Coney Island and Totonno Pizza

Given the recent interest in Coney Island--to develop or not to develop--and the 90 degree weather Sunday, I decided that the kitschy strip of Brighton Beach needed a visit. Sunday was unbelievably crowded, with all walks of life exposing themselves to the elements. A few things I learned from observance: Seagulls are just as disturbing as pigeons when being fed en masse, Shoot the Freak appeals across social and economic classes, and high-heeled shoes do *not* make for good footwear on the boardwalk. There's something uniquely Brooklyn about the place, and it seems dangerous to mess with nostalgia. Walk more than a block from the beach, though, and it's easy to see why this area needs a little economic kick-in-the-ass. It's not that I want to see the Freak Show or the wonderfully greasy food shacks be pushed out by a beachside Olive Garden, but the area is obviously suffering.

At least half the reason for our trip was Totonno Pizzeria Napolitano. The oldest continuously operating pizza parlor in New York churns out some fantastic thin-crust pies. The freshness of the dough and the cheese blows the competition out of the water. In fact, the place smelled so good that I forgot to take a photo of our pizza until we'd consumed all but the last two pieces--which we promptly ate right after taking this photo.  While waiting for a table outside, we had the chance to talk with a couple who'd been going to the restaurant for the past 20 years. They recommended a few old Brooklyn favorites you may be reading about in the coming weeks.