🌉BEST OF BROOKLYN ALERT🌉 Established in 2012 by original Grimaldi’s owners, Patsy & Carol Grimaldi, who “unretired” to open Juliana’s, named after Patsy’s mother, Juliana Lancieri, whose brother Pasquale founded the legendary Patsy’s Pizzeria in East Harlem, NY in 1933! All 3 of those pizzerias are part of a historic coal oven contingency that creates classic coal-fired New York pizza. Juliana’s is also part of the DUMBO “tourist trap” pizzerias, along with Grimaldi’s right next door & Ignazio’s right around the corner, all underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, in the borough of $30 pizzas. While Grimaldi’s name carries the clout, Juliana’s can certainly hold its own with very similar coal-fired pies commissioned by the legendary Patsy Grimaldi himself. You won’t find any cardboard pizza boxes here; all takeout pies are placed in a white paper bag to maintain that coal oven crispness. Rather surprisingly, the dough is somewhat soft with a beautifully blackened & charred undercarriage to go along with smokey coal fired flavor & classic Brooklyn dough tastiness. Relatively thin, the pie isn’t quite as crispy or firm as I had hoped; but the thin, crunchy, delicious crust makes up for the lack of crisp in the center of the pizza. Very similar to Grimaldi’s cheese, the marvelously melted fresh mozzarella is spread around in upside down Margherita style fashion, hugging the dough with the sauce atop the cheese. The quality mozz is delectable with a wonderfully creamy consistency, generously dispersed across the surface of the pie. Bursting with robust tomato flavor, the sauce is scintillatingly sweet, sensationally seasoned & slightly savory with plenty of pizzazz & punch. Shining brightly, the sauce accentuates the best qualities of the other ingredients with a distinctly delicious taste that separates this pie from basic New York pizza. Some might say this is imitation Grimaldi’s pizza; I’d say it’s an improved version by the man himself. Ever since they started franchising, Grimaldi’s feels more commercial & mass produced; Juliana’s seems to maintain an old school Brooklyn charm with a personal touch. Aside from the lofty prices, the lengthy wait times & the overall difficulty to get to this part of Brooklyn, this is truly terrific legacy pizza, worth traveling for, especially if you like this original Grimaldi’s style & coal oven char.
