28 July 2008

F DiFara's


pic by Artichokeheart

I finally gave in and allowed my angel to drag me to this notorious pizza spot on Avenue J (Avenue J?! I eat Avenue J!). I went with an open mind as a pizza lover. What I got was a tourist trap. Something as truly New York as the M&M store in Times Square.

For what its worth Di Fara's has become a spot for tourists to take pictures of an old man cutting basil onto a pizza. We've made a celebrity out of Dom DeMarco and that's fine. I'm not hating. His pizza looks delicious and I'm sure it is but the smoke that choked my eyes, and the empty soda cans and bottles laying out and garbage all over the floor - no thanks. I felt like I was waiting for a slice at an old boxing gym.

The shit people will put up with when they're told its "hip" is really unbelievable. The place was absolutely filthy - as its known to be - and I left with my eyes burning and my hair and clothes smelling like a burnt piece of crust. Clean the ovens, you old bat! When I worked in a pizzeria as a kid every night before closing we had to scrape the ovens and clean them out with hot water and rags. Is that too much to ask?

For me the last straw was when these two girls who were dressed like Cyndi Lauper pulled out their cameras to document Dom cutting the basil on their pies. Like it was the big money shot.


pic by
Slice

You want $20 for a pie? Say hello to me when I walk in. Ask me what I need. I don't care how fucking busy you are - that is NOT Brooklyn. Brooklyn is quick, fast and good. Like a slice from Lenny & John's on Flatbush Ave. Everyones busy, everyones got somewhere to be. Like a slice from Nino's or Pizza Wagon. No one waits 2 hours for a pie in Brooklyn. No one.

My girl said it best, Di Fara's has turned into a living pizza museum where Brooklyn transplants from the Midwest can come and gawk at the old eccentric Italian grandfather they never had as he makes pizza and ignores everyone as if he's deaf and living in a fishbowl.

I've gotta clamor for your attention like I'm at a crowded night club trying to get an Omar Bradley from the bar?! Fuck that. You want my money, you want my business - you acknowledge that, you appreciate that for without this hipster/foodie cache you'd just be another dirty, random, roach infested pizza joint in Midwood, shut down numerous times by the board of health. Buy a broom. Get a recycling can for fucks sake! Get a mop. Take your store as seriously as you take your craft.

I guess this sort of thing all started with Seinfeld's parody of Al Yeganeh a.k.a. The Soup Nazi. Legend had it that the proprietor was a real dick but his soup was just so damn good you had to put up with his tyrannical business model. I don't believe in this sort of thing. I don't think think we should be patronizing assholes. I don't we should be giving money to people who don't seem to care about their customers.

Di Fara's is an enigma. It is not indicative of Brooklyn pizza. It's an anomaly. I've been around the world and I've lived in Brooklyn for thirty years. I know Brooklyn and I know Brooklyn pizza. Di Fara's is for tourists. End of story. The party's over.

Di Fara Fails Five of Six Health Inspections, Closed By DOH Indefinitely {Eater}

70 comments:

Unknown said...

I used to frequent this spot when me and ms.nitro were an item and she had a flat on ave j. i dont recall anyone ever really being in there was good pizza though,

Gotham City Insider said...

Yeah, those were the days before the Times and New York magazine wrote them up. Back then they were just a shithole in Midwood that no one cared about. You knew them when. That's my boy.

The Brooklyn Paper said...

I thought your post was really really unfair. For one thing, the pizza that Dom makes is actually outstanding. And the notion that he's running some kind of museum is also a poor choice of metaphors: After all, Wrigley Field is something of a museum of baseball, full of cliches and oh-so-perfect touches. But it's also the best place in the nation to watch a baseball game.

DiFara's is still the best pizza in the city — and I have eaten them all, so please believe me.

GERSH KUNTZMAN
Editor
The Brooklyn Paper

Anonymous said...

Did you take that picture of an old man cutting basil and then criticize teenage girls for taking a picture of the same old man cutting basil?

Gotham City Insider said...

Gersh, all hype aside I'm sure the pizza is deelish and I said that in the article. Read closer, Mr. Editor. I also referred to DiFara's as a "living" museum.

And no Matt, I didn't take that photo. I stole it from Flickr.

Unknown said...

