A Short Term New Yorker's Pizza Advice
the pizza claw is out and she’s not messing around
Is there anything more pure than a slice of pizza? A handheld meal that’s suspiciously simple in form and utilitarian in function. It’s a cheap bite or a romantic dinner, an afterthought or a destination. And it is the patron saint of New York City (this is probably false). I had the discreet pleasure of temporarily relocating to the Center of the Pizza Universe thanks to an extended WFH policy. And thanks to a, er, global pandemic, my food-tourism was relegated to takeout and sparse outdoor dining. A traditional visit to NYC, nay, but a delicious one it was. We ate pizza in our apartment, on park benches, standing on the sidewalk, in the occasional parklet, and unashamedly, in the car with the seat warmers on high. As such, these recommendations are ambiance agnostic and focus on the goods themselves. Most are slice shops, with the requisite reheat, crisp roni cups, oily sheen, and elastic cheese. I also became intimately familiar with the square slice. Of Sicilian origin, it’s a thick thing with a greasier crust that nearly carmelizes when reheated in a hot oven. There are also ones that are Neopolitan in nature (charred and chewy crusts abound) but are slightly larger and with better structural integrity than their overseas cousins– a real hybrid situation. There are ones meant to be eaten on the go or with a nice natural wine, ones meant to be folded and scarfed or photographed and savored. There are ones you’ll encounter organically and ones you’ll need to travel to. To pick a favorite feels wrong because the range in the list is pretty broad and each slice is uniquely mind-blowing. However, if only to help you prioritize, I have attempted to rank them. So without further adieu, pizza on, my friends!
1. Scarr’s Pizza
This slice is a TEN! It has style, it has grace. The crust is made with 100% house-milled flour for peak yeasty flavors. The cheese is gooey and melty. The roni cups are small enough to pucker up around the edges and create little pools of grease inside themselves. The classic slice stands up to the fold-and-bite technique while the Sicilian square slice is fluffy and airy. It’s a high-low vibe if I’ve ever seen one, but a slice won't cost you more than a few bucks.
Lower East Side | 22 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 | Slice Shop
2. Ops
They say you can't be everything to everyone but they're wrong. Ops offers a satisfying hybrid of NYC sensibility (structural integrity on point), Neapolitan technique (charred crust all day), Bay Area style (sourdough baby!), and Brooklyn toppings (best of the best ingredients). For these reasons, I'm calling it the perfect pizza. And OMG don't you DARE leave without also plowing through a slice of the Grandma Pie, a delightful ode-to-slice-shop square of crispy fluffy cheesy goodness.
Bushwick | 346 Himrod St, Brooklyn, NY 11237 | Pizza Restaurant
3. L'industrie Pizzeria
An artisanal take on an otherwise salt of the earth craft. L'industrie is all about the crust, which is like if a baguette and a pizza had a baby, with its crunchy exterior and cavernous insides. It’s naturally leavened (duh) and speckled with toppings that are independently impressive. The whole thing comes together in an elegant and delicate thing of beauty.
Williamsburg | 254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 | Slice Shop
4. Barboncino
This one isn't on any SEO-optimized pizza hit lists, but it came highly recommended from viable sources and it did not disappoint. An NYC-Neapolitan pie with charred, puffy, and chewy crust plus a middle with structural integrity and delicate toppings. Go for the side of burrata for crust dipping purposes! All around a lovely place for a romantic meal.
Crown Heights | 781 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 | Pizza Restaurant
5. Joe’s Pizza
A classic for good reason! The slices here were choice material, with a crispy bottom thanks to a hot-oven reheat, cheese that hangs on for dear life as you take a bite, and roni cups you won't want to dab the grease out of. There are a bunch of these slice shops around town, so take comfort knowing Joe's is never far.
Greenwich Village (+ other locations) | 7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014 | Slice Shop
6. Dani's House of Pizza
Its own breed, Dani’s of Kew Gardens is known for its sweet sauce, which is a sugary sensation that’s a little surprising and a lot delightful. The crust is pastry dough-like in its suppleness, like how I imagine a Pillsbury pizza crust would taste in the best way. Probably a one slice max kinda pie, given the “tongue walloping” nature of it (according to Andrew).
Kew Gardens | 81-28 Lefferts Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415 | Red Sauce Joint
7. L&B Spumoni Gardens
It’s not actually a garden and looks a bit more like a mini golf entrance with lots of turnstiles and metal railings to guide the various lines (slice section, spumoni section, red sauce joint menu section). The slices are square, toppings are not on the menu and the whole transaction takes about 25 seconds. The slice itself looks unassuming– a square piece of bread topped with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of shredded shelf-stable parm. But get into it and you'll discover a world of magic. Sandwiched between the doughy focaccia-esque crust and the sweet tomato sauce is a layer of pure melted mozzarella, almost discrete in its creaminess. Surprisingly lovely and worth the trek to the outer bounds of town! Around since '39!
Gravesend | 2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223 | Red Sauce Joint
8. Front Street Pizza
A Dumbo pitstop worth making after putting your Instagram husband to work for *the* bridge pic or spelunking your way around the local vintage shops. This is your classic NYC slice, with herbaceous oregano-forward sauce beneath a sheet of cheetah print cheese with bowling alley qualities. The reheat does the bottom wonders for that illustrious crunch/roof-of-mouth burn masochism.
Dumbo | 80 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | Slice Shop
9. Williamsburg Pizza
An everyday kind of pizza, this one hits all the marks but doesn't leave you feeling gross. Cheese bubbles, herby sauce, and a stiff crust with some decent chew. Unlike some others, Williamsburg Pizza isn't satisfying on a primal level, but it gets the job done and is an institution in its own right.
Williamsburg (+ other locations) | 265 Union Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211 | Slice Shop
10. Best Pizza
The student becomes the teacher at Best Pizza, where Munchies “The Pizza Show” superstar Frank Pinello is at the helm of the wood-burning oven. A true blue New Yorker, his pizza blends old school Sicilian-American technique with clever Brooklyn-y toppings. While the Williamsburg location was closed when we stopped by, their Montauk outpost dished up oversized slices that did not disappoint. While I won't call it a “classic” NYC slice, it’s worth going to as a case study in pizza techniques from around the block. Worth noting: The pies we tried traveled about 30 minutes by car before we tucked into em– a fresh slice may have yielded a higher ranking!
Williamsburg & Montauk | 33 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 | Slice Shop
11. Paulie Gee's
An iconic institution in trendy Greenpoint with a cozy interior and silly pizza names. Sadly, our frigid COVID-induced alfresco dining experience diminished the allure a bit so this pie didn't quite stand up to the others as anything particularly memorable. Alas, here you will find plenty of clever topping combos to adorn your requisite Chewy Crusted pie. It's unclear if extra points should be awarded or if points should be deducted for the "side of cold butter" on the menu for crust spreading purposes. Sacrilegious or kitschy cute? Idk, you decide.
Greenpoint | 60 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222 | Pizza Restaurant
