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For the Most Unassuming Pizza in DUMBO - “Ignazio’s”


Do you know what I love most about pizza?

Well, besides the cheese, sauce, and dough?

That perfect first bite. 

You know what I am talking about. It makes a crunching sound when you bite into it as you also get a rush of a sweet zing of the marinara sauce and melty gooeyness of the cheese. Of course, despite that crunch, the slice is soft and pillow like in the center. 

Sounds simple enough, right?

Wrong!!

That first bite tells you everything you need to know about how amazing or disappointing the pizza you are about to indulge in actually is. 

That first perfect bite is something I dream about but in my search for the perfect pizzas don’t often come across.

However, if you are smart enough you will visit Ignazio’s in Brooklyn and taste some of the best pizza that has ever crossed my lips. 

I stumbled upon Ignazio’s by accident. 




It was a swelteringly hot day in Brooklyn and I was driving around the downtown / Brooklyn Heights area scouring the best vantage points for pictures of my beloved borough. While others were struggling with this pandemic, I was trying to use the unusually quiet time outside to snap some great shots of areas I normally can’t get anywhere near. 

So as I sat in my car under the Brooklyn Bridge snapping away, my mother and I pondered where to get our pizza from that day - after all it was a Friday (a #pizzafriday if you are in the know). 

As we discussed our options , she turned her head and read the sign on the door mere feet from our car door. 

Can you guess what it said? 

If you guessed Ignazio’s you guessed corrected.

I am always game to try a new pizza place and with the world shut down around us I haven’t been able to cross any pizza places off my annual to do list. Though I am sad to say I never heard of this place before, despite my being in the area semi-frequently, I was quite eager to try it.


So I went in and ordered a slice (and one for my mother) as we were starving and a pie to bring home for dinner that night. I went the “regular” slice which here is actually more like a Margherita pie served with fresh mozzarella. 







Aside from the delicious smell oozing from the box in my hand and the one in the truck I couldn’t focus on anything else. So I instantly began sanitizing my hands, ripping my mask off my face, quickly photographing the work of art in front of me and than immediately devouring it. After that first bite I knew I had struck pizza gold.

That first bite was probably one of the best of my life and I am not exaggerating. The flavors, the textures, it was all too good to believe considering I had just stumbled upon it. 

That first bite was quickly followed by a few more until that little box was empty. I raced home eager to have another orgasmic bite a.k.a. eat another slice. 

Needless to say that pizza did not last long in my house. But I am happy to report that my parents were able to get in on the fun before I lost complete control.

While this story brings a smile to my face, and a strong eagerness to experience this pizza again this week, I hesitated about sharing so openly about my love of Ignazio’s. 

The reason lies around the corner from their Brooklyn location: Juliana’s.

While I think Ignazio’s pizza is more tasty (although a different style of pizza) than Julianna’s, I have strong reservations about making that statement. 

The main reason is because the day that I went to Juliana’s was also the day I met the icon of the pizza industry: Mr. Patsy Grimaldi!!!


Patsy Grimaldi is apart of pizza royalty. His family is responsible for Grimaldi’s and Patsy’s Pizza, both of which I have tried and loved.

He also happens to be one of the sweetest human beings alive. He was so kind and generous and came to Juliana’s just to meet little old me. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. 

The other reason I hesitated to share these emotions was because I enjoyed Juliana’s food ESPECIALLY their calzones! I still speak about them to this day. I actually remarked about them the day I visited Ignazio’s.

But, I like George Washington, cannot tell a lie - especially about pizza. I am sure that’s what George meant too. 

Ignazio’s may be the underdog when it comes to notoriety but that has nothing to do with the quality I have experienced. 

Having done a bit of research, I have found out that Ignazio’s is owned by Louis Termini who owns seven pizzerias all over Connecticut. Mr. Termini learned how to make pizza from his Sicilian grandmother and spend a great deal of time in Brooklyn as a child. He opened up here in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in 2009. A side from pizza his menu is full of appetizers, salads, and Italian fare.

As if competition in this neighborhood wasn’t strict enough legendary Brooklyn pizzeria and restaurant, L & B Spumoni Gardens, is in the process of setting up another shop on the same block. Talk about Brooklyn being a pizza a town is true. 

As for Ignazio’s, I feel a trip to Connecticut coming on. 



For More Information:



For Other Sights and Eats in the Area:

Jane’s Carousel (https://bit.ly/2XiaM9S) 

Brooklyn Historical Society (https://bit.ly/2XILSz7) 

Day in Dumbo / Grimaldi’s (https://bit.ly/2TQV6bd)  

Julianna’s (https://bit.ly/36Mru4f) 

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