Score One, Cult of Crust: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Yonkers, NY

Just as top-notch ramen and pork buns are a Hawaiian prerogative, New Yorkers aren't shy about asserting their God-given right to superior pizza.

(Be advised, New Yorkers: Don't eat pizza in Hawaii.  It's just going to give you agida.)

As a transplant, I'm not as invested in the finding the Golden Slice as the natives, but I do appreciate that their standards make it harder to settle for subpar, and am happy to ride the high tide of quality cheese and crust.

To wit: The Dough Whispering universe was all worked up about the opening of Frank Pepe's in Yonkers. OMGOMGOMG we don't have to go to New Haven anymore!

...and then, they were all a little slow to get their asses to Yonkers.  Chuckle.

The Man and I aren't far from Frank Pepe's at all, so we decided to see what the Cult of Crust was going through.  Upon reading the menu, Frank's had me at "clam pie".

For the purposes of the pipingest pie, we should have probably eaten our pizza on the premises, but they looked like they were close to closing, and we didn't want to keep anyone.  We took home one small Original Tomato Pie ($7.70, with mozzarella):

...and one small Original White Clam Pie ($12.30, sans mozzarella):

In my woefully underqualified opinion, these pizzas were FN impressive.  The crusts had an appealingly charred, air-bubbled terrain, and were thin-crisp-yet-nicely chewy. 

Of the 2, I think the clam pie suffered more for not being eaten straight from the oven, but even in its cooled state, it was oceany and rife with garlic, pecorino and a gloss of olive oil. 

But the belle of the ball was the simple plain pie: The woody char and blistered mozzarella, the caramelized tomato sauce marrying all on a lilting axis of rich and savory, sweet and acidic. 

Consider me converted, and pity the fools who can't bear to make it to Yawnkahs.

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Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
1955 Central Avenue
Yonkers, NY
914-961-8284

Sunday - Thursday: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Comments

[from b e h i n d]

first

[from b e h i n d]

I'll skip the fancypants crust, thanks. This fool has more of the ham n egger variety in my 'hood:

http://www.bing.com/local/details.aspx?lid=YN578x9946212&qt=yp&what=donna's+pizza&where=Palisades+Park%2c+New+Jersey&s_cid=ansPhBkYp02&mkt=en-us&q=donna's+pizza%2c+palisades+park

Much like the tell-tale sign of a good Chinese joint (and other AZN flavors [barring Japanese actually]), the ruder the I-talians, the better the pizza. Except for you, Campus Pizza in Bethlehem, PA. FU, U! Youknowdamnright!

[Chocolate Bear]

I dunno, the joint in New Haven is probably the best pizza I've yet had the pleasure of eating. At some point I'll have to check out these challengers to the throne. A whirlwind pizza tour is in order.