Lucali

The experience: Waiting in line for the city's best pizza
Among New York City’s iconic foods, pizza is a golden child. The dish arrived from Southern Italy in the early part of the 20th century, and eventually, the NYC-style slice was born—inspired heavily by Neapolitan technique but cooked inside a coal oven. Since pizza is so near and dear to our hearts, we’ll happily go stand in line at Lucali, a Carroll Gardens institution opened in 2006 by Mark Iacono that does a truly magical take on our beloved pie. Iacono does everything the old-fashioned way—from a made dough that takes 24 hours to proof, to house-marinated tomatoes for the sauce, he bakes the pies in a scorching hot wood oven, creating that bubbly, crispy crust. Grab a spot in line ahead of its 5 pm opening time (closed on Tuesdays), and take note: it’s cash only. And swing by the nearby slice shop Baby Luc’s, which is their first expansion venture.