Best Slices of Pizza - Westchester

[jhopp217]

Ok, a little different than best pizzeria in Westchester. Personally, I find that certain places serve one or two slices I like, but I wouldn't say that in general their pizza is good. Here are my tops

Chicken Parm Slice - Amore in Scarsdale. So much food in one slice. The chciken is breaded and actually has a little crunch. This is a knife and fork or a need a new shirt slice.

Tomato Slice - Mezzaluna in Scarsdale. I hate their pizza, hate it, but the food is very good, go figure. Anyway, gott his slice, very simple. Tomato sliced nice and thin and ricotta and mozzarella and tons, I mean tons of garlic. Absolutely the best slice I've had this year!

Lasagna Slice - Virginia Road in Valhalla. Not sure the name. Maybe my all-time fave. And Honestly, haven't been there in 3 years.

Salad Slice - haven't been there in a while, but when it was made right, it was delicious. Last one I got wasn't the best, but still good.

Al Pacino - Chubby's Express in Eastchester. Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, pepperoni, garlic, crush hot peppers, olives, and parmesan. Get the personal. It's great!

White - still searching!

Plain slice - personally my two favorites are Italian Pavillion in White Plains and Crestwood Pizza. CP also makes a good chicken parm slice, but not like Amore.

[roxlet]

Okay, so this isn't a slice, it's only by the pie, but last night we picked up a cheese and sausage pie at Ciao! in Eastchester, and I have to say how surprised I was. We used to go there a lot when my son was little and he would sit on the back wall and watch the piazziola throw the pies in the air, but I don't really remember having pizza that much there. This was very thin-crusted and quite good. As I find with all thin-crusted pizzas, they are better immediately out of the oven, but we got it home while it was still warm, and it was delicious. I think it would have been even better eaten there. It was quite small for a large pizza though, really not enough for 3 people, and we made short work of it. Now, for my money, I'm a big fan of Sal's, but we don't get up to Mamaroneck that often, and our usual default pizza is A'Mangiare or Fleetwood Joe's, but we liked this quite a lot for a change of pace...

[jhopp217]

As an Eastchester local, I've been to many a party at Ciao's. There is always pizza at these things and while I can eat an entire pie myself, I rarely fee the desire. I'm not going to say it's awful (it's ten times better than Roma's), but it's just, blah. I still haven't been to the mecca of Westchester thin crust pizza in Mount Vernon, but I have had a few of the slices at Chubby's Express and they are pretty thin and taste much better (IMO) than Ciao's.

[roxlet]

Where is Chubby's Express? I think I threw out a circular from a place called Chubby's recently. I never heard of it, so I tossed it...

[raider]

is johnny's the mecca of thin crust pizza in mount vernon?

[roxlet]

Yes.

[laylag]

Thoughts on pizza delivery in Rye (Purchase St. area). I need to order pizzas in a couple of weeks for eight year old's b'day party at the Rye Y and the options seem to be Sunrise Pizza and A'Mangiare. I haven't been to either so anyone?

[Jim P]

Piazza on Milton Rd delivers or Franks in Portchester delivers also.

[laylag]

Is Piazza any good? I've been to Frank's and it seems far from Locust St so would be surprised if they go there but perhaps they do.

[riverhound]

piazza pies delivered are very good, preheat your oven and throw the pie in for five minutes...tasty

[Jim P]

Sicilian slice at 4 Corners in Pelham, very sentimental.

[corky]

if you are ever up route 22 in pawling the hot sausage, roasted red pepper and onion at three guys from the bronx is spectacular (and real)

[Solstice444]

That sounds delicious. Now that I'm living in southwestern Dutchess, I might have to make a trek eastward to Pawling to try that.

[Lono37]

I lived right around the corner from Fours in high school (class of '83) and still go back there every time I pass through. The plain slices are still great, and where else can you get a fountain soda for 60 cents?

[Jim P]

Frank and Joe were the owners and while Frank has passed Joe is still there. I two still stop there and my daughters drive from Rye every once and a while for great pizza.

[Cheese Boy]

Just to be sure I have the correct fix here, ... is 4 corners in Pelham located at the intersection of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue ?? I think the pizza shop is actually on Pelhamdale, right?

[vvvindaloo]

That's the one.

[jerseydiner]

What about Peppino's in Somers Commons? Their chicken marsala pie is the best!!!!!!!!!!

