UWS Slice Tour: Caesar’s Palace Pizza, New Pizza Town, Bella Roma and Francesco

April 10, 2008

What better way to start the day than by continuing NYC Food Guy’s Upper West Side Slice Tour? Today it was 4 slices over the course of 30 blocks.

Can any spot lay claim to the best slice on the UWS? Are any really worth going back to? Only one way to find out….

1st Stop: Caesar’s Palace Pizza – Regular slice $2.50

493 Amsterdam Ave b/t 83rd St. & 84th St.

New York, NY 10024

(212) 724-7886

Big standard slices, not quite Koronet size, but bigger than every other UWS slice. Pretty much the only place that makes the $2.50 price tag worthwhile. They stay open until around 12AM weekends, the latest of all the slice joints in this story. For straight value alone, this is the best slice of the bunch. Here’s the essentials.

Crust – Chewy and crunchy when there’s not too much of a rush in the restaurant, it’s only downfall is that 9 out of 10 times it will collapse at the end crust due to the weight of the big slice, so be prepared for that.
Cheese & Sauce – a slightly skewed ratio in favor of the sauce, particularly at the end of the slice. It pools up a bit when the slice is fresh so watch out for splashage.

Grade: B

Stop #2: New Pizza Town – Regular Slice $2.50

2196 Broadway at 78th St.

New York, NY 10024

(212) 769-2323

One of two Pizza Towns in the city (the other, Pizza Town II is on 30th & 7th Ave), this spot is small and no frills. It produces every kind of slice you could want, including a quality Grandma slice. Everything else, however, is fairly standard and good only when fresh.

Crust – Bland and dry. It has good foldability but isn’t particularly tasty.
Cheese & Sauce – This place is least susceptible to poor quality pizza during busy hours. Points for that. Balanced ratio between cheese and sauce though sauce is nothing special. Generic and thin, not overpowering. Solid amount of cheese but not to the point where you’ll be chewing for a while.

Grade: B-

Stop #3: Bella Roma – Fresh Mozz & Vodka Sauce Pan Slice $3.75

2156 Broadway b/t 75th & 76th St.

New York, NY 10024

(212) 873-3700

Now I know breaking away from the regular slice really isn’t fair, but I love pan pie and it’s such a rarity in this city, how could I not take the plunge and drop an exorbitant $3.75 on one slice. Was it worth the price? Not really. It was tasty but nothing transcendent. They also had a buffalo chicken pan pie that looked weak but I was watching a serious Meat Lover’s pan pie being made with bacon, pepperoni, and sausage that looked pretty quality.

Crust – Airy and light, nice taste from the pan. Unfortunately it was pretty gummy underneath the cheese, especially towards the back of the slice. It’s nothing to run for but definitely worth a try if you’re looking to shake it up ($14.95 for a 16 inch pan pie)
Cheese & Sauce – For a vodka sauce slice, I could use some more vodka sauce. There were too many dry spots. And when I did find a pool of sauce, it was standard, tasty but fairly bland. Not a very flavorful slice, could probably benefit from some parmesan cheese either in the sauce or on top of the slice. Ratio is skewed towards fresh mozz and this is disappointing given the gummy crust beneath.

Grade: B-

Stop #4: Francesco – Regular Slice $2.50

186 Columbus Avenue b/t 68th & 69th St.

New York, NY 10023

(212) 721-0066

This spot has a lot of promise, a large, varied slice offering and a central location. Unfortunately, the plain slice, the barometer for everything they create is pretty weak overall. Very generic. As welcoming as the pizzaiola statue out front is, pass on this place and try Rigoletto or Traviata, both within a few blocks of Francseco.

Crust – This was the strongest point of the slice. It was a little undercooked during the lunchtime rush but the end crust was light, crispy, and airy, pretty much all you can ask for. It has a slightly sweet flavor.
Cheese & Sauce – Ratio skewed in favor of the cheese but this is a good thing considering this was the worst sauce of the bunch. It was as generic as they come, and as weird as this sounds, it almost tasted fishy. I know, strange. I don’t know how to explain it but I would steer clear of this slice.