So, did you actually eat the pizza, or did you get fed up and leave? We only have the patience for Difaras a few times a year, and while waiting we often get pretty frustrated. BUT, usually the pies are so good that it's worth it. Helps if you crack open a bottle of wine while waiting.

I don't see how your review is valid if you can't discuss what the actual pizza tastes like. And I think your diagnosis of "hipness" is way off - a craphole in the Midwood is anything but hip, and if you really pay attention to who is there, most are pretty typical middle-aged NYkers.

Unknown said...

oh, sorry, I see in your follow-up that you didn't eat. Seriously, wait it out next time.

Anonymous said...

As you would likely not want your words to be stolen and re-used on the Internet without being given due credit, attribution (and preferably a link) should be given to images borrowed under a Creative Commons license. Slice, the owner of that image, displays an Attribution CC license on the image's Flickr page, allowing anyone to reuse the image as long as credit is given.

There's a very small, easy step between "borrowing" and "stealing" online content, and I'm sure you'd feel the same about your own material.

Gotham City Insider said...

dsmey, when i was there it was 95% hipsters and hipster couples and one older weird brooklyn guy with those glow-in-the-dark ceiling star things as an earring.

and the fact that Di Fara's is in the middle of nowhere makes it decidedly and 100% hipster - its all about the trek that makes it so coveted.

then u get there and its a dude making a boboli in a hot smokey old gym locker room.

yawn.

Anonymous said...

stop stealing photos.

Anonymous said...

You didn't eat the pizza?????

Anonymous said...

Dom makes the best pizza in the city.
Every time I am in there there are at least several people I would not call hipsters - FDNY EMS, NYPD, MTA bus drivers, etc.

Dom makes his own sauce instead of getting it out of a can, probably from Sysco, like your average slice joint. He uses a blend of real cheeses not the processed crap like your average slice joint.

They say that he grows his own basil.

It is artisan pizza, but I guess you'll never know since you didn't eat any like a stupid moron.

Go back to Minnesota or where ever the hell you are from and eat what Domino's claims is pizza. You'll be much happier that way.

Anonymous said...

Where in Ohio are you from.
Wah, wah, wah.

The little midwesterner cries like a baby because they are dragged to the place with the best pizza on earth and then don't eat any because they want to make a post on their silly little blog so they can pretend they are not from the midwest.

Go back to Columbus or wherever and be happy with what you get from Pappa John.

My family has been in Brooklyn for over 150 years so top that you douchebag.

Anonymous said...

You head all the way out to Midwood so you can complain about all the hipsters in the place and not even eat the pizza?

That sounds like a very hipster thing to do. Seems like a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Gotham City Insider said...

I was born in Brooklyn.

My parents were born in Brooklyn.

I've been around the world: every state, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand... Tasted the pizza in Italy, too. It sucked.

I still live in Brooklyn. Have never lived anywhere else.

Three out of four of my grandparents are from Italy.

The other has been here since the 17th century.

And therefore I have ancestors who fought and died on opposite sides of the Civil War.

Top THAT, worm.

Gotham City Insider said...

Anonymous said...
You head all the way out to Midwood so you can complain about all the hipsters in the place and not even eat the pizza?

That sounds like a very hipster thing to do. Seems like a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

July 28, 2008 2:58 PM


No, I went "all the way out" to Midwood (15 minute drive from my house) and took an about face after standing in there for 20 minutes or so.

Read the fucking post.

Anonymous said...

Still filthy after all these years....

Anonymous said...

If you are really from Brooklyn prove it.

Anonymous said...

GCI is more Brooklyn than Biohazard and Mike Tyson combined, hush your mouth calling him a Midwesterner.

DiFara is the best pizza in NY hands down and it was something that only people in midwood, flatbush and marine park were up on until every fucking magazine had to put Dirty Dom on it's cover.

What used to be bad service has turned into a nightmare. Since the leg warmer brigade and tote bag crowd started cockblocking me I've turned to Totonno's on 26 and 2nd...the second best pizza in NYC.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess, your non-WOP grandparent was Walter O'Malley.

Anonymous said...

I see through your little ruse.
You just did this so you can get more page views.

Gotham City Insider said...

yeah, that was it. page views! and google adwords, too. i make 4 cents on the dollar. wooooooo! i'm rich!!! thanks to di fara

Anonymous said...

