The Final Hungry Hungry Hank
Volume 7: The Last Dance
For my last ever volume of HHH I knew I had to go big. Under the current circumstances we are living through, it is hard to go big. I couldn’t travel to the best restaurants on the East Coast, but I could have them come to me. With the help of GoldBelly, a website that ships nationally recognized food across the country aiming to empower small businesses, I was able to have one more amazing culinary experience.
Di Fama pie
I had a very pleasant experience with Goldbelly placing two orders. The website was easy to navigate and offered a lot of options for varied types of food. Both orders were delivered on time, as scheduled. The food is vacuumed sealed and packed with dry ice to remain frozen. The process to store and prepare the food is really easy and all of that information is found on GoldBelly’s website. While the food wasn’t fresh out of the oven, it definitely got the job done and so much more. My only knock on the experience is that the food is quite pricey.
I decided to select two places that are not local, but are drivable if you are looking for an adventure in the future. The first place I ordered from was Di Fara in Brooklyn, NY. This classic pizza joint is considered by some to have the best slices in the world. Barstool Sports President Dave Portnoy who reviews pizza gave this slice a 9.4/10, his highest rating ever. I had been planning to visit this restaurant during the Hi’s Eye staff field trip to Brooklyn this spring, but unfortunately, our trip was canceled due to the coronavirus.
My anticipation for this slice was out of this world; my expectations were sky-high. I was hoping to be dazzled. One would think that pizza needs to come fresh out of the oven to taste good, but not necessarily. After heating up and finishing a pie, I immediately had to heat up another because I could not get enough. Di Fara uses more sauce than the usual pie which I enjoyed. The cheese was the perfect partner in crime for the sauce as both ingredients danced on my tongue in an elegant fashion. The thin crust was crisp and the bottom was doughy, yet firm. Without a doubt, this was my favorite slice of pizza ever, and when Di Fara opens up, I can’t wait to visit in person.
The other place I ordered from was Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse, NY. With locations across the tri-state area, Dinosaur BBQ has established itself as one of the best BBQ spots in the entire country. I knew I had to get my hands on their ribs. This dish takes a little longer to prepare but it is well worth it. First, you pour the extra sauce they give you onto a sheet tray and place ribs on top. Then, roast the ribs uncovered for 30 minutes. Finally, brush the top with the sauce and allow it to caramelize in the oven for 1 minute under the broiler setting.
My first bite into the meat was absolutely electric. The BBQ sauce was balanced exquisitely being equal parts sweet, yet tangy, plus there was a little kick. The meat was falling off the bone and I devoured a full rack by myself. I have only had really good BBQ one other time and that was in Nashville, TN, but Dinosaur was just as good, if not better, and is easily the best BBQ in the northeast.
I couldn’t have been happier with my final two meals for this epic journey. Writing this column was something truly special that I will never forget. Thank you to everyone for the support along the way. Hungry Hungry Hank signing out.
Calories for the meals: 3,295 Calories
Final Calorie Counter: 21,945 Calories
