Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.

[Photographs: Michael Berman]

As part of an ongoing effort to try more pizza in Brooklyn's southern reaches, today I checked out Pizza Den. I was immediately stricken by the old-fashioned countertop and the eight vinyl-topped stools that face it. Good looking place.

First I had a regular slice ($2.50). At many New York pizzerias, the sauce seems to evaporate during the bake—but not at Pizza Den. Here, it holds its ground and melds well with a thin layer of (ample) cheese. Unfortunately (and perhaps it was an off day, or maybe it was because I'd asked for my slice "very hot"), it did fall apart a bit when I tried to fold it. But, taste buds activated, I opted next for a square ($2.75).

Top row: Pizza Den's regular slice wowed me despite its falling apart; Bottom row: Pizza Den's square with fresh mozzarella and cooked sauce supplied good crunch.

The guy behind the counter (who turns out to be the owner's brother) referred to what I had next as a "regular square with fresh mozzarella cheese." This pizza (like all of the pies at Pizza Den except for the regular round pie) features a cooked sauce. Though the edge was a little soft, it held together well enough. The crust was not brittle, but did provide a good crunch. The sauce, while tomatoey for sure, also contributed a healthy dose of garlic. And the fresh mozzarella (which some pizzerias under-furnish, in my opinion) had excellent coverage.

Pizza Den

8521 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214 (map)
718-837-1691

Michael Berman is a photographer and writer based in New York. He publishes multimedia food stories on his blog www.pizzacentric.com; and more frequent, sometimes mundane Twitter observations at @michaelberman.

From Lulinternet via Crucial Pizza.

About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.

Pizza is no stranger to the silver screen and its versatility throughout cinematic history shows that is not just relegated to the cheesy, saucy roles. "The Bicycle Thief" (1948) was one of pizza's most memorable early roles, but it wasn't until co-staring with Sophia Loren in "Gold of Naples" (L'oro di Napoli) in 1954 that pizza started getting some serious face time (check out a clip here). Since then pizza has turned villan as Pizza the Hutt in "Spaceballs," been the double stacked, folded badass in "Saturday Night Fever," the hometown hero trying to make it big in "Mystic Pizza," the homely neighborhood pie turned seducer in "Do the Right Thing" and the trouble maker in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Which gets your vote for pizza's best movie role? There are certainly many more worthy movie moments starring pizza. Which contenders do you think should have made the cut?

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.

[Photographs: David Kover]

We've covered Arizmendi in this space before, but it only makes sense that they should appear again—their entire pizza program is basically a Daily Slice. They offer only one type of pizza, and it changes daily.

The pizza they serve at this cooperatively-run bakery feels quintessentially Bay Area. We've never seen mozzarella or tomato sauce on their pies. You're far more likely to find gorgonzola and sun-dried tomato pesto to go along with an assortment of seasonal, vegetarian toppings that run the gamut from squash to swiss chard. Their crust gets made from a sourdough that has just a little bit of bite.

This past Saturday at their Mission location, Arizmendi served a pie with paper-thin slices of roast potato, barely-tangy queso fresco, pasilla pepper, lime oil, and cilantro. It nicely fit the vibe of the now-gentrified, formerly Latino neighborhood.

We've found that this branch of Arizmendi can overcook the underside of their pies, allowing a carbon flavor to overwhelm the pleasures offered by the crisped up bits of cheese on the end-crust. But assuming they have the oven dialed in right, we always enjoy the surprise of discovering what's on the menu that day, and the homey comforts of the way they combine bread and cheese.

Arizmendi Bakery

1268 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
415-826-9218; valencia.arizmendi.coop

About the author: David Kover is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and food enthusiast. He loves pizza, though he's recently been putting a lot of energy into bagels.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: My Pie Monday: Bottarga, Jumbo 'Jet', Bananas, and Much More!

There's a great selection of pies on this fine My Pie Monday! Between the Philadelphia tomato pie from Imwalkin, Mmmph's pizza in teglia, John Wozniak's L&B Spumoni-inspired pizza, Dhorst's fried pie, and dmcavanagh's Jet's-style pizza there's an entire appendix to the pizza style guide. Paul T sends us his first submission from his new wood fired oven. Others in the WFO oven club include TXCraig1, who features what has become for him "pizza crack," and RobynB, who sweetens things up with some cinnamon and sugar bananas. From the looks of Atmast's pie you'd think it comes from a WFO, but the spots her crust sports are the work of her electric oven. Girl Loves Pizza cooks up her BBQ chicken pie, a tried and true favorite and Amusebouche1 gives white bean basil hummus a try. Among the experiments this week, Norma conducts a Pepe's pizza throwdown, Jimmyg works some Kamut flour into his dough, and Flaksman fools around with hydration and oven configuration.

