Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

ok so i've gone about five times here on my way home from work; thursday nights around 8:30. i'll preface this by saying a) i've never loved the original luzzo's--i think they turn out good pies but nothing spectacular b) i lived for some time in this neighborhood and save for one small slice joint long since gone, it's a pizza wasteland c) i hold a low expectation for by the slice pizza in manhattan--i appreciate artichoke and vincenz when they're on, but otherwise you are pretty much destined for mediocrity.

so then... little luzzo's is making probably the most enjoyable slice for sale north of 14th street. make no mistake, the sauce is totally meh. no flavor at all, if anything close to the Roma distributor sauce you can get in any mall in the U.S.

but oh man, the crust is fantastic for a gas oven. good char, pillowy and just the right amount of chewy. i like that for a $2.50 basic plain slice you get good dollops of fresh mozz and a drizzle of olive oil (that i witnessed them applying on the base of the cornicione from a squeeze bottle, so it seeps down across the cut lines). even a reheated slice is crisp with some good chew and a good mix of cheese and crust flavor. wish that sauce was a bit more robust...

bottom line: this place is kicking 99% of the by the slice joints in the borough. the main problem i've found is they have a lot of pies sitting out that have obviously been there for hours. i'm not messing with those. one night i went and got a reheated slice right as a fresh pie came out topped with sausage. wish i could have gotten that too but i'm on a pizza diet. :(

there's never anyone in this place, which is a shame since i want them to do well. wish i still lived in the 'hood because a delivery pie would trump the other local options (a ray's and zesty--the antichrist of decent pizza). if you're ever in the area i would be extremely interested in getting your $.02.