The Best Pizza New York Can Offer

MAITLAND, Fla. - Aug. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- As the city with the largest population in all the US – as well as one of the most ethnically diverse, New York is beloved by tourists in great part for the sheer variety of experience the Big Apple offers … and everything is the most, the biggest, the best. One of the areas where visitors feel this extra strongly is in the area of food. There are elegant restaurants featuring just about every cuisine imaginable, as well as high end boutique grocery stores selling the latest trendy artisanal pate or pasta or whatever the current flavor du jour happens to be. This can be fun and exciting, but when you’re overwhelmed or in a hurry – or your travel budget is running low – sometimes you just want to munch on a simple piece of pizza.

Fast Food

If you lose track of time while sightseeing, you may suddenly realize that you missed lunch and you’re very, very hungry. Or it could be that you’re traveling with a fussy toddler who has decided that it’s time to eat right now. In that case, a great option for a pizza snack is to pick up a few slices from a food truck. These brightly decorated vans are a common sight cruising around New York, turning city streets into food courts. Although the service is the ultimate in casual, with paper plates and easy to handle pizza rectangles in place of the usual triangles, their pies are usually pretty good.

Pizza Palaces

For a slightly more formal atmosphere, try one of the sit down pizza restaurants scattered throughout the city like toppings on a you-know-what. The older establishments usually serve typical New York style pizza, which is identified as having a thinner crust than pies in other US cities. Traditionally, it is hand tossed – fun to watch, for children of any age. It is often baked with just a light topping of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, although additional toppings may be used. Order by the slice or by the whole pie. Oregano, garlic powder and dried chilies are served on the side, so you can eat your pizza as bland or as spicy as you choose.

Gourmet Pizza

If you’re feeling adventurous, you might want to try a more exotic pizza experience, which is still quite reasonably priced. The trendiest New York pizzerias are experimenting with wild yeast, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and house cured meats, to elevate their product to new levels of flavor. Decidedly non-traditional vegetable toppings may include Brussels sprouts, puree of butternut squash or artichoke. Cooking methods may vary from baking in superheated 900 degree ovens to deep frying. These gourmet pizzas are probably best treated as R-rated (for adults only) unless you have kids with exceptionally sophisticated palates.

New York has so much to see and do that you’ll appreciate staying in a comfortable hotel with easy access to everything. The nicer New York hotels tend to fill up fast, though, so it’s a good idea to reserve in advance (http://crshotels.com/).