We finally visit Mano's Pizzeria (also, Uncle Sam's pepperoni squares and Carvel)

I've been in the New York area since January due to some family issues, and we've been wanting to go to Mano's for a while. It's a bit of a trek from our normal locations in Manhattan and Hoboken, so it's never happened. Until now. We tried to make it happen on the first nice weekend of the year in early May, but were foiled by construction on the M train. Finding ourselves downtown with no train to connect to, we did the next logical thing and went to a local fave of mine, Uncle Sam's Pizza on Clinton St. just off Houston. We did eventually make it out to Mano's a few weeks later and it was everything we had hoped for. We also made a pilgrimage to a real old-school Carvel shop a few blocks away. 00:00 - Intro and starting point at Bryant Park 00:26 - Disaster! The M train isn't running 01:20 - People waiting to get in to Katz's. Fools! 01:57 - Uncle Sam's Pizza 02:45 - Pepperoni squares 05:06 - Upside down squares 08:24 - M train at Myrtle-Wyckoff 08:58 - Mano's Pizzeria! Pizza heaven awaits 12:13 - Second round: Straight from the oven this time 13:42 - Third round: Pepperoni 15:15 - Verdict and walk through the hood 15:54 - A classic Carvel stand 17:17 - Outro and notes --------------------------------------------------- LOCATIONS: The M Train is a major pain in the ass - On weekdays it runs from Queens, down through Manhattan, across the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn, then hooks back up into Queens. On weekends, it only does the section from lower Manhattan (Essex-Delancy) to Queens. Except the weekend we tried, when it was only running as a shuttle service for the few stops at the very end due to construction. (The only segment that isn't covered by another line in some way.) We decided to take the L from Manhattan to Myrtle-Wyckoff and change to the M. Mano's is walking distance from the M station at Forest Ave., and a bit longer walk from the very end of the line at Metropolitan Ave. Uncle Sam's can be reached from any of the trains going through the lower east side including the B, D, F, J, M, Z. https://new.mta.info/map/5256 FOOD: Uncle Sam’s Pizza makes amazing spicy pepperoni squares, as well as very good upside-down and grandmother slices. (The latter not tasted in the video, but I've had it before.) But if it's your first time and you don't mind a bit of spice, forget anything other than the spicy squares. 17 Clinton St. https://www.unclesamspizzanyc.com Mano’s has great regular slices. Everything else is great too, but the regular is so perfect you shouldn’t miss it. It's really the best regular pizza by the slice I've ever had. If you want something else, they have other options, but it's mostly the classic NYC selection, not newer-style "gourmet" slices, which is why I asked if they're the best "regular" slice. Watch the video to find out. 62-98 Forest Ave., Queens https://www.manospizzeria.nyc Carvel has multiple independent locations, so they can vary. This classic stand is on Metropolitan Ave. at Forest Ave. 56-12 Metropolitan Ave., Queens https://locations.carvel.com/ny/ridge.... --------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE CHANNEL: Hi, I'm Michael aka the Reluctant Adventurer. This channel started as an add-on to my Reluctant Adventurer blog and originally contained brief clips to illustrate blog posts, but more recently, I'm enjoying doing videos that tell the full story of the trip in a way that's very different from the way it comes out when I write it up. Topics include motorcycle travel, outdoors, and general road trips, but I'll also fill in with more urban and local adventures wherever I may be. I don't travel to go to the "best restaurants." I don't travel to fancy resorts. I don't travel to see the "must see" things. I don't travel for the nightlife. I avoid detailed itineraries like the plague. I travel to get away from these things. I go to explore. I often go off-season, staying in less expensive places, seeking out things that aren't the "normal" tourist attractions. Major plus if any of those things involve being out of cellphone range. Join me at ‪@reluctantadv‬ .