Why don't you spend your time pissing on something that needs to be pissed on like Marty Markowitz?

Gotham City Insider said...

Na, he's my boy. He sent me a free lapel pin.

Anonymous said...

Personally I've always thought the pizza to be way to greasy and not worth the wait. While I can say it is pretty tasty, I prefer Luzzo's or a few of the other thinner crust options....nonetheless I would suggest you get a grip, its a pizza parlor not a 4 star restuarant..........

AC said...

you are from brooklyn but have never eaten at di fara's until just recently. you're a total hipster.

Anonymous said...

Na, he's my boy. He sent me a free lapel pin.

Well that isn't a shock since Markowitz is insane.

Anonymous said...

So you are only pretending to be a Midwestern transplant hipster.

I actually like dating Midwestern transplants since it reduces the chances of dating a cousin on accident.

Anonymous said...

LazySundae, you are from Vancouver. Nuff said.

Gotham City Insider said...

Haha I'm not pretending to be anything.

I'd known about DiFara's for years but had never been. It's a random pizzeria in Midwood for fucks sake. And thats what it would have remained if the Times and NY Mag hadn't gotten all up in their guts.

I live in Bay Ridge. The pizza is fine here. Exemplary. No need to hike out to Avenue J. No interest.

Finally caved in. My girl is a foodie. She swore by the place. Her fantasy was shattered, too.

The smoke, the filth, the clientele, it wasn't worth the wait.

I never tried the pizza. Didn't have to. Didn't need to.

I can get amazing pizza in Bay Ridge post haste.

The End.

Anonymous said...

Wow was that harsh. But you are more right than wrong. Don't blame DeMarco. Blame all the suckers (foodies) who will wait two hours for a freakin' pizza.

Dom was a great guy but all this adulation went to his head. At $20 per pizza he can hire some help to keep things moving along. Instead he lets the worshipful masses (suckers) stew outside the door

Erin said...

Dom's daughter has always taken my order right away and Dom always gives me a smile and a wink as he cuts the basil onto my pizza and hands it over. Try being nice if you ever go in again...seems to work for me:-)

As for the DOH violation, Dom simply joins every other well-known eattery that been cited by DOH. I think it might just be a right of passage.

DiFara pizza rocks, plain and simple!

Gotham City Insider said...

"Try being nice"?!

Who said I wasn't nice?!

I walked in and kept to myself. I was never prompted as to what I'd like to order, etc.

$20 is not much. But $20 for a pie? I need some customer service. I don't care what the fuck you're cooking.

I guess I'll stick to the River Cafe.

WIBR said...

Wow. All this for a pizzeria I've nev'ah hoid'a. Where do I surrender my Brooklyn citizenship, Borough Hall? L&B's? Juventus Social Club?

Anonymous said...

Fuck you, you punk ass bitch! It's curious that you say your "girlfriend" is a foodie, when everyone knows your girlfriend is your left hand. And the only reason you live in Bay Ridge is because your mom lets you stay in the basement for free.

Anonymous said...

You are missing the entire point. This place is all about the food. Period. The food takes time because the proprietor cooks every pizza by hand, including rotating them carefully in a conventional oven. He's an artist without an apprentice and has been operating as such for over 50 years. I've been to countless pizza joints in all five boroughs and nothing has ever come close to this pizza. Period. It melts in your mouth. Your complaints about cleanliness are greatly exaggerated. Maybe the walls could use a more regular washing but it's par for the course for a hole-in-the-wall. And who cares where it is or who patronizes it if the food is really good. Nonetheless, I've been there at least a dozen times and have seen people from countless ethnic groups and socioeconomic demographics. And finally, what is wrong with taking a picture. Shame on you.

Anonymous said...

He cooks by hand just like the guy on my corner cooks by hand. What do u think there are robots making pizzas now? The oven he uses is the same as every pizza oven I've ever seen. except his place is filled with smoke and instead of depositing your empty bottles and cans into a garbage container they are left out and assembled by the window. napkins all over the floor. the place is filthy. i realize its all about the food but if you're that passionate about your food, you should be just as passionate about having a clean environ. $20 a pie? Sweep the fucking floor. NYTimes and NY Mag mentions have increased traffic tenfold?! Buy a fucking mop and a garbage can. Fix your exhaust system.

Anonymous said...

