New York, NY

You can’t come to NYC without trying a NY-style slice. I found Joe’s Pizza in 2019. I’ve had a lot of other NYC pizzas since then and this still feels authentically NYC, no fuss.

When I think of a NY-style pizza, it’s the crust that sets it apart (locals attribute it to the water). It’s thin and flat. The slightly raised crust edge has a crisp after it comes out of the oven. As you bite into the center of the slice, the dough is chewy and pliable. New Yorkers fold their pizza in half to eat it. That way, the toppings don’t fall and it contains the dripping, especially when you’re eating while standing.

I love Joe’s white pie (no tomato sauce, with mozzarella and dollops of ricotta), and the fact that you can get a slice of quality pizza for $5.

Joe Pozzuoli, originally from Naples, Italy, started Joe’s Pizza in 1975 (same as my birth year). The original shop was in Greenwich Village (they’ve since moved a few doors down). They have several locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, in addition to the one on Carmine Street.

I still line up outside the Joe’s Pizza on Broadway in Times Square between 40^th and 41^st before catching a Broadway show. There’s always a line, but it moves along. Bring cash, checkout will be quicker.