Joe's Pizza (7 Carmine St, New York, NY)
Cheese Slices ∙
Quintessential NY slice. Crust was burnt, just slightly rubbery…not the best. Sauce was very tasty…the highlight of the slice. Picked up at 12:15am on a Wednesday morning. If nothing else than the history, definitely deserves a revisit. Otherwise dependable slice with nothing to write home about. Have to give them credit for a midnight weekday cheese slice at $3 cash.
Claudio Pizzeria (10th Ave, New York, NY)
Cheese ∙ Pepperoni ∙ Fried Chicken & Pep Slices ∙
Pizza is an A, service is an A+. Claudio the man himself serenading us with an Italian opera melody. Classic NY slices – prepared then reheated. Absolutely solid quality. Crushed 3 slices while sitting on a little wooden table on the sidewalk (after eating pho). Cheese was light and good, not overkill, sauce was balanced and delicious, crust was easily digestible and structured. Quintessential NY slice. Claudio the vibrant old Sicilian made the experience.
North Street Tavern & Wood Fired Pizza (White Plains, NY)
Margherita ∙
Verdura: roasted peppers, portobello mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato sauce ∙
The fresh mozzarella is awesome, which I think basically holds together the pizza. Shredded basil after the cook is pretty solid. The sauce is different… almost like a tomato pulp. Apparently has fresh parmesan in it. Also sparing diced tomatoes. Not bad, but different. Crust is solid… holds together well, not terribly impactful either way. Not a true Neapolitan in my book, although categorized as the restaurant described. Solid slice, not outstanding, but definitely different. The other pie (Verdura) was a lot better.
Fortina (Rye Brook, NY)
Margherita ∙
All Amatraciana: tomato, smoked bacon, red onion, chili, pecorino, mozz, parm ∙
Tenderoni: pepperoni,mozz,parm, calabrian chili-honey ∙
The incredibly dependable Neapolitan slice with great sauce – sweet and light. Basil on the pie prior to cooking. Great balance, crust holds up really well for the toppings. Tenderoni is a great pep pizza with fire chili honey.. delicious. Visited this shop once to twice a week for 3 months while working in the area. It wins the Rye Brook pizza award in my book
Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana (Tampa, FL)
Margherita: san marzano tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil, parmigiano reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil ∙
Diavola: san marzano tomato, fior de latte, mixed peppers, spicy home-made sausage, parmigiano reggiano, basil, extra-virgin hot olive oil ∙
“Fork and knife pizza”… because the oven isn’t hot enough? I get Neapolitan, but the crust has no structure at all. The sauce is so delicate and subtle, it barely makes an impact with the excess. The basil wasn’t spread, the mozzarella buffala is alright, but not mindblowing. They do have chili oil though! Diavola had excellent toppings, but same story with the base. I would come back to see if I maybe caught an off night. Awesome restaurant though.
Pietro's Coal Oven Pizzeria (Philadelphia, PA)
Margherita w/ Smoked Mozzarella ∙
The sauce is surprisingly sweet…almost distracting, even with the smoked mozz. I think smoked mozz may be a no go for me. Flavor is good, the texture kind of.. overcooked? Crust was solid to start, but felt somewhat rubbery after a few minutes. Smoked mozz also seemed to firm up quickly. At the end, the waitress stacked slices into a sectioned to-go box….must have been out of the pizza boxes. Not my favorite Philly spot.
Nomad Roman (Philadelphia, PA)
Margherita Di Bufala: Italian Tomato, Bufala and Basil ∙
Spicy Soppressata: Italian Tomato, Soppressata, Mozzarella, Basil, Garlic, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, Honey ∙
Arugula con Prosciutto ∙
Castelvetrano & Scalogno: Italian tomato, castelvetrano olives, shallots, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, olive oil (added mozz) ∙
Deliciously thin cracker crust, light and subtle sauce, incredibly delicate buffalo mozz is outstandingly decadent. Fresh strips (almost shredded) of basil. Possibly one of the best Margheritas I’ve ever had. Soppressata was fresh and delicious… totally made the slice. Crust was soggy, but still supportive. Red pepper flakes/oregano/honey is bomb diggity. Castelvetrano & Scalogno (added mozz) one of the most intricate veggie pies ever, it was all amazing. This restaurant does a fantastic job of accentuating light accents on their pizza – from the margherita to the specialty pies. One of my favorite places in all my travels!
Pizzeria Vetri (Philadelphia, PA)
Margherita ∙
Salsiccia: fennel sausage, roasted fennel, tomato sauce, mozzarella ∙
Pepperoni: pepperoni, tomato sauce, mozzarella, oregano ∙
The Tim Duncan fundamental layup, the deep Curry 3, and the Kobe turnaround mid-range jumper. Crust was good…chewy, but supportive. Sauce was solid. Cheese was okay… not comparable to the buffalo mozz. The Fennel pie had a very cool mix of flavors. I love the small cup pepperonis. Excuse the terrible screenshots.
Escape From New York Pizza (Portland, OR)
Cheese, Meat (pepperoni, sausage, ham) Slices ∙
Structure is impeccable. Crust is so light, yet supportive and delicious. The sauce is very good…simple and light. Cheese gets it done too – balance is great, tastes fresh, doesn’t control the slice. The deliciously decadent and delicate crust was the takeaway…the sauce and cheese were good, but not big elements. Most digestible crust I’ve ever had. Meat slice not greasy at all. Nothing greasy. I love this place and will be returning next time I’m in PDX.
Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar (St. Michaels, MD)
Margherita ∙
Excellent Neapolitan style pizza. The staff is delightful and the pizza is even better. There are plenty of creative options, and the margherita gets it done. If you happen to be in the tiny fishing town, stop and enjoy a great pie.
