Four of us sailed out on a Staten Island pizza trawl, and we pulled in a good one.
This was the first time we'd tried a pie topped with scungilli (often translated as "conch," though typically what's served is some type of whelk), so we hedged with half scungilli, half plain ($21.25). The exceptionally thin crust was crisp, almost crunchy, and the sauce had a great tang to it, though the scungilli would make an even better impression on the sauceless version. Tough call, though: The "plain" pizza is anything but plain.
Bargain hunters will complain that Joe & Pat's pies are too skimpy for the price; a solo diner who can pack it away (and won't be visiting four or five more venues) might happily down two pies, one plain, one scungilli. Dessert might be a stretch.
Note to Jerseyites: The fellow at the register told me that Ciro's, near the Outerbridge Crossing, is run by the same family as Joe & Pat's, with the same style of pie.
Joe & Pat's
1758 Victory Blvd., Staten Island
718-981-0887