[blaze]

Peppino's used to make a good pizza, but it's been off lately -- burnt crust, dry sauce. Not sure what's going on, but we stopped going there it got so bad. (well, that & they are notoriously cheap -- got a meatball parm on a wedge that literally had only 2 small meatballs, 1 for each half. puh-leeze!)

[peterwcramp]

Nobody likes Sunrise on Purdy Ave. in Rye?

It is certainly overpriced but I enjoy their pies.

[cteats]

That's the pizza I grew up with, but I haven't had it in a decade at least. Would love to hear how it is now.

Also, has anyone tried Belluscio's in Rye (sp?) recently?

[debmom]

Personally, I don't like the pizza at Sunrise. I do like their chicken parm wedge. My daugher likes their chicken soup. But the pizza--nope-- I prefer Sal's.

[peterwcramp]

Just a matter of taste . . . Most of these places are better at one thing than the other. The red sauce at Sunrise is far better than Sal's, yet I enjoy Sal's sicilian slice over the offering at Sunrise.

Sunrise also has a pretty wide variety of specialty slices. So they meet a wider variety of my cravings for now . . .

[vvvindaloo]

My friend and I went to High School in that area, and SUnrise was our pizza spot. I liked it, but I can't say it was anything special compared to Catania's, or even Gino's, at that time. I haven't had it in at least 10 years, though.

[platypus]

vvv, have you been to Gino's lately? I haven't lived in the area in at least years, but that used to be good pizza. Their eggplant and pepper whole pies were once a Friday night staple.

[SweetPea914]

P - FWIW, We've ordered from Gino's a couple times, but we always seem to go back to A'mangiare. Gino's is too think and and "gloppy" for my tastes. Which isn't to say that it may not appeal to others.
I really want to try some of the thin crust places people mentioned, but pizza is a delivery thing for us, and most of those places do not deliver :-(
If anyone knows of a place that has good thin crust pizza that delivers in Bronxville please let me know!

[jhopp217]

Went to Gino's today and was very upset. I was there about two years ago and had a plain slice and it was pretty good. I was down the street today and seriously craving (and still looking for) a white slice, and something with spinach. So I got two slices, one white, one w/spinach slice. First I ate the spinach slice and to be honest, if I had closed my eyes and was given a bite, I wouldn't have known what I was eating. No smell of herbs, garlic, anything, no taste whatsoever, and the cheese tasted like swiss cheese. I was so upset, because I knew what was next. The weird thing about it was that basically the same slice, from the same place had two different crusts. The spinach slice was thick and mushy, and the white was crips and thinner. Unfortunately, the slice itself was bland. I know I could add garlic and red peppers to it, but that wouldn't have helped. Two of the most tasteless slices I've ever eaten.

[vvvindaloo]

The deterioration of Gino's is sad. It's also surprising, given that the owner, Gino, returned from Italy several years ago after an extended sabbatical (that's what I am calling it, I don't know why he stayed there for such a long long time), and I had thought that his reappearance would signal an end to what was already a downturn (3 or 4 years ago). Instead, their pizza has gotten even worse lately.

[jhopp217]

I knew someone who worked there ( I believe his son/grandson) and I remember the food and especially the pizza being very good. I hadn't been there for a while, but being in the area decided to stop in for something familiar. Very disappointing.

[Solstice444]

Nobody has mentioned any places more towards northern Westchester! I'm sure southern Westchester does have better slices, but I'm curious to see if anybody has any favorites in the northern half of the county. I have not tried too many places so I am by no means an expert. But from what I have tried, my favorite slice is Chicken Scarpariello at Ossining Pizzeria. I've heard some mixed reviews about their other slices but I always get the same thing when I go there, so I haven't tried too many of their other kinds.

[unocal]

jhopp, i think you should try the white slice at broadway pizza in north white plains. i had it when i was back home a few months ago, and myself and my grandmother (who loves white pizza) both agreed it was most excellent. there was also some spinach on it, or some other green, and it just added to the yummy garlic cheesiness. i also got a salad slice there and i LOVED it cuz it was chock full of yummy veggies, but it was more expensive than the white slice, which totally threw me for a loop. i also went to abatino's (seconds away from broadway) and had a really good and very decently priced slice there, and this is awhile back now, but i wanna say it was a margarita (i have not tried many of their dishes, but they seem to have pretty good food there, and homemake some of their pastas - a huge +). i would also recommend michael's on midland avenue in port chester for their pan pizza. now, ordinarily i am not a fan of pan pizza cuz i'm all about very thin crust, but you should try theirs and see for yourself . my mom has worked there for 5+ years now, and she was bringing home white pizza w/ spinach and garlic when i was home and it was dangerous. i loved eating it before it was refrigerated, but even straight out of the fridge i'd wolf it down anyway. i also wanted to try colony pizza in stamford for their hot oil pizza, but i never got around to it...oh, well, ill just have to try it next time. god i love pizza!

