In a state that’s legendary for its “hole-in-the-wall” pizzerias, one stands out as New York’s best, according to Food Republic, and it doesn’t really even look like a pizzeria.
After “drawing from public opinion, reviews and press coverage,” the website chose Louie & Ernie’s Pizza in the Bronx earlier this month.
“To earn the title of best hole-in-the-wall restaurant in New York, you’ve gotta serve some serious food—especially when you’re a pizza joint,” the Food Republic article states. “We determined that Louie & Ernie’s Pizza…deserved the title.”
Founded by Patsy Ottuso and his sons, Louie and Ernie Ottuso, in Harlem in 1947, Louie and Ernie’s later moved into a small, cozy residential brick house in a quiet Bronx neighborhood on Crosby Avenue, where it remains to this day. That was in 1959, and by the late 1980s the still-thriving business had passed on to another pair of brothers, John Tiso and Cosimo Tiso, who had worked there for years. John retired recently, but his daughter Victoria Tiso, featured as one of PMQ’s “10 Women in Pizza to Watch” this year, helped modernize the restaurant’s marketing approach before leaving to open Tori T’s Pizzeria in Long Island.
Related: Victoria Tiso Won’t be Told ‘No’ as She Coaches Tori T’s to Success in Long Island.
“The buzz around Louie & Ernie’s is real and well deserved,” Food Republic reports, praising the pizzeria’s “particularly crispy-bottomed” red-sauce slices as well as its white pies, calzones and Sicilian Godfather pies.
“Many reviewers rave about the way the cheeses—from sharp Parmesan to gooey, creamy mozzarella—blend with a sprinkle of oregano on every pie. The result leans heavily on salt and herbs, with the crust soaking up the grease from cheese and meats alike to create one of the most satisfying pizzas in New York.”
In fact, Cosimo Tiso doesn’t even apply the term “restaurant” to Louie & Ernie’s. “We’re not a restaurant, we’re just a pizzeria—really old-school,” he recently told the New York Post. “We’re just pizza. A few different calzones. And that’s it. There’s nothing else on it….If you’re looking for the menu from Cheesecake Factory, you’re at the wrong place. Our menu is so basic, it’s not a menu. It’s a list of pizzas and calzones.”
