Bayou Beast
Bayou Beast Pie
The first time I went to Two Boots would have been sometime in the mid-’90s while watching some show at the now-defunct Brownie’s on Avenue A. I loved stopping by to pick up a slice and Bayou Beast became my favorite. Many friends have experienced epic jaunts to New York City with a requirement that we stop at Two Boots to get a slice of Bayou Beast.
The Crust-side View
On a recent visit to NYC, I decided to stop by and pick up a slice. For some reason, Bayou Beast wasn’t in the glass case where the slice pies were. I’d come this far, I went ahead and ordered up a whole Bayou Beast pie. I got a small for $10.95 and it was worth the price and slightly longer wait.
One More Look
Is it the best pizza I’ve ever had? No, not at all. The crust is a chewy thin crust that’s dusted in corn meal, nothing really special. However, there’s just something about the spicy toppings that is incredible: crawdads, barbecue shrimp, andouille sausage, and jalapenos.
The Avenue A shop looks as though it’s seen better days. It has a video store connected that seems to be rapidly shrinking and the standalone restaurant that was once across the street is no longer open. The Pioneer Theater above the slice shop also closed in the fall of 2008. But, Two Boots does seem to be expanding into other locales, with spots in Bridgeport, CT and Los Angeles.
The menu does feature several other exotic slice combinations named after various celebrities and movie characters including The Dude (Cajun ham, ground beef, cheddar), The Newman (sopressata and sweet Italian sausage white pie), Tony Clifton (wild mushrooms, sweet red pepper pesto, Vidalia onions), and Mr. Pink (marinated chicken, plum tomatoes, fresh garlic). It’s nostalgic for me to stop in to visit Two Boots and Bayou Beast is my favorite combination on the menu.
The Fifth Dimension
Verdict: Nostalgic for me (which skews my opinion, I’m sure), great spicy, Cajun influenced toppings.
Tags: andouille sausage, cajun, crawfish, new york city, pizza, shrimp
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