Your Neighborhood at a Glance: The City’s Best Slice

New York City pizza is more than just food, it’s a cultural phenomenon. All around the world, pizza shops pop up trying to emulate that famed New York pie, they try it in Boston, they try it in Los Angeles, they even try it in China, but to no avail. It just can’t be done anywhere else, there’s no question that the best slice of pizza in the world is found only in NYC. 

So where do we think the best slice is found in the five boroughs? Well, we talked to our local expert agents and came up with this list of the top five slices in NYC:

1.  Joe’s Pizza - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Joe’s certainly topped our list. Founded in 1975 by Pino “Joe” Pozzuoli, this institution makes every top pizza list imaginable and has been featured on television shows such as Regis and Kelly and in magazines such as GQ. Get it plain, this is the quintessential New York slice – thin, crisp, chewy and flexible, achieving the perfect balance of sauce, cheese and dough. There’s sure to be a line when you get there, but it’s well worth the wait.

2.  Sal and Carmine - Upper West Side, Manhattan

Their plain slice is excellent and also follows the guidelines for that perfect slice. The crust is thin, a little crispy, and you can fold it without making a mess or cracking the crust. A great amount of mozzarella is used, evident in the strings that pull away from you in each bite. The difference maker is the parmesan cheese that they put on their pies, which creates plenty of flavor.

3.  Di Fara Pizza - Midwood, Brooklyn

Di Fara was by far the most polarizing establishment to make our list. People are either completely in love with this place, or they are turned off by the long lines and high prices. But, it can’t be denied that Di Fara makes an excellent pie. We particularly love their specialty slices, such as the semi-dried cherry tomato pizza, the white truffle pizza, or the legendary Di Fara special. All the ingredients are imported from Italy and the pizzas are made with great care and craftsmanship.

4.  Artichoke Basille’s - E. Village, Chelsea, & Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Best known for it’s specialty namesake artichoke slice, which puts creamy artichoke hearts, garlic and spinach on top of a slice, it’s heavenly. We’d also recommend the Sicilian slice, which has a crisp crust and is topped with three cheeses (fresh mozzarella, regular mozzarella and Pecorino Romano), basil and pure olive oil.

5.  Best Pizza - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

We knew one of the wood-fire pizza places would make the list, and Best Pizza was it. Usually wood-fire pizza is only available by the pie, Neopolitan-style, but this establishment sells them by the slice, which is a special treat in itself. Best Pizza takes a new-school culinary approach and does it well. They achieve perfection with the white slice, topped with fresh ricotta and caramelized onions, and there’s a sprinkle of sesame seeds along the crust that balances the flavor.

There you have it, our list for the top five best slices in NYC.  Where do you think the best slice can be found?