Di Fara's: How much is the best NY slice of pizza worth?
Welcome to the $4 slice, up from $3, as of yesterday. Not only that, but the slice, which for a few years now, was coming in at about 75% the size of a standard slice is shrinking down to about 65 or 70% the size of everyone else's slice. Oh yeah, and $4 for my two cans of Pepsi, up from $2 for two cans.
pizmet
Feb 06, 2008 07:57PM
are the whole pie prices the same?
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I think everything went up, across the board.
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Rumor has it that his ingredient costs are up due to the strong Euro and his energy costs up due to energy costs being up.
Or perhaps it's a crowd-control measure.
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You know, this would not surprise me. I have heard that certain European food products have become more expensive for suppliers/distributors, and I bet that tomatoes are one of those products. Lets take this into account: everyone is crazy for San Marzanos lately, and we pay top dollar for them (up to $5 for a 28 oz. can). However, the D.O.P. area in which they are grown can only produce so much- at a certain point their market value will rise, never mind that the Euro is incredibly strong against our dollar these days. To make matters worse, I have also heard that US customs has been giving Italian imports a hard time getting through lately... which has led to delays and increased cost. So I can see him trying to recoup his costs, even if $4 for a slice sounds over-the-top. The soda thing is just greedy, though. Who charges $2 for a can of soda?
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josh...
Phlueeeze. Gimme a break! I'm well aware that "Good things cost money"
As Bob Martinez in his post below, very astutely points out, many restaurants use high quality ingredients and no one is raising their prices by 25%. Certainly NOT a neighborhood pizzaria in a middle class neighborhood. If Mr DiFara can get that sort of outrageous percentage increase, more power to him, but don't for a second try to rationalize the increase by throwing out some nonsense about the high cost of ingredients.. Are you going to explain the $2 can of soda by telling us that the ingredients are imported from...Atlanta?
As for the "slop house in which I consumed the pizza referred to in my earlier post: I clearly acknowledged it was not DiFara'd caliber, but since
you have no idea of the quality of the food I was served. To come up with a disparaging comment like that is both ignorant and rude. I was giving a very striking comparison of cost per person. DiFara's might be extraordinary pizza, but something is seriously out of whack when ONE slice of pizza and a 12 oz can of soda costs $6 and a pizza/salad/mozz/knot/soda dinner for 4, served by friendly staff in a nicely decorated, CLEAN establishment costs $21.50... Even some DiFara devotees should be a little put out at a 25% increase
We all know you are a fiercely loyal fan of DiFara's, but so are many other who post here. They are able to state their opinions in a courteous manner. I have often stated that, while I don't understand the slavish loyalty, I respect those that do.
You can just state that you are devoted to DiFara's and no amount of physical inconvenience or financial gouging will change the way you feel.
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I practically live there so it won't change how often I go or anything like that, but it's sort of a shame at the same time. I understand ingredients, quality, etc but this place is already a gold mine. I'll deal with it, but it was not neccessary. Oh well, at least Dom will forget to charge the higher price half the time for about two months. That happened to me so many times after the first price increase.
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I hope you speak from direct knowledge about this place being a 'gold mine'. Maybe so, but from what I've read and seen, restaurants of any kind are anything but gold mines. I can't think of a faster/riskier way to lose money (and sleep) than opening a restaurant. Fortunately there are those with a much higher sense of adventure than me, so hopefully there will always be great places to eat, whether they make a fortune or not.
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I don't know if "gold mine" is how I'd describe any job where I had to work 6 days a week, 363(?) days a year, for 1 to 12 hours, on my feet, in front of a 700 degree oven.
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It's about 310 days now. DiFara's is closed on Mondays.
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Having just returned from Italy, it makes sense. I think almost everything in Dom's pies are imported, no?
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Having tried DiFara's for the frist time a few weeks ago, the new prices, for me at least, are going to make it my last as well. Great pizza, but not worth the money. Especially to wait so long to spend it. I understand the rising costs, but I'd rather just grab a slice elsewhere
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"Having just returned from Italy, it makes sense. I think almost everything in Dom's pies are imported, no?"
Lets use a little common sense. There are dozens of Italian restaurants and enoteccas around the city that also use imported ingredients. Are *they* raising their prices by 25%? The tip off is the doubling of soda prices. Is the Pepsi imported too?
Dom wants to make more money. The price increases have nothing to do with the foreign exchange rate otherwise we'd be seeing them around the city.
