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This trip was easy to pack for. No hiking, no swimming, just walking around eating pizza! So this post should be short and sweet.
We were only gone for 5 nights. We flew into Chicago and stayed one night, flew to Detroit and stayed another night, flew to NYC and stayed 3 nights, then flew home early the next morning.
Ultimate Pizza Crawl Packing List:
5 days’ worth of comfy clothes good for walking
Hoodie or sweater depending on time of year
Good walking shoes with socks
This backpack to avoid checking a bag – it’s got plenty of compartments and I’ve taken it on multiple trips
Wallet/Money/Cash/ID
Two of the pizza places we ate at were cash only
Medicine (Ibuprofen/Tylenol/anything else you need)
Travel-sized toiletries
Hair needs (brush/pick/comb/ponytails)
Cell phone and charger
Book/Kindle/Headphones for airplane
Laundry bag
Enough room leftover for souvenirs
That’s it, easy peasy!
No Vacation Time?
With pizza as the main attraction, this trip can easily double as a working getaway. Just add your laptop to the list and adapt the itinerary as necessary! This same bag even has a combination lock on it to keep your laptop safe.
Fancy Night Out?
If you want to add in a ritzy restaurant or just want to feel extra, toss in a more formal outfit just in case. Most hotels have an iron to press out those travel wrinkles!
Packing for this trip can be as low-key as the trip itself. Keep it light, comfy, and pizza-ready!
Next post: Exact details of the itinerary. FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. (but you can subscribe for free using the Subscribe button on the bottom right corner of your screen!)
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Chris has been quietly over the years perfecting his own pizza making skills. The same birthday that I got him the Pizza Bible by Tony Gemignani, I also got him a pizza stone and a pizza peel. Chris uses Tony’s Poolish starter recipe along with the Master Dough recipe and lets it rise for a few days.
He doesn’t make this pizza often for two reasons:
It’s a lot of work over several days, and we both work full-time
It usually ends up being a lot more expensive than just dining out! The right kind of flour is expensive and hard to find and we use premium cheeses and meats and toppings.
He probably only makes it 4-5 times per year, and we usually invite friends or family to enjoy it with us and turn it into a celebration of sorts.
Pizza Lineup
Chris hasn’t started making his own sauce (yet), but he aspires to get there. Even so, his lineup is impressive:
Meat Lovers – loaded with pepperoni, salami, and ham, and sometimes with olives
Classic Cheese – for the purists (and the kids)
Pepperoni – simple, salty, and just the right amount of cheese-to-grease ratio
Rosie’s Fancy Pizza – prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze
As much as I love the fancy pizza, my favorite often ends up being the plain old pepperoni. It’s just right.
He is at the mercy of a variety of factors. We’re at a high altitude, which can mess with dough rising. Plus, our home oven doesn’t get anywhere near the high temps needed for a true pizzeria-style bake. And while Chris’s consistency is still a work in progress,even his “off” nights produce better pizza than most takeout. It’s my golden standard. It was my measuring stick for every pizza in our Pizza Crawl adventure.
Imagine how good his pizza would be with proper equipment?!?
Next up: Want to plan a Pizza Crawl of your own? Check out my packing list and full itinerary! Exact details of the itinerary is FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. (but you can subscribe for free using the Subscribe button on the bottom right corner of your screen!) No guesswork needed, just great pizza!
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After years of joking about our weekly pizza tradition and Chris’s strict pizza rules, people often ask, “Didn’t you get sick of pizza on your trip?”
The answer is no! Most of the pizza we ate was incredible!
You can only eat so much of the same factory-cranked pizza every week before you get sick of it. But with NYC and New Haven pizza in particular, it’s been fine-tuned to delicious perfection over the decades. Plus there’s a different pizza place on every corner.
There’s as many pizza places in Manhattan as there are Maverik’s in Utah!
Over our now 11.5 years of marriage, we’ve eaten pizza at minimum598 times (52 Fridays per year x 11.5).
That’s a LOT of pizza. With that much pizza, quality stands out. I keep waiting for our favorites to show up in a “Best Pizza in Utah” list of some sort. Since it hasn’t happened yet, I’m making my own list.
Maybe you’ll notice the usual Utah pizza list toppers missing. They weren’t forgotten; they are overhyped and haven’t passed the test of time.
