I'd like to work in a minimalist manner. So I am trying to remove some of the top level menus that I do not use.
I don't see anything obvious in the Customize window. Am I missing something simple?
You're very close. Go back to Customize (right-click in the menu or toolbar areas), then choose the "Commands" tab instead of the default "Toolbars".
With the "Menu Bar" option selected, you can delete, move, or create high-level menu items, or dive into each menu and customize items. If you make a mistake, click Reset All.
For minimalist coding, I'm also a fan of Full Screen mode (VIEW -> Full Screen or Shift+Alt+Enter).