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what i always wondered was why he didnt let his kids use the name 'difara' instead of demarcos for their manhattan place. lets face it, he has another 5 years of pizza making before its all over and im sure his kids will take over difaras but he never lets them make pies.
if i was him, id sell out and sell difara's inspired pizzas at costco.
as for the original topic, id pay $50 for a square pie if it meant that i didnt have to wait 2 hours for a pizza these days.
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Maybe you're right Bob M, but I still don't care about the extra buck. How many things are that good? Give Dom his extra buck, even for the drink. He deserves it.
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They finally figured out that they are a tourist trap, not a neighborhood pizza place. Good for them. I hope they make a fortune.
BTW, they are charging $4 because they think they can get it, not because of the euro, the price of cheese, or gas.
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Seems like a smart move. I dropped in on Tuesday evening, and the place was empty. Signor di Fara was in great spirits, slowly making his pies, but without a crowd of irritated people trying to cut the line before everybody else and breathing stress. He'll make a nice profit, and slay the beast he created.
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PLEASE CITIZENS OF CHOWHOUND! You get what you pay for, and this is worth it if anything is. Be glad to have Dom here at all, and give him is extra buck. If not, then they line will be much shorter. I would rather pay $6 a slice and have most of you go somewhere else.
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i'm with nyjewboy. i'd pay double if it meant getting my pizza in half the time. i hope dom continues to raise the prices so the crowds thin out. maybe he is saving up for a nice retirement house outside naples. he's earned it.
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This is just too much!
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Hey, if you can't afford expensive pizza, sell some paintings!
Now that it's proven to be pretentious pizza, how about hanging the sign up at the store:
"Extraordinary Pizza for Ordinary People!"
It's good, but not if I have to take out a mortgage to grab a bite.
This has gone too far. I'm declaring that I am going on strike. No $4 slices for me! And let Dom see that he pissed us off this time! First him, then other pizzerias will see we accept that as the going rate for a slice. (If it'll work for the new EBay rates, it'll work for a small hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in a working class area of Brooklyn. It ain't Park Avenue!)
Fressers of the world unite!
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You do that Carl, but know that there will be a counter-demonstration in support of Dom doing whatever he wants. Hail Dom.
The remark about selling paintings shocks me. Do I know you?
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Hi, NYJewboy. I agree. Dom can do anything he wants to. But this time, I also think he went too far. $2 for soda?
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Yeah, the soda is not his creation. If there is a line it should be drawn at what he makes himself. However, I still don't care, because I often go restaurants that charge WAY more than that and the food isn't a fraction as satisfying or enjoyable.
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its byo, drink wine or beer instead of soda and share some with dom.
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OK, I can see a soda boycott. But let the man charge whatever he wants for his pizza. I don't like to see someone with that kind of talent forced to charge regular market rates. It should be more, because it is not ordinary. That type of service should have its rewards.
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Of course, he can charge what he wants. That's his perogative. But, I think it undercuts the whole "he's just devoted to the creation of magnificent pizza" argument. He is clearly capitalizing on the fact that Difara's has now become a phenomenon and that people will continue to pay, even though he takes no steps to make it a orderly or timely experience.
As an aside, Lucali does an excellent pie night in and night out in a pleasant atmosphere with pleasant staff for $19/pie (less than $2.50/slice). You may prefer Difara's, but I don't think you can argue that a very good pie can't be done for less money, and certainly Difara's could do the same.
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OK, so that's true. But I still don't see why making some more money on a unique product is so horrible.
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Because it's PIZZA! Maybe it's good, but it's far from "unique."
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I think not Irishnyc. The tastes blend in a way that I have never experienced before. I think it is unique.
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Fair enough. As I said, its certainly his perogative and time will tell whether people will be willing to pay those prices. If they do, more power to him. My only point is that sometimes it seems like Difara's devotees make excuses for the shortcomings of the place. Like, "he's so devoted to the making of pizza, so how can you expect him to remember what people ordered or stop people from cutting the line". In this instance, its the same. The man runs a business and he's trying to make money. And that's fine. But, lets say that's what it is, and not make excuses for him as some increase in costs which has forced him to raise prices.
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Amen. There's no excuse for the poor service that is Dom's de rigueur. I'm frankly surprised most NYers put up with it. I won't, and I don't care how "good" the product is.
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Huh? What does Dom charge for a pie now? Let's compare apples to apples here.
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Well, I haven't been there since yesterday when the prices went up, so I don't know from firsthand experience. But someone already posted that they believe the pie went up. And I doubt that it would only apply to slices, anyway. And as for apples to apples, when was Difara's pie $19 like Lucali, even before this new price increase?
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The photo I've got from my last visit there (April '07, man it's been a while) shows a $17 round pie.
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"The photo I've got from my last visit there (April '07, man it's been a while) shows a $17 round pie."
________________
Does your photo show how much a slice cost back then? I remember the slice then going for about $2.50. There was a big price increase right after Dom came back from his month or so (ahem) "not-of-his-own-choice" closing, presumably to compensate for whatever income he lost from that shutdown. (That's when he came back with his new closed on Mondays policy). If so, that would mean that his slices went from $2.50 to $4.00 in a little more than half a year - a 60% price hike!
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It was $3 plain, $4 with topping.
I tried to upload here, but you can't see the board at that resolution.
http://flickr.com/photos/27551370@N00...
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You're right. Dom's previous price increases came about a year ago, right after his first "not-of-his-choice closings". Last February, Dom was charging $2.50 for a regular slice and $2.75 for a square slice. (I was sure that the slices were under three bucks earlier in 2007) Here's the photographic proof:
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/brooklyn/midwood/difara/index.htm
http://www.alarmingnews.com/archives/...
(scroll down to bottom of last link)
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no biggie for me. $4 it is. and i don't drink soda.
:-)
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Okay, I don't usually chime in on DiFara threads (why bother?) but have to put in my 2 cents here.
Dom's pie used to be cheaper than Lucali's, and even if it isn't any more, it's certainly more filling, which means it comes out cheaper because a pie can feed more people than a lucali's or a totonno's pie.
And as for slices, the other pizza places frequently mentioned (lucali's, totonno's, franny's etc) don't even serve slices. Sure, $4 for a slice is outrageous, but at least he still sells them. I guess he could have chosen to go the whole pie only route instead.
Of course, i never get slices at Dom's, so perhaps I care less about the slice gouging.
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I went (for the first time) yesterday. A round cheese pie was $20, which works out to $2,50 a slice. A friend and I shared the pie and I have four slices in my fridge. I had a grape Crush in the bottle, it was worth the $2. Worth every penny.
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The high per slice prices should discourage slice ordering. Perhaps he should eliminate slices all together like some other popular pizzerias; it sure would simplify the order fulfillment process and eliminate a part of the confusion.
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I dont think he would even notice if you took your own drink in there - we certainly bring our wine/water in without a peep from him. The pie's the thing (square)
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He's 100% OK with BYOB and he gives wine out to regulars sometimes for free. He's got quite a little collection in the back.
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Oooooh yeah. So true. It would be interesting to see if this ends up creating a measure of crowd control. I don't think the pie price sounds harsh at all. Drinks are another story. That's silly when you can just BYOB anyway.
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When I am in DiFara's I am one of those customers who is completely happy to wait over and hour for a pie. I just don't mind. I don't go there every week, it's a special occasion thing, so every once in while I wait an hour and a half for the best GD pizza I've ever tasted. During that time I always find plenty of people to chat with and laugh with.
As for the price, I think $4 for a slice is a lot of money. But I today payed $4.25 for a lousy cheese sandwich at a souless deli near my office in union square, and thought, "Well this sandwich sucks, but what can I expect for a souless deli? At least it was only $4.25."
I understand it is frustrating to have prices go up on you, but frankly I'm more upset that my monthly metrocard is gonna go up in price and I have a feeling I'll still spend half my life stuck on Manhattan Bridge or calling into work late because of rain on the tracks or my Q train suddenly started running on the R line and then stopped altogether at Chambers Street.
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I honestly dont see what the question is here. As one of the longest running customers of DiFara's, the answer is simple. Dom will continue to raise the prices as long as demand exceeds supply. He loves what he does but, believe it or not, beneath that exterior is a reasonably sharp business man. He wont start worrying about the "cutting in line", the "ambiance", the screw ups with the orders or the prices until he has to and then he'll do it as minimally as possible. Look at how he dealt with the Health Dept.
