Pizza Pizza Pie at the Parlor in Dobbs Ferry
/As a parent, you’re going to be around a lot of pizza. So why not make it really GOOD pizza? There are many ways in which the suburbs are lacking when it comes to food, but good pizza is not one of them. We have several solid options around here, from Neapolitan style to bar pies.
One such very solid option is The Parlor in Dobbs Ferry, NY. If you’ve been, you know that it’s very good; AND, you know that you slice your own pizza pie with scissors provided. What kid wouldn’t love that??
Before we landed in Greenwich, my husband and I spent a few years renting in White Plains and back then, our favorite suburban dining spot was probably Chef/Owner David DiBari’s self-described “Italian Gastropub,” The Cookery, in Dobbs Ferry. Once we moved farther from that area and had our first child in 2011, we figured our Cookery days were numbered.
Lucky for us, in summer 2013, Chef DiBari opened his second restaurant, a more casual wood-fired pizza restaurant, also in Dobbs Ferry, called The Parlor. It’s still a tad far from Greenwich (more on this later), but it’s very good and very welcoming to kids, so we make the drive.
The Parlor’s ambiance is casual and edgy. It feels a bit more like a Williamsburg restaurant inside than a suburban one. There’s graffiti on the walls and in the bathroom, the tables are wooden and rustic and the chairs are mismatched. Servers wear Parlor t-shirts that mimic the Ramones logo.
The menu at the Parlor is simple in the sense that it only contains small plates, pizzas and a burger; but it’s also deceptively complex, because those pizzas and small plates are packed with intense flavors and far more interesting ingredients than the usual pizza spot.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the small plates on the menu. I love the fried Brussels Sprouts with Rice Krispies, parmigiano and chili honey. It comes to your table separated so to keep the Krispies crisp and you mix all the ingredients together right before eating. On our last visit, the Caesar salad was so rock star and it contained these greasy cheesy croutons (don’t think they were actually croutons) that we couldn’t stop talking about.
The pizza menu is equally delicious. All the pizzas are made in a giant wood burning oven right in the middle of the kitchen and in perfect view of our table on last visit. The kids loved watching the pizzas get made.
Dinner and a Show
There’s a simple Margarita for the kids, a Four Cheese pie (ricotta, mozzarella, scamorza, parmigiano, chili honey), a Shrooms pie (maitake mushrooms, caramelized onion, truffle oil, besciamella), an “Everything Bagel” pie (mozzarella, parmigiano, egg and everything bagel spice) - and that’s just the vegetarian offerings. My husband loves the Soppressata pie with pomodoro, mozzarella and vinegar peppers (soppressata is an Italian salami). On our last visit, I got the Clam pie, which had great flavors from the garlic and lemon and a nice kick from the chili added.
And as I mentioned above, each pie is served individually (though 3 people could easily split 2 pies, especially if you also order some small plates to start), and uncut along with a pair of scissors. Not only is it super fun to cut up your own pizza like you’re back at an Arts and Crafts table, but it allows you to take smaller or larger than the usual slices, if you want.
Just Me Cutting Some Pizza With Scissors
The Parlor also has a nice cocktail, wine and beer selection and some really tasty desserts to finish your meal. It’s one of those clutch spots that’s incredibly satisfying for adults, but also appropriate for the minions.
The Parlor is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to 11pm and Sunday from noon to 9pm. The same menu is served all day. Reservations are taken but walk ins work, too.
ANNNNNNDD, if you’re like me and follow pretty much every well regarded chef in the world on Instagram, you may have noticed recently that Chef DiBari has been cryptically pimping out a TBD restaurant he’s opening soon in Port Chester, NY. Knowing nothing about what this spot will be and when it will open, I am still VERY excited to have any sibling of The Cookery and The Parlor in my neck of the woods. Expect to hear from me again with a write up as soon as that spot opens - whatever it is!!