Wicked Peel
They were established in 2017, shortly after we had moved to the area. We were among their first “regulars.” And for good reason. They use high quality ingredients and their pizza is consistently delicious. It’s a wonderful family of 4 that own and operate the establishment. They feature New York style pizzas which are top notch, and their cheese bread is to die for. Later on they introduced Detroit style pizza, and it quickly stole my heart. Having been to Detroit itself, I can say that Wicked Peel has perfected it.
We moved in 2020 – far enough that our favorite Friday night pizza spot was no longer in the rotation. After a couple years without it, we started making road trips every 6–8 weeks to get our fix. Since we also hadn’t found a groomer we loved in our new area, we turned it into a tradition: drop the dogs off for grooming, grab some pizza, and make a day of it.
They recently opened a second location in Midvale, which is a little bit closer to us, so it’ll be added into the rotation once again!
Here’s our favorite pizzas, but don’t ever forget the cheese bread!
Chris
Rosie
1. The Brooklyn (without sausage)
1. Detroit Style Pepperoni (normal pepperoni instead of spicy cupped)
2. Buffalo Chicken (without bruschetta)
2. Wicked Vodka (without mushrooms)
3. The Patriot (without sausage)
3. Buffalo Chicken (without cilantro)
4. Detroit Style with Pepperoni, Ham, Green Olives, Mushrooms
4. The Smokey (without onion and cilantro)
Two locations:
3956 Innovation Dr, Riverton, UT 84065
7101 Bingham Jct Blvd #102, Midvale, UT 84047
Slice House by Tony Gemignani
We recently stumbled upon this gem located in Sugar House. I found out about it by sheer luck. It’s in an area that we are never close to. I saw a Facebook ad for a specialty restaurant, and when I looked up the specialty restaurant to see how far it was, I saw Slice House by Tony Gemignani in its vicinity.
Who is Tony Gemignani you ask? Why he is the author of the Pizza Bible of course! It’s a book I got Chris for his birthday maybe nine years ago. Then we went to a Tony Gemignani pizza restaurant in Las Vegas while celebrating our 5-yr anniversary and loved it.
So when I saw there was a Tony Gemignani restaurant in Utah of all places, we made a special trip to Sugar House to give it a try. They feature New York, Detroit, Sicilian, and Grandma styles. We haven’t had a chance to try the Sicilian or Grandma style yet as we haven’t been able to bring ourselves to stray from the New York slices!
They have also nailed the Detroit style- it tastes just like the pizza from Buddy’s, down to the Parmesan taste in the crust. Right now we keep going back for the plain NY-style cheese. We’ll branch out eventually, but it’s tough when the classic is just that good.
Multiple locations, but only one in Utah:
1332 S. Foothill Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Pizza Man
This is the only spot on my list without a dine-in option. It’s takeout or delivery only. When we lived closer to Wicked Peel in Riverton, we’d occasionally road trip up to North Ogden just for this pizza. Pizza Man is hard to classify—it’s round like a traditional pie but has cheesy edges that stretch all the way to the crust, though not quite caramelized like true Detroit-style. Whatever its classification, it’s definitely worth the drive! And don’t skip the amazing bread twists!
Chris
Rosie
Italian + Green Olives with Garlic Bread Twists
Pepperoni with Mozzarella Bread Twists
One location:
1958 N 400 E St, Ogden, UT 84414
Z Brothers Pizza
Their first location is in Centerville, and it’s a bit of a dive, but a great dining experience. You can get dine-in, take-out, or delivery. If you want to dine in, you place your order and seat yourself. The walls are covered in vinyl records of movie soundtracks. It’s a fun vibe. Their pizza is delicious, but when I suggest coming here, it’s because I want a break from traditional pizza. Don’t get me wrong, their traditional pizza is delicious, but I really love their Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Their cheese breadsticks are also a must, though I do wish they’d find a way to avoid the cheese sticking to the aluminum foil it is cooked on.
Chris tries to tell me that if I don’t order pizza, it doesn’t count, but his pizza tyranny can only go so far! Chris himself doesn’t always order pizza when we go here; he often opts for the calzone.
Here’s our favorites from Z Brothers:
Chris
Rosie
Pizza or Calzone (pepperoni, black and green olive, mushroom) + Cheese Breadsticks
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich or Calzone (without onions) + Cheese Breadsticks
Three locations:
1097 S Main St, Centerville, UT 84014
460 N Redwood Rd, North Salt Lake, UT 84054
260 S Fort Ln Suite 103, Layton, UT 84041
We’ve tried many other pizza places in Utah. Chances are if you name it, we’ve tried it. These 4 are the most consistently delicious and we find ourselves returning over and over.
