A pizza at Joe & Pat's
photo: Garth Johnston
Staten Island has long had an image problem. Though Fresh Kills has been closed for years, the dump is still what most folks associate with this forgotten borough. But the times, they are a changin'. This summer Gray Line introduced a Staten Island tour. Now SINY, a local group conceived to bolster the borough's reputation, is kicking off a twice-monthly series of local pizza tours showcasing the best of the local-style thin-crust pies available over the Verrazano bridge. The tours don't begin until November 8th, but the Buzz was lucky enough to tag along on a preveiw.
Designed to both highlight the borough's unique character as well as its flavors, the tour departs at 11 AM from the Ferry Terminal (next to the awesome Staten Island Yankees stadium) and makes stops for pizza and drinks at four legends: Jimmy Max (280 Watchogue Rd; 718-983-6715), Joe & Pat's, Denino's Pizzeria and Lee's Tavern (60 Hancock St.; 718-667-9749). While all of the pizza was thin-crust, Joe & Pat's was the thinnest of all and the dough had almost a matzo-meal taste. Lee's, which has an old school–tavern setting with original tin ceilings, had the thickest pies of the bunch, but even those were still quite thin.
Between slices, diners got a chance to digest during detours to visit the Staten Island Zoo, the South Beach area and other attractions. A local guide is on hand for the whole tour to make sure you know that CSI isn't just a TV show but also the College of Staten Island, that the neighborhood St. George has nothing to do with the dragon slayer and some Islanders are still bitter about "the Bridge." If you've ever wanted to explore Staten Island beyond the ferry terminal, you'll be hard pressed to find a better tasting option (Saturdays 11 AM–3 PM; $40 per person, includes a a commemorative t-shirt and a slice and soda from each establishment; 347-273-1257).