[jhopp217]

Thanks for the tip. Not critcizing, complaining, or anything, but I'm looking for a truly delcious White Slice - NO Veggies. I've had planty of darn good ones with spinach or broccoli, but it takes something special for a white slice to truly hold up on it's own. So far it's not been found around these parts. Good yes, but something where I could, let's say, have a second slice. I have yet to find it.

[unocal]

hmmmm well i would give the plain white slice a try anyway. have you ever been to broadway pizzeria? i hadn't been there in a looong time before a few months ago, so i don't know their general consistency, but they've been in business awhile, so they must be doing something right. i love white pizza too, although i don't think i could eat 2 slices. ive had the white at totonno's in brooklyn, and it was amazing, but that is a hike and a half, although they're in yonkers now but have yet to try that one (i'm all about the original locales though). and nicky's in WP is good, but i'm not a fan of all that meat; i think it detracts from the cheese, which is why you probably don't like any veggies. anyway, good luck and report back if you try any of the aforesaid places!

[vvvindaloo]

I may be dating myself here, but as a teenager in Westchester, the best plain cheese slices were:
Sunshine Pizza, Martine Ave. in WP; Catania in YO on Central Ave.; Gino's in Bronxville.
The best Sicilian slices were at 4 Corners Pizza in Pelham and Sal's in Mamaroneck.

I don't eat much pizza in Westchester anymore, but from what I've seen and heard lately, the current trend for slices seems to be:
Plain: Joe's Fleetwood; Catania's (still!)
Salad slice: Baci Trattoria in B'ville;
Fresh Mozzarella, Basil Pesto and Tomato slice: Baci Trattoria
Special toppings: various A'Mangiare locations
White Pizza: Nicky's in WP or Larchmont

[mrgaga]

Best White - Nicky's in WP
Best Slice - Sal's Mamaroneck

[5pmshadow]

nicky's white.....the best ever!!! thank god someone said it. best slice....definitely not sal's IMO. nicky's in larchmont, very good slice. sal's sicilian used to be very good, but i haven't had it in a long time.

[SweetPea914]

I also LOVE the salad slice at Il Baccio.
We order delivery from A'mangiare a lot, but I'm not a huge fan of their pizza, I prefer a thinner crust.

[vvvindaloo]

I forgot to mention Dunwoodie Pizza in YO. Very good Westchester slice.

[vvvindaloo]

I went to Il Bacio in Bronxville today to pick up a few slices and bring them home. I ended up choosing the regular slice and the "margarita" slice (2 of each, 1 of each for both my mom and me). Wow, it was bad. The regular slice (which costs $3!) was soft and bland, and appeared to be topped with the same fake white cheese that everyone else is using (I honestly thought this place was different). The sauce was very sweet, but not in a good way. And, despite the fact that I found evidence of fresh chiffonade of basil, the pervasive taste of powdered onion/garlic overpowered everything and lasted for hours... ugh.
The margarita slice ($4!!) looked promising: a generous layer of slightly chunky tomato sauce dotted with what appeared to be slices of barely-soft fresh mozzarella and drizzled with what looked like a thin basil pesto. Unfortunately, the slice was not merely soft, it was mushy. More of the same oddly sweet sauce, but this time the cheese was rubbery and difficult to bite through. I forced myself to finish it (of the two slices, this one had a better flavor, with less aftertaste), and my mom fed much of hers (sans cheese) to the dog. All together, the 4 slices cost $14 (significantly more than I would pay in Manhattan for similar items) and I can't imagine how this place is as popular and busy as it always seems to be. FWIW, I did have a salad slice there a couple of years back, and I really enjoyed it. I wish I could find more positive things to say.

[SweetPea914]

VVV,
I'm sorry your pizza wasn't good! I've never had their reg. slice so I can't comment on that one, though there is no excuse for using crappy cheese, especially at their prices!
I only had the margarita pizza once when we ate at the restuarant and thought it was pretty good is it possible the slices got mushy since you brought them home? We usually eat there since they don't deliver, and my crusts have never been mushy.
As I mentioned above, I do love the salad slice! it's unfortunate the others weren't as good.
Someone just brought us pizza from someplace in Tuckahoe that was VERY good, I have to find out the name of the place.

