Day 6, 2021: Benny Casanova's (Harlem, NYC)

DAY 6: OCTOBER 6th, 2021

LOCATION: Benny Casanova's (3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027)

GUEST(S): Robin Rothman, Erik Tanouye, Diana Matuszak

ORDER: 1.5 slices of Benny's Famous (Mozzarella, tomato sauce, parmesan, basil)

REVIEW: 
Seductive Sicilian. Thanks to Benny Casanova, the Manhattanville area of West Harlem has a contemporary pizzeria producing traditional Sicilian style pizza out of what is called a "ghost kitchen."  But, no need to get scared, instead, get hungry. A ghost kitchen is a cooking facility set up for takeout and delivery meals only. Benny Casanova is part of a food hall located on the first floor of the Jerome L. Greene science center.  They are the ones selling mammoth sized slices and gargantuan pies with tiptop ingredients cooked in an electric PizzaMaster oven. These rectangular products are thick and filling yet surprisingly light. Benny Casanova's uses a higher hydration dough that permits and even encourages reheating of leftovers. Their website's menu even includes reheating instructions "for the best experience." I recommend ordering a slice or, if you go the route of a pie, order it well done to ensure a thorough bake.  The Benny's Famous pie comes loaded with multiple melted cheeses, ample amounts of savory tomato sauce and garnished with fresh basil. With six signature pies and high quality ingredients including imported Italian cheeses and meats, I wish I could have tried them all. If I lived or worked in the area, I'd order from Benny Casanova's all the time.

PHOTOS:

up close

breaking the tamper seal

Benny's Famous Pie

Menu board

The slice options

Day 6

MISCELLANEOUS:

Robin, Diana, Erik, Sean

1. Diana Matuszak's houseplant hack of watering them from the bottom up seems to be working.

2. Erik Tanouye has a film fest screening of one-word title films planned for his birthday (at the end of the week) that includes Mank, Shirkers, Pariah, Destroyer, and Vail on Netflix, HBOMax, Hulu, and Amazon Prime respectively.

3. In order to avoid the crowds of rush hour on the train, Robin and I took Citibike e-bikes (electronic bikes) from midtown to Harlem via the Hudson River Greenway.  It was beautiful at sunset and the e-bikes made me feel superhuman on the hills.

RATING:

4.03/5

• VALUE:
  3.5/5


• AMBIENCE:
  2.5/3


• TASTE:
  8.5/10


• SERVICE: N/A

14.5/18 = .806 x 5 = 4.03