NY-style pizza in OC? Really?

August 19th, 2008, 2:30 am · 13 Comments · posted by Kat "I eat 'til my pants hurt" Nguyen

I know, I know, I was dubious, too. That is, right before I had one bite of my wispy thin and crisp slice of pizza, hot strands of gooey mozzarella snapping into my chin. Ahhhh. I instantly had a New York flashback, and no surprise since it turns out the old owner of Al’s NY Cafe in Costa Mesa reportedly once worked at the legendary Original Ray’s Pizza. (My secret foodie fantasy is to go back to New York strictly to tour all of the city’s best pizza joints.)

For now, I’m happy to have Al’s. Loyal fans already know that the tiny joint, sandwiched between a 7-Eleven and a shoe repair shop, dishes up the closest to New York-style pie around. They’ve achieved that perfect thin and crispy crust with the right amount of cheese and marinara. I wandered in there finally after a reader nudged me a few posts back and I’m sure glad I listened. Pies here can be ordered whole or by-the-slice. A whole pizza is nice, but there’s something irresistibly satisfying about seeing a football-sized slice of pie spilling over the sides of a flimsy white paper plate …

The lunch special at Al’s: 2 huge slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza plus a soda for just $5. (The pepperoni slice came completely slathered in discs of thin pepperoni.) Sold! Another night, we came for slices of fresh tomato and basil pizza that were about $2 a pop. I’m not sure what the cut-off times are for grabbing pizza by-the-slice. I think cheese and pepperoni are usually available throughout the day but other toppings not necessarily so? Fret not, there’s plenty of other typical toppings available for whole-pizza purchases, including zucchini, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, grilled chicken and yes, the ubiquitous (California-style) BBQ chicken topping.

I also ordered a whole pie (a 14-inch large one-topping for $15) to take home and watch the Olympics but the thin crust didn’t stay crisp by the time I got it home about 10 minutes later. Best bet is to eat it right out of the oven while at Al’s. It’s a shoebox in there though and quite warm, so try to snag one of the outside tables. Can’t wait to come back and try their deli-style sandwiches and of course, the hot meatball sandwich or Italian sub …

Al’s New York Cafe

1673 Irvine Ave.

Costa Mesa, CA

949.722.1212

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frank says:

August 19, 2008 at 11:27 am

Al’s is nothing like NY pizza at all, real NY pizza is made in a coal burning oven, please to learn what ny pizza is before writing a story like this. Al’s uses crap ingredients and is a grease pit.

Kat "I eat 'til my pants hurt" Nguyen says:

August 19, 2008 at 11:57 am

Frank,

Of course this ain’t NY pizza, and there’s no coal oven, but Al’s thin and crisp crust is likely one of the closest facsimiles to be found around these parts. That might be not good enough for you but honey, this is Orange County and any place that at least can remind me of how good the pizza actually is in NY, I’ll make do with.

MikeG says:

August 19, 2008 at 12:21 pm

“NY style” pizza is based on the Neapolitan style pizza served in Naples, Italy. There is actually a restaurant in OC that serves Neapolitan style pizza. It is Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria in Downtown Disney. While the prices are higher than you would find in NY city and the service is hit and miss (depending on the crowds at the park on the day you go), you can’t find a more authentic tasting “NY style” / Neapolitan pie than here. My wife and I eat here regularly, but we always visit in the late afternoons (between the lunch and dinner crowds), and have never been disappointed.

August 19, 2008 at 12:24 pm

MikeG,

Oh, I think you just found my lunch spot for tomorrow or Thurs, thanks!!! P.S. Am dying, DYING to go to Napoli for some pie, especially after reading about Pizzeria da Michele. You hear anything about the Napoletana-style pies in Henderson, NV of all places? A good friend tells me Henderson is the place to go for pie …

Pizza Man says:

August 19, 2008 at 7:46 pm

Go to A Slice of New York in Seal Beach. That’s the closest thing to NYC pizza around these parts. (The crust’s actually thinner than Al’s!)

jsick says:

August 20, 2008 at 10:27 pm

We go to Al’s all the time. NYC pizza or not, who cares. It’s good Pizza. The BBQ Chicken samich is awesome. The Meatball sub, is killer. The portions are huge, and the price is right, as long as Al’s not there. This place is MILF city from about 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Especially the hotties next door. Ali, little space ghost and all the rest of the boys are fun company too. But Who broke the oven door?

Danielle says:

August 20, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Al’s is amazing! My parents and I won’t eat anything else!

janetms says:

August 21, 2008 at 11:26 am

One of my favorite NY pizza places is in Yonkers where the crust snaps and pops like bubble gum when you chew it. Does Al’s have that texture? I think Z Pizza (Fountain Valley & 2nd Street) makes a very good slice, but the crust is not quite right. How does Al’s compare… long way for me to go for a slice, but I’m a pizza addict!

jlawson says:

August 30, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Kat,
I went to Naples last year specifically because I read about Pizzeria da Michele! It was as awesome as you’ve heard. I was alone, and when I got there at lunchtime there was a line out of the door. I went to put my name in for a seat, and the guy told me to come in right then because he could seat me. I ended up at a table with three guys who spoke no English (I speak no Italian). I ordered a pizza margherita with extra mozzarella. It was incredible. I wanted to order a second one, gluttonista-style, but I felt too weird sitting with these guys and doing so. I’ve sworn to go back with my boyfriend one day and eat as much as possible accompanied by a frosty beer. Mmmmmm. Anyway, my favorite pizzeria here in Orange County is Nick’s in Costa Mesa. They’ve ruined me for any other place.

NBMan says:

August 31, 2008 at 5:50 pm

Me & Ed’s is terrible! The best two pizza joints in the area (Costa Mesa/Newport Beach) are Massimo’s on 17th and Al’s. One and two respectively. Me & Ed’s is about as close to good pizza as Chuck E. Cheese is to good pizza. If you are smart, stick with the two previously mentioned pizza joints and you won’t be disappointed!

September 4, 2008 at 10:11 pm

Yep, Kat, Nick’s is in the Home Depot shopping center. It looks like a hole-in-the-wall from the outside, but inside it’s warm and quaint (if not at all fancy). The crust is much heartier than a Neapolitan-style crust, but there’s something about the crunchy yeastiness of it that’s just perfect to me. They use a fantastic mozzarella, too (”Grande” brand, which is apparently big in New York). Their pastas are wonderful, as well. We always start with a shared order of their penne arrabiata (which is by request only, as it isn’t on the menu), then share a large pizza. It’s a huge amount of food for two, but we always polish it off with a liter of Chianti. Try it, Kat; you won’t be sorry. But make a reservation on the weekend, because the wait is always long. BTW, you MUST go to Italy! I can tell you’d love it.

Hiromi says:

October 15, 2008 at 5:13 pm

I second Nick’s! And NY’S UPPER CRUST (Laguna Niguel, but they have other locations too) is good too! But…. if you want true NY style pizza… you must travel to SD and try Bronx Pizza. OMG… delish!

October 16, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Hiromi,

OK! Nick’s is on my hit-list next I swear!!! And NY’s Upper Crust is on the list now too, thanks!

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