[vvvindaloo]

Tuckahoe... I recall that Roma Pizzeria used to have pretty good whole pies (I don't think they sold slices, but its been at least 15 years since I've eaten there). The other two possibilities are Villagio and Angelina's, both f whoch I ate as a teenager and neither of which I would expect much from nowadays. I'd be curious to hear where they got it from. Thanks.

[jhopp217]

Roma's has those thin crust pies. I haven't tried them in eyars but tehy used to be terrible. Tasted like bad microwave pizza. Vilaggios in the 80's and 90's was the worst pizza, other than Pizza Mia in Eastchester, which may be the worst pizza in NY. Recently they seem to have stepped it up, but still not great. I haven't been there in years but Angelina's was right up there with Pizza MIa when I was lats there. Terrible. Toppings and cheese basically slid right off the pie.

[vvvindaloo]

While I am not sure that "slippage" is a sign of bad pizza, I agree with you on all counts with regard to the places mentioned, except for Roma. There was a time when they were quite good, IMO. Although, as I mentioned above, I haven't had pizza there in the longest time.

[jhopp217]

to me slippae means the sauce and the cheese, plust the toppings, either aren't coked through, or "meshing"

[vvvindaloo]

I don't prefer that the sauce and cheese cook through, necessarily. I like for there to be some "movement" of whatever is on the slice. To me, that indicates freshness- of both the individual ingredients and the cooked slice.

[southlake]

also a little hidden gem, which i've been hitting up as of late, by my place in p.chester is railroad pizza.........they actually just changed ownership (from italian guys to spanish guys).......and i gotta say.......their margarita pie is excellent.........thin, crispy, nice sauce, fresh mootz.......ask them to hook up the fresh basil......grab a nice merlot on your way home and you're good to go......

[Dim Sum Diva]

Never in a million years would I thought I would have tried and liked this kind of pizza: the BBQ chicken pizza @ Abatino's in North White Plains.

But no one does it like them. They don't sell the slices every day, but they will make a pie for you any time. Their daily specials are fabulous.

[MikiLovesSugar]

I actually recently changed my go-to pizza place to Scarsdale Pizza Station. I really like their slices because its thin (but not paper thin and holds the topping well without getting floppy) and its got a nice CRISPINESS to it! The toppings are always fresh and delicious and i really like the sauce on the plains pizza, its really garlicky!

[jhopp217]

I know the guys that own it. The pizza is really good. My thing was specific slice. They are very consistent with all their food. I actually had a slice with tons of peppers that was really good. Can't remember exactly what you'd call it though.

[Sra. Swanky]

jhopp - it's definitely not as good as the original, but Totonno's in Yonkers has a pretty good white slice.

[bac528]

The best slice is Sal's in Mamaroneck.

[laylag]

Sal's - a subject of much debate. IMO it can be very good but only if it's sicilian or a salad slice you're looking for. For those Sal's does indeed have something going on.

Their dough works really well for the sicilian - a bit crispy on the edges with doughy mounds and deep crevices that catch the sauce. However they are excellent only when very hot and not too overloaded with cheese. I've had lousy experiences with their sicilian too - it can even be awful sometimes covered in a very thick, congealed blanket of the commercial grade mozzarella they use there.

Sal's salad slice is good - generous amount of salad and a tasty dressing but I prefer my salad slice naked with dressing on the side which they don't do. I also like a little more dazzle - a couple of olives maybe, more onion, etc.

Now Sal's regular slices be they pepperoni, sausage, etc are nothing to bother with.

Still it's a neighborhood institution that I've grown fond of for it's neighborhoodiness. However, it's not the best slice around and I'll take Nicky's in Larchmont over Sal's any day.

[dolores]

laylag, I agree. Only my disappointment even now extends to the Sicilian. Last time I had it, it was thin and crusty, rather than fat and doughy, as it had been since forever.

And on that, in another thread they show a pizza place in Ohio that makes 'sheet' pizzas, of which I had never heard. When is it a sheet pizza (which is what Sal's Sicilian now seems) and when is it Sicilian?

Oh and laylag, I have read here some disconcerting things about Nicky's too. Their white, and I haven't had it in a hundred years since I don't go to White Plains anymore, was the best white on the planet.

