After an unplanned stop for a quick slice at Pomodoro on Spring Street, I got back to my mission of a multi-slice night on New York City’s Lower East Side. With plenty of time to kill before it was show time at the way cool Rockwood Music Hall, courtesy of good old Google, my first target was Stanton Street Pizza.
SSP is a tiny little space in a three-tenant corner storefront on you guessed it: Stanton Street, which quietly runs parallel between the more travelled Houston and Delancey streets. Their small room had scant seating and was decorated with Godfather and other assorted mobster things. On this hot late summer day, it was a sticky 82 degrees at 8:30pm. Without any air conditioning, it was so hot inside the place that I was having a major sweat and took my slice to the outside bench to eat.
The counter had several different slice offerings, but I got the usual Snob Special (a plain cheeser which for some reason was hiding below the counter) for a mere $2.00. Their sign said “Always Fresh,” and I must say that it was not only fresh, but it was quite good and tasty.
They served me a good-sized solid slice that came out at a pleasing temperature after about a two-minute reheat. There was some bubbly oil present atop the cheese and the sauce, and it was crisp on the bottom courtesy of a nice light even brown char throughout. I like the way this one folded.
Although it was delicious going down, there was something lingering about the taste that I didn’t like, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Also, as I got near the end, the crust, which did taste a little flat, got a little doughy and was a bit of a workout to finish. And that aftertaste kept bugging me, and all I could come up with was some possibly from the garlic? Still, these minor flaws failed to ruin my pizza experience.
While SSP may not be a required New York City destination for the visiting pizza connoisseur, it’s a place that I would be proud to have as my local neighborhood pizza joint. In fact, they’d probably see me every day!
PIZZA SNOB RATING ****Near Perfection
Stanton Street Pizza
127 Stanton Street (corner of Essex Street)
New York, NY 10002
212-533-4252
www.stantonstreetpizza.com
Original Review: 
Exploring the Lower East Side on foot, I knew that sooner or later I would find a new pizza joint to sample. I eventually stumbled upon La Margarita on a darkened and cluttered section of Ludlow Street. With a name like theirs (which I had last seen at a popular Mexican restaurant in San Antonio) I for sure thought I’d be getting a “Margherita” slice like they serve on the other side of the East River in Brooklyn. However, it turned out that I had actually found another great neighborhood New York-style slice.
At the counter there were in fact some Margherita slices on display. However, when I asked for a “plain slice” ($2.00) I was surprised that I didn’t get one of those, but a regular NY one that was stored under the counter. Hmmm!
Any stranger to the City would love this pie as would someone in the neighborhood looking for something good close to home. But, while La Margarita’s slice is quite good and tasty, it is just nothing worth going out of the way for if you find yourself in the pizza capital of America.
It was a nice quiet late summer Sunday evening in Manhattan. One of those nights when it seemed like no one was out doing anything. They were either slow in getting back from the beach, or just home retiring early before another work week began.
Solo is just a small place with a few booths and tables. Their plain cheese slice was $2.75. After a quick reheat under a minute, I was presented a slice with absolutely perfect dimensions. Maybe I should start using a ruler, but they nailed the thickness of this one to a tee! The cheese and tomato sauce were blended together just right, and there was a light visible coating of oil on top—just enough that it ran gently off the slice without gushing.
After easily making a perfect fold, I bit and entered a world of flavor extravaganza! I just wanted to hold it in my mouth to savor how good it tasted. I really think the oil did a lot towards bringing the flavor of this slice to life. It was seasoned just right and not overdone. While it took less than a minute to heat, it took the Snob even less time to eat.
It only took three years for the Pizza Snob to finally get to Juliana’s Pizza, 
I had never been to the original Grimaldi’s back when it was on this spot, but I can’t imagine it being as clean, slick and modern-looking as this new place. It’s not a very big room, and probably fits no more than 50 at a sitting. The coal-oven and pizza-preparation in the rear open is open for full viewing and entertainment.
This being Brooklyn, we are of course talking about a coal-fired Margherita pizza. I loved how the waiter first comes to your table holding cardboard cutouts of the two available pizza sizes: large ($20 for 18 inches) and small ($17 for 16 inches). The three of us chose to split a plain big one after first feasting on some first class salads (something you can’t get at Grimaldi’s).