But the BEST pizza, can’t be found in a restaurant. Check out my next post for the golden standard – Chris’s homemade pizza!
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Back in 2018, me and Chris were enjoying a lovely roadtrip through Crater Lake National Park, the Redwood National and State Parks, a drive up the Oregon Coast, and we were finishing off our trip with a visit to Chris’s aunt Mare in Portland before heading home to Utah.
She and her family escorted us through the perfectly weird city of Portland, traveling what they call the 4T Trail. You get to explore the city using a hiking Trail, a Tram, a Trolley, and a Train. It was a lovely way to spend time with family!
Now before I give you the next part of this story, let me backtrack a little. One of our shared interests when me and Chris first started dating was hiking, but we didn’t actually go on a hike together until our third date. He was secretly testing me. He gave me two options: an easy hike with no real destination, or a harder hike with a beautiful view. Naturally, I chose the harder hike. We hiked together the whole way to the top of a beautiful overlook of Huntsville, Eden, and Liberty in Utah. We enjoyed each other’s company the whole way up and down. I had passed his secret test (which he didn’t tell me about until several months later). If I would be able to make it to the top after having only taken three breaks, then I was a good enough hiker for him to continue seeing me.
I’d like to point out that if I hadn’t been working so hard to not be gasping for air the whole way by matching his pace, maybe I wouldn’t have needed the three breaks! But anywho, I passed his test, and now here we are 13 years later.
It didn’t take long for Chris to stop hiking at my pace – and mind you, I am NOT slow. I just have much shorter and stubbier legs than my big, strong husband! He’s about a foot taller than me, and clearly a mule. This led to dozens of fights. Why bother hiking together if we don’t hike together? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been furious with Chris on a hike because he won’t stay with me.
Now fast forward to our day spent with Mare in Portland. We had already done a LOT of hiking on our roadtrip, so Mare made it a point to not do too much hiking. I mentioned to her that it was so refreshing to be walking at a reasonable pace, and I went on a little rant about how I can’t get Chris to slow down for nuthin!
Mare’s response? She snickered a little and gently said with a wink, “pick your battles, Rosie.”
It had never occurred to me before this moment that maybe I was the one who needed to chill out about the issue. At the end of the day, Chris is a wonderful husband, and he takes care of me and the family and we are blessed to have him.
Do I still get annoyed with him for being a mile ahead of me when we’re hiking “together?” YES.
Do I still think he SHOULD stay within earshot for when I trip and fall? YES.
Am I passive aggressive about it? Guilty!
He claims he HAS slowed down over the years, especially now that we have the tots in tow, though apparently not enough for me to notice, ha. My attitude about it, however, has shifted far more than his pace ever has.
I started wearing headphones – I make sure to use a type that do not block out the noises around me so I can stay safe on the trail. This allows me to enjoy the quiet beauty of the trails, at my own pace, while listening to music or podcasts. No more silently stewing (mostly).
In the end, Mare was right. The hike is easier, and the marriage stronger, when you learn to pick your battles.
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After our whirlwind anniversary Pizza Crawl, I never expected to find myself back in Chicago so soon. I had the very lucky opportunity to come back to Chicago for a training at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago not seven months later. With the anniversary trip still fresh in my mind, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
It was again a very short trip- my job wasn’t about to pay for any extra nights at a hotel. Anything I wanted to do had to be done after work hours and in the same day as the training I was there for.
Solo in the City
My flight to Chicago was scheduled for the day after Election Day 2024. I was nervous to be in Chicago by myself, especially at such a politically charged time! I never felt unsafe in Chicago during our anniversary trip, but I was with my big, strong husband Chris. On my own at barely over 5 feet, I was nervous. I did find out later that there was some unrest in Chicago, but not anywhere near where I was.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
So I flew in on a Wednesday and basically just checked into my hotel and went to bed. My training was the next afternoon. I worked remotely from my hotel the next morning and then walked to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in the afternoon. It was a nice walk and I enjoyed observing the financial district and the architecture as much as I did on the last trip. I mentioned previously that a coworker talked up the bank as being super awesome, and I was only granted access to the public money museum last time, so I was super excited!
I guess I was hoping for something like the Gringotts Wizarding Bank from Harry Potter, but it was just a building. We met in a rather ordinary conference room. I asked for a tour, but from what I gathered, they don’t really do tours anymore. I guess not just anyone can peek into government vaults. So my coworker caught a lucky break I guess. Either that, or he is easily impressed!
