New Park Pizza. My number one tip is always: Ask for a well-done slice or pie.
Interesting fact: New Park’s pizza cooks throw salt on the oven floor before cooking a pie. I don’t know any other pizzeria that does this.
I never noticed this until a few years ago, when Kelly Beckham*, owner-operator of Paulie Gee’s Hampden (In Baltimore), was in town doing a pizza crawl—and even then, I only heard about it secondhand from him and the pizzacrawlers after they’d witnessed it, since I wasn’t on the tour with them.
But then I saw it myself on subsequent visits to NPP. And I don’t think they even do it with every pie, just every now and then, resalting the oven floor when they need to. Unless I’ve missed it while watching them. 🤔
This slice pictured above and the boxed pie it sits atop both benefited from the salting. It was all on point. Even my wife, who has always been lukewarm on NPP, remarked that the pizza I brought home to her was quite good. She’s a much harsher critic than I am.
The best cell-phone lot (not) at JFK
My other big tip for any New Yorkers who drive to JFK to pick up incoming travelers is to build in some time to go to New Park, grab a pie, and wait there till your flyer calls from baggage claim.
Eat a slice or two there, and bring your traveler the rest. Who wouldn’t want great New York pizza as a welcoming gesture?
Anyway, until next post, folks, hastalapizza. 😊🍕✌
New Park Pizza: 156-71 Cross Bay Boulevard, Queens NY 11414; 718-641-3082; newparkpizza.com
* OG Slice readers might remember Kelly as “Pizzablogger” from the Slice comments section.