It's really 4.5 stars, but I'll bump up a half for a couple of outstanding things. Get to that later. In the end, Grimaldi's is a legit pizzeria that does everything right. Great atmosphere for a pizza joint, great service all-around (although it can sometimes be a bit slow), and the best made pizza I've yet found.
So let me explain the "best made" part a bit. I can't quite say Grimaldi's pizzas are the best TASTING pizza I've had, although it is among them. By "best made", I am talking about the parts that made the whole.
- Fresh toppings, including things like real basil leaves, real chopped garlic, etc.
- Sauce that's not too much, not too little
- (Outstanding #1) Real, white, sliced (not cut into little pieces) mozzarella cheese that eliminates much of the grease that you find at the typical NY pizza place (even in NYC)
- (Outstanding #2) Perfectly made crust that is slightly crispy outside, perfectly chewy without being overly firm inside, and not too bready
From ingredients and execution standpoint this really is a 5-star pizza. The sum of all it's parts, however, may fall a bit shy of that since I can't bring myself to truly give it a full 5-star taste. No matter, it's still close to it. Plus, their Caprese salad is the bomb! Fresh tomatoes and thick mozzarella chunks, bedded by giant, whole leaves of basil. Nyam, nyam, nyam! Where do they get those giant basil leaves?? And then top it all off with a glass of Peroni.
In my 4 visits to Grimaldi's I've never been disappointed. The only thing left to try is their calzone which, by the taste of their pizza crust, should be outstanding.
Table-for-1 Factor: I typically see most pizza joints as ideal solo dining spots. Grimaldi's may not exactly fit that bill, but they do have bar area where you can sit and nosh on your own. I don't see why not.