(1/2 OT) Bethpage & Pizza recommendations

[Michael Blake]

I'm going to L.I. tomorrow (one exit past Bethpage) and I may or may not attempt to walk-on on at Bethpage sometime during the day.  Probably decide last minute while I'm out there.

If RED is not possible, would you recommend GREEN, BLUE, or YELLOW?  
(I've played BLACK a few times but none of the rest.)

AND, most importantly:

Can anyone recommend one or two pizza place's in Brooklyn?
From my research it looks like I need to try Totonno's and Di Fara's, both seem to be minutes off my route (Belt Pkwy/Southern State.)  Though I'd like some suggestions from people who've actually eaten there.

Thanks.

[Phil McDade]

Pizza whore

[Keith OHalloran]

My personal order of preference is Black, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow.
As for Pizza, if you are in Brooklyn, you have to try and eat at Grimaldi's. Again, personal opinion, but the REALLY long line seems to be full of people that agree.

[Jud_T]

I've heard DiFara's is the money...

[Tony Weiler]

Pizza whore

LOL, wouldn't he only be a Pizza Whore if he were actually asking someone to get him into one of the pizza joints?   

[JMEvensky]

Pizza whore

LOL, wouldn't he only be a Pizza Whore if he were actually asking someone to get him into one of the pizza joints?   

It's easier to get on some courses than it is to get in DiFara's.

[Phil_the_Author]

Why go to Brooklyn? You have King Umberto's in Floral Park and Mama Theresa's in Mineola; both make wonderful pies & Italian...

Play the Blue. The 2nd hole is one of the great par-4s that few have ever heard of or played outside of NY. 6 is a beautiful beast that will make you pray for a hooking drive. 4, 8 & 12 are three of the quirkiest par-5s you'll ever play that are infectiously fun.

Play the Yellow simply for the history of the 12th hole, a Tilly Reef hole that is a poor imitation of what it once was.

Play the Green for fun and joy. 3 for the blindest par-3 you'll ever see followed by 4 where your driver is saying yes I can but really, no you can't. 6 is just a great par-3 followed by two par-5s that are worth the play on 7&9. 10 is another where your driver is screaming yes I can, but once more... no you can't. Now 12... YES YOU CAN! followed by a par-5 on 13 that seems so much longer than 560 from on top of the hill (play from there if you play the course). 15 is a fun par-3 that drops down twice as far as #3 rises up. 16 good hole, 17 great hole, 18 very, very good finishing hole...

[JMEvensky]

Why go to Brooklyn? You have King Umberto's in Floral Park and Mama Theresa's in Mineola; both make wonderful pies & Italian...

Play the Blue. The 2nd hole is one of the great par-4s that few have ever heard of or played outside of NY. 6 is a beautiful beast that will make you pray for a hooking drive. 4, 8 & 12 are three of the quirkiest par-5s you'll ever play that are infectiously fun.

Play the Yellow simply for the history of the 12th hole, a Tilly Reef hole that is a poor imitation of what it once was.

Play the Green for fun and joy. 3 for the blindest par-3 you'll ever see followed by 4 where your driver is saying yes I can but really, no you can't. 6 is just a great par-3 followed by two par-5s that are worth the play on 7&9. 10 is another where your driver is screaming yes I can, but once more... no you can't. Now 12... YES YOU CAN! followed by a par-5 on 13 that seems so much longer than 560 from on top of the hill (play from there if you play the course). 15 is a fun par-3 that drops down twice as far as #3 rises up. 16 good hole, 17 great hole, 18 very, very good finishing hole...

Why go to Brooklyn?For the Sicilian pie at L and B Spumoni Garden.

I'm qualified to argue NYC pizza with you,but I'll definitely defer to you on all things AWT.

[Phil_the_Author]

JM,

I lived on Long Island and worked throughout the metro area for my first 40 years... Spumoni Garden is very good... but not worth the longdrive after an exhausting day in the heat at Bethpage...

[Tom Dunne]

Michael,

I live in Brooklyn and am a total pizza hound. DiFara's is excellent. Totonno's in Coney Island burned down last summer but is now open again. I haven't been back since the re-opening, but assuming things haven't changed, I'd give it the nod over DiFara's by a hair in the Old School bracket. Purely on product Grimaldi's in Dumbo can play in their league, but its location is much more on the tour bus route. Their increased exposure to tourists means they treat everyone really badly. One strategy for beating this is to order your pie to take away, then eat in the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge Park a block away. That's the scenario where I'd highly recommend Grimaldi's.

There's also a newer place called Lucali in Carroll Gardens that I think is actually better than all of them. Seriously. You can call ahead there and put your name on a list to deal with the wait.

All of these places have horrible lines if you're going at the usual dinner hour. A scheme of some kind is often necessary....  

[Jud_T]

Too bad none of them can hang with this place:


http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/01/great-lake-stunningly-good-pizza-in-andersonville-chicago-il-review.html

http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/200905/pizza-american-pie-25-best?currentPage=1

[Michael Blake]

Thanks for the insight guys.
Looks like I have a some difficlut choices to make regarding both golf and pizza.  But it seems I can't go wrong with any of them.

[Jeff Evagues]

If you play any course at Bethpage you won't have time for pizza because it will take you 6 hours for the round.

[Kyle Harris]

The 10-14 stretch on the Yellow is worth the play alone.

I find the Blue boring, but it has the better Alfred Tull holes.

Green or Yellow would be my choice, Green is wonderfully quirky.

[Michael Blake]

I played GREEN & ate Totonno's in Coney Island.

I hadn't been to Bethpage in a few years and I'd forgotten what a great facility NY residents have there.  I approached the window at 9:40 and got out as a single at 10:08. Joined three 60 year-old locals.  Perfect!

GREEN was a real blast to play. Doglegs that bend and bend, towering downhill tee shots (not much fun walking up to them though,) uphill approaches, cool-looking bunkers, wide fairways, fun par threes, interesting greens.

Very strange, but GREEN evoked a feeling that was the exact opposite feeling that BLACK has evoked in my few plays there.
I had a sense that GREEN was rooting for me (and for all the other average golfers out there that day.)  I felt that GREEN gave me every opportunity to score well, that it was there for the taking.

On the other hand, BLACK seems to be rooting against you.  It gives you no opportunities.  You have to EARN everything on BLACK.
You could simply say GREEN is easy, BLACK is hard.  But the FEELING I got can't be expressed so simply or clearly--if that makes any sense.

Totonno's had a line of maybe 15 people waiting outside to dine in.  I walked in, ordered, and in 15 minutes had my large pie to go.  I ate 5 slices in my car as I sat in bumper to bumper traffic on the BELT and Veranzzano.  Pizza was very good.  Not sure yet where it ranks on my list.  Need a couple more 'plays' before I decide.