"3"^^ . . "6"^^ . . "7"^^ . . "3"^^ . "2010-01-04T00:00:00"^^ . "I went to Bitondo's Pizzeria on a fluke and had my first panzarotti[1]. I'd seen signs for panzarotti at various pizza places in town but I wasn't sure what they were. (Pizza joints in NYC don't have them.) But, dang, it's pretty delish at Bitondo's. \n\nTHE FOOD\nTheir panzarotti ($5.99 including tax) kind of look like deflated calzones with softer crusts, rich with olive oil. My first couple of bites were all fried dough but when I got to the filling, it was like striking gold; a stream of molten mozzarella mingling with tomato sauce was unearthed. My one complaint: While it was still warm from the heat box, I wish it were made fresh so that the crust would be crisper and less greasy and the cheese more fluid.\n\nTheir pizza ($2.75 a slice), however, was a let down---yet still leagues above the nastiness of Pizza Pizza/Domino's/[insert pizza chain here]. I asked for \"a slice\" and got one loaded with pepperoni[2]. It had been sitting under a heating lamp and the counter guy didn't crisp it up in the oven so the crust was a soggy bleh. But the pepperoni was the real deal; intensely porky, spicy and flavorful.\n\nIf you're a bitter-flavors junkie like me, get a can of Brio ($1.25). It's an Italian soda that tastes like Coke flavored with Campari. For the rest of you, they have a vintage Coca-Cola cooler filled with cans of the usual stuff.\n\nThey also have sandwiches and pizza by the pie available.\n\nTHE VIBE\nIt feels like the quintessential neighborhood take-out spot in Little Italy. The space is small with a few tables and chairs. Eat in and you can check out the Italian soccer photos and posters on the walls, or play a few games of Ms. Pacman (Yes, I said Ms. Pacman!) on the table arcade for 25 cents a pop.\n=======================================\n[1] Is it overly correct to use \"panzarotto\" for the singular?\n[2] Isn't the standard slice just cheese?"^^ .