Gosh—this place was so good and deserves to be on every pizza connoisseur’s bucket list. And of the three spots on the Brooklyn Pizza Triangle, Juliana’s gets my vote as the best of the bunch. Patsy, we are so glad you came back!
Anytime spent in the New York City area with Mrs. Pie means at least one dinner in Little Italy. While we never know where we are going or remember where we went, we always seem to have a satisfying dinner and a great time.
We arrived in the city just before 6pm to secure some free street parking. While strolling south through the section of town known as NOLITA (North of Little Italy) we passed by an eye-catching pizza joint adorned with street art called L’asso Pizza. Totally unfamiliar to the Snob, I made a mental note to try and grab a slice on the way back to the car after dinner. I even skipped my usual cannoli desert to leave some space in my appetite.
The server replied that they stop slices at 7pm which was about 20 minutes ago. However, they had some left over, and he said he’d be happy to fire one up for me. He did issue a warning though that it would be a Margherita slice. No problem here although L’asso was going to have a tough act to follow after our incredible experience last night in Brooklyn at 
L’asso may not qualify as a destination pizza place, but if you are in the mood for a good solid slice of Margherita, it certainly serves that purpose well. It did not disappoint.
The Pizza Snob is a master at the art of working a pizza stop into almost any situation. With this having so far been a low-volume pizza trip to New York, a Saturday slice adventure was a must. In addition, with back-to-back Margherita experiences, it was time to return to the basics with a New York slice.
Heading south on Broadway, we saw that the place was now open, and my team let me out to run in for my quick slice. Still not quite 12:15, I was surprised to see that the first pie of the day on the counter was already down to a mere two slices. I also had a chuckle when the Asian man in front of me gave the guy behind the counter a hard time for opening late. “I was tired” said the young man behind the counter feeling no shame.
While this slice would otherwise turn out to be absolutely perfect and delicious, I did pay the price for my impatience in not letting the oven-hot slice cool down: cheese slippage and a mouth-roof burn. But, oh what a slice! It was beautifully constructed with the best of ingredients and cooked in the conventional pizza oven to perfection.
Over the years, I have received repeated recommendations that Sal & Carmines made one of the best slices in town. I did my best to be unintimidated, and after trying one myself, there is no doubt that it truly is. A trip to Sal & Carmines is well worth it if you find yourself Uptown and West!
As we exited I-40 for the city of Oak Ridge, it was totally lost on me when my travelling companion said he wondered if everyone would be singing “Elvira.” To me, the city had always been the place with the nuclear power plant you pass on the way to Knoxville from Nashville. I had never before made the connection to country stars The Oak Ridge Boys who first cut their teeth there playing in front of plant staff and their families.
Big Ed’s works out of a big dark room whose walls are covered with cool interesting stuff (old photos and signs, UT football memorabilia and even a portrait of late Ed himself). Ed’s is also a charitable enterprise evidenced by the many plaques for the sports teams they have sponsored. The customary red and white tablecloths lined the wooden tables, and there is almost an entire wall of pizza ovens off to the side. There is really a lot of love for this place which is still run by Ed’s family, and the joint just oozes with character. It’s a shame that the pizza was not any better than it was.
My bud and I ordered a large pie with half cheese for me and half sausage for him. It was 14 inches and ran about $15. They had about a dozen or so available toppings, some other menu items and beer. It took only about 10 minutes to get our pizza after the 5 minute wait for them to take our order.
At the end of the day, there is nothing to rave about. Ed’s makes an adequate pie, but certainly not one special enough for such a long journey off the interstate. And it certainly is not among the best America has to offer. But, if you like old and crusty interesting places, it’s a fun one to visit.
Hard to believe that it was over 10 years since I last visited the Los Angeles area. Finally making my way back, I had a feeling that I would be able to find some good NY-style pizza there. If both the Dodgers and Giants baseball teams could make their way to California, I figured that some New York City pizza masters could as well. My belief was confirmed when I found that Joe’s Pizza in Santa Monica served one of the best slices I have ever had!
Joe’s runs a small room with a few tables, chairs and a side wall counter from a storefront in a row of retail shops. It’s just a block off of the beach, and there are even a few tables out front suitable to the nice Cali weather. We walked up to the front counter where there were a few types of slices on display under glass. Joe’s serves mostly pizza with only calzones and salads otherwise on the menu.
