Prince St. Pizza

Over the past five years, I had been reading online about a new pizza shop in New York City and how many were considering it to be one of the best. Being a pizza hound from way back, I had to find out for myself. As much as New York has a reputation for being a pizza town, there is a great deal of mediocrity out there. So when I discover pizza greatness it puts a huge smile on my face.

A first bite of the signature Spicy Spring Sicilian slice told me I was on a whole different plane of pizza existence. Crisp, chewy dough, gobs of fresh mozzarella, a savory/sweet tomato sauce, and pepperoni all work together in an orchestra of tastes and textures. Make no mistake, pepperoni is the star of this show. It is thick-cut, SPICY, curls up into little oily cups with crispy/crunchy edges much like overcooked bacon and is applied with a heavy hand. This is a good thing, a VERY good thing. Also of note is the Broadway Breadcrumb Sicilian slice, topped with a layer of toasted breadcrumbs. It sounds like overkill but it really works. Just make sure that it is fresh out of the oven or that they toss it back in to re-toast the topping as it can get a bit soggy when sitting out for a while.

Prince St. Pizza is a closet-like space that is standing room only. The best way to appreciate a slice or two (three Sicilians at once would be far too daunting!) is to find a local park and cop a squat on a bench and dig in. Multiple napkins are a must. Be prepared to wait in line: The secret is out that they make some of the best slices in Manhattan. On a visit with fellow Roadfooders Tony Bad and The Travelin’ Man, we discovered that they had run out of the Spicy Spring slices and customers were given slips of paper to hold their order until more pies came out of the oven. It’s the first time (but I suspect not the last) that I have seen that happen in many, many visits. Prince Street also has calzones, salads and Neapolitan slices, but I can’t convince myself to break away from those Sicilian slices.