Pizza, pizza!

"I think there's a difference between like and love. I mean, I like my sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack."

"But, I love my sketchers."

"That's because you don't have a Prada backpack."

NAME THAT MOVIE!

It is "10 Things I Hate About You" if you must know. 90's teen flick extraordinaire and purveyor of wise words of wisdom for all.

But seriously, when it comes to pizza, I like pizza, but I love pizza from Posto Thin Crust. I love it so much that after my triathlon on Sunday it was the first thing that popped into my head (after acknowledging my desire for a shower and a nap, anyway).

Pizza is a quintessential New York food. I know there are Chicago folks out there who will try and claim it as their own, and while deep-dish can be great, nothing beats a true New York slice. It is suitable food anytime of day, be it a mid-afternoon snack or 3am necessity. I love that New York pizza places are not only ubiquitous throughout the city, they are all fairly unpretentious. Raoul or whomever is manning the ovens will toss your wide, hot, cheesy slice into that funny paper bag/paper plate combo without so much as a grunt, often suppressing a smile at your drunk desperation (or maybe that's only in my case).

And while I thoroughly enjoy this little ritual, sit-down pizza is it's own experience, and one I believe is best had at my beloved Posto. Grimaldi's in Dumbo, Brooklyn, near the waterfront, gets a lot of hype and good press (the line is winding around the block by 5pm and forget it on weekends). I've been there a few times, and yes, it is classic New York pizza done to the hilt, but for pure taste and variety to suit every palate, Posto is for me.

As indicated in the name, all of the pizza at Posto is thin crust, which is light and pleasantly crunchy, never soggy. The tomato sauce is hand-made and there is just enough cheese to hold everything together without dominating the other ingredients (there is an Italian saying that American pizza is just a vehicle for the cheese, which I think rings fairly true in most cases). You can either choose from a great selection of house pies (Big Pineapple, Meat Lovers, El Greco, Chix-potle, etc.) or make your own. Their topping list is extensive, ranging from andouille sausage and home-made meatballs, to grilled baby eggplant, artichoke hearts, shredded basil, and portobello mushrooms. The possibilities are endless! The also have solid wine selection, vintage-style sodas (creme soda, root beer, etc.), and killer desserts (if you even have room by that point).

I insisted Vronsky meet me there for dinner last night and I hoofed my way over there after work, sore legs be damned. On the train back to New York yesterday morning, I had already determined what pie I was going to order: shredded chicken braised with their home made chipotle sauce, sauteed onions and peppers, pineapple and fresh basil. Sounds intense but don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

Posto is located on 18th and 2nd. A bit of a no-man's land neighborhood-wise, but I suppose it's technically Gramercy. I discovered it while meandering about looking for apartments two years ago. If you live within the delivery zone you can enjoy your Postos and Project Runway at the same time, but I think the food tastes better fresh from the kitchen, and the ambiance at the restaurant is quite nice. There is even a jukebox to browse through while you wait.

Also, Jimmy Fallon was there one night, yelling and talking shit and in general being a total tool box, and the owner threw him out. This just makes me like the place even more.