Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Nothing is Sacred, Least of All Brooklyn Style Pizza
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 8, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 8, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NY Times covers the turf war between Domino's new Brooklyn Style Pizza and actual Brooklyn style pizza. Reporter Kim Severson actually brought a Domino's pie into Totonno's, where owner Louise Ciminieri said, "Get that thing out of here." Heh! The article is great reading if you want to catch up on the hallmarks of chain-style pizza and what Totonno's uses ("unadulterated tomato sauce and thin slices of fresh mozzarella hand-pulled with just a little salt in it, and a dusting of pecorino-Romano cheese"), what goes into good pizzas, and like a mandatory Marty Markowitz quote. And, yes, you'll get very hungry. Just not for a Domino's pizza.
Here's what Domino's tells the Times:
“We found that Brooklyners like to eat their pizza differently,” said Dana Harville, a spokeswoman for Domino’s. “They like floppy, large slices, and they fold them into almost a sandwich.”
But that’s no different from the way thousands of people in any of the other boroughs eat a slice. So why call it Brooklyn Style as opposed to, say, Staten Island Style?
“Brooklyn has such a big personality,” she said. “It’s a little different than the Manhattan-style personality. We’re really having a lot of fun with the culture.”
Crap, we know what's happening next - a pizza sandwich from Domino's! There's also a quote from Slice's Adam Kuban who tried the Domino's pizza last month and said it was good, with the "for a Domino's pizza" qualifier. And yes, there's mention of the hilarious Domino's Brooklyn Style Pizza website, which shows what Domino's (marketer's) idea of Brooklyn is. The corresponding commercial is the YouTube clip above.
Does this mean that middle America will soon think Brooklynites like crappy pizza? Or does it mean that Domino's has wised up and realizes its pizzas are inedible (the Double Melt almost killed us!) and is trying to improve upon things? And the YouTube clip is via Gowanus Lounge, who points out "Us, we'd rather eat discarded pizza from the curb outside Grimaldi's than call Domino's--this is Brooklyn, after all, and we have more pizza choices than you can shake a stick at--but what do we know?"
Tagged
adam kuban
america
brooklyn
Brooklyn Style Pizza
culture
dining
food news
fun
gowanus lounge
manhattan
marty markowitz
ny times
people
pizza
staten island
style
The NY
the ny times
youtube
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .