Food Stuff

The best pizza in America arguably is found in New York, particularly at the old-school pizzerias where the brick ovens are fired with coal. When John Ruffaine, a Brooklyn native, decided to open Giovanni’s Old World New York Pizzeria in the South Land Park neighborhood, he aimed for the gold standard. While Giovanni’s doesn’t use a coal-fired oven (our air-quality police gasp at the thought), the pizza does bake on a scorching, 3-inch-thick stone to yield a thin, blistered crust that is crunchy on the outside and soft within. The sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, the whole-milk mozzarella is imported from the Empire State, and the toppings would be saluted anywhere in the five boroughs. Try the Bronx Bomber, with pepperoni, sausage (made locally to Ruffaine’s specifications), onions, peppers and olives. It’s pizza with heart, a sweet slice of the Big Apple. 5924 S. Land Park Drive, 393-7001.