Just Follow the Sign! (Or Lack Thereof)

Lee's Tavern, located in the Dongan Hills neighborhood is a low-key but not-so-secret hangout to many a Staten Islander.  The tavern is owned by the Palemine family, who have lived directly above the restaurant since 1969 when it first opened.  Although the restaurant's clientele may have changed over the years, the establishment itself remains pleasantly old-school.  This signless establishment stands directly across from the Dongan Hills train station, making it easily accessible to pizza fanatics all over the island.

I personally discovered Lee's tavern through my father.  For a long time it was an after-work hangout for him and his friends, and some of my fondest pizza-related childhood memories are of him bringing us a pie (half plain, half sausage) when he got home from work.  Now, having returned to it multiple times as an adult, I have gained a whole new level of appreciation for this delicious pizza and I'm glad that I've taken the opportunity to enjoy it at its source.

I took my fellow blogger Dan to Lee's last week, ensuring him that he wouldn't be disappointed...and he definitely wasn't!  The small-but-satisfying menu which consists mainly of traditional Italian appetizers like calamari and mozzarella sticks has an impressive selection of pizza toppings...especially for a place that looks like a dingy bar from the outside!

Above is a picture of our pizza.  We chose half calamari with mildly spicy sauce and half chicken and peppers.  The result was a circular mound of crisp, flaky deliciousness that combined an appetizer and a meal into one.  The calamari was perfectly tender and lightly breaded; we were originally going to go with the spicy sauce, however our waitress recommended that we go with the mild (which turned out to be the perfect heat.)  The other half of our pie (chicken and peppers,) was not exactly what we expected, but we were still pleasantly surprised.  Like the calamari, the chicken was cooked perfectly and breaded in the same chicken-cutlet-like batter.  We had expected the peppers to be the sweet red type, but we got jalapenos instead.  This was fine since we are both fans of spice, however to those of you who can't take the heat, proceed with caution when ordering this dish.

My beverage of choice was a Blue Moon (with an orange, of course!)  Its light body and slight sweetness was the perfect compliment to the spiciness of the pie.

 Overall, we were both very satisfied with our lunch and I highly recommend Lee's Tavern for the pizza connoisseur in all of you.  Just make sure to arrive at least 20 minutes earlier than necessary, as there tends to be a high demand for pies no matter what time you arrive!

For the basic pie menu go to http://www.leestavernsi.com/menu
The actual menu in the tavern has a few additions, including some basic pasta dishes and simple appetizers.

Buon Appetito!


....Also, feel free to comment and let us know what YOUR favorite local pizza joint is!  We're always open to stories and recommendations.