To get your pie featured in the lineup, send one snapshot of your best creation, describe your cooking method (briefly!), and follow these instructions to get it to Slice HQ by 8pm EST on Thursday night. Be sure to let us know your Slice/Serious Eats screen name!

Want to see more awesome homemade pizza photos from previous weeks? They're right here »

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

"The fact is that New York City has more coal-burning ovens than it knows what to do with."

My journey into one of NYC's salvaged bakery ovens. [Photographs: Scott Wiener]

The subject of coal-burning ovens seems to be popping up a lot lately and I have a feeling it's at least partially because of the recent Grimaldi's relocation. To sum it up, Grimaldi's recently moved up the block from its original location after lease problems with their landlord but had to leave the oven behind. Not a huge problem because all they had to do was to build another one in the new location. This sent the press and public into a tizzy because, even though we covered the history of coal-fired ovens just a few months back, people still believe the myth that they are on the endangered species list. The fact is that New York City has more coal-burning ovens than it knows what to do with.

Coal ovens come in several formats, but the oldest are the cavernous mason-built bread ovens from the turn of last century. These beasts are so massive that they were either built out into a building's back yard or into the foundation itself, extending beyond the building's footprint. When a bakery went out of business, it was much easier (and cheaper) to slap a wall in front of the oven than doing any kind of demolition. This means that old bakery ovens are very likely still in place, just waiting to be discovered. Here's a quick rundown of five dormant coal-burning ovens in New York.

Patsy's Pizzeria

NYC took a photo of every building for tax assessment between 1939 and 1941. Patsy's is indicated by the white arrow.

As indicated by the building's tax photo (circa 1940), the restaurant with the apron-clad man outside was flanked by a cheese maker, butcher and bakery. Reverse directories that let you look up a building's occupant by address don't go earlier than 1929, but I have a feeling Patsy's location was a bakery before it became a restaurant.

Beneath Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem.

The adjacent Frank's Bakery may have baked their breads in the oven beneath 2287 1st Ave for sale in their storefront one building down. This subterranean oven wouldn't have been ideal for a pizzeria, so they shifted to a more compact unit that better suited their needs. Now the old oven sits waiting, but the building's owners have no immediate plans to revive it.

8 Mile Creek

Enjoy the beautiful oven view whilst sipping your drink at the bar!

Entering the building through its main upstairs door will do you no good, but the descending stairs out front will take you into the heart of an old Italian bread bakery. This place fits the pattern perfectly, with an oven that begins at the rear wall of the building. It extends about 20 feet deep, which you can easily see by opening the old steel door and shining a flashlight inside. It's beautiful.

Pizza Roma

here) makes Roman pizza al taglio, so coal ovens would be too hot an unwieldy for this application. They brought in an Italian electric oven, which currently sits in front of the old coal burner. Actually, there's a whole line of new restaurant equipment backed by a stainless steel wall blocking the oven from view altogether.

These ovens are currently hidden behind the modern kitchen setup.

I had a great opportunity to get into the basement before Roma's owners installed all the new kitchen gear. What you see is actually two ovens in mirrored configuration. The coal boxes are toward the center and the exhausts are on the extreme sides. It may seem like a waste of old coal-burning ovens but Pizza Roma is actually helping preserve them by shielding them from the chaos of a kitchen.

Birdbath Bakery

The last of our downstairs ovens is located at 160 Prince Street in the old Vesuvio Bakery space. The current tenant is Birdbath Bakery, which serves fantastic cookies, muffins, scones and various other baked goods. This is another instance in which a coal oven just isn't ideal. A post from Eater quotes a Craigslist ad that offers the space with "two 400 square foot coal bread ovens."

Shots of the underground oven right next to the coffee station!

It was apparently built around 1920 and only went out of commission in 2008. The lovely folks at Birdbath were kind enough to post some great photos of the oven for the viewing pleasure of their customers.

Best Pizza

This last one is a bit funky. After Saviano's Bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn shuttered, its coal-burning oven was left to fend for itself. The folks who took over the space at 33 Havemeyer Street decided to install a wood-burning oven instead of using the oven that was already in place. But instead of demolishing the existing oven, they built the new one inside of it.

