Joe & Pat's Pizzeria - Staten Island, NY

Field trip to Joe & Pat's on Victory Blvd in Staten Island. These guys are known for a super thin crust, which lived up to its advance billing. We shared two large pies: one pepperoni and one meatball. I liked the pizza fine but didn't love it. The sauce was a bit too rich and salty and the pies suffered from being oversauced, making for really sloppy slices. The meatball pieces worried me at first as they looked old and dry, but they turned out to be tender. I did prefer the pepperoni pie, though.

Lunch at the HBistrO

What a crappy, rainy New York Day. At least I didn't have to walk far to meet up with Lindsey for lunch at the HBO commissary. This place rules! It was Indian day, so I mostly loaded up on that. On my main plate I've got a piece of tandoori chicken (unfortunately super dry, yuck), carrot and onion salad, spicy cucumber salad, basmati rice pilaf, yellow peas, roasted cauliflower with a tomato sauce and a handful of mini papadums. There are also some roasted beets and a mozzarella, pesto and sun-dried tomato pinwheel. I also got some fruit - red grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew and oranges - and a solid tasting chocolate chip cookie. Today they also had a mac and cheese station which was especially tempting after I saw a big bowl of bacon bits.

Oh wait, how could I forgot, I also had three mini samosas! I think they got buried under the beets.

road trip to new haven

I took an impromptu road trip with Mooney and Yu to New Haven, CT, for some pizza. Dan chose to stay home to watch the Mets march towards another late season failure. After careful consideration, we decided on Frank Pepe. Based on closing hours, Sally's was our fallback and then Modern. I've been meaning to get up to New Haven for years now, not just for pizza but because Dr. Abby's been living here for a while and I still have never visited.

Yu can't contain her excitement for a clam pie.

Small clam pie. I love the roughness of the pie's shape and non-scientific slicing method.

Large spinach and sausage. I never think to order spinach as a topping, but this worked out so deliciously! The crusts were super thin but held up well to the toppings.

It's me and Dr. Abby! We are both drinking beers, but I am drinking clear birch beer.

The aftermath.

The famous ovens and super long pizza peels.

We were all stuffed but felt it was our duty to head a few blocks over to Louis Lunch, home of America's first hamburger. The meat is cooked in these ancient vertical ovens and served on toasted white bread with a schmear of cheese spread. Tomato and onion are options, but ketchup is not! I got a gassosa to drink and could not finish my half of the burger I split with Abby. Mooney made good work of his. I think Yu had a bite. Next time, I will have to sample a burger on a slightly less full tummy.