What up, home slices?

The classics

The city’s legendary pizzerias are not necessarily the best or the oldest—but they’re popular. Expect long lines.

Arturo’s
Since 1957, this always-packed sit-down spot on Houston Street has been pumping out pies with great crisp crusts, charred in a coal-fired oven (one of the few remaining). Regular live jazz music adds charm. 106 W Houston St at Thompson St (212-677-3820)

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
This pizzeria was founded in 1990 by Patsy Grimaldi, a nephew of Patsy Lancieri (the man behind Patsy’s). Some critics say that standards have dropped. Still, the joint is crowded, and the coal-fired oven issues a nicely charred pie topped with fresh mozzarella and basil. 19 Old Fulton St between Front and Water Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-858-4300)

John’s of Bleecker Street
This place was established in 1929 by John Sasso, who worked at Lombardi’s, but nowadays it’s not worth the wait to get in. They pump out mediocre pies with goopy cheese and sauce. The slightly charred crust, however, is still great. 278 Bleecker St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-243-1680)

L & B Spumoni Gardens
Opened in 1939 by Ludovico Barbati, this pizzeria is also a spumoni shop, takeout operation and full-service restaurant. Sicilian-style pie lovers come for the fluffy square slices draped with mozzarella cheese and dusted with pecorino romano. 2725 86th St between 10th and 11th Sts, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (718-449-1230)

Lombardi’s
Supposedly, this is where it all began: Gennaro Lombardi opened the shop in Soho in 1905—the first pizzeria in the U.S. We can’t vouch for how the pizzas tasted a century ago, but the current product is inconsistent: It can be delightfully balanced, or may be oversauced and undercooked, with a gummy, droopy crust. 32 Spring St between Mott and Mulberry Sts (212-941-7994)

Patsy’s
Pasquale “Patsy” Lancieri, another Lombardi’s alumnus, founded this East Harlem spot in 1933. Here the sauce is tasty, and the ultrathin crust, charred by a coal-burning oven, can be beautifully blistered or just flat-out burnt. 2287 First Ave between 117th and 118th Sts (212-534-9783).— Josh Friedland

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Palà

Oddballs

Even the pizza world has its experimentalists.

Café Viva
This divey joint offers vegetarian and vegan pizzas—with spelt, whole wheat and corn crusts—as well as kosher pies. 2578 Broadway at 97th St (212-663-8482)

Krunch Pizza Bar
Krunch makes crunchy, superthin crustless rectangular pies; the toppings and sauce are spread out to the very edges. 980 Second Ave between 51st and 52nd Sts (212-207-4122)

Palà Gigio
Palazzo allows his dough to ferment for two to four days, before carefully pulling it into shape and baking it. The focaccia-like results are then topped with combos like pumpkin puree and pancetta. 198 Allen St between Houston and Stanton Sts (212-614-7252)

Palermo Pizza at Famous Ben’s Pizza
The pie is cut into thick, Sicilian-style rectangular slices and topped with a sweet, brownish onion sauce and seasoned bread crumbs. More like garlic bread than ’za. 177 Spring St at Thompson St (212-966-4494)

Pie by the Pound
Instead of selling pizzas by the pie or slice, this place sells them by weight. A pound of pizza ranges from $7 to $12. 1542 Second Ave between 80th and 81st Sts (212-517-5017); 124 Fourth Ave between 12th and 13th Sts (212-475-4977)

Pinch—Pizza by the Inch
You get to choose how much you want by the length (four inches minimum; from 50¢ per inch for a plain pie).  416 Park Ave South between 28th and 29th Sts (212-686-5222)

Slice, The Perfect Food
At this vegan haven, vegetarians and the lactose-intolerant can order crusts consisting of spelt, rice and honey whole wheat. Toppings include mozzarella made with rice or organic milk. 1413 Second Ave between 73rd and 74th Sts, (212-249-4353)
—Leslie Price

It’s 2am, you’re drunk

Few things are tastier or more appreciated than a hot slice after a night of numerous cocktails. We asked wee-hours pie hounds to reveal their favorite destinations.

Anna Maria’s
179 Bedford Ave between North 7th and  8th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-4550)
Hours: Open daily until 5am
The scene: “This is the best drunk pizza in all of New York, in my opinion. It’s awful during the day, which leads me to believe that its ingredients only mix well once you are drunk.”

Joe’s Pizza
483 Fifth Ave between 11th and 12th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-369-2634)
Hours: Open daily until 5am
The scene: “The walk-up window means you don’t run the risk of getting kicked out. Good pizza and pepperoni rolls, plus a slushy machine, within too-easy reach of the street.”

Lil’ Frankie’s
19 First Ave between 1st and 2nd Sts (212-420-4900)
Hours: Sun–Thu until 2am; Fri, Sat until 4am
The scene: “They stay open for the drunkards. It’s superior to other late-night ’za joints because you can sit down in a dim dining room instead of standing in a fluorescent-lit hellhole.”

Nino’s Pizza
131 St. Marks Pl at Ave A (212-979-8688)
Hours: Sun–Thu until 5am; Fri, Sat until 6am
The scene: “Always crowded, it’s a great place for weird cravings—their Hawaiian slice tastes even better with a buzz on.”

