Skip to main content

For Pizza With a Side of Sand: “Totonno’s”



After Best Pizza it may have seemed pointless to go on trying pizza from other places but I am not a quitter. I still had a to do list (https://bit.ly/2qeVUqY) to work on. 

Totonno’s in Coney Island has finally been scratched off. 

When you think of food in Coney Island the most popular place to go is Nathan’s Famous (https://bit.ly/2JxBhPF), where America goes to get a good hot dog. They have been doing it at this location since 1916 after all. 

But besides the hot dogs and the many types of entertainment you can take in, such at the Ford Amphitheater, you have to add great pizza to the list.

Totonno’s has been a family business since it opened in 1924. But I wouldn’t say it has that warm welcoming vibe exactly.






Naturally it was a #pizzafriday when I visited and there was only one other table occupied. This was a first for me. Every time I have attempted to visit there was no where to park and a full house. Apparently #pizzafridays haven’t quite caught on just yet.

When my family walked in we were greeted with a rough “what do you want?” and then told to sit anywhere. I proceeded to look around and take pictures and apparently Mike (the man making the pizza) thought he would be funny and said: “who said you could take pictures in here?” I replied with “I am a blogger and it’s my job”. 





We went with a mushroom pie here as well and didn’t wait too long since those at the table across from us were already eating. 

There were no niceties. No asking if we needed anything else. In fact if I didn’t get the plate and bag myself I would still be waiting for that waitress to wrap up my leftovers. But I wasn’t there for the service, although I did appreciate Zagat’s use of the word “utilitarian” in their review. 


As for the pizza, well that was another story entirely. It was really delicious. To begin with it had fresh mozzarella cheese which is perhaps my very favorite kind. I have been known to eat it all whenever its near me without regard for who else might want some. This cheese is on all of their pizzas. That fact alone automatically gave it a near perfect score in my books. 

Next up was the mushrooms, which were sautéed. If you read my previous blog about Best Pizza than you know what a big difference that makes. It was another pleasant surprise. 





The combination of the cheese and mushrooms prepared this way made the pizza out of this world. Here too they use ingredients from Italy and there is much thoughtfulness in the detail in how its made.

If Best Pizza currently has the number one spot on my list, than Totonno’s is a close second.


Despite its long history, Totonno’s has gone through some hard times. Over the course of the past ninety-three years there have been two fires and of course six years ago Super Storm Sandy hit. That kept the restaurant closed for almost a year. But the pizza community is not without heart.

After news of the storm had spread the owners of Totonno’s received a call from Geja’s Cafe in Chicago. They wanted to raise money so that this Coney Island institution could reopen once again. By January 2013 Totonno’s was able to purchase a new dough machine. 

That kind of support makes me proud to be a pizza lover and sponsor of their community, each and every Friday. 


For More Information:






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

For My Madness During Migraine Awareness Month

Last weekend as I sat staring at the blank page in front of me, I was still surprised and elated that I had an entire day to myself and unlike past experiences it was filled with what I wanted when I wanted it. There were a few rough moments but when I consider the previous twelve hours (and the days to come) have been better than the last week. Especially this last week even though I had braced myself ahead of time, I just didn’t know I should have braced for a more serious episode. I am a chronic migraine sufferer for so many years I don’t quite remember when they started exactly which is ironic because I can remember every special event they have ruined. I remember plays or dinners I was at where I don’t remember what happened but I could tell you what I felt minute by minute. It amazing how the mind works, especially when it’s operated by a migraine brain. In the last few years, specifically the last few years since I have been going to the Montefiore Headac

For Find Out Friday - Why Do Emery Boards Make My Skin Crawl?

You know that sound a fingernail makes when it scratches against a chalkboard?  You know that feeling the sound of that action gives you? I, like most people, hate that sound.  I instantly feel like scrunching my shoulders up to my neck and closing my eyes.  I feel the exact same way when I am using an emery board to file my nails. This annoying sensation has a name: “grima” which is Spanish for disgust or uneasiness. This term basically describes any feeling of being displeased, annoyed, or dissatisfied someone or something.  It is a feeling that psychologists are starting to pay more attention to as it relates to our other emotions.  Emery boards are traditionally made with cardboard that has small grains of sand adhered to them. It is the sandpaper that I believe makes me filled with grima.  According to studies that are being done around the world, it is not just the feeling that we associate with certain things like nails on a chalkboard or by using emery boards

For a New Chain of Mexican Fast Food: “Dos Toros Taqueria”

When it comes to fast food there are the names we are familiar with: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chipotle.  In you live in New York City, there is a new kid in town: Dos Toros.  Dos Toros is relatively new to this area but with any hope there might be one in your town soon.  Started by two brothers, Leo and Oliver Kremer, from Berkeley, California, the Mexican food you find here is inspired by food they loved growing up.  In California, the brothers grew up worshipping Gordo Taqueria, a favorite of Bay Area residents since 1977 (now promptly added to my San Francisco to eat list). Much of the recipes and even decor found at Dos Toros has been modeled on Gordo. Before moving to NYC in 2008, the brothers were living very different lives. Leo was the bassist for the band “Third Eye Blind”. Oliver fresh out of college, considered working in the technology or finance industry. Both disillusioned with their lives, they decided to pursue something they have l