Juliana's: A Brooklyn Pizza Staple
RE:BUZZFEED FOOD APPLICATION- If you've ever visited Brooklyn, New York, you might have caught a glimpse of a fairly long line waiting outside a quaint, brown brick building on 19 Old Fulton St. The line might have also seemed peculiar since the building itself is rather small, yet hustling with patrons and waiters, but its actually not uncommon for the establishment. Juliana's Pizza has been serving their famous pizza pies for approximately four years. Patsy Grimaldi, a New York restaurant legend who opened the long-standing Grimaldi's pizza prior to Juliana's, took his pizzeria ventures right next door to his old business after legally selling his last name and his business to a customer a few years back. Since he couldn't name it Patsy either, since he had been sued by another business who owned the rights to the name, Grimaldi named his new business after his mother. Juliana Grimaldi had migrated from Italy to New York in the early 1900's. Juliana's brother and Patsy's uncle, Pasquale, also owned his own pizzeria named "Patsy's Pizzeria" in the early 1930's. Juliana's, located in close proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge, is now as famous as its original carnation, Grimaldi's. Known for its old-fashioned, Italian-style baking process, Juliana's has rapidly become both a tourist attraction and a local favorite, explaining the long-lines outside it's small, browned wood-framed door. I visited the New York pizzeria back in March while in town for a convention, having been suggested by a native New Yorker. At first, as a Texan tourist, the slowly-moving line seemed absurd for a mere slice of pizza, but once I entered the pizzeria to simply utilize their restroom, I quickly learned I was badly mistaken. The aromatic fusion of sweet, simmering cheeses and zesty marinara sauce quickly enthralled me into ranging hunger. The location's atmosphere and aesthetic is vintage Italy, beautifully adorned to seem as true to the home of pizza making as possible, pleasantly relaxing, although highly busy. What is also true to the home of pizza making is the way the Juliana's makes its pizza. The cheese, which includes mozzarella, affumicata and goat cheese as options, isn't melted to a stringy bed over the dough, but instead leaves it at its original state, but melted enough to be absolutely pleasant. In other words, the cheese is thicker than your typical pizza slice. The other factor at Juliana's is that their ingredients not only taste fresh, but also look it. Perhaps customers might not consider appearance a determining factor, but the look of a gorgeously plump, ripe tomato slice and enticing slices of arugula and basil will definitely make your mouth water. The crust is deliciously thin, catering more to the pairing of fresh ingredients with fresh cheeses as opposed to focusing more on the dough, which is still remarkably good. Of course, Juliana's-as well as Grimaldi's- signature is their brick-oven method of heating the pie itself. A blazingly hot coal-stoked hearth gives their pies a distinctive flavor profile different to the many other pizza stands saturating New York City. Inside their brick ovens is where the final magical touches to Juliana's pizzas are put in place. You'll know you're in for a definite treat as soon as the waiter places the simmering, delectable pizza right in the middle of your table.
Share This Article
