New York Style Pizza: Ray’s Pizza
New York Style Pizza
There is a rule somewhere that says while you are in New York city you must have some pizza. Not just any pizza either – it has to be New York style pizza. Truthfully, if it isn’t a rule – it should be! New York style pizza is special and fabulous!
New York Style Pizza: What is the difference?
What makes New York Style Pizza so special is the crust. It is very thin, hand tossed and has a high gluten type bread flour. Some say the water makes all the difference in the world, too, because of minerals unique to New York City water. Some feel so strongly about the water being the magic ingredient, that is is often shipped cross country to be included in crust!
New York Style Pizza: How do you eat it?
New York Style pizzas are really big – usually 18 inches and cut into 8 slices. These large slices are then eaten by folding them in 1/2 to eat. The fold keeps all the toppings from falling off when you try to eat it.
New York Style Pizza: How long has it been around?
The very first pizzeria in the country was opened right here in New York city in 1905. Â Gennaro Lombardi, an immigrant from Naples, Italy opened a grocery store which sold pizzas baked in the store. Entire pizzas cost 5 cents, but since people couldn’t afford the whole pizza, they started selling slices. The pizza maker, Antonio Totonno Pero, later left to open his own pizza place on Coney Island called Totonno’s.
Pizza itself though has been around since….drum roll, please….. 997 AD. Yep, the word pizza appears in a Latin text saying that the tenant was supposed to give the bishop 12 Â pizzas every Christmas day and again on Easter Sunday. I can think of worse payments can’t you?
New York Style Pizza: Ray’s Pizza
This chain has had a lot of changing hands and arguing over who is the original ‘Ray’. There are quite a few people who insist they are the original Ray of Ray’s Pizza.
What is awesome about Ray’s is you can duck in off the street and quickly have a slice of pizza heaven to go. There was one just a stone’s throw from the hotel we stayed at during our last New York visit The Renaissance Hotel Times Square.
I like veggies on my pizza. I really do like veggies, but they also make me feel a little less guilty about eating pizza. Whatever works, right? All the pizza starts the same way – thin crust, a little bit of sauce, mozzarella cheese and then yummy toppings. Choose the topping you love or the one that makes you feel the least guilty. They are all delicious!
Why mozzarella cheese?? Well, because it is simply the best at baking. Mozarella has the least free oil, the highest moisture, and good elasticity. Yes, people apparently measure such things. I’d love to bump into someone at a party one day and hear “I measure cheese elasticity at work. What do you do?” LOL!
Another thing to love about Ray’s is the atmosphere. This feels like the real New York – gritty, busy, in a hurry. Step up to the counter and give your order to the pizza guy. He will be a man of few words. No need to chit chat here – order your pizza and move on. As a very friendly and talkative Texan this is an interesting experience. Enjoy it because when in Rome – do as the Romans do! Real New York style pizza in New York is a GREAT and very tasty experience.
 The Educational Tourist’s Traveling Food Rules:
Rule Number One: Â Not all sightseeing is done with your eyes.
Try the local fare. Try what is unique and different! Compare to the way things are cooked back home. Which do you like better? Find a recipe and see if you can recreate at home.
Rule Number Two: Calories on vacation don’t count!
Have a piece of dessert. Have a glass of wine. Eat the chocolate they leave when they turn down the sheets at the hotel. Have gelato in Italy! Enjoy waffles in Belgium! Eat the bread in Paris! Live it up and……count calories and exercise when you get home. Life is short – enjoy it!
Read up before you go!
If you are headed to the big apple, you’ll be interested in my review of the perfectly located Renaissance Hotel right in Times Square. Wondering what to do while you are in New York? Read my posts on The Guggenheim Museum and Estiatorio Milos Restaurant for some great traveling ideas!
If you are taking the kids to New York City be sure to prepare them! Kids who have a preview will have a deeper understanding of what they will see. When you read to children about the things they’ll see they lay down a layer of information in their brain. Schools call this schema building. When you have a strong foundation of information, you have a place to put all the new information you gain while you travel.
The Educational Tourist travel guides for kids are written just for kids! I use my background as a school teacher (15 years) to write things kids can use, what they are interested in, and at their level!
