Cost: $4/slice.
It’s no secret that I’ve been a bit of a Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop hater in the past. It always reminded me of “New York style” pizza I would get growing up in California, which I can only describe as NYC pizza but a little blonder and a little fluffier. However, I’m happy to report that the slice I got for this review definitely improved upon the Paulie Gee’s slices I’ve had.
This is a great, no frills, 2-seam fastball NYC slice. No oregano in the sauce, no grated parm on top, nothing special with the dough. But all the pieces come together well. The sauce is bright, ample, and sweet like summer tomatoes. The cheese is nicely gooey and melty with a nice pull but not too much, and there was some great browning on the top for added flavor and texture. The crust had excellent color on the bottom with a satisfying crunch, but also a nice softness on top. This slice was pretty huge too, and the structure for the one handed fold was perfect. Minor droop at the end but held up on its own no problem.
The crust at the end held this slice back from greatness. The sauce and cheese ended too early for my taste, leaving a solid inch and a half of dough at the end of the slice. And it did have some chew to it, but was a tad dry overall.
This is a solid NYC slice with absolutely no bells or whistles. The pre-crust experience for this slice was an easy 3.5/5, but the crust itself was 3/5. So overall, calling this a
3.25/5.