989 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212-888-8816
The DoughDici pizza experience offered by Sofia Pizza Shoppe is not one to be missed. It’s even been called the “most exclusive pizza in NYC” by Gothamist and has garnered extensive coverage by several news outlets including the NYTimes, NYPost, NBC News, and many more.
So, what’s the hype all about? Well, first off, you can’t just pop into this NYC pizza joint. You have to pre-order a ticket via EventBrite. Clear your schedule though! This pizza is only offered two nights per week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there are three seatings per night: 7:30pm, 8:15pm, and 9pm. For the price of one ticket, $38, you’ll get two reserved stools (there are only four in the whole pizzeria so this is a big deal!) for a 45-minute seating, one DoughDici pizza, and two non-alcoholic drinks. More on the DoughDici below… but first take a look:
As you can tell, this certainly isn’t your average pizza. Co-owner Thomas DeGrezia explained what goes into making this pie (and rumor has it he gets in as early as 7 a.m. to check on the dough)!
DeGrezia explained that the dough is cold-fermented for three days before then rising for 12 hours (hence the name DoughDici — a nod to “dodici” which is Italian for 12) in an oil and cheese-lined pan that is then layered with ingredients: hand-made mozzarella, crushed tomato sauce, garlic, fresh basil, and a 36-month red cow Parmigiano-Reggiano. The ingredients remain fairly standard and true to a margherita pie so as to not detract from the real superstar here: “It’s all about the dough,” DeGrezia told me.
DeGrezia is right – this dough is out of control. The moment you bite into the crust of the DoughDici your mouth waters for another bite. Despite the two-inch depth of the crust, it’s the airiest dough I’ve ever bitten into with welcome notes of garlic and oil which gives the bottom of the crust a nice crispness that you can hear as you slice it or bite into it.
I worried the two of us wouldn’t be able to finish the whole thing, but I was proven wrong. Within 30 minutes, there was only a smear of red sauce left on the wooden board where our fresh DoughDici pie was served.
In short, this pizza is unlike anything else being served up in the city right now. While it’s a bit of a hike to First Avenue and 54th Street, especially for a venue that’s little more than a take-out joint, it’s well worth the trek. For many, pizza is just a convenience. It’s accessible and a frequent delivery order, for me at least. But every once in a while you want a pizza that’ll take you out of your comfort zone and introduce you to a new flavor combination or crust. The DoughDici is just that. It’s also only in NYC that you can pop into a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria and leave feeling well-fed and like you’re an insider who was invited into an exclusive club.
Sofia Pizza Shoppe’s DoughDici offers a truly unique experience, and for a reasonable $38 which proved well worth it. So if you’re one of the few who snags a ticket to try the DoughDici, welcome to the club. 🍕
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