- My name is Prez, and I work at Thrillist.
Around these parts, I'm known as the 5 Dollar Lunch Guy.
Every episode, I'm gonna put you guys on to
the very finest New York grub for $5 or less.
Oh, hey, new mission? OK.
Oh, you didn't. Pizza!
I've been waiting for this one since Episode 1.
Pizza, it's the one that you guys
have been calling for since the beginning.
Whether it's you guys in the comments or the people
that we've spoken to in the streets.
Now, everybody has their own favorite joint
that they swear by.
And there are a million, million pizza joints
all over the city that serve an amazing slice
for under five bucks.
But I feel if I were to take you
to just any old joint, that would just be wrong.
So we're gonna go to a real establishment:
Patsy's Pizza in East Harlem.
Now, while they have a few establishments
by the same name all over the city,
the one in East Harlem's been open since 1933,
and is one of the oldest in the city.
I mean it ain't close, but it's worth it.
Let's go.
So these are the rules of "Operation Five Buck Lunch":
It's gotta be good, 'cause nobody wants bad food for lunch.
No big chains, 'cause that's just too easy.
It's gotta be $5 or less.
And whatever I don't use today
rolls over into the next episode.
(lively music)
If you had to choose between New York-style,
Chicago-style, and thin-crust, which one would you go for?
- New York.
- New York-style? Why is that?
- I've had all of the above,
and there's no pizza in the world like New York.
- Oh I'm a big thin-crust fan.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Toppings? What are you going for?
- I do pepperoni and caramelized onions.
- I'm pretty open to anything on a pizza.
Especially Nutella.
- That's a first, that is the first I'm hearing that one.
What is absolutely unacceptable to put on a pizza?
- Pineapples.
- Definitely no pineapple.
Golden rule. - (laughs) Yes!
- I don't do the ham and pineapple.
- Pineapple.
- Do you have anything for those pineapple eaters?
- Yeah. Get a life. (laugh from off-screen)
- There you go.
- Pizza is a gift, why would you ruin it like that?
- Can't do it.
(shutter clicking)
(lively music)
Talking to people, you quickly learn
that pizza in this town is territorial.
But while we didn't expect everyone to agree
on a single place, I think we can all agree,
as New Yorkers and decent human beings,
you're not supposed to put pineapple on pizza.
Now with all of that talk, I'm starving.
Let's go eat.
(lively music)
- Here we are, in front of the legendary Patsy's.
Also Patsy's.
Also, also Patsy's.
Crazy, right? I mean this is a long pizza store, man.
Anyways, we are here, First Ave., 118th --
technically between 117 and 118, but you know what I mean.
Let's go inside.
Hey man, look at this beautiful, classic,
historic, New York slice. I mean, look at this char.
Look at this char, man. This is beautiful.
It's thin, like a razor almost.
And it's flexible where it counts, it smells amazing.
Make sure you get your fold in.
Of course you have your cheese and your sauce.
This seems to be more cheese than sauce,
but I guess we're gonna find out in the bite.
It's the quintessential New York slice.
This is what slices are supposed to taste like.
Not fancy with like pineapples,
or like all that weird stuff.
Just a plain slice -- you can't go wrong.
It's not too thin, it's crunchy where it matters,
and it's flexible where it counts, you know.
And the sauce is savory, it's a mild savoriness,
it's not too sweet, it's not that second-wave sweet sauce.
Mm, wow.
You know what's weird?
There are some people who eat pizza
and then throw away the crust.
Now people who do that,
it means you're not getting a good crust.
Like a charred crust is the best part, like...
Oh, another thing, always leave a little bit
of pizza when you're eating your crust
so that you're still getting it all together.
What they have in New York slices,
most times is a mother dough, or a mother yeast.
It's the yeast from which the original slice
of pizza that was ever made here, came from.
They continue to add on to that yeast to keep it alive.
Technically, this slice of pizza, is exactly the same
as it was almost over 100 years ago.
You're actually eating a piece of history.
Frank Sinatra, Yogi Berra, the Rat Pack, at some point,
came down here, to eat pizza, like,
that means they're doing something right.
The fact that like, they're the only place
to serve a slice out of a coal oven
means they're doing something right.
Last bite.
(claps) I'm set, I'm happy.
Let's go throw this out. I need some napkins.
Today's mission was pizza, finally.
Now while none of us are gonna agree
on anything regarding pizza in New York,
what you can agree on is that you can't replace
an establishment like Patsy's.
I mean it's kind of crazy to think that
that slice, as we know it, started here.
That was a complete mission as far as I'm concerned.
It's in budget, it's not a big chain, and it was delicious.
I'll see you guys next time. Peace.
(shutter clicking)
Thank you so much for watching my show.
If you guys love it, leave some love in the comments below.
Also, let me know what is your favorite place
to get pizza at.
Think I was gonna let you get away with that?
Tell me what you think.
Also, do you like pineapple on your pizza? (groans)
Anyways. Follow, like, share, subscribe,
if I haven't told you guys already.
And I'll see you guys next time, bye.