Sal & Carmine's holds a special place in my heart. I discovered it accidentally, and because of that, I've always taken a certain amount of pride in it. It wasn't a place I read about in a newspaper or blog. It was my discovery. Granted, humans are prone to inflate their importance in the affairs of the universe, and Sal & Carmines had a storied history and loyal customer base long before I happened upon it. But still, Sal & Carmine's will always be special to me - in much the same way that Columbus must have felt about the New World.
Sal & Carmine's is very much like a time capsule back to a different era. In a New York filled with an infinity of Duane Reade's and Chase Banks, Sal & Carmine's reflects a romanticized version of the city. And the pizza, as far as I'm concerned, ranks among the best in the 5 boroughs. Specifically when it comes to slice places, I find it impossible to believe there is any better.
Sal is no longer with us. Carmine, his brother, and two of Sal's grandsons, continue to operate the store. The pizza is excellent; the customer service is not exactly warm and chipper and some take offense to this. Sal & Carmine's has also refused to deliver for as long as they have been in business.
Over the past year, I'm not exactly sure when, a sign on the wall advertised a new Sal & Carmine's website and a Facebook page. I was a little taken aback, because wouldn't this seem to imply they actually considered their customer's needs and wants? (other than the need and want for excellent pizza, of course).
But today, I was completely shocked by another sign on the wall: Sal & Carmine's now delivers!
If you think I printed out this sign myself and taped it up onto a random wall, go to the website mentioned above and see for yourself. Honestly, this is about as transformational as when King John of England consented to the Magna Carta.
Sure, their delivery is limited to just Saturday and Sunday "afternoons," but still, this is a giant leap for mankind.
I asked Luciano how long they've been delivering:
"About 3 weeks," he said.
"Really," I said?
"Yeah, it was my idea."
"Is he ok with it," I said, looking over at Carmine.
"Him? I'm the one in charge here."
Luciano also had something to say about the website and Facebook page:
"My wife does that. I don't know nothing about it!"
Sal & Carmine's on the internet and delivery service: these are amazing times we are living in!