The Snob ordered a plain cheese slice for the premium price of $3.00. My friend ordered a “Grandma” which wasn’t really a Grandma to me, but really a Margherita slice like you’d get in Brooklyn. (She absolutely loved it: “Super-fresh sliced Mozzarella, really light tomato sauce and perfectly-crisp crust”).
One thing I have learned about pizza is that you can’t just use good cheese and sauce to dress up bad dough. Joe’s certainly has gone through the task of making a super crust for its pie.
Still on my L.A. sojourn, my Left Coast buddy and I headed into Hollywood for some necessary business at 
It was an early Saturday afternoon when we joined the good sized crowd, many of whom were watching the USC football game on the television screen. I stepped up to the counter and ordered a plain cheese slice at the hefty price of $3.95. (I guess you got to pay for that premium rent somehow!)
It didn’t take long for my slice to come out of their real pizza oven. It was a good-sized one—somewhat bigger than usual. However, right off I could see that my slice looked way too white from a bad blend of cheese and sauce. But, the seasoning on it was quite perky, and my slice wound up being quite tasty and enjoyable. Overall though, I would call the cheese and sauce average and nothing spectacular.
I wouldn’t go out of my way for a slice at Combo’s, but if you are strolling along the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, it’s not that bad of a place to grab a quick one.
Original Review: 
My next West Coast pizza adventure was the choice of my California pal in his home town of Culver City: a moderately-upscale movie business-centric community in the shadow of Los Angeles. The place was La Rocco’s Pizzeria, a small storefront restaurant in the somewhat swanky renovated downtown dining district.
La Rocco’s works from a nice clean and cozy narrow room at the end of the block. There are red and white checkered clothed tables inside and a few spaces to sit out front. We ordered our slices (always on their menu) at the counter in the back where there were an assortment of slices on display including the requisite plain cheese. A slice, salad and soda were the special price of $7.50.
Otherwise, the La Rocco’s slice was a real beauty and is one I’d eat any day or time of the week. It was a true tasty treat. Good and crisp, there was a nice solid char on the bottom crust. The cheese had a light touch of oil on top, was delish and did not slip off. Seasoning was delicate and not distracting—just the way I like it.
If you are around, go there by all means. You will enjoy both La Rocco’s and this neat little downtown Culver City district. La Rocco’s have a second location in Westchester. Not knowing where this was, I had a laugh when my phone app said it was only 4.4 miles away, but that it would take an hour and a half to get there! Now that’s LA for you!
It was starting to get dark on a Sunday evening. Although my long weekend in Los Angeles was coming to an end, there was still time for one last pizza stop. This one was a recommendation by my pizza-loving friend BP who had spent a few years living in the City of Angels. The place was Mulberry Street Pizzeria, a traditional pizza joint that I would soon declare to be a hidden gem among all the glitz and glamor of Beverly Hills.
Inside, the field of red and white checkered table cloths and long pizza counter looked like a Hollywood set transforming me back to the Bronx. The six or so copies of the Sunday New York Post looked like the perfectly placed movie prop.
While we were the only customers as the weekend was coming to a close, the guys behind the counter were working on a few pies to go. My pal and I each ordered a pair of plain cheese slices at the Beverly Hills premium price of $3.50. We sat at a table in the corner, and were soon summoned after the slices received their quick reheat.
I must warn you though, its ultra-thin construction makes it a bit different from a perfect classic NY slice like I just had over in Santa Monica at 
Coming back to Columbus for work duties, I continued my assault on the capital of the Buckeye State. I thought, why not look in the Ohio State campus area? You would think that out of 65,000 students, there would enough who refused to settle for chain pizza and instead support an indie.
They sold four different kinds of slices (in both regular and Sicilian styles) for $2.50 to $3.00 each, and there was some obvious full pie action going on. Warning–this was not a place where you’d take a date after class—it was more of a place to get a pie to bring back to the dorm. (They did not deliver.)
However, it was definitely chunkier than I like with way too much cheese. (My bud also said the pepperoni was too thick.) Also, I can’t say that this was the good-tasting high quality Mozzarella that you would get in New York City. The top was also way too white which meant short on tomato sauce in the all-important blending process.
