Joe & Pat's NYC

"What It Is: The East Village location of a famous pizza place on Staten Island Perfect For: Casual Weeknight Dinner, Classic Establishment When we heard that Joe and Pat’s on Staten Island - one of our top 20 favorite pizza places - opened their first-ever Manhattan location, we had two immediate thoughts, in this order: 1) mmm vodka pizza and 2) will it live up to the original? Good news: the pies in the East Village are as delicious and crackery-thin as they are in Staten Island. It’s a bit more expensive than the original restaurant, but there’s a full bar and the vodka pie is like an excellent edible tie-dye shirt made of sauce and cheese. The Verdict: If you don’t live there, you no longer have to take the Staten Island Ferry to get some of the best pizza around. We’ve added it to our [Hit List](Hit List." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren

"This is the first Manhattan location of a famous Staten Island pizza place that makes excellent cracker-thin pies, plus some good pastas and sides. It only moved into this space relatively recently, but it feels like it could have been here for a few decades, and for an East Village spot, it’s generally pretty calm on weeknights. Whatever else you order, get a vodka pie for the table." - hannah albertine

"Oh you’ve had Rubirosa? Did you know that Rubirosa wouldn’t exist without the cracker-thin pies at Joe & Pats? Did you also know that the East Village location of this famous Staten Island pizza place has a somewhat-secret back patio where you can sit outside now. OK we will stop asking questions. Focus on the vodka or a white clam pie, and ask if you can sit in their backyard (even though they also have sidewalk seating available)." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren

"Joe & Pat’s stands out from some of the other casual Italian places in the East Village because of how relaxed it is. Even on a Friday night when most people are with big groups ordering a bunch of pizza, the one-room space somehow doesn’t get too loud. In terms of food, the pastas are the unsung heroes of the menu. (There are 12 different kinds to choose from.) They’re mostly $20, but they’re giant, so you’re basically paying for dinner and the following lunch/late-night fridge session as well." - hannah albertine

"For travelers, there’s no “walking in” to Joe & Pat’s, considering it can take a train, ferry, and bus to get to this Staten Island staple. But it’s worth the trek for aficionados hoping to cross the borough’s best pizza off the bucket list. The decor (there's a cloud-painted ceiling) is part of the charm. The dough is so delicately cracker-thin that it snaps as it folds in half. The sauce, slightly sweet with a touch of tang, is dolloped with just enough mozzarella, and not too much to weigh it (or you) down. The Tri Pie is topped with swirled tomato sauce, pesto sauce, and vodka sauce with fresh mozzarella." - Andrea Whittle, Jessica Kelly