A Night at the Museum
The one thing I missed seeing during our anniversary trip was the Art Institute of Chicago. I am a big fan of art, and I love art history. Luckily I was there on a Thursday when the museum is open later than normal. I walked to the museum directly after my training was over. I had my work briefcase on me and didn’t have time to stop at my hotel first, but they had a coat check room and were very happy to store my things for me.
I had a whole 3 HOURS to take it all in! I didn’t want to miss anything important, so I moved pretty quickly from room to room so I’d have time to come back to my favorites and spend more time.
Of course my favorite was “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat. It’s quite impressive and fills the whole wall! It’s crazy to be able to stand so close and see the individual paint dots. I made sure to see it twice.
“A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat
The honorable mentions:
“American Gothic” by Grant Wood
“The Old Guitarist” from Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period
“Inventions of the Monsters” by Salvador Dali
“Under the Wave off Kanagawa” from the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series by Katsushika Hokusai
“American Gothic” by Grant Wood“The Old Guitarist” from Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period“Inventions of the Monsters” by Salvador Dali“Under the Wave off Kanagawa” from the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series by Katsushika Hokusai
Simple Eats and Solo Nights
Once I was quite satisfied, I stopped at the coat check and headed to my hotel. I planned to get an Uber, but my hotel was only a 15-20 minute walk away. It was pretty dark, but the street lights are pretty bright. I never felt unsafe during this walk, though I should probably play it safe when traveling alone in the future.
A night walk through the Financial District of Chicago
Since I was here on the Bank’s dime, I ate and slept for convenience, not luxury. I stayed at the Best Western Grant Park Hotel that was located in a safe area with close proximity to the training. I did make sure to eat at a Chicago staple- Portillo’s. I had it delivered to my hotel room while I worked, and I’m sure it’s better fresh.
I had a delicious ham croissant for breakfast at the Paris Baguette connected to my hotel.
For dinner I ate at my hotel again, this time at the Mei’s Chinese restaurant. It was meh all around- I had a very difficult time getting attention from the server, service was slow, and the food was not great. I had to get a cheesecake from the Paris Baguette afterwards to make up for it!
The food in Chicago was much more impressive on our Pizza Crawl! But you can’t expect too much excitement on a work trip.
I headed back home to Chris and the kids the next morning. Two trips to Chicago in one year! Here’s to next time!
Next post: I reveal the best pizza you can find in my stomping grounds – Utah!
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We may have traveled to NYC to sample the pizza, but I had a side quest.
I grew up watching Seinfeld. I was 11-years old when the fateful final episode aired, but it played on syndication twice a day for YEARS. Maybe it still does? Do people still watch live tv??
I wanted to do as much of a Seinfeld pilgrimage as time would allow.
As much as I would have loved to visit the Tom’s Restaurant (Monk’s Diner) and swim in the East River, we just didn’t have the time.
Here’s what I did get to do:
Travel on the Subway
We did a LOT of this. Fortunately we didn’t run into any naked guys or experience a blackout.
Bagels
Not from H&H Bagels, and not made by Kramer. But they were DELICIOUS. And NYC does not mess around with the cream cheese! I LOVE a good bagel, but where I come from, they are as hard to come by as New York style pizza!
Russ & Daughters | 179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
I got a simple toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. It tasted anything but simple! It’s probably the best bagel I’ve ever had. It was the exact experience and atmosphere I had hoped for as a tourist. I would have loved to try the nova lox, but it was more expensive than I wanted to spend for breakfast. I should’ve tried it anyway!
Liberty Bagels Midtown | 260 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001
Breakfast on another day, but this time I got an Asiago bagel with cream cheese. They wouldn’t toast the Asiago bagel for some reason, but it was still delicious.
Cinnamon Babka
Cinnamon Babka takes a backseat to no one!
While getting a bagel from Russ & Daughters, I saw they had prepackaged mini babkas- both chocolate and cinnamon. I couldn’t help myself and grabbed a cinnamon one! It was okay- the bagel was better!
Black & White Cookie
Again, couldn’t help myself. I’ve actually had one before at a New York style deli back home once, but it wasn’t anything special.
We knew we wanted an authentic New York Cheesecake while we were here, and reviews pointed to Junior’s Bakery. We stopped there while we were walking through Times Square. I saw the Black & White cookies while picking up a cheesecake. Based on my prior experience, I wasn’t expecting much, but it was pretty darn good! It’s like a cross between a cookie and a cake. I was impressed enough that I actually ordered a dozen to be shipped to my house so I could give some to my parents as a thank you for watching the kiddos (and a couple for me of course).