Let’s see if they resurface in perhaps a more pleasant location as well.
It was Christmastime, and Mrs. Pie and I were visiting family in her hometown of Weatherford, Texas. (I sure am slow in writing these reviews, ain’t I?) We already had our now annual holiday tradition of a family gathering at 
Inside Joe’s four walls was a large rectangular room full of table and chairs with an order/checkout counter in the back. All cooking apparatus were in the back, and there was no pizza in view. Fortunately, they welcomed my inquiry about getting just a plain cheese slice (on the menu at $2.00) at this strange time of day. Mrs. Pie had a craving for some garlic rolls so we were also able to add some more substance to my measly order.
The slice had a great char on the bottom making for a delightfully crunchy and chewy crust, despite maybe being a little too fluffy and airy. By traditional standards, it also carried too much cheese on top. This also didn’t seem to be the best-tasting Mozzarella that money could buy.
Original Review: 
According to the sign, the Nashville location on White Bridge Road will remain, albeit with a “brand redevelopment strategy.” We will see what that means, but indications are that they will still serve their fine certified Neapolitan pizza.
Original Review: 
I was back home in the Pizza State planning a Friday night out with my baseball-loving brother. Sometimes I wonder whether I push him too far with my out-of-the-way pizza proposals. However, this night he was ready for adventure, and in the end this one was a home run out-of-the-park.
The apt-named Towne House has been in its old brick building since 1954. A front entrance leads you down into a small open room that sits beneath the sidewalk like an old speakeasy. A busy night, all the tables were taken, most by families. Our hostess inquiry got us immediate seating at the bar where we could receive full service. We took our seats, feeling right at home. In Jersey, the bar is the right place to eat a thin-crust pie.
I loved this pie so much that I knocked off my half of the eight slices in under five minutes. And my equally-delighted brother wasn’t too far behind me. If we didn’t have those dinners coming we would have for sure ordered another pie. We were both totally blown away by Nancy’s pizza. And I think that what sums it up best, is that it is simply one of the most flavorful I have ever had. The magical mix of its ingredients were masterful—a flavor explosion in your mouth!
Nancy’s Towne House is one of the best unique pizzas that New Jersey has to offer. This is an absolute must on any pizza lover’s list. Do yourself a favor, give it a try and help make Nancy and her place even more famous than they already are!
Yes, there are still more pizza places to visit in my hometown of Bayonne, NJ. On the recommendation of my younger brother, last time home, I set my sights on Fontana Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant. The twist this time would be my guest: our 87-year old Mom after a morning on line at the DMV to get her a state-issued ID card.
We got there a little after lunch time on a Friday and had the place all to ourselves. After ordering some cheese slices ($1.95 each) at the front counter, we took table seats in the back until we were summoned. In a wild mood, I even went so far as to order a square Sicilian slice in addition to my regular one.
Like a real pizza joint, the slices were out there waiting for us, and were soon ready after a reheat in the CPO (Conventional Pizza Oven). Getting right to the chase, what did Mom have to say about her slice? “Good, but little oily. Nice and crispy, but I don’t like when the oil drips.”
I agreed with her 100%. As for the oil, this slice was definitely a dripper, but was just fine after a short drain before eating. Otherwise, everything was put together with perfection. The dimensions were on the money, and the great-tasting cheese and sauce were properly blended and delicately seasoned. There wasn’t really much to gripe about since it was also served at the precise eating temperature. But full disclosure make me want to say that maybe it could have been a little crisper, and there was a bit of cheese slippage.
Add Fontana to the list of can’t-miss Bayonne pizzerias! I really enjoyed it.
The highlight of my late winter trip back to the Pizza State was the annual 
Vic’s has two big rooms of tables, chairs and booths. The décor of wood paneling on the walls and green-cushioned booths made it feel like I went through a time machine back into the Fifties.
Most shocking however, was that right from my first bite, I did not care for the taste. Wow—there was just way too much garlic on Vic’s pie. It was so strong that it overruled everything else about this pizza. In case I was perhaps imaging something, when asked what I thought about the pizza, I confirmed through my waitress that this indeed was a garlic-centric pizza. Sorry, but this abuse of flavor distracted from what would have otherwise been a great thin-crust pie. I just didn’t enjoy it.
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