Photo by Juliana White
The Eat: Pizza by the slice, New York-style.
The Place: La Capaninna in Wainscott.
The Story: Moving from New York City to anyplace that is not New York City is, from the perspective of a person who very much loves food, devastating. Yes, there are wide-open green spaces outside of the City, and yes, you can forego the walk-up apartments and the cockroach infestations and the smell of hot garbage on summer nights, and, of course, the rats. But can you get a hot slice of pizza that remains mystifyingly crisp at 2:30 in the morning? Can you heal the wounds of whatever ails you with great pizza from even the shadiest joint in the neighborhood?
Mostly, the answer to these questions is no. There is some palatable pizza on Long Island, sure, but there’s not anything quite like the classic slice place, where your desires are delivered hot, immediately, and without much impact to your bank account. Actually, let me revise that last statement. There is one place that comes close to replicating the magic of the City slice, and that place is La Capannina.
You can order other things at La Capannina. Other good things, like the rich pasta e fagioli, which just tastes like it has been concealing a Parm rind in its broth. Or the garlic knots, which are terrific. But you’ll stay for the slice, I’d wager, which will see a brisk reheating in the oven before arriving to you on paper plate. Don’t let the enthusiasm win out. You’ll burn your mouth. In the time it takes to shake a pizzeria-style dose of red pepper flakes and granulated garlic on your slice, it will be cool enough to eat.