Inside the coal chamber at Best Pizza. The pit in the photo's center is for air flow, to its left is the side of the WFO.

So this coal oven is hidden completely in pain sight surrounding the wood-fired oven that's still in use today by the folks at Best Pizza. Besides the six foot diameter low-domed oven, the 15x20 bread oven is completely empty. Next time you're at Best Pizza, check out the back yard and you'll see the structure that extends behind the building. There's your coal-burning oven!

Best Pizza's oven is obviously built for coal, but the smaller oven within it is designed to burn wood.

Of course some of the city's old bread ovens have been recovered or removed. The folks at Lombardi's found one behind a wall at what used to be the Albert Parisi bakery at 32 Spring Street and they've been using it since1994. The Parisi family's current bakery still has a pair of huge coal-burners on Elizabeth Street, one of which is out of service due to being blocked by a more efficient gas oven. Their retail spot on Mott Street had an oven in the basement but it appears as though it was recently removed, leaving a pit in their back yard that lines up with the depth of the basement floor. I have a feeling this list is just the tip of the iceberg, but suffice it to say there are plenty more coal-burning ovens lingering beneath and behind inconspicuous buildings in every city with a Southern Italian immigrant population dating back to the early 1900s.

About the author: Scott Wiener runs tours of significant NYC pizzerias with an emphasis on the history, science, technology, economics and deliciousness. You can sign up for a tour at scottspizzatours.com or follow his pizza explorations on Twitter via @scottspizzatour

This is the pizza oven at Bacchus in Troy, New York. It's kinda creepy cool. Reminds me of this pizza oven that Adam Lindsley snapped a photo of. [via fromscratchclub on Instagram]

About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.

From Serious Eats

A few weeks back we asked you folks to send in questions for Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea Bakery, owner of Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, and partner at new burger joint Short Order. We're truly grateful that the Los Angeles superstar took the time to answer some of our questions.

Check out the first in our Nancy Silverton video series, in which she talks about the inspiration behind her famous pizza crust, some of her favorite pie-men, and more.

[Videography & Editing: Jessica Leibowitz; Photos: Jessica Leibowitz, Robyn Lee, Ed Levine, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Adam Kuban, souris hp, Mike Neal]

About the videographer: Jessica Leibowitz is in charge of all things video at Serious Eats. You can follow more of her adventures on her site mycameraeatsfood.com, or on Twitter at @photo_delicious.

[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]

Twenty years ago (this very week), Scott Harris was a 30-year-old Chicago-bred chef just opening Mia Francesa in Lakeview with the help of two partners and some money they scraped together (Harris's share largely coming from what was left of his grandmother's life savings). The place was an instant success, with lines pouring out the door on a nightly basis. Fast forward to today and Mia Francesca is a small empire 24 restaurants strong that puts out solid, if unspectacular, "rustic" Italian food at very reasonable prices. The restaurants are plenty popular and there are massive expansion plans underway, but Harris is focusing his personal time on other projects.

In 2009, Harris embraced a different trend. I like to call it the open-a-shit-ton-of-niche-restaurants-and-if-people-don't-come-shut-them-down-and-open-something-else trend. In less than two years, Harris opened Dough Boys (pizza joint reviewed here), Salatino's (old school Italian), Fat Rosie's (Mexican), Nella Pizzeria Napoletana (since closed, reviewed here), Disotto Enoteca (wine bar and small plates), and two more restaurants that have since closed. He also joined forces with Jimmy Bannos to open charcuterie and small place mecca, The Purple Pig (reviewed here and here). And oh yeah, he's currently got three doughnut shops in the works. But the place that's most in line with his original vision, only a hell of a lot better, is Davanti Enoteca, a mostly small plates Italian restaurant that has lines every bit as long as the original Mia Francesca did 20 years ago.

The Pizza della Terra embodies earthiness. The white pie comes topped with a mess of "foraged" mushrooms along with braised leeks, taleggio cheese, and truffle oil. Everything about this pizza worked really well together. I'm generally not a fan of truffle oil because it tends to dominate, but Executive Chef Jonathan Beatty, a Purple Pig alum, understands the concept of restraint.

The quality and strength of the other toppings also helped out in keeping the truffle oil in check. I have no idea where these mushrooms are foraged from, but they were extremely flavorful. The braised leeks, which were virtually melted, added a touch of sweetness to the toppings. And the tangy tallegio, an under-utilized pizza cheese, stood up to the very flavorful toppings that would have rendered mozzarella useless.

