Grimaldi's Garden City: Pizza conquers all
At Grimaldi's in Garden City, pizza is made in a coal-burning oven. (Dec. 4, 2012) Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
This is how I know that pizza is really good: I can’t stop eating it.
Long after my hunger has abated, on into satiety and then discomfort, I continue eating. Others have ceased and desisted. Not me. I am embarrassing myself. Then, too, the pizza is now cold. The cheese has congealed and the sauce is more of a tomato jam. I am not finished.
That was the scene at Grimaldi’s in Garden City. This is one of Long Island’s classic coal-oven pizzerias, and last night it did that venerable tradition proud. The dense little meatballs on one of our pizzas weren’t worthy of it and so I concentrated my efforts on the other, generously, almost lavishly topped with chopped tomato and fresh mozzarella that would sink a lesser crust. But Grimaldi’s rose to the challenge.
Eating a good pizza, I am lulled into a state of uncharacteristic benevolence. It didn’t bother me that the Caesar salad was overdressed. Or that my Shiraz was merely OK. Everything was beautiful.
