Some rainy days are meant for curling up with books and movies. Some rainy days are meant for sloshing through puddles and precipitation while enjoying it all. And on some rainy days, I like to do both! Like yesterday after watching The Borrower Arrietty, Corn Pops and I rode the train from Harlem to Coney Island for some Di Fara pizza!
We arrived right at around closing time… (apparently they close briefly from 4-7 pm) It was massively disappointing after such a long sojourn through the drizzle, but we didn’t give up. It was shameless pleading time! Or more like, we used the excuse that I’m in Philly 3/4 of the year to convince the DeMarco’s daughter to scrape up some remaining slices for us.
We gratefully accepted what she offered: two regular slices and four square ones. This totaled to $20, which was pretty pricey but also pretty worth it. The regular slices had delicious crusts, light and crisp in the first bite but bready and soft inside; it was like a perfectly toasted flatbread drizzled intensely with olive oil. The luscious cheese, tomato, and basil melded together over the thin crust for epic deliciousness.
However, it was the square slice that actually blew our minds. Corn Pops and I both preferred the the square version because it was denser. I thought that there was a higher sauce proportion, which flavored the pizza more thoroughly. The cheese was also a little thicker and more flavorful while the crust was just incredible. It was thicker, doughier, and richer. Each bite came with an initial crispness that became chewier as my teeth sank in deeper. This allowed the chewing process to enhance the pizza-eating experience.
Di Fara seems to have its own class of pizza, neither truly Neopolitan nor NY in style, although I thought it leaned more towards the Brooklyn end of the spectrum. It was more oily and heavy than the typical slice, but crafted with care. Honestly, I think I preferred Grimaldi’s more balanced flavoring and wide topping selection but Di Fara definitely beats out on crust. In reality, it’s quite difficult to compare the two as they are strikingly different in style. I guess it depends on your mood but I wouldn’t mind eating either pizza (or both) any day!
Trekked a little longer through drizzles and silent shady patches for some dessert at Ice Cream House. The mint chip was the best, refreshing and sweet. Triple chocolate was pretty good too for the rich chocolateyness although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the embedded hard chocolate bits. Dulce de leche was good, only I felt skimmed of the caramel. I wish they mixed in more of that creamy viscous treat into the ice cream. Oh well, it wasn’t a total loss as the rest of the ice cream was still pretty yummy. After all, enjoying some sweets in good company is the best way to wrap up a crazy rainy adventure!