Not worth it for sure! Better pizza, no attitude, less wait time and cheaper pies in plenty of places around Brooklyn.

Unknown said...

Dude, I'm from Bay Ridge too. As far as I know, Dom is head and shoulders above everybody in BR. (I'd love to know specifically what you'd cite as "exemplary." If you say Nino's I'll come over and personally smack some sense into you.) Go again and EAT THE PIZZA.

Anonymous said...

You've got a point about the pretentious crowds, thinking that they're so hip because they've made the pilgrimage for pizza. I've been going to DiFara's for over 17 years, way before it got trendy. The experience today is totally different. It is dirty, crowded and full of annoying people who think they're so enlightened because they're idolizing Dom, taking pics of him at his craft. So many of the customers there are like sheep. They read New York magazine, comb through the threads of chowhound and egullet, read sites like eater and think they are on the cusp of the culinary scene. Posers.

To the haters of this post: You follow the holy grail of DiFara's and all defend it when somebody challenges it. Now, I'll bet when the word gets out that Dom is losing his touch due to old age, a bunch of you will be following that mantra as well. Don't you guys have minds of your own?

Now to address the blogger again: Dom is not unfriendly. He's had a difficult time dealing with all of these crappy crowds. He's not young anymore. I don't think it's fair to penalize him for the mindless drones that go there. You didn't always have to wait two hours for food. Service was much better before the "foodies" invaded. And his stuff is excellent. I hope you get to try it one day. Go at an off hour if you want to remain sane. I will agree with you that the store is a bit filthy. But the pizza is worth it.

Gotham City Insider said...

Good points. Thank you, July 28, 2008 6:21 PM

Always Eating said...

Very taken back by this...without eating the pizza I find it hard to absorb any of the comments here. There is more to DiFara than just foodies and hipsters loving it. Why else would it have thrived for so many years? I've chatted with Dom, seen him crack a smile and make a joke. And get this, I'm not a friend of his, nor have I been coming here for 20 years. I just started going this past year and everytime I enjoy it. The waiting offers a entertainment, and as you said a bit of pizza history or museum display. The pizza offers a transcendent experience that I have never found at any other pizzeria.

However, as a blogger, I do admit you are entitled to your own opinion. And judging my the coverage of this post you will certainly gain plenty of exposure.

Anonymous said...

excuse my ignorance, but what the heck is an omar bradley???

Gotham City Insider said...

2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey

1 tsp (heaping or not, to taste) orange marmalade

1 squeeze fresh lemon juice

1 dash Angostura bitters Shake well with ice and strain into an Old-Fashioned glass with fresh ice.

Garnish with a cherry

named after Omar Nelson Bradley. One of the main U.S. Army field commanders in North Africa and Europe during World War II and a General of the Army in the United States Army.

He was the last surviving five-star commissioned officer of the United States. He was the first officer assigned to the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Adrian Reynolds said...

dude who shat in your cornflakes? you are a major pussy.

Anonymous said...

How can you even pass judgment if you haven't even eaten the pizza?

You should shut the hell up until you eat a slice.

Gotham City Insider said...

Tim and Nina made a living rating the Food, Decor, Service and Cost of restaurants. I rated 3 out of the 4. You're all assuming that had I stayed and suffered through the macing for a $20 pie I would have somehow forgiven the rest of the shit I discussed. Truth be told, it wouldn't have changed anything. I would've just ended with "but the pizza is fantastic". You're assuming that I would have been SO blown away by Dirty Dom's pie that I would've NEGLECTED to even mention the filth. This is where you and the Grub Street folks are wrong.

Anonymous said...

I have read many Zagat reviews that disparage the decor and service, but praise the food.

It isn't like you are going to Alain Ducasse, you are going to a neighborhood slice joint, albeit one that uses homemade sauce, real cheese and quality ingredients. The decor and service is typical of a neighborhood slice joint, but the pizza is not.

There are lots of places people go for the food and not the ambiance.

And have you ever heard of seasoning? That is what the ovens are.

Here is an idea, why don't you badmouth Chuck Scarborough next. That should get you some more attention.

Anonymous said...

That post was fantastic. I've never been to this blog before but you've got me hooked. I have similar thoughts every time I see these morons waiting anywhere.

