Stanley Tucci's Favorite Pizza Restaurant Is A Legendary NYC Hot Spot

Though he first found the spotlight as an actor, Stanley Tucci is now decidedly a fixture in the food world. He is also proudly Italian, having showcased his heritage through two seasons of his CNN series, "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy," two cookbooks, and his impossibly charming Instagram page (you've all seen him make a negroni, right?). Long story short, Tucci knows a lot about Italian food and is a great cook in his own right, so if he recommends a New York City pizza joint, we're listening.

When Tucci spoke with Tasting Table's Lucia Capretti, he told us all about his favorite pizza in the Big Apple. "I used to love to go to a place on Bleecker Street. John's Pizzeria, which I think is still there," Tucci revealed. "That was always really good because there's a really thin, beautiful crust. I love that."

At John's of Bleecker Street, which has been operating since 1929, pizzas are baked in coal-fired brick ovens — which may be the secret to that thin, crispy crust Tucci raved about. He prefers the margherita pizza, which adds a bit of fresh basil to a classic red sauce and mozzarella pizza. When it comes to great pizza, it's hard to mess with tradition.

For those of us who don't live a few blocks from Bleecker Street, it's still possible to enjoy amazing pizza at home. (We can't promise Tucci will come to eat it with you, but you can dream!) First, choose the right crust. At John's, the crust is thin and charred. Make Neapolitan pizza for that crispy-meets-chewy texture that only a thin crust can give you. This is not the time for deep dish. Next, make sure you're cooking at a high temperature. An outdoor pizza oven will let you crank the heat higher than your home oven's max (usually around 500 degrees Fahrenheit), which is the secret to a perfectly blistered bottom.

Finally, if it's margherita you're after, make each ingredient count. Keep your tomato sauce incredibly simple — just tomatoes, oil, and salt and pepper — and add a restrained amount of creamy mozzarella cheese. Most importantly, don't add your fresh basil until the very end. Yes, that's right: Wait to add the basil until after your pizza is cooked. This preserves the burst of freshness the herbs provide while allowing the hot cheese and sauce to really amplify the flavor. No dried, burnt bits of basil here.