And no, I didn’t vomit. Look to the cookie!
Did you grow up watching Seinfeld? Which reference would you track down in NYC?
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You may have noticed a theme as you’ve followed along on our Pizza Crawl—we mostly ordered cheese or pepperoni at every stop. Occasionally, Chris added mushrooms or olives, but for the most part, we kept it simple.
There are a couple reasons for this.
We needed to do apples to apples comparisons of all the different pizzas. You can’t judge a meat lovers pizza against a Hawaiian pizza.
In judging a pizza, we decided the basics are the most important- the crust, the sauce, the cheese. These are the building blocks of a good pizza. If you have to add fancy ingredients to get a good pizza, then it’s not a good pizza.
Of course, we both love a variety of toppings outside this experiment.
My favorite pizza toppings are usually a veggie pizza (olives, green peppers, tomatoes) or a good barbecue pizza. Though I’ve come to love pepperoni in recent years (I never liked it growing up). Occasionally I dress it up with some fancy prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, and a sweet balsamic glaze.
Chris is easy to please. His favorite includes pepperoni, mushroom, and black and green olive. He also enjoys a meat lovers or a good Hawaiian. But really, you could give him just about any kind of pizza and he’ll be happy.
As for our adjudication process, Chris and I have had heated debates.
Chris scores off his gut reaction from 0-10. A score of 7 is really good, above 9 is incredible.
I think this is too arbitrary. You need a baseline for comparison. I score pizza based off what I believe is the gold standard – the closest thing to a perfect pie.
What’s the perfect pizza? Chris’s homemade pizza of course! (Stay tuned—I’ll be diving into that in another post!)
So how do you decide what makes a pizza great? Do you go by your first bite or compare everything to a favorite slice from home? Let me know in the comments!
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In my post about our first day of sight seeing in NYC, I skipped over some of the basics, so I’ll add that in now.
Where We Stayed:
We booked The Ridge Hotel, mainly for its proximity to John’s of Bleecker Street. While the location near the F Train and rooftop access were definite perks, overall the hotel fell short.
You’re charged $35 per day for room cleaning, and the front desk is virtual—I called and emailed twice requesting fresh towels (not even a full cleaning), and never received a response. You’re expected to take out your own trash, and there are no amenities or breakfast options.
The walls were paper thin, and between sirens and street noise, we barely slept. For the price, I expected more comfort. Is this the Manhattan hotel norm, or were my expectations too high?
Getting Around:
We used the Subway almost exclusively. As mentioned above, our “hotel” was very close to the F Train, and we were able to use it to connect to other trains and get wherever we needed to get.
Sight-Seeing:
Statue of Liberty
As I had been to NYC before and this trip was a gift to Chris, I needed his input on what he wanted to see. He was clearly most concerned about the pizza, and I had a really hard time getting him to decide. After weeks of nagging, he finally decided what he really wanted to do was to get to see inside the Statue of Liberty.
I was thrilled at the suggestion! When I came in 2012, we took the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, but we didn’t get off. We just sailed by. So I set about trying to figure out how!
Lady Liberty herself!
Turns out the ticketing system to climb the interior is almost as frustrating as booking Phantom Ranch reservations. I really really wanted tickets to the Crown, but I could only get us tickets to the pedestal. I called to see if there were any tricks or loopholes to get Crown tickets, but my only option was to check the website each day for cancellations. I checked every day for WEEKS leading up to our trip and never found success.
We did have the pedestal tickets though, and I was grateful for that! We made sure to arrive at Battery Park early so we could make it to the ferry on time.
I loved our visit and learning about the origins of the statue! I did end up deciding the pedestal tickets are not really worth it as you can’t really even see the statue from the pedestal. It’s a fun experience but I wouldn’t do it again. Next time I’ll book Crown tickets as far out in advance as possible!
Us with Lady LibertyWe climbed a lot of stairs to get to the Pedestal
Ellis Island
I only stayed here for 25 minutes after a ferry dropped me off and the next one came. I ran around very hurriedly seeing everything (Chris was not interested, so I was rushing).
To be honest I wasn’t interested really either but figured we may as well stop since the ferry was dropping anyway, so I agreed to be quick. It was fascinating and a little mystical, with a ghost town-like vibe—just knowing how many hundreds of thousands of immigrants passed through, shaping the world as we know it. I could almost faintly hear the hustle and bustle of those trailblazers.