For me, I'd have to say my recommendations for a slice are Racanelli's in Rye Ridge and the pizza place near A&P on Pelham Road in New Rochelle (can't think of the name, obviously).

[Cheese Boy]

Dolores, Centre Pizza on Pelham Road is good?
I've never stopped in, though I admit I have been tempted.

I haven't been in years, but Antonio's Pizza on Midland Ave in Port Chester was a very good place for a slice.

[dolores]

Pizza Centre, that's the name.

Yes, they make a focaccia pizza slice, I think it's called, with black olives, that is very good.

[laylag]

If that's the place in the corner of the shopping center next to Home Depot then I agree. Very good slices.

[Cheese Boy]

Yep, laylag, that's the place.

[laylag]

Dolores - it's Nicky's in Larchmont I like - it's excellent. I think there's an unrelated Nicky's in White Plains.

I actually prefer Sal's sicilian when it's thinner but then I'm a thin crust pizza lover and I can understand how a true sicilian pizza eater would not be happy with it.

Maybe sheet pizza is just another name for sicilian?

[dolores]

Thanks, laylag. I didn't know there was a Nicky's in Larchmont (and you did note it in your post, sorry about that).

[laylag]

No problem. Try Nicky's in Larchmont sometime Dolores - on Chatsworth near the train tracks - the last store on the strip. It's very, very good.

[rafi]

Nicky's was my go-to place when we first moved to Larchmont 2 years ago (it's literally a 2 minute walk from my house). I remember giving it props here on chowhound like a year ago or so and dolores making the same mistake thinking i was talking about nicky's in white plains. :-)

But anyway, I've had some ehh pizza there too and haven't been back in a while. Lately for me it's been Leonardo's (esp. since they deliver) or Sal's (because it's on my way home from work).

Maybe I'll give Nicky's a try again. Your posts make me feel like I might be missing out on something! And I remember it being really good at first.

[laylag]

Where is Leonardo's rafi? I have to be honest that we haven't eaten a lot of Nicky's lately - mainly because they don't deliver and also keeping pizza eating to a minimum - health/weight/etc and because our seven year old has become fixated on sicilian from Sal's exacerbated by the potential to talk us into some overpriced gelato from their new place next door.
When did you go to Nicky's recently? Maybe it was a bad night? If they are slipping it would be a really big bummer.

[rafi]

I hadn't been to Nicky's in some time.. Got turned off from it some time last year. I did try a slice this weekend with this on my brain. :-)

And it was pretty tasty.

Leonardo's is a place I tried on dolores' recommendation a while back. It's quite good (though also not great), in my opinion it's a much better delivery option than that pizza place on Chatsworth near Rt 1.

Leonardo's is on Palmer on the way to New Rochelle, right next to the Guitar Center. They have a good basic pizza and also novelty type slices if you're into that (chicken marsala, caesar salad, philly cheesesteak, etc). They also started serving some Chicago deep dish recently! Also Italian entrees, soups, etc.

Let us know how you like it....

[laylag]

The one on Chatsworth near Boston Post is Villa Maria. You're right it's not great and nowhere near as good as Nicky's. However some of Villa Maria's specialty slices are pretty good and their pizza dough itself is actually quite tasty - I often buy it there when I'm making pizza at home. And even though they at least deliver I'm out of their zone and they will only do it on a non-busy night when we order enough ($30 or more) and plead.

Sadly Leonardo's is even further away and I'm sure would not deliver to me - I'm on Mamaroneck/Rye border. Our only delivery options are Pizza Gourmet (decent pasta but lousy pizza), Village Pizza and Pasta (awful) and a bunch of mediocre to lousy places over the border in Harrison. We live in a total decent-good pizza delivery dead zone so we just kind of stopped ordering pizza altogether.

[jhopp217]

bac528, if this was 1987-88 I'd agree with you. Back in HS that place was awesome. One of the better pizza places in NY, let alone Westchester. I've probably been there 3-4 times in the past 5 years, and I haven't (and I'm trying to be nice) had anything that I could even categorize as decent. Once I went there and the crust was burnt. the next time it was like raw dough. The toppings and cheese were barely cooked. The last time I was there, I ran in and grabbed a slice, took one bite and the pizza literaslly just fell apart. If you fold a plain slice it should stay firm. This thing was like a dish towel. 20 years ago, Id agree but like all neighborhood places, this place is more rep than product.