The spicy salami pizza came with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, kale, garlic, and chili oil in addition to the excellent charcuterie—a combination that worked really well. The heat in the salami and the chili oil definitely gave this pizza a lip-tingling kick, but nothing too strong. The sauce, made from Carmelina San Marzano tomatoes, brightened up the pizza nicely. All together, it was a successful if fairly basic combination.

The toppings on both pizzas were truly delicious. The crust, while good, was not quite up to par. A bit more crunchy than chewy, it landed on the bland side. Part of that was surely because, in both pizzas I tried, it was topped with some fairly strong flavors. But even when I isolated the crust, I thought there was definitely room for more salt and a more developed yeast flavor.

Even with the less than stellar crust, I was a big fan of everything about Davanti Enoteca. From the interior design of the place (almost all of that wood is refurbished pieces of a 180-year-old barn) to the extremely attentive service, to the variety of rustic food, everything worked well. From a pizza perspective, the only real problem is that everything else I sampled from the menu was actually better. Not a bad problem to have at all.

About the author: Daniel Zemans is so devoted to Chicago that he covers pizza for Slice and burgers for A Hamburger Today. When he's not focusing on expanding his waistline, he works as a lawyer on behalf of employees and tenants.

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Opened in 2002, Lil' Frankies in the East Village started serving Neapolitan-ish pizzas in Manhattan before anyone could have even predicted the current wave of Neapolitan pizzerias that the city is awash in. An Italian-American kid from New York, the eponymous Frank Prisinzano, runs three East Village restaurants these days (Frank Restaurant, Supper Restaurant, and Lil' Frankies). The man even started a storefront, street-level, community radio station way back in 2003. A pizzeria with a radio station? Take note, Roberta's.

Of course, all of this is moot if the pizza is no good. There's some pretty stiff competition for Neapolitan pizza in Manhattan these days. Does Lil' Frankie's continue to stack up?

First off, it's important to note that Lil' Frankie's is not just a pizzeria. Indeed, the appetizer and entree sections of their menus—which comprises everything from a bresaola salad ($13.95) and steamed mussels ($12.95) to squash gnocchi ($15.95) and marinated skirt steak ($18.95)—run longer than the pizza section. That said, they've got the brick-by-brick imported double-walled lava rock 900°F wood-burning oven, and there's still a good dozen or so pizza options on a daily basis.

The Margherita ($10.95) is tasty, though their mozzarella doesn't stack up in terms of creaminess and flavor to that of, say, nearby Motorino. Their crust is also not as flavorful or skillfully cooked. It comes with a nice amount of charring on the bones, but the underbelly is a bit over-charred for my taste, and I like my pizza damn near burnt to a crisp. Perhaps it's a matter of under-proofed dough? It's not completely flat tasting, but it lacks true complexity, instead relying on a heavy hand with the salt to amp up its flavor.

So what reason is there to go to Lil' Frankies? The toppings. I'm not much of a toppings man, but I know plenty of people who are, and the choices at Lil' Frankies are both varied and top notch. The Pizza Polpettine ($14.95) we had last time featured perfectly seasoned, tender, and nicely crisped miniature meatballs with a good amount of fresh sage flavor. I'm also a fan of the Pizza Napoletana ($14.95) with capers, olives, and anchovies, and the Pizza Salame Piccante ($14.95)—you can't go wrong with adding spicy salami to anything.

At one point, Lil' Frankie's was one of the very few true Neapolitan-style pizzerias in the neighborhood. This is no longer the case, but it's still got solid pies and is one of the few with a huge menu of non-pizza food and pizza toppings alike. This means that you pizza nerds can come with your normal friends* and make sure that everyone finds something they'll like on the menu.

*you have these, right?

Lil' Frankies Pizza

19 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003 (between 1st and 2nd streets; map)
212-420-4900; lilfrankies.com

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Top This: Arugula and Prosciutto (à la Pizzanista)

[Photographs: Kelly Bone]

It looks like a New York style pizza. But it only takes one bite to realize this is so so much more. It's sourdough! In between gigs at Pizzeria Ortica and Sotto, Chef Steve Samson made a pit stop at Pizzanista to develop the dough and sauce recipes. Pizzanista's pies begins with an extra tangy 200-year old sourdough culture from Ischia and a hand-milled uncooked tomato sauce.