Two lovers at Ellis IslandThe tests they did to immigrants to determine worthiness of entry were pretty crazy!Me the financial nerd loving the display showing all the different currencies people exchanged upon arrival at Ellis Island
25 minutes was too rushed for sure, but I got what I needed out of it. 50 minutes (two ferry stops) would have been ideal for me!
I was actually so fascinated by Ellis Island that I ended up buying a book so I could read more about it. American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J Cannato was a fascinating read!
Brooklyn Ice Cream
Located across from Ignazio’s under the Brooklyn Bridge, this spot was a must for me (I might love ice cream even more than Chris loves pizza). I had an Oreo shake—great ice cream, though the Oreos were a bit stale. Still, the view and vibe were unmatched!
Brooklyn Ice Cream! Wonderful atmosphere!Beautiful view near Ignazio’s and Brooklyn Ice CreamBeautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge near Ignazio’s and Brooklyn Ice Cream
Brooklyn Bridge
I’d dreamed of walking the Brooklyn Bridge with my love ever since my trip in 2012. After ten years of marriage, I’ve learned that I can’t expect Chris to be able to read my mind. So I carefully prepped him. I told him “I’ve been looking forward to experiencing the Brooklyn Bridge with you for over ten years, so I expect you to be romantic.”
The iconic spot in DUMBO on Washington Street, between Water Street and Plymouth Street. A perfect spot to see the Brooklyn Bridge framed between buildings!Our “romatic” walk on the Brooklyn Bridge
I had hoped we’d walk slowly hand-in-hand and gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes from time to time as we crossed the bridge connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan. Maybe we’d share a kiss in a picturesque moment.
Instead Chris kept telling me to walk faster and saying things like “it’s just a bridge.”
MEN!
Despite the fact that our stroll will not be showing up in any Hallmark movies, it was a lovely walk on a lovely day. I would have preferred it by the light of a full moon and with less of a crowd, but the itinerary just didn’t work out that way this time.
Just a cool photo of the Brooklyn Bridge!
It was about a 2 mile walk and I loved it. I bet it would also be great at sunset!
Panorama of the view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge
9/11 Memorial
We did not go into the museum, but the water memorials are very thought provoking and it’s a reverent spot. Definitely worth a visit.
Heading Home:
At this point we went back to our “hotel.” It was St. Patrick’s Day and the streets were crowded. We took in the views on the rooftop and went to bed early. We got up at 3:45 AM the next morning to head to JFK to board an early flight. People were still out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day from the night before! This time of morning is not my favorite, but we had babies and pups to get home to!
Rooftop view from the Ridge “Hotel”
All in all it was a great trip and a wonderful way to commemorate 10 wonderful years of marriage!
Stay tuned. In the next posts I will provide itinerary details and some bonus posts about our trip!
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We had one last day in NYC before heading home. We were doing the bulk of our NYC sight seeing on this last day, so we wouldn’t be making as making pizza stops. We didn’t have a solid plan for which pizza places we’d stop at. We’d already gotten the most important ones out of the way, and we seriously considered some repeat visits with how good they were!
There was a specific place in Brooklyn we wanted to try called Di Fara Pizza. It has rave reviews, and we hadn’t had pizza in Brooklyn yet. Unfortunately it is just too far away and it didn’t make sense with the rest of our itinerary. Hopefully we’ll get to give it a try one day!
Ignazio’s Review: Pizza Crawl 2024 Stop #12 | 4 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
This place is right underneath the bridge with great views, which makes it really fun on top of having excellent pizza! The sauce was really good. We preferred the plain cheese over the pepperoni, but both were excellent. It is cash only, but they have an ATM machine by the bathroom. We didn’t have enough cash and I don’t carry around a debit card, but when we got up to leave, they said they could process a card transaction for a 4% fee. I’m glad they let us do that as the pizza was really good!
Ignazio’s Pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge
Sauce Review: Pizza Crawl 2024 Stop #13 | 78 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
This was by far the thinnest crust pizza we had on this whole trip, but it didn’t taste like a cracker. The sauce was really good! We had the cheese pizza. Because it is so light, you could eat a ton. That being said, it wasn’t very filling, and it’s expensive, so we didn’t order appetizers. All in all, great pizza and great service. We sat at the bar as there were not tables available.
Sauce Cheese Pizza at the Bar
Note: Sauce is permanently closed now according to Google Maps, which is too bad, but it was my least favorite NYC pizza.
Car buffs might enjoy the Ford Museums
Packing for Adventure 