09 July 2012

Mattei Pizzeria Gets All Fancy


The Maffei Pizzeria holds down a second-tier spot in terms of New York pizza fame. It's not one of the immortals (Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, Di Fara, Totonno's, etc.), but, among slice joints it's respected as a talented workaday practitioner, and is particularly well known for its Grandma slice.

Since 1975, it's been hidden in place sight inside an ugly metal enclosure on the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and 22nd Street. Recently, though, its fame has perhaps gone to its head. I recently noticed that it had shed its rough exterior for this chi-chi bit of anonymous signage. Who's Maffei kidding? It's not an "Italian Eatery." It's a pizzeria.

1 comment:

Mama said...

I used to work around the corner so I ate here pretty regularly. The lunch special was 2 cheese slices and a soda for $5 so it was one of the cheaper food options in the area. Was it good pizza? Ehhhh... not really... but it was edible.