Owners Price Latimer Agah and Salman Agah gutted 10 years worth of dust and grease from a vacant, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant and brought this isolated corner of Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District exactly what it craved: a solid slice of pizza. Their pizza is fantastic plain, but made even better when adorned with lemon dressed arugula, ribbons of earthy salt-cured prosciutto, and flecks of Grana Padano.

Even if you're not a home pizzaiolo, you can still make this Top This! Just start with a pie from your favorite local pizzeria.

What You'll Need

• 1 portion of sourdough (such as dbcurrie's )
• Tomato sauce
• Mozzarella
• Arugula
• Prosciutto
• Lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Grana Padano

Pizzanista

2019 E 7th St Los Angeles, CA 90021 (map)
213-627-1430; pizzanista.com

About the author: After nearly a decade in Brooklyn, Kelly Bone landed back in Los Angeles where she writes The Vegetarian Foodie. She spends the rest of her time designing office cubicles... you might be sitting in one right now! Follow her on Twitter at @TheVegFoodie

Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.

Pepperoni Slice from Uncle John's Market & Deli. Photographs: Jim Bonomo]

A local food blog recently referred to Uncle John's Market, as a "destination of Portland pizza whisperers". I was surprised to roll up on what is essentially a convenience store with the word 'Pizza' emblazoned on the side. In between the cigarettes and the lottery machines stood a full sized, double decker, honest-to-goodness pizza oven and glass case full of slices. As one would do in a divey NYC joint, I went for pepperoni ($3.25).

The slice itself was monstrous, a folder for sure. Super thin, it had a light layer of spicy sauce with an assertive spike of black pepper. The cheese and pepperoni gave the slice its saltiness. Where there was no meat, the body of the slice was like a cheese wafer.

Upskirt shot. Notice the convenience store items in the background.

The extreme crackeriness of the slice's outer crust translated into a one-dimensional texture, but it possessed a nice olive oil note and a satisfying crunch. The undercarraige even showed promise through a nice level of maillard contrast.

You can question its status as a destination, but you can not question Uncle John's newly-bestowed title of best convenience store pizza in Portland proper.

Uncle John's Market & Deli

Prince Street Pizza bills itself as the "Home of the Soho Square." [Photograph: Adam Kuban]

Nearly a decade into the wood-fired Neapolitan-pizza surge, it seems that square pizza is due for some love. Roman-style pizza has slowly made some inroads into the New York scene, and new joints like Best Pizza and Cotto Bene are both upholding the traditional NYC square styles while also doing something new. Add to that roster Prince Street Pizza, which bills itself as the "Home of the Soho Square."

There are four types of squares on the menu — three Sicilians and one grandma.

The classic Sicilian is the "Prince Perfection" ($3.75, above). It's an imposing-looking slice, and if you've had too many leaden Sicilian gutbombs, you could be excused for any wariness. But this slice is remarkably light, its airy crust having risen sufficiently in the pan before baking. It's dimpled on the bottom. There are crunchy, chewy bits where the crust has essentially fried against the oiled metal sheet. There are tender nooks where the pockmarked crust has lifted away from the pan.

Like at celebrated square-pusher L&B Spumoni Gardens, the cheese at Prince Street—fresh mozzarella—is layered directly on the dough and under the sauce. This makes for a unique overall texture, with a crisp bottom and a soft, squishy middle, all beneath a thick, chunky flavorful tomato sauce.

My only complaint is that overall this slice runs a little sweet, but you can remedy that with a shake of Parmesan.

Sfincione has been getting some love on Slice as of late. It makes an appearance at Prince Street Pizza as well, where it's called the Broadway Breadcrumb ($3.50). Traditional sfincione relies on anchovies for rich, salty-savory flavor. Not here. Prince Street's version omits the pungent little fish—and also forgoes the caciocavallo cheese. The breadcrumb topping, however, remains de rigueur. This is sfincione for vegans. Of the three Sicilians this was my least favorite.

The Spicy Spring ($3.75) at first looks a Prince Perfection with pepperoni, but this slice actually uses a fra diavolo sauce for the red stuff. It's a bit spicier than its more staid menu mate but not in a way that's going to blow your cranium. It's a mild enough that the heat-averse should have no trouble with it. It is a beautiful looking slice, too, with the pepperoni curling under the heat of the oven, and bits of grated cheese baked into the resulting meat cups.

The fried balls are a great little snack, too. I'd normally say rice balls, but one of them is stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and prosciutto. The other two varieties contain beef rice, peas, and marinara (Sicilian rice balls); and mozzarella, Romano cheese, and rice (Neapolitan rice balls). Sound familiar? They're essentially the rebirth of rice/prosciutto balls from Joe's Superette in Carroll Gardens. The former manager of Joe's, which closed in May 2011 after owner Leo Coldonato died, is making them at Prince Street. All types are $1.25 each.

