You’re reading this post because at the time of writing I was (am!) desperately in need of a slice of pizza. (Note from future Sarah: I am now very happily full, with pizza.) My hunger is great because I had a lame lunch, but I met my writing buddy and so before heading out to get some pizza I thought I’d write a bit about pizza in NYC.

I’ve already mentioned my favorite slice place, a hole-in-the-wall called Luigi’s in Clinton Hill. It probably won’t surprise you to hear that I’ve slowly accumulated a few other regular pizza stops. The thing with pizza places is that you really ought to have one in every neighborhood that you spend a lot of time in. My list has grown as I’ve moved apartments a couple times and acquired more important places.
I should take a moment to say that I (being a picky eater) tend to eat only cheese pizza. This includes margherita, of course, but if you’re looking for a rec of a place with great toppings, talk to someone else.
Here, then are three of my current pizza places of note. I have others that I frequent, and they’re perfectly good places for a slice, but these three are special.
Smiling Pizzeria on 7th Ave in Park Slope is delicious, reasonably priced, fast, and happens to be the place where Patrick Stewart had his first NYC slice last year. Unfortunately I’ve yet to run into him there.
Pauline and Sharon’s, on 4th Ave in South Slope, is a recent add for me after a friend ordered delivery from there. The cheese pie has some herbs sprinkled on it that gives the flavor a kick and really makes it stand out. Not sure I’d want to eat it every week but it’s definitely a great treat once in a while. Plus their shop has some hilarious signage (written in somewhat foul but also hilarious language). Not technically a slice place, so only go by or order delivery if you have a couple friends on hand or are really hungry.
Third (but first in my heart) is Pomodoro on Spring Street in Manhattan. Big slices, chewy crust, great location. Their special vodka sauce is so good that I order the vodka pizza at least as often as I order the regular, even if the tomatoes under its cheese have a distressing tendency to slide off as I’m taking a bite.
One of the things all of these places have in common is that their slices are generous, fairly thick – no flimsy crust here. That kind of pizza has its place – such as a touristy but fun trip to Lombardi’s – but give me a good-sized pizza 99% of the time. My favorite local chain back home has delightfully thick crust, so much I call it bread pizza, and I loved to get a corner slice off a rectangular sheet pizza to maximize my crust intake. NYC doesn’t quite match this, but a NYC slice is equal to two or three square slices of sheet pizza, so I guess we’ll call it even.
I’m off to eat some pizza the way real New Yorkers do (thanks Jon Stewart!) but in the meantime, what’s your favorite pizza place?