At any rate, Bob Martinez is on the money on this, as are several other posters. Dont go looking for good reasons that Dom had to raise prices. He'll charge what the market will allow him to charge. If the product is worth it to you, then go. If not, dont. No different from Franny's prices or quirks or Lucali's or most restaurants. My guess is that I'll still have to wait for a goddamn slice. You all have too much disposible income :-)
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Of course there's always the possibility that Dom will plow the additional revenues back into the business. New tables and chairs, carpeting, table cloths, along with subdued lighting. He will put in an advanced computerized reservation system to insure that orders are handled quickly and in the proper order. And then he will hire those guys in the tiny white jackets with the whisk brooms who will make sure that the tables are squeaky clean. Yes, this could be the start of a Golden Age.
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A clean up would be interesting. No reservation system though! That would screw over my entire sneaky little pie grabbing ways.
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Let's not leave out: video monitors flashing pix of various menu items, and perhaps horseracing results.
As to the latest DiFara's "controversy", people are acting like there are absolutes here. There aren't. Do as you like, and leave everyone else alone, is what I say.
DiFara's, at least on this board, has morphed into some kind of strange, comical and unpleasant microcosm of life within which lines are constantly being drawn in the sand. You're either the savvy tough regular who knows how to navigate/maneuver your way to the front of the line, or, lord help you, you're a newbie/tourist/outsider/ weekling who doesn't know pizza from a doormat and doesn't deserve to. Dominick DeMarco is either a celestial being, a golden shining pizza oven with wings in the form a man who is able to levitate things other than just dough, or he's an inconsiderate, oblivious, money-mad cynic. I remember a thread from a few years back - a very entertaining one, I might add - in which a poster wrote this long, judgmental soliloquoy about the evil people who have the audacity to take out their money while waiting in line. And now, of course, it's, once again, are you with Dom, or against him? People are actually posting apologetic threads: What did I do wrong at DiFaras? There's something about this place that really brings out this judgemental side to people, whereupon your level of character rests on what your take is on DiFara's, how you order, how tight you are with the master and whether or not you have what it takes to handle the long lines. Ridiculous. It's pizza. Whether you dig it or not is up to you. Whether you're willing to pay for it or not is up to you. It begins and ends there, as far as I'm concerned.
Come to think of it, Seinfeld really missed the boat with the whole DiFara's phenomenon. He could have gotten at least two or three hilarious episodes out of it - a la the Soup Nazi - and no one would have believed it.
P.
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Funny post Polecat - especially the part about it's just pizza! :)
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Never used the word "just."
Hey, I think pizza is worth getting passionate about, especially when it's this good. But there's a difference between being passionate and being judgemental, snarky, exclusive and arrogant. When people talk about the pizza, these threads are actually helpful and educational. When it becomes a gigantic battle of egos, it kills the fun, and defeats the point.
P.
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"There's something about this place that really brings out this judgemental side to people, whereupon your level of character rests on what your take is on DiFara's, how you order, how tight you are with the master and whether or not you have what it takes to handle the long lines."
You're right on the mark about that. I get it that people have their likes and dislikes and it's certainly OK to get passionate about them. That's what we're here for. But there's something about DiFara's that changes the tone of the conversation.
Contrast it with discussions of Thai food (excluding Sripraphai for the moment - more about that later) or Szechuanese restaurants. People have their favorites and exchange opinions. When there are disagreements things stay civil and the emotional temperature is a pleasant 72 degrees. Even discussions about pizza can be perfectly normal. People can compare the merits of places like Totonno's or Lucali's with no problems at all.
Not so DiFara's. The level of emotionalism is higher about this single place than any other restaurant on Chowhound. Sure, I get it that people really like DiFara's pizza but people really like Sripraphai too. The thing is, those conversations about Sri never get overheated. Even when the occasional poster complains that they had a bad meal at Sri people roll with it. They agree to disagree and move on.
DiFara's is different. I've come to believe that there's more at play than the pizza alone.
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The cult of personality could have a lot to do with it. Threads dealing with Kebab Cafe and Mina's, for instance, do not quite approach the level of hostility and egomania that the DiFara's threads do, but they do get, as you say, "heated." When there is a Dom or an Ali or a Mina to focus on, there will always be those who rally around, create the legend, and those who debunk. What gets lost in the heat of battle is what supposedly brings us to this site to begin with: the chance to talk about the food.
With regards to Sri, you're right. No comparison. The average Sri thread is ripe with disagreements, yeah, but you can also come away with tons of good recommendations and a general consensus about what's good there and what's off the beaten path. My guess is that if there were one person there, as there is at the above-mentioned places, to focus on - you'd see a little more of what you see on the DiFara's threads.
P.
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