When I talk to people back home who have visited New York, they always tell me how good the pizza was. As if we’re the only ones in the country who know how to make a good pizza! I doubt that, but can say I know people go crazy over it—even so much as to take a whole one on the plane home with them. I wonder about a pizza at the security checkpoint…
In my years of living here I have definitely tried a good number of pizza places, on a hunt for the best one. It would seem that no matter where you go, a slice would be a slice. It’s dough, sauce and cheese, right? Well yes, that is usually the case, but like variation between one apple pie and another, ingredients, as most of us know can make a significant difference.
That said, most of the pizza shops in and around the city have a fairly basic cheese slice and a lot of them are similar enough to one another that they all fit in the same general bracket of tastiness. For a slice that beats all of these plain-Janes, you must try Brick Oven Pizza 33 for a slice of their Margherita pizza. It is by far, the best slice I have ever tasted. I first found the Chelsea location a few years back. Upon noticing the blue awning and open storefront with tables and chairs I realized it was a place I’d never been. After a slice I was hooked. I ordered a second on the spot and rarely do I visit nowadays and leave having only one.
I happened to be in the vicinity of the Sixth Avenue and 14th Street location earlier today and stopped in just to be sure I’d be confident in calling Brick Oven 33’s pizza “Hands Down, the Best!” but in truth it was a feeble excuse for the much-desired indulgence. There are of course the classics like pepperoni and mushroom and some specialty pizzas like radicchio and shrimp and one topped with salad. Call me boring, but I needn’t go further than the Margherita—the Red, White and Green. First, the crust—wafer thin and baked so lightly it stays pale with only slightest hint of golden; substantial enough to hold the toppings but thin and crispy, and certainly a nice change from the heavy, bready type of dough that spells carbs with a capital C. The sauce is bright, orange-red, and looks like no more than finely crushed tomato, with a touch of garlic perhaps. Melted on top are medallions of fresh mozzarella with just a hint of saltiness to compliment the slightly sweet sauce, and the final touch, gorgeous green fresh basil leaves thrown on just as the pizza exits the brick oven.
For being just another pizza place, casual and friendly, nothing fancy, Brick Oven Pizza 33 serves a Margherita slice that is definitely gourmet and might even be perfection in pizza. Take my word—give it a try. And I dare you to just have one.
268 23rd Street (near 8th Avenue); 527 Sixth Avenue (at corner of 14th Street); 489 Third Avenue (between 33rd and 34th Streets)
