Di Fara Pizza

Di Fara Pizza, in a modest storefront on Avenue J in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn, is the most singular pizza experience in New York and one of the most discussed pizzerias in the world. Domenico DeMarco, who emigrated from the province of Caserta in Italy, has been making every pizza at this address himself since 1965 — stretching every dough by hand, spreading the sauce, laying the toppings, sliding each pie into the oven, cutting it with scissors, and finishing every pie with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly snipped basil from a bunch he keeps beside the oven. For over five decades, DeMarco has made the pizza the same way, with the same imported Italian ingredients: San Marzano tomatoes, two types of imported Italian mozzarella plus fresh buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs. The result is a pizza that tastes different from any other in New York — richer, more deeply flavored, more Italian in its orientation while still undeniably rooted in the New York tradition. The wait is a non-negotiable part of the experience: because DeMarco makes each pizza himself, the queue can run an hour or more. The storefront has no pretensions — a few tables, overhead lighting, and a television — and the crowd waiting outside in all weather is a testament to how singular the product has remained. Cash only. Midwood is in southern Brooklyn and requires a D or Q train ride to Avenue J.