#100 – GREENPOINTER PIZZA at PAULIE GEE’S

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

This year the end of the list came fast and furious. I don’t know if it’s because we got overconfident in our skills or because this summer just flew by or it’s because Time Out seems to release the next list one week earlier each year. Whatever the reason was, my big plan for a closing party at Paulie Gee’s fell through.

I wanted to invite every person I ever knew in my life to be there for the celebration. But then I got word that the new Time Out list was being published and I still had yet to go to Paulie Gee’s for the Greenpointer. And inviting a Bar Mitzvah-worth of friends to a pizzeria in Greenpoint becomes really difficult with such short notice. I needed to send out invitations months in advance.

So I rushed myself to Paulie Gee’s early one Tuesday afternoon to make sure I got a bite of this pizza before it was too late. I’ve been to Paulie’s a few times and really love everything about the  place, the man, and his pizzas. His Cherry Jones made my own Top 100 from last year (and look for another coming this year), but somehow, I had never tried the Greenpointer.

Like all his pizza, the dough gets just a few minutes in his beautiful wood burning oven to give it that perfect pillowy softness and rugged crisp char. His doughs are just as good as at Kesté, my favorite Neapolitan-style pizzeria in the city. He tops the Greenpointer with fior de latte mozzarella, arugula lettuce, shred of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the most interesting addition of all: lemon juice. This is a healthy man’s pizza.

I’ve never encountered lemon juice on a pizza before. You’d think the acidity would clash with the creaminess of the cheese, but it gives it a lightness and a tang that makes the perfect balance. This is the lightest pizza I’ve ever had yet it’s still loaded with so much flavor. Paulie is truly a master of flavor combinations.

This was rated Time Out’s fourth favorite dish and it was quite a high note to end the entire list on. I just wish all my friends were with me to celebrate.

And since I was in such a celebratory mood, I came back to Paulie’s just a week later (on the day the new Time Out list was revealed) with a group of four friends. We were there for some serious pizza deliciousness, but also because his Hellboy pizza made it on the newest list. And I thought it might be nice to pick up right where I left off. You’re going to have to wait until next year for my review of the Hellboy because first I’m going to unveil my own Top 100 of the year. Talk about a celebration!

Would Paulie Gee’s The Greenpointer make my Top 100 of the year? It may have with a 9 out of 10 but there were some other pizzas on his list that I liked just a teeny bit more.