Stop #1: Salvatore of Soho, Staten Island

August 22nd, 2009 11:30am
We arrived at Salvatore of Soho, mouths watering and scorecards ready.
The group scores were as follows:
Cheese to Sauce Ratio: 3.38 out of 5
Crust: 4.7 out of 5
Taste Per Price: 3.4 out of 5 ($19.50 for Large Neapolitan Pie)
Assorted Comments: "Crust perfect crispiness with good amount of 'char' flavor." -Anneka Fagundes; "I like the little burn spots on the bottom." -Emily YoungRated #16 by New York Magazine: Salvatore of Soho, 1880 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island
Although the Salvatore in question (Sal, for short; last name Ganci) now resides in that hinterland, he grew up in Sheepshead Bay and got his start in the pizza business at Famous Ben’s of Soho (actually in Soho). “Since I’m 15, I spent most of my time in Manhattan,” he says. “When I’d go home to Brooklyn, they’d call me Soho Sal.” Now, he’s making the best pie in a borough that prides itself on the stuff. It’s Old School New York Neapolitan hybrid pizza served in a snug, nostalgia-heavy shop. Thanks to an infernal coal-and-gas oven with a revolving floor (Sal’s own design), the crust gets so crisp and blackened the menu comes with a disclaimer: “served charred and well done.” S.O.S. makes a decent clam pie, but our favorite is the plain old cheese-and-tomato with house-made mozzarella.