PIZZA REVIEW: F & F Pizzeria

My search for the best pizza in New York continues….

I don’t think pizza should be taken too seriously. Even though I write tons of reviews about it and can be hyper-critical, at the end of the day, it is just pizza.

There was an off-putting air of pretension both times I visited the new F&F Pizzeria. I guess they have some credentials to be arrogant about. This comes from two successful neighborhood restaurant owners Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli. They brought in two famous chefs (Chad Robertson and Chris Bianco) to help them get the recipe right. And everyone from the New York Times to Barstool Pizza have raved about their pizza in the few months they have been open.

The first time I stopped by, I was mildly impressed. I think the hype had been high already. I ordered a regular slice and stood at one of the high tops (there is also outdoor seating in a garden but the weather was not friendly).

I found the dough to be spot-on with a nice chew and thin crust. While I enjoyed the tangy sharp hit of cheese, I felt like the globby tomato sauce could have been more acidic to break up the richness. But it was certainly a good slice.

The staff put me off a little bit. They all acted half asleep and put on a big attitude when someone came in to get out of the rain for a minute. I understand she didn’t buy anything, but a little empathy would have been nice. Your corner bodega doesn’t usually care when that kind of thing happens.

Gone were the Sicilian slices on my first visit, so I had to return.

It was another pretty miserable weather day but inside F&F, the climate was decidedly more cheery. They had just discovered they were featured as a top dish on the NY Times’ end of year list. The staff was much more energetic and the owner was literally yelling and singing across the room.

I ordered two slices this time – the regular again and that elusive Sicilian. I thought because of the recent accolade, I would have gotten the best pizza in house. But maybe they knew the NY Times had already been here because I did not get the best in house.

And I know that because I had a much better slice the first visit. This time the Regular slice was pretty sad.

On my first visit, it was glowing red and green from fresh basil and chunks of tomato. This time, I think they might have run across the street and got me a slice from somewhere else.

It was cold and greasy with barely a sliver of basil. The crust was still slightly charred but it had a staleness about it. What happened? It was also early in their shift so how could this not have been hot and fresh? This is not something I expect served at a recently praised NY Times establishment.

The girl behind the counter asked me if I wanted a corner or center of the Sicilian and I let her choose. I got something that gave me pause. It looked more like a focaccia and half of it didn’t have any tomato or cheese. It was all crust.

Turns out that was alright because it was very tasty. The crisped browned bits had a tangy yeasty flavor and the crumb here was great. Stretchy and soft inside – not so different from an expertly baked sourdough. I didn’t see any cheese on top but I tasted it seemingly layered between the folds of the bread.

The Sicilian slice, which was hefty, fresh, and satisfying, is definitely something to write home about. I’m still on the fence about the regular slice which was adequate the first time around and pretty sad the second time around.

But again, we’re probably taking this all too seriously. Me and them. At the end of the day, it’s just cheese, tomato, and bread. What could be so bad?

Is F&F Pizzeria  the best pizza in NY? Despite the hype and an excellent Sicilian slice, I have to keep them at 7out of10 since I found the regular slice to be inconsistent and the entire experience too expensive.