Anthony Bourdain Swore This Pizza Joint Was 'The Best Of The Best' In NYC

In 2005, Anthony Bourdain wrote a guide to eating in NYC for The Guardian. In it, he writes about a pizzeria he calls "the best of the best." If you were around New York at the time, you know what it is. Every New Yorker knew that Domenico "Dom" DeMarco made the best pizza in New York, and thus the world, at Di Fara's in Midwood, Brooklyn. The only reason to eat any other pizza was convenience. Midwood was a schlep on the Q for most, and DeMarco was not a fast pizzaiolo.

DeMarco moved to Brooklyn from Italy in 1959 and opened his shop in 1965. He was dedicated to the art of a slow pie, and his technique was proudly inefficient. He grated cheese by hand for each pizza, stopping to leisurely walk over to grab a different cheese, then unhurriedly walk back and hand-grate some more. He added a healthy amount of olive oil, then snipped basil bit by bit to evenly cover the pie. Watching him work was mesmerizing, and not knowing if it was your pie he was on was the only thing keeping you from going crazy from hunger after a long wait. Lines were long, and they did not move fast. Some blamed Bourdain's evangelizing of the place for the long lines. The level of cheese — fresh grated mozzarella, fresh Buffalo mozzarella, and Grana Padano — and the big dollops of bright tomato sauce were held up by the crisp, flavorful crust.

It's a different Dom DeMarco making most of the pizzas now. Since his father's passing in 2022, Dom DeMarco, Jr. has been having a hand in most of the pies made in the restaurant. He's made a few efficiency upgrades, like using pre-ground Parmigiano-Reggiano, partially to speed things up, and partially because Dom Sr.'s hand grinder broke and was never replaced. He's still got the touch and makes great pizzas, and the oven still runs around 100 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than a typical pizzeria's, giving it that distinctive, crispy crust.

The family business has also expanded. Dom Sr.'s daughter, Margie Mieles-DeMarco, runs a sandwich shop across the street. In 2021, Dom Sr.'s nephew, Gregory Norton, opened an offshoot called Di Fara Pizza Tavern in Cary, North Carolina. You can even find Di Fara's frozen pizzas in some grocery stores, depending on your region. If this got you hungry for pizza, and you can't make the schlep to Midwood, check out our guide to the best pizza in every state to find a pizzeria near you.