My search for the best pizza in New York continues….
There are old-school pizzerias and then there are old-school pizzerias. Scarr’s harkens back to a different time than the city’s oldest pizzeria Lombardi’s when Italian immigrants were cooking tomato pies in old coal ovens.
Scarr’s is reminiscent of a time not that long ago (I hope) when I was a child – the 1980’s and it’s crazy to use that in the same sentence as the world old.
But there is that unmistakable nostalgia in the dark, cramped Lower East Side pizzeria. This brings back memories of adolescent pizza parties in a smoky slightly seedy dining room. That’s just the way it was – complete with jukebox, tiled lamps, and solid blue plastic cups.
Both my visits to Scarr’s consisted of a quick take out slice, but just visiting makes me want to dine in and invite all my old friends from elementary school for a pepperoni pie and a big pitcher of Coke. Maybe they’ll bring me a He-Man figurine as a gift?
And the pizza is just as nostalgic. A Sicilian slice is thick and bready with crunchy blackened bits and a solid cheesiness.
The regular slice is slicked with grease and a sauce that only slightly resembles fresh tomatoes. It glistens and soaks the paper plate it’s served on. It’s dirty and quick but mighty tasty. Just the way my pre-pubescent tastebuds expected.
There’s a lot at Scarr’s that has been lifted from a simpler time not that long ago, but unfortunately nowadays heartburn is a real threat and mom and dad are not picking up the bill.
Is Scarr’s Pizza the best pizza in NY? It might be the most nostalgic for people my age and that means it tastes so so good. For others, you might be put off by the grease and dim atmosphere, but in my book it gets an 8 out of 10.
| SCARR’S PIZZA |
| 22 Orchard Street (between Hester and Canal Street), Lower East Side (212) 334-3481 |
| scarrspizza.com |
