These are the best New York-style pizzas in Los Angeles.
There are a handful of technicalities that earn a slice of pizza the designation of “New York-style.” Hand-tossed dough; thin, crispy crust, often with a burnt bubble or two; even ratios of tomato sauce to mozzarella cheese; and of course, it should be cut into eight large triangle slices just begging to be folded in half.
But as a New Yorker-turned-Angeleno, I can verify that it’s really about giving the feeling of home, more than anything, that makes a slice of pizza N.Y.-style.
When I walk into a pizza place, I want to see square boxes stacked up against the wall. I want slices dripping in oil, which I may blot with a flimsy napkin if it’s particularly oily.
I want my slice served to me on a white paper plate with parchment paper, with vessels of grated parmesan, garlic powder, chili flakes, and Italian herbs at the ready to be shaken onto my plate, whether I use them or not.
And when I take a bite, I want to have a flashback to all the times I grabbed a slice in Penn Station while running to catch my train on the Long Island Rail Road. A great N.Y.-style slice takes me back to sitting around the kitchen table with my family, the Yankee game blaring in the background.