As for the whiners complaining about photo credit, I knew based on the writing that there was no way he took those photos. People who treat the internet as a temple of copyright are living in some strange fantasy world of their own creation.

I'm a life long New Yorker by the way. I think these people complaining are all idiots who moved here in the last 3 years.

Great post!

Unknown said...

yo mad pizza beef, i love it! but for reals if you are ever in the ridge,bay that is make sure you hit up grandmas and tell em 221 62nd sent ya,but my pizza joint in ct simply called slice got em all beat

Anonymous said...

I dont get it.. You lived in Brooklyn your whole life and you just went now? You can't blame someone for the customers they have.. I dont think this guy is really responsible for drawing in the hipster crowd.

You went to this place one time and decided all this?

I have been to this place 10 times and never had seen any hipsters.. I also didnt have to wait more then 10 minutes for my pizza.. I guess you went at the wrong time..

You also spoke of the places that are better in BK, have you been to Tottono's?

You were harsh and it got people's attention.. I dont think you are right but, you should have an opinion.. Despite it being based off of nothing...

Gotham City Insider said...

"Based off of nothing"?!?!?!!

I WENT to the place. I wrote about what I saw. That's how you form an opinion. Make a note of it.

Anonymous said...

Hey Insider, nice post.

I first started going to DiFara's in 1979, way before the hype. The style was different then - it was a very good standard New York slice. After awhile I moved to a different borough and then moved back to Brooklyn in 1990. After hearing all the hype I made the connection that this was the place I used to go to 10 years back so I went again.

Although the lines weren't as bad as they are now it still resembled a rugby scrum. I caught Dom's eye, placed my order, and stayed on top of him until the pie came out.

I was really looking forward to it - this was going to be the fabled Pizza Nirvana. I expected to love it.

Well, I didn't. The crust was burnt and old Dom had dumped a ton of olive oil over the whole sloppy mess. It was sure different, OK but nothing more.

Since then I've read the rapturous posts on Chowhound and I laugh every time. Like Shake Shack, this is a full blown cult. People actually get off on the lines themselves. Waiting on a 60 minute line proves they're worthy.

The fact that Dom can't even keep the orders straight adds to the fun. If he cared about his customers one tiny bit he'd implement that radical new system they pioneered in France. Perhaps you heard of it? It's called - Take a Number. But no. Dom enjoys the chaos. It amuses him to see the abuse people will put up with.

I refuse to play along.
Fine. You're welcome to it.

Bklyn Eater

Gotham City Insider said...

Dirty Dom, a sadist?!

Midwood Schadenfreude hold the onions?!?!

Well that opens up a whole new can of worms on this tale, no?

If ol' Dom secretly gets off on the throes of hungry tourists queuing up in his peripheral vision and clamoring for his attention then I applaud him... from a distance.

And so while that is classic, it is exactly why I walked out the other night.

I'm from Brooklyn. I hate waiting in line for anything much less a slice of pizza!

Next!

Anonymous said...

I am fifth-generation Brooklyn, and I have to say that you have no idea what Brooklyn is. Stay home.

Gotham City Insider said...

Please, enlighten me.

Tell me, great hero, but please make it brief, what IS Brooklyn?

Anonymous said...

what the hell were thinking in even considering eating the pizza? cockroaches are considered meat!

tjq said...

I've been to DiFara's several times over the years. I go now just to bring out of towners.They feel it's an "authentic New York experience." The pizza is very good, but that's it. There is great pizza in every boro.In Bay Ridge I love Pizza Wagon and Nino's, Vesuvio's and Gino's. Outside the Ridge, Joe and Pats on SI, and Totonos and Grimaldis in Brooklyn. LuCalli is overrated, but let the hipsters go there and leave the rest for us. Even Wast Orange, NJ has great pizza - try Star Tavern, it reminds me of old Lento's, but even better.
Difara's is filthy. Pizza grease and spilled soda cover every table. Used napkins, paper plates and empty soda bottles and cups are everywhere. Even when the place is "cleaned", the rag they use is disgusting. When I leave there, I feel like I need a shower.
And the hipsters are annoying. Last time I was there I felt like I was at a National Geographic photo shoot. I had never in my life seen so many large cameras.

Gotham City Insider said...

I'm glad I've given others the courage to come out of the Di Fara's closet ;)

Anonymous said...