Click and download yours today! Â Adventures in New York
Save money and time on your vacation with the New York City Pass! We love these passes and use them at every opportunity. We save money on things we are planning on seeing and sometimes save time by skipping the lines. Â I have NEVER regretted buying the City Pass and neither will you!
Click the banner below and save 40% on all the top things you’ll want to see in New York City!
*The Empire State Building Experience
*American Museum of Natural History (If you have kids do NOT miss this one!!)
*The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Read how much fun we had!
*Tops of the Rock Observation Deck OR Guggenheim Museum I LOVE the Guggenheim!
*Statue of Liberty &Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
*9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Don’t miss the library! See the famous statues and the REAL Winnie the Pooh!
CLICK HERE – New York City Library and Winnie the Pooh
Happy pizza travels!
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
Fun stuff! Thin crust pizza is my favorite and the idea of folding one slice sounds like heaven. Good for Ray’s!
We love the local fare when travelling and it is a must to try all the foods you can. The pizza looks amazing and delicious. If we ever make it to the big apple pizza will be on the list
You had me at thin crust. Yummm. It’s interesting that you mention the water making the pizza taste so good. I just heard of this for the first time a couple days ago and it’s definitely something to consider. Oh, and calories definitely do not count on vacation, not with all that walking and exploring to be done! 😉
NYC pizza is definitely one of my favorite foods. I had no idea about the water being shipped to other places. I have relative from NYC and they insist they have the best tasting water 🙂
I’m a fan of any thinner crust pizza and this looks to fit the bill. I love how you mentioned local, as the locals know and local is so important when exploring an area. The pizza often says a lot about the area!
Love the ‘calories on vacation do not count’. It is good to know more about New York style pizza aside from just eating eat. Very informative.
Like the history around New York Style pizza. Had plenty of it last time I was there! Can’t beat a thin crispy crust!
Thanks! Sure would love to have a slice now!
No doubt!!!
I love to hear that calories on vacation don’t count. I have to eat gluten free, so I’m always looking for places with gluten free crusts. But my kids love all types of pizza! I liked reading about the history of New York style pizza in your post.
Haven’t been to the states yet, but when I do go, this is definitely on my bucket list.I love Pizzas but there is something different all together to have a New York style pizza in New York.
wow this looks really peaceful. I would have never thought of going to a place like this but you have definitely encouraged me to pay it a visit. Great pics as well. Was it expensive to visit or was it somewhat affordable? I find touristic places to be a bit expensive 🙂
Peaceful? I guess as peaceful as a pizza place can get in New York Times Square!
I loved the fact that you have so many little tidbits of information on your post. Learnt so much about pizza today. Going to subscribe to your blog. 5 cents for a pizza and they couldn’t afford it? Times, they change.
Times sure do change! Thanks for subscribing. Welcome!
Yummy! I love New York Style pizza because they’re big and they really don’t scrimp on the ingredients 🙂 Ray’s sounds like a great place to grab pizza. Here in the Philippines, we have something similar called S&R. Great New York style pizza!
I would love to try that out!
I had no idea New York style pizza was a thing! I’ll definitely make sure to pay more attention on my next visit. I can’t wait to taste it for myself now!
Oh my goodness, I was already hungry but reading this post made me even more so! That pizza looks and sounds so delicious. Also, I totally agree that not all sight seeing is done with your eyes. Experiencing new places is definitely all about the smells and tastes that come along with the sighs!
And pizza is always a good idea, right? 🙂
I always make it a point to eat pizza when in NY and we have some great slices. I agree it definitely should be a rule! I do struggle with the ‘fold’ though as its not normally my style.
I love NYC pizza!! The slices are sooooo big! On our first trip we ordered a pizza to share between the two of us and it was crazy big!
Love your food rules for traveling! Ha, so fun. And I love the little history lesson about pizza–that’s so interesting!
The kids enjoy them, too. 😉 But….when you are talking about pizza..it is easy to convince them! 🙂
Natalie, I never heard of Ray’s. Your post reminded me that most of my favorite places in NYC do not sell slices.
They don’t? Well, I have to know where your favorites are so I can try them out!!
I like the theory about the water. I didn’t know it was shipped cross country though!
Thin crust pizza is my favorite kind of pizza and I’ll be glad to conform to the rule and eat a lot of NYC style pizza 😉