The NY Slice: DON'T Fagedaboutit!

The NY Slice, 5564 Madison Avenue just south of Epler, began its existence as a food truck in 2011, of which there are now two.  There is a (fairly) new owner, and since local health regulations require food trucks to have a fixed base kitchen of operations, it appears he has decided the kitchen might as well be a restaurant unto itself, and YAHOO, am I glad he did, because I seem to almost never be near a food truck when one's open.  The store's website says the owner is a CIA-trained (Culinary Institute of America, I think, not Central Intelligence Agency, although the site doesn't really specify which.  Hmm....) chef who previously operated Eh! Formaggio, a small short-lived pizza parlor on the northwest side of Indy that I really liked but only got to visit once before it closed.

The store is on one end of a tiny, incredibly ancient strip mall with no name, but the place is very clean and neat, with a tiny "dining room" that holds about 6 tiny two-person tables.  You order at a tiny counter from a menu posted on the wall.  In true food truck fashion the pizza menu is rather simple, although it does also have a selection of sandwiches, calzones, and salads.  A basic slice is $3.29 plus 59 cents per additional topping, and it definitely ain't tiny.

Not sure when I'd be allowed to visit again (The Little Woman and I are supposed to be losing weight), I opted for a whole pizza: They have only 16" and 20" pies, the former starting at $15.79 with $1.59 for each additional topping.  We love what most places call a Supreme, so by the time I was done reciting our desired 9 toppings it cost $29 and change.  Oooh, but it was WORTH it!  The aroma that filled the car was indescribably mouth-watering, and when the box was opened it was a fragrant thing of beauty. I've never actually been to NYC to experience the real NY style of pie, but there was an elderly gent with an actual New York accent who came in while I was waiting, and he told the counter girl theirs was the best Brooklyn-style pizza he'd ever had outside The City.  The crust is thin and toasty on the outside without being hard, perfect for folding your slices in half, New York style, if you want.  The pie is not as cheesy as Eh!'s was, but the sauce makes up for it, incredibly fragrant and filled with Italian flavor and not vaguely sweet like the more traditional pies at Vito Provolone's, my go-to favorite up till now. I could go on and on about how good it is, but you've probably already stopped reading by this point, so just GO AND EAT AND BE DELIGHTED!  www.thenyslice.com  

Greek's Pizzeria: What the Heck is a "Lotto" Pizza?

Greek's Pizzeria is actually a chain, but since most of their locations are in Indiana I guess I can consider it a local restaurant, right? No?  Well, by golly, it's my blog and I'll write if I want to....  We went to the one located in a you-know-what kind of building on the southwest corner of Emerson and Stop 11 Road, a very simply but pleasantly decorated place with red and white checkered oil cloth tablecloths.  They serve beer and wine at what looked to be more than reasonable restaurant prices, and the pies are not outrageously expensive, either.  TLW got the small (9") Chicken Fajita Pizza for like $6.95 and I opted for the Saturday special, a 12" Lotto pizza for eleven-something bucks. A Lotto pizza? The waiter/manager explained it is where you just kinda say "Hit me!" and they make a pizza with a little of this and a little of that, whatever strikes the chef's fancy.  I had mixed feelings about it, but what the heck, how bad could it be?  You know what they say about sex and pizza! (Read the Aunt Polly's post if you don't remember da joke.)

The great thing about her Chicken Fajita pizza was that even though it had spicy chunks of grilled chicken and jalapeno slices, it still tasted like pizza, unlike Pizza Hut's Mexican Pizza which tasted like a big taco.  The white sauce was good and the jalapeno's were not hot, just enough to nicely flavor the pie.  My Lotto had two pieces that were green pepper & onion, two that were chicken and bacon, two sausage and black olives, and two fajita chicken & bacon.  All were quite good.  I like how they didn't skimp on the cheese but you could still taste the red sauce, which was just a little sweet for my taste, although it went well with my Diet Pepsi. "WHAT? No beer? What kinda barfly are you?!" you might say.  This is one exception to my drunken ways-- no beer, no wine, NUTTIN' tastes as good with pizza as a good ole' cola.  I guess we won the lotto wit dis place! (Insert groan here.)

Aunt Polly's Pizza: The Original is Back!

Aunt Polly's Pizza & Subs has been around for at least the 24 years I've been in Indy, in various locations. When I used to work late shift it was on E. Michigan Street, I think, and they had the best cheesy bread and sandwiches you get at that hour, and at one time they were open 24 hours a day....  At some point, however, the business was sold, then went outa bidness, I think, but now the original owners are back and operating out of a small storefront location at 5339 E. English Avenue (which is in a building with two other storefronts, but I don't think that qualifies as a strip mall... or does it?), so their current business is strictly take out or delivery.  Their delivery service is amazing-- they will deliver anywhere in the city for a $10 fee.  They're open 3:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. or later, most days.

Everyone seems to be at least a little bit particular about how they like their pizza, so I will describe the HUMUNGOUS 18" works pizza we had and you can make your own determination.  They make their own pizza dough, and the crust is fairly thick yet kind of light and just a little chewy, which is not The Little Woman's favorite, but she didn't have any trouble wolfing down a couple pieces.  The cheese is deliciously tasty but there isn't a lot of it-- you could easily see areas of sauce exposed around the edges, so if you're expecting The New Bethel Ordinary's inch-thick layer of cheese you'll be disappointed. I liked that you could really taste the sauce that way. The Works has pepperoni, sausage, onions, and green peppers in decent amounts. It was a good, balanced pizza experience, so we'll probably order from there again. It's been said that pizza is like sex:  when it's good, it's VERY good, but when it's bad, it's still pretty damn' good!  I hope to try one of their famous sandwiches, next time.  Mangia!