Not bothered by your review of DiFara's at all, but...

Let's all agree to NEVER type the word hipster again.

And to Anonymous who said:
"People who treat the internet as a temple of copyright are living in some strange fantasy world of their own creation."

You rule. I like you.

Gotham City Insider said...

I've had my shit stolen before and plagiarized and it sucks but unless someone is making money off someone elses work, where does the copyright come into play?

If I swipe a photo off of Flickr from an amateur snapshot photographer and throw it on my blog am I really stealing? No one is paying to read my shit or browse my blog, so where am I infringing on someones "copyright"?

People do tend to get a bit overly and needlessly litigious. It's hysterical. Kinda like when you get into a fight and someone says "You don't know who I am, maaaan". Ten times out of ten, they are nobody at all. They just like to hurl threats out of fear and impuissance.

I guess along with everyone's 15 minutes comes everyone's "rights" and feelings that they are owed this or that by some sort of great debt or honor. Let's just create and relax with the litigation and commination.

Anonymous said...

I've enjoyed their pizza many times, but it wasn't until I saw the numerous mice in the restaurant that I haven't been back. I can appreciate the attention to detail that he brings to making pizza but am extremely concerned that there is a complete disregard for public health at DiFaras. There is so much dirt and garbage around, it's no wonder that the Department of Health keeps shutting him down.

Even more surprising is the level of support that NY Magazine shows this establishment. Dom makes a good pizza but he's not above public health standards... Shame on NY Magazine for promoting a massage error in judgment.

Anonymous said...

massive not massage...ugh

Anonymous said...

Yeah. Fuck all these pansies crying about copyright infringement. It's the internet. Ain't no rules up in this bitch!

Anonymous said...

I say F DiFara's too! Ive lived in Brooklyn all my life and only tried DiFaras TWICE and the first time I was well into my 20's so this has NOTHING to do with being from Brooklyn. Totonnos beats out DiFara's IMHO there pizza is awesome! THey may not be so friendly but definitly not as miserable as Dom @ DiFara's. I live in Dyker Heights and will go to Krispy over DiFara's anytime!

EM said...

I live in the city. You think I'm venturing to the ass-end of Brooklyn for a five dollar slice? Fuck dat. If there was something else going on out that way, maybe. But there isn't so I'm not. And before you douchebags start, I'm not hating on Brooklyn, ok? I'm just saying with all the assholes who read Grubstreet and all that other bullshit heading out Dom's way, if I do decide one day to make the trip, it will be well after all this hipster shit has died down. Peace.

Gregg said...

1. The pizza is the best I've ever had.

2. If you're more concerned with who goes there than the pizza, you're just kind of a douche.

3. If someone goes out of their way to say, "I'm not hating" (or some equivalent that doesn't include self-conscious use of stupid hip-hop slang), it's very likely that's exactly what they're doine.

Gotham City Insider said...

1. Bwhahahahaha!

2. Did you read the article?

3. Hater.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Di Fara's is filthy, crowded, chaotic, and now over-priced (I was lucky enough to discover it when I was in college in 2001, before Dominic graced the cover of the Village Voice and when the prices were still reasonable), but I don't care.

I make the trek out to Midwood once every year or so, lose my patience each time with the outrageous wait and disgusting environment, and then completely forget about the world around me once I start stuffing my face with pizza.

Honestly, I'd wait two hours in the Penn Station men's room to eat a square pie from Di Fara's. Yes, the regular pie is quite exceptional, but there are many other exceptional regular slices in Brooklyn. The real treasure from Di Fara's is a plain square pie. No other pizza in the city tops it, plain and simple.

So in conclusion, while I can appreciate the harshly critical nature of your write-up (because fewer things are more irritating then being utterly disappointed by a highly acclaimed eatery), your entire point of view is complete bullshit because you didn't try the pizza.

This entire post is like criticizing a band based on the way they dress and who their fans are without ever hearing a note of music they played.

Anonymous said...

This is by far the most retarded "article" I've ever read. If you're going to do a critique on a RESTAURANT yet ignorant enough to NOT have ordered and had any of the food that the restaurant offers, how the hell can you judge if the wait was worth it or if it's just overhyped? How can you tell people about exemplary pizza elsewhere and thus implying that pizza from other places are as good if not better, when you've never tried the pizza from the restaurant in question?