The New York slice is a wide triangle of thin-crust pizza, foldable in one hand, sold by the count. It is the city's default lunch, snack and 2am closer in New York City since the 1950s.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
The slice owes its shape to Gennaro Lombardi's coal-oven pies on Spring Street, sold by the wedge from 1905. Postwar pizzerias adopted gas ovens and a wider 18-inch pie that produced eight large slices, ideal for counter service and walk-in eating. Patsy's in East Harlem and Joe's on Carmine codified the form between the 1930s and the 1970s. By the 1980s a dollar slice circuit, anchored by 2 Bros, had set the floor price; the upper end, Lucali in Carroll Gardens and Una Pizza Napoletana on Orchard, came later. Today every borough still measures itself against the foldable plain cheese on a paper plate.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. If you have no steel, use an upturned cast-iron pan preheated for 30 minutes. The hot bottom is the slice; the broiler finishes the top.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Pino Pozzuoli's Carmine Street counter has folded the canonical New York slice in New York City since 1975. Foldable plain cheese, sold by the wedge, eaten standing.
Signature: New York slice
Order: Plain cheese slice, fresh out of the oven.
Tip: Order at the counter, eat standing at the window. Pepperoni runs out by 21:00; arrive earlier if it matters.
Mark Iacono's candlelit Carroll Gardens pizzeria in New York City turns out a coal-fired Brooklyn pie and a calzone, cash only, BYOB, no reservations.
Signature: New York slice, Charred Brooklyn pie
Order: The plain margherita, charred-crust slice.
Tip: Walk-in only. Put your name down at 17:30, then come back at 19:30; the wait is the room's whole social fabric.
Anthony Mangieri's Orchard Street pizzeria is the editor's neapolitan pie in New York City: 60-second wood-fired bake, twelve-pizza menu, no slices.
Signature: Margherita, Cosacca
Order: The Margherita, San Marzano and fior di latte.
Tip: Six covers at the counter, ten tables, reservations open 30 days out and vanish fast. Wednesday is the longest wait.
Prince Street Pizza in Nolita has sold the cult $6 spicy spring square slice in New York City since 2012. Sicilian crust, cup-and-char pepperoni, hot honey on the side.
Try: Spicy pepperoni square slice
Tip: Lines at 13:00 weekends run 45 minutes. Off-hours at 15:00 to 17:00 are the easy walk-up; the slice still holds heat.
L'Industrie on South 2nd Street has sold $5 slices and a $7 burrata slice in Williamsburg Brooklyn New York City since 2017. Lines run around the block on weekends.
Try: Burrata square slice
Tip: Order ahead online to skip the line. The burrata slice is the Instagram order; the plain is the better slice.
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