vibe in there, as well.
23:10 -I think this is the best slice we've had today.
23:13 -Really? -This is --
23:14 Before, I thought John's was gonna win it.
23:15 I've strangely become smitten with this sauce.
23:19 It has a flavor to it that I absolutely love.
23:24 And even though we've been eating pizza all day,
23:26 I'm struggling to not grab this slice
23:29 and shove it in my face.
23:31 -I feel like often, as we go through the day
23:32 and we get more full and more sick of eating pizza...
23:34 -Yeah. I know. -...the later places
23:36 might struggle, but you've had the opposite.
23:37 -Yeah. Now, I want to point out that our two favorites
23:40 were from the coal-fired oven. -True.
23:42 -You know what? I'm kind of not surprised by that.
23:44 -No. -Maybe because it gave it
23:45 a distinct flavor you don't get normally,
23:47 but I would argue that a coal-fired oven
23:52 just produces better pizza. -Yeah.
23:54 -I just really like these little charred bits.
23:56 I think, for me, that's, like, almost the highlight of pizza.
23:58 -That's the best slices of yours you keep touching.
23:59 [ Laughs ]
24:01 Just fiddling around with the little --
24:02 -It's fine. She's all right.
24:03 We get it. It's yours. It's fine.
24:05 -We've also given our favorite slots to whole pizza places
24:10 rather than a pick-up-and-go slice spot.
24:13 Is grabbing a slice and walking around actually not the move?
24:16 -I didn't even think about that, Tim.
24:17 You're right. -Mm-hmm.
24:19 -But maybe it's just sitting down.
24:20 Maybe we just like that because they got the sits.
24:23 -I do love sitting down. -I'm kind of happy.
24:25 -How about for next time I'm in town,
24:28 we try and find a place that does
24:30 coal-fired pizza by the slice?
24:33 -You can do that research. I don't want to.
24:34 -It's fine. I'll do it. I'll see you for part two.
24:36 -Okay.
24:38 ♪♪