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Di Fara Pizza

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Di Fara Pizza is a pizzeria located at 1424 Avenue J in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City. Situated on the corner of East 15th Street and Avenue J, the restaurant was owned and operated by Domenico DeMarco (1936–2022) from 1965.[1][2][3]

Di Fara Pizza
The facade of Di Fara Pizza
Map
Di Fara Pizza is located in New York City
Di Fara Pizza
Location in New York City
Restaurant information
Established1965 (1965)
Owner(s)Domenico DeMarco
ChefDomenico De Marco[1]
Street address1424 Avenue J
CityNew York City
CountyKings County (Brooklyn)
StateNew York
Postal/ZIP Code11230
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°37′30″N 73°57′41″W / 40.62505°N 73.9615°W / 40.62505; -73.9615
Seating capacity15
Other locationsWilliamsburg
WebsiteDiFaraPizzaNY.com

Food critics and bloggers have regularly cited it as one of the best pizzerias in New York City. Di Fara has been labeled the "Best pizza in New York" several times by many publications, including New York and the online publication Serious Eats. The New York Times called the restaurant "one of the most acclaimed and sought-after pizza shops in New York City". In 2011, Zagat gave the restaurant the top pizza restaurant food rating in New York City, and in 2013, Frommer's called its pizza "the Best Hand-Made Pizza in New York City". Chef Anthony Bourdain also praised the restaurant's pizza.[4]

History

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Domenico DeMarco emigrated from the Province of Caserta, Italy, in 1959 and opened Di Fara Pizza in 1965. He said in a 2004 interview:

I'm 69 years old. I've been in Brooklyn since 1959. I'm from Provincia di Caserta in Italy, near Napoli. When I got here, I spent three months in Long Island, in Huntington, working on a farm... then somebody put a bug in my head and said there's a good spot on Avenue J. I didn't even know Avenue J existed. So I come over here with my accountant on a Saturday night, and this corner was for rent. It was so crowded, the street. So I take the phone number, I call the landlord, and he says to come see me Sunday, make sure you bring a deposit. When I opened the store, my partner's name was Farina. My name is DeMarco. So when the lawyer made the paper, he put the two names together. Di Fara. Di for me, and Fara for him. I bought my partner out in 1978, I think. I kept the same name; I didn't bother changing it.

— DeMarco for The New York Times, July 18, 2004[3]

On March 17, 2022, Dom DeMarco died at the age of 85.[5][6][7][8][9]

Description

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Pizza

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Prior to DeMarco's death, each pizza pie was handmade by him, and the pizzeria was closed whenever he was unavailable.[3] Three of his seven children worked in the back area of the restaurant.[3]

He made 100 to 150 pies a day.[10][11][12][13] DeMarco used imported ingredients – flour, extra-virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese from Casapulla, freshly grated grana padano (a slightly salty hard cow's milk cheese), three types of mozzarella cheese, and hand-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, all from Italy, and basil and oregano from Israel.[10][11][13][14][15] In a windowsill flower box, he grew thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, and hot peppers. He cut fresh basil over each pie with a pair of kitchen scissors.[10][3][16][17][18] The pizzas baked for a few minutes at about 800 °F (427 °C).[13][19] In July 2009, Di Fara raised its price for a plain slice of pizza from $4 to $5, becoming the first $5-a-slice pizza place in New York City.[11][20]

When Di Fara's opened 1965, a slice was 15 cents, equivalent to $1.39 in 2022. After the NY World's Fair, the price rose to 25 cents. As of 2023, Di Fara's still sells what is likely New York City's most expensive slice at $5. However, a large 8 slice pie is $30 which comes out to $3.75 a slice.[citation needed]

Restaurant

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The nondescript restaurant is located on Avenue J next to a 99 cent store.[10][21] The restaurant only has 15 seats,[10][13][18] but the pizzeria is so popular that crowds sometimes form on the sidewalk outside, as the wait can be as long as one to two hours.[10][13][22]

Di Fara's has been closed a number of times by the NYC health department due to unsanitary conditions.[23][24][25] It was also closed briefly in 2019 over unpaid state taxes.[26]

Reviews

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Dom DeMarco cutting a Sicilian pie at DiFara's

In his 1998 book The Eclectic Gourmet Guide to Greater New York City, Jim Leff called the sauce used by the restaurant:

a restrained, low profile masterpiece of optimal acidity and spicing (bolstered by a goodly shake of black pepper). Like everything here it's delicious in a magically old-fashioned way.[13]

Since The Village Voice, a New York City newspaper in Lower Manhattan, put DeMarco on its cover and proclaimed it as one of the "Best Italian restaurants",[3] Di Fara has been regarded as a top pizzeria by publications like the Daily News.[3][27] Di Fara has received many awards, and has been labeled the "Best... pizza in New York" several times by many publications, including New York and the online publication Serious Eats.[28][29] In 2001, The New York Times critic Eric Asimov called it "surely the best by-the-slice pizza in New York",[30] and in 2006, The New York Sun called it "the city's finest pizza".[31]

In 2007, chef Anthony Bourdain called the restaurant's pizza "the best of the best" in the book Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.[32] In 2008, The Village Voice wrote that "the best pizza in all New York is at Di Fara's", and Zagats gave it a food rating of 27, placing it among the top 15 restaurants of any type in New York City.[33][34] The New York Times wrote in 2009 that Di Fara is "one of the most acclaimed and sought-after pizza shops in New York City".[10]

