Chef Anthony Bourdain has called Di Fara's pizza "the best of the best." That alone would be all I needed to try this pizza place located in Brooklyn. But it's also been labeled the best of the best by Zagat, the New York Times and Serious Eats and many other places.
We arrived just 15 minutes after the pizza shop opened, and there was already a long line around the corner. It was a little crazy, actually. When we finally reached the window to order, we were told it would be more than an hour for regular pieces, but less for the square. So I went with two square pieces.
We stood outside for a bit, not really sure if we were to wait outside or go inside. We did ask to eat in, but there was a cord across the front door. We eventually moved it to the side and came in to sit down. We waited inside for quite some time -- it makes me wish I would have gone ahead with the regular slices because it probably would have been about the same amount of waiting.
Each pizza pie is handmade by DeMarco, so the pizzeria is closed when he is not available.[4] He "believe[s] only one guy should make the pizza.”[5] Three of his seven children work in the back area of the restaurant.[4] He makes 100 to 150 pies a day, and does so by cutting fresh basil over the pies with a pair of kitchen scissors.[5][6][7][8] DeMarco uses imported ingredients – flour, extra-virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese from Casapulla, freshly grated grana padano (a slightly salty hard cow's milk cheese), three types of mozzarella cheese, and hand-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are all from Italy, and the basil and oregano are from Israel.[5][6][8][9][10] In a windowsill flower box, he grows thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, and hot peppers.[4][11][12][13] The pizzas bake for a few minutes at about 800 °F (427 °C).[8][14] The pizzas are described as thin-crust and crispy, slightly shy of burnt, with a thin layer of savory, subtle, tangy sauce.[5][9][15][16][17] It is served over a sheet of wax paper, which is in turn over a paper plate. DeMarco serves classic New York-style pizza and Sicilian-style square pies.[5] In July 2009, Di Fara raised its price for a plain slice of pizza from $4 to $5, becoming the first $5-a-slice pizza place in New York City.[6][18] [Source]
I bit into the pizza and realized it was, uh, pretty dark. Like, the entire bottom was black. So black that the texture of the crust was off and it really affected the flavor. BUT, the actual sauce and cheese and fresh basil were amazing. I just wish I could have had a better judge of the crust itself.
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