I've been to most of the iconic pizzerias in New York at least once. Krispy Pizza is one I've missed. When I told a friend I was headed down to Dyker Heights the other day, she recommended I visit the slice joint on 13th Avenue.
Charm-wise, the joint ain't got much going on. Founded more than 40 years ago, the pizzeria was obviously renovated in the last ten years, and not for the better. Everything's new, including the sign outside and the glossy, garish interior. You can get an idea of how it used to look from the photo below, which is from the '70s, I believe.
Krispy was founded by Peter Pallazzola, and is now run by his four sons, Vinny, Tony, Freddy and Al. Peter came from Italy in 1960 and worked as a pizza delivery man, eventually buying the pizzeria. Freddy and Al still run the Brooklyn pizzeria while Vinny and Tony opened a new Krispy Pizzeria in the Jake Brown Plaza Shopping Center in Old Bridge, New Jersey. There are two other locations, as well.
The family has its endearing quirks, such as the fake coat of arms see above, which includes a chef's hat and a pizza over. And then there's this florid mural, which I can only assume depicts Peter and his four sons in a traditional Italian context. There's a lot of weird detail to the painting if you look closely.
As for the pizza, it is as advertised. The crust is expertly crispy, charred just so. Even my son noticed the difference. Of the three types I tried, the Grandma slice is justly famous. A delicious slice.
I grew up in this neighborhood and remember Krispy. Thank you for the post. Krispy was great, however, it was our family's #2 choice (sorry!). Go to DaVinci on 18th avenue b/w 64+65. Everything is as it was 40 years ago.
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