In 2011, Zagats again gave the restaurant a food rating of 27, the top pizza restaurant food rating in New York City.[35] That year, the New York Daily News readers rated it the #1 pizza in the city.[36] In 2013, Zagats yet again gave the restaurant a food rating of 27, with a decor rating of 6.[37] Also in 2013, Frommer's called its pizza the Best Hand-Made Pizza in New York City.[21]

During the 2013 New York mayoral campaign, Democratic nominee (and later, Mayor) Bill de Blasio declared Di Fara to be the best pizza in the city.[38]

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    DeMarco adding fresh basil to a Di Fara Pizza
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    The interior of Di Fara Pizza, with DeMarco in the doorway

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Eisenberg, Sherri (2010). Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, and Events. Globe Pequot. p. 232. ISBN 9780762759439. Retrieved January 18, 2013. Di Fara Pizza.
  2. ^ "Di Fara Pizza", New York Magazine, retrieved June 2, 2009
  3. ^ a b c d e f g DeMarco, Domenico; As told to Jeff VanDam (July 18, 2004), "Charred bubbles, and other secrets of the slice", The New York Times, retrieved June 2, 2009
  4. ^ McCreary, David. "Restaurant Profile: Di Fara Pizza Tavern". Cary Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Brooklyn Magazine (March 17, 2022). "DOMENICO 'DOM' DE MARCO, FOUNDER OF LEGENDARY DI FARA PIZZA, HAS DIED". bkmag.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Wells, Pete (March 17, 2022). "One Pizza at a Time, He Defined the New York Slice". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "Legendary di Fara Pizza owner Domenico 'Dom' Demarco dies at age 85". NPR.org.
  8. ^ "Renowned di Fara Pizza Owner Domenico 'Dom' DeMarco Dies at 85". March 17, 2022.
  9. ^ "Domenico de Marco, owner of di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn, dies at age 85". CBS News.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Fernandez, Manny (July 31, 2009). "Straight Out of Brooklyn, the $5 Slice". The New York Times.
  11. ^ a b c Fernandez, Manny (March 15, 2010). "Where a Meal Can Cost a Fortune, 99¢ Pizza Catches On". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (June 7, 2009). "PIZZA THROWER – When It Comes to Tossing a Pie, He Cooks". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Goldman, Adam (May 7, 2008). "A giant among pizza makers". SouthCoastToday.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  14. ^ Freeman, Danyelle (2011). Try This: Traveling the Globe Without Leaving the Table. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062092175. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  15. ^ "Pizza 2002: The State Of the Slice". The New York Times. November 6, 2002. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  16. ^ Reinhart, Peter (2010). American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza. Random House. ISBN 9781607740902. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  17. ^ Jackman, Ian (2009). Eat This!. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061984259. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  18. ^ a b Asimov, Eric (November 21, 2001). "$25 AND UNDER – At a No-Frills Pizza Spot, a Perfectionist's Pie". NYTimes.com. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  19. ^ AARP New York City 2012. Frommer's. May 30, 2012. ISBN 9781118268650. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  20. ^ Fernandez, Manny (July 30, 2009). "Straight Out of Brooklyn, the $5 Slice". The New York Times.
  21. ^ a b Silverman, Kelsy Chauvin, Brian (2012). Frommer's New York City 2013. ISBN 9781118331446. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  22. ^ Eisenberg, Sherri (2012). Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn, 2nd: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings. Globe Pequot. ISBN 9780762788903. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  23. ^ Chung, Jen (June 7, 2007). "Closed by DOH Again, Di Fara's Faces Uncertain Future". Gothamist. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  24. ^ Walker, Dalton (June 7, 2007). "A Beloved Brooklyn Pizzeria Is Closed, Again, by the Health Dept". The New York Times.
  25. ^ Beloved Brooklyn Pizza Shop Di Fara Temporarily Closed Over Health Code Violations
  26. ^ Tuder, Stefanie. "Legendary Di Fara Reopens After Giving NYC Pizza Fans a Minor Panic Attack". Eater NYC. Vox Media. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Monahan, Rachel (October 6, 2008), "Zagat says best burger, pizza, BBQ found in Brooklyn", Daily News
  28. ^ Platt, Adam; Raisfeld, Robin; Patronite, Rob (March 9, 2009), "Best bargains: our critics' favorite cheap food", New York Magazine, retrieved June 2, 2009
  29. ^ Kuban, Adam (January 1, 2004), "Di Fara Pizza: everything you need to know", Slice, retrieved June 2, 2009
  30. ^ Asimov, Eric (August 29, 2004). "NEW YORK 2004: DINING OUT; Beyond the Garden, Culinary Delights". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  31. ^ "The Glories of Midwood". The New York Sun. December 8, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  32. ^ Bourdain, Anthony (2007). Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060899226. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  33. ^ Russo, Francine (November 19, 2002). "Close-Up on Midwood – NYC Life". Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  34. ^ "Midwood pizza slice of heaven – Zagat". NY Daily News. New York. October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  35. ^ 2011 America's Top Restaurants – Zagat Survey. Zagat. November 2, 2010. ISBN 9781604783087. Retrieved January 18, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^ "Best of New York's cheese pizza slice: DiFara's comes out ahead of Artichoke and famed Patsy's". NY Daily News. January 16, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  37. ^ 2013 New York City Restaurants – Zagat Survey. ISBN 9781604786637. Retrieved January 18, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  38. ^ Del Signore, John. "Best Pizza In NYC Is Di Fara, De Blasio Declares In Reddit AMA". Gothamist. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2013.

Further reading

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