John’s of Bleecker Street

Now the sit-down pies. Start with John’s of Bleecker Street, at 278 Bleecker, because it’s the one people literally walk past. They see the line at the pizza counters up the block and never notice that this coal-fired institution has been turning out whole pies at the same address since 1934.

Here’s the rule that trips everyone up. John’s does not sell slices. It never has. You commit to a whole pie or you don’t come in, which is exactly why the impatient slice crowd keeps moving. Their loss. The crust comes out of an 850-degree coal oven with a char you cannot fake in a gas deck, a little smoke, a little blister, thin and crackling at the edge.

I have shared many a pie in one of those creaky wooden booths, the ones carved up with decades of initials, and I will tell you it is one of the most quietly romantic pizza rooms in the city. Get the plain or the sausage, split a bottle of something red, and take your time. This is not a fold-and-run slice. This is dinner.

The honest downside. It can get loud and touristy at peak dinner hours, and the wait for a booth on a Friday night is not short. Go a little early, or go on a weeknight, and it transforms into the neighborhood spot it actually is.

Founded in 1929, John’s of Bleecker Street is one of the oldest pizzerias in New York City. Walls adorned with photos of celebrities, windows dressed in prestigious awards collected over (nearly) 100 years, John’s holds a special place in the heart of locals.

Using a (grandfathered) coal-fired pizza oven, the pizza is cooked at a high temperature for a short time, resulting in blistered crust that remains chewy at the center. Served piping-hot, resist the temptation to dive right in and let the pizza cool for a minute (speaking from personal experience, unfortunately).

Type of pizza. Coal-fired pizza, whole pies only. Pies are large and can easily be split between two people. Half/half pizza orders allowed.

Wait, what’s with the grandfathered coal ovens in NYC?

Grandfathered coal-burning ovens are an interesting part of NYC pizza history. In the 1900s, almost all pizza ovens in New York ran on coal because it was cheaper than wood. But coal needs constant oxygen flow, so the monolithic ovens took up a ton of space.

Things started changing in the 1940s when stainless steel ovens began usurping coal-fired ovens. Manhattan’s last known coal fire oven was built in 1957 (and 1990 in Brooklyn). With environmental causes taking center stage, the only way for a pizzeria to end up with a coal-fired oven is to inherit it from the previous business, which is kind of interesting to know.

Founded in 1929, John’s of Bleecker Street is an iconic New York City restaurant serious pizza enthusiasts can’t afford to miss. Walls adorned with photos of celebrities, windows dressed in prestigious awards collected over (nearly) 100 years, John’s holds a special place in the heart of locals.

Using a grandfathered coal-fired pizza oven, the pizza is cooked at a high temperature for a short time, resulting in blistered crust that remains chewy at the center. Served piping-hot, resist the temptation to dive right in and let the pizza cool for a minute (speaking from personal experience, unfortunately).