Patsys Pizzeria

After church one Sunday, V and I stopped by Patsys Pizzeria on the Upper East Side (we intended to go to California Pizza Kitchen, across the street, but it was closed). So Patsy's had to do. The pizza was probably more authentic than CPK, or at least a more authentic style. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with brick walls and a crowded dining room filled with a wide range of people - couples, families, groups, parties, etc. We started with an appetizer of fried zucchini and squash. It was well seasoned and not overly breaded. The pizza we shared was good, not too big. We chose toppings to make our own pizza, they didn't offer any special/particular combinations. Onions, mushrooms, sausage made for a good combination. I don't have much else to say, except that Patsys was reasonable, comfortable and affordable. I'd probably not go out of my way to eat there, but, if I was in the neighborhood, it would definitely be a good choice.

Firehouse Tavern

Firehouse Tavern is a great bar/pub just a few bocks from Central Park on the Upper West Side. After the longest run of my life to date, I dropped in with V and a few of her Volleyball teammates. I don't have much to say about the place, other than that I really liked the atmosphere, and the food was above par for a bar (I rhyme!).

The decor is that of a firehouse, natch. There are old fire station things like fire extinguishers, photos of dalmatians, fire helmets and sirens throughout. I believe, though they could have just decorated it so well, that the space was actually once a fire house.

I ordered a BBQ chicken pizza, which was very good, with a hand tossed crust that was chewy and crispy at the same time, with red onions, BBQ sauce, chicken and cheddar cheese. V enjoyed the boneless chicken wings, which I found funny (boneless wings?), and spicy. It's definitely a nice place to come after a long day in the park.

Sac's

"Sac's Place boasts one thing that only a handful of pizzerias in this fair city can claim: A coal-fired oven." - Slice

Pizza for dinner was very good, very authentic but it didn't quite hit the spot for the salty-greasy-pizza I was craving. This is a good thing though. The pizza was delicious, we had it with prosciutto and portobello. There was a generous amount of each with good portions of sauce and cheese. The crust was great, nicely crispy and chewy with a little char from the "coal-fired" oven. Additionally the quick service was nice and the prices were reasonable: $40 with tip for a medium pizza and two glasses of wine.