Koronet Pizza -2848 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

We had previously dismissed this pizza even though it is directly next door to our favorite grocer and we are in close proximity to it quite often. 

The slices are quite large which seemed gimmicky to us.  It's close to Columbia University and looked like a cheap, college kid grab-and-go.We were wrong.

We decided to split a slice one day recently and it kind of blew our minds!  It passed the test for crispiness (held up with one hand with no sagging) even though we did not have to request extra crisping.  What really made it was the sauce. It was a perfect red sauce - tangy and perfectly seasoned with a bit of salt and a light onion flavor. 

Too many pizzerias go sweet to meet the saltiness of cheese and toppings and most of them go overboard into sugariness.  Koronet's sauce was perfect!  As usual, we went with a cheese slice.  The cheese was gooey, stringy and deftly applied - an ideal amount for the slice. Will definitely go back to try their sausage slice which looked very good.During Covid, there are 10-12 tables nicely spaced out across the sidewalk and the parklet dining spot in the street.  

Will return soon.  I'd give this place an 8.5/10

Sal and Carmine Pizza - 2671 Broadway (Upper West Side) New York, NY

This is a place Nicole and I have been wanting to try as it was highly recommended by a good friend of ours. Opened in 1959 by an Italian immigrant, this is another classic New York institution. Due to the current situation with Covid-19, slices and pies to go or delivery only. So we took ours to go and enjoyed them with a friend (keeping a safe distance!) in a nearby park with a bottle of wine.

Now for the review, I give them a 7/10 - great sauce, not sweet at all, and very generous with the cheese. Unfortunately they failed my test - the crust wasn’t crispy enough. With that said, next time I’ll just ask them to keep it in the oven a bit longer.

Tony's Pizza - 336 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn (Bushwick)

Before we went here, I shared the info about this joint to a co-worker who is a native Brooklynite and fellow pizza connoisseur. She took one look at the outside of the place, without ever going there, and told me it’s going to be good. Guess what? She was right!!! Nicole and I both had a slice of plain and it was pizza perfection. It passed my test (can hold it in one hand easily). Needless to say the crust was perfect, the sauce was a bit on the sweet side but not bad. Generous amounts of cheese. I give it 8/10, definitely worth the trip to Bushwick. Cash only but there’s an ATM machine.

Paulie Gee's - Brooklyn, NYC

This was our second visit and I can honestly say, it is the best so far, 10/10 rating. Not a huge place but not small either, both times we’ve easily found a table. There are two locations but we’ve only been to this one. Beer and wine available.

Pizza By Lucilles -26c Macombs Place, Harlem - NYC

Great pizza join in our neighborhood, walking distance from our apartment and on the way to Yankee Stadium if you are a fan… Really good slice, but not my fav. Even though I asked for it to be a bit extra crispy, it still did not meet my standards. Damn, I’m a pizza snob!!! Overall, it’s really good but not the best. I'd rate it a 7/10.

Stella's Pizza -110 9th Ave New York, NY 10011 b/t 17th St & 18th St (Chelsea)

I’m not sure why this place doesn’t get higher ratings on Yelp. It is your classic NY slice of pizza, nothing fancy, and no compromises. We’ve been here three times and it always is consistent, great crust, sauce and it passes my test on if I can hold it in one hand and eat it or not. Solid place, highly recommended.

Joe's Pizza - 216 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn - 02/02/2020

Established in 1975, this is considered a Greenwich Village institution offering the classic New York slice for over 37 years. This is our second time at a Joe’s, the first in Greenwich Village and this review is for the location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

In my opinion, this is a good slice, not a great one and I’ll tell you why. If I can’t hold the slice and eat it in one hand, it’s not crispy enough, for me. Both times I couldn’t do this. EVERYTHING else was perfect about this slice. So, per Nicole, next time we go I should ask them to make it extra crispy for me; good idea Nicole!

Sottocasa Pizzeria - Harlem (Where it's always Pizza o Clock!) - 227 Lenox Ave, Manhattan (Harlem)- 02/01/2020

We found this subterranean wood fire pizzeria on our way home from the Bronx on a Saturday afternoon, strolling down Lenox Ave, a street we haven’t spent much time on since moving here. This is not your typical New York slice of pizza, but we still wanted to give it a review. Overall we really like this place, reminded us of Cornuto in Seattle, one of our favorites for this style. One thing to consider when ordering a wood fired pizza, keep it simple. We ordered the special, which was fantastic, and had mushrooms, potatoes and prosciutto but had too many ingredients and it fell apart a bit.

Upside Pizza - 589 8th Ave, Manhattan (Midtown West) - 01/25/2020

This is definitely one of the best slices Nicole and I have had in NYC so far! The crust was perfect, crispy enough to hold the slice in one hand. Sauce and cheese just as perfect. Nicole loved the little pepperoni cups on her slice, not greasy at all. Over all I would rate this place 8/10, highly recommended.