Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Gino's: "What a fucking pleasure."

Our hearts were heavy with sadness and lard as the four of us slunk away from the horrors of Fat Sal's. We turned onto 83rd cautiously, like abused animals who had finally fled our masters, terrified that our relationship with every pizzeria would be as painful as the one we'd had previously. Little did we know, fate was bringing us to the warm, cradling embrace of Gino's.


Here's something Gino's has that isn't mandatory, but is appreciated: gobs of fucking class. And class without pomp or ritz, at that. You walk into Gino's, it looks nice, there's wine, they're playing some Old Blue Eyes, it's not a shithole. But everything isn't shiny and you're not afraid to speak above a whisper. There's this picture of my Great Uncle Joe and my Grandpa Tom that I have hanging on my wall that was taken, I wanna say in the 30's, my mother can correct me. They're standing on Astoria Blvd, dressed to the nines in 3 piece suits and top coats, and they look like fucking mobsters or movie stars to me when they're actually just a couple of poor, Irish shmucks in Queens. But they look dignified and respectable, without looking like ostentatious fancy-pantses. (And we all know the Official Slice Harvester Stance on Fancy-Pantses) The inside of Gino's looks like how my grandfather and his brother are dressed in that picture. That's what I'm trying to say. This is classic New York City.


This slice. Crisp and charred on the bottom, cheesy on top, with a delicate sauce that you don't notice is there but would certainly miss if it were gone. Phoebe, who grew up on the UES, says that Gino's has been around forever and they have had a consistently good slice for as long as she's known the place. Pizzerias like this are what make Slice Harvesting worth it. I don't think I ever would've come here otherwise, as I have no cause to ever be in this neighborhood, but I will certainly make the trip back. There is a lot of love in Gino's pizza, years of practice, and you can taste it in the slice. I'd like to come back one night dressed like a champ and have a pretend-fancy dinner here. I bet their pastas are unbelievable, and the atmosphere alone is worth the trip.

Rating:


Gino's Pizza - $2.95
345 East 83rd Street
New York, NY 10028

6 comments:

  1. Ma, I was just emailing you!

    Look at this:
    http://putthison.com/post/344639232/vintagesuits

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  2. well said, I just wish the whole world could have a glimpse at the picture I've seen many times. Maybe they don't need it though.... Great post.

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  3. Great pizza blog! I'm enjoying the slice tour! I've donated, so have a few slices on me. Keep up the good work!

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  4. WOOOT! YAY! Just seeing this now... I used to live near there and swore by their pizza. Glad you enjoyed it too!

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  5. I'm starting an exercise boot camp tomorrow and was looking for a good slice of pizza as a reward for signing my ass up. This sounds perfect. Great blog!

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