O’Neill’s
64-21 53rd Dr at 65th Pl, Maspeth, Queens (718-672-9696).
Hours: Open until 2am Fri, Sat
The scene: “This tavern has thin-crust brick-oven pizzas, an OTB betting window and more than a dozen simulcast screens—but the waitress gets the most attention with her semiexposed G-string rimmed by tattoos.”

Pugsley’s Pizza
590 E 191st St at Fordham Rd, Bronx (718-365-0327)
Hours: Open until 3am
The scene: “Tucked away into a seeming broken-down car lot across the street from Fordham University, they serve pitchers of beer and have karaoke at any time of night, plus the best drunken slices you could ask for—and Sal, an old Italian dude, is always there to serve it.”

Rosario’s Pizza
173 Orchard St at Stanton St (212-777-9813)
Hours: Open daily until 3am
The scene: “A terrific, sometimes spongy slice—a good thing at 2am—and you can watch the Lower East Side crowd pass outside the window.”
—compiled by James Oliver Cury

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Waldy's

Gourmet greats

Unusual toppings and fancy words do not, by their mere presence on the menu, guarantee a gourmet pizza. Fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes just ain’t so unusual these days. Mention sustainable, organic or hormone-free, though, and now you’re talking.

Fornino
It doesn’t get much more local than this: Fornino owner and chef Michael Ayoub makes the mozzarella and grows the vegetables and herbs that grace his pies. He doesn’t hold back on the toppings, either; it’s not rare to taste four premium ingredients—prosciutto, asparagus, fontina and fresh mozzarella, for instance—in one bite. 187 Bedford Ave between North 6th and 7th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (718-384-6004)

Gonzo
No wood-fired or coal-burning ovens here—just a smokin’ grill. Chef-owner Vincent Scotto makes thin-crusted grilled pies that rock unique combinations like sweet corn with mashed potatoes, Bel Paese (semisoft Italian cheese) and Romano cheeses. 140 W 13th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-645-4606)

L’Asso
Owner Robert Benevenga’s roots are in Naples, and he adheres to Italian DOC (“denominazione di origine controllata”) standards: His thin-crust pizzas feature San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo-milk mozzarella, olive oil and sea salt. The toppings can be a lesson in excess: The pizza al tartufo is lavished with portobello mushroom pesto, mozzarella rosemary and truffle oil. 192 Mott St at Kenmare St (212-219-2353)

Otto
All the pies at Mario Batali’s upscale pizzeria are cooked on flat-iron griddles, the salami and bufala mozzerella are imported from Italy, and lardo pizza features house-cured pork fatback. You can pair your pork—er, pizza—with any of 700 wines. 1 Fifth Ave at 8th St, (212-995-9559)

Waldy’s Wood-Fired Pizza and Penne
The oblong pies from chef Waldy Malouf (Beacon) are fashioned from dough containing high-protein, high-gluten and stone-ground whole-wheat flours. Organic ingredients are sourced for braised lamb and sunny-side-up-egg pizzas, which are baked in a wood-burning oven. 800 Sixth Ave between 27th and 28th Sts (212-213-5042)
— Gabriella Gershenson

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Capone’s

Cheap and cheesy

The average cost of an NYC slice stays in eerie lockstep with the price of a subway ride, but what happens when you go lower?

$1.75 Halal Pizza & Bakery (521 Eighth Ave at 36th St,212-695-2500)
Served piping hot out of a street window, the slices are surprisingly crisp, but the tomato sauce was underseasoned; add red-pepper flakes liberally.

$1.75 Two Guys Pizza (517 36th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, 212-971-9600)
Nonexistent crispness and lackluster sauce is saved by the addition of fresh shredded mozzarella. “Two Guys,” by the way, is a misnomer: One man and one woman served us at this tiny, standing-room-only takeout joint.

$1 99 ¢ Fresh Pizza (569 Ninth Ave at 41st St, 212-468-1461)
The mind reels at how they can afford it (“Volume,” offered a server), but this place makes good on its promise. The crust is soggier than that at Halal, but the sauce is tangier. There are worse ways to fill up for a buck.

FREE Crocodile Lounge (325 E 14th St between First and Second Aves, 212-477-7747)
Technically, it’s free with a pint or well drink. This vaguely sports-bar-like destination is part of a free-pizza minifranchise (see below). Crocodile’s pies are cardbordesque: “It won’t be on the cover of Pizza magazine,” our server admitted defiantly. We loved her.

FREE Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Ave between Leonard and Lorimer Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-599-4440)
A spicier pie, worth topping with pepperoni (which costs $2). Occasionally, the wrong bite evoked a gulag in a salt mine, but that’s the price you pay for not paying a price (besides the drink fee).

FREE Capone’s (221 North 9th St between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-599-4044)
The black-lit decor suggested an unfortunate time capsule more than retro kitsch, but Capone’s was the clear winner in the free-pie-for-a-drink department. The balance of sauce and cheese was admirable, and the crust had a crunchy bite-back.—Joshua Rothkopf