Prince Street, as you may know, replaced Ray's Pizza (often considered the actual, original Ray's). It has taken over only half the space originally occupied by Ray's—the eastern half of 27 Prince, which was the take-out slice shop half. The sit-down part remains vacant.

Prince has replaced the old Ray's ovens with a new brick-lined Marsal & Sons oven, considered a top-notch choice for gas-fired deck ovens. Though we mourn the passing of a NYC quintessential, the cycle of life brings us new great squares to scarf.

Prince Street Pizza

27 Prince Street, New York NY 10003 (Elizabeth/Mott; map)
212-966-4100; princestpizza.com

About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice, where he has been blogging about pizza for more than 8 years. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.

[Photographs: Todd Brock]

With a name like that in lights and out front on one of Atlanta's busiest roads, it's clear where Double Zero Napoletana puts their focus. Or at least where they want you to think they put their focus. Conversations about The A's pizza scene seldom mention Double Zero in the same breath as Varasano's or Antico or Fritti or even newcomers like Buckhead's Fuoco di Napoli or Decatur's Sapori di Napoli. I think I may have seen why.

On a recent visit, I found a very upscale restaurant that just happens to have eight pies on the menu... with a seemingly-confusing, sometimes-maddening sense of pomp and snootiness thrown in. I'd certainly go back for a nice evening of high-end Southern Italian cuisine with the missus on date night, but I'd stop short of calling Double Zero one of the best pizza places in the city.

First impressions count for a lot in any dining experience, and there was a blitzkrieg of them for me at Double Zero. First, valet parking. Okay, not your average pizzeria. Then the super-dark interior, so ritzy that one immediately feels uncomfortably underdressed. Next, the stiff suit-and-tie maitre d' walked my party past the twin fire-breathing ovens decked out in black tile, but only after making a big show of calling me "Mister Brock" and admonishing a foodrunner for passing apparently too close or too quickly in front of us. This was starting to feel less like a pizza place and more like a fancypants eatery where you might find a $450 bottle of wine on the menu. (Yep, there it is.)

Double Zero makes a big production about not just what's in their pies (the namesake flour, DOP San Marzano tomatoes, Fior-di-Latte or mozzarella di Bufala) but also how they serve the pies. They go all bold type on the menu to inform you of some of the hard and fast rules of Neapolitan pizza. They will NOT serve your pizza cut into slices or as a to-go item. Nor can you just build your own pie with whatever toppings trip your trigger. You may eliminate a topping from the pie of your choice, but you may not substitute. (You can, however, add a farm egg, anchovy, chiles, prosciutto, or arugula to any pie for an upcharge.) I went with the flagship Double Zero Napoletana, a sauceless pie with olive oil, garlic, bufala mozz, prosciutto, pecorino, basil oil, and a whole lotta arugula. After using the supplied scissors to cut into my pie, I was rewarded with a sexy view of the inner workings of the crust's rim.

As expected, each slice was wet enough at the point to be a two-handed affair. The cornicione was spongy and slightly doughy, if perhaps otherwise unremarkable flavor-wise. The underside showed gorgeous black char spots, but the darkly-lit dining room left me with no good pics of it. While my pie was technically very sound in its construction, made with clearly top-notch ingredients, and cooked by a skilled hand, the Double Zero tasted to me like a salad atop a pizza crust. The thin prosciutto helped, but was almost certainly added post-firing along with the arugula, and, combined with a simple oil dressing and some grated cheese, only added to the salad vibe. Yes, it's a classic combo, but for $17, I personally wanted something with more pop. Also at my table was "The American"—a tomato-based creation crowned with sausage, mushrooms, red peppers, and a mozz/provolone blend—that was much more to my liking. Looking back over the menu now, I'd order any other pie (the Affettati with its spicy soppressata, the Maiale with its bacon and goat cheese, and certainly the Margherita all look like winners) over the eponymously named pie.

But the menu also veers away from pizzas with plenty of pasta dishes, a long rundown of small plates, and a handful of other entrees, not all of which feel exactly at home on this menu or in this setting. (I'm sure the Scottish salmon is divine, but seems a tad incongruous.) Apart from the tasty arancini above, I can only speak for the pizzas; I'd happily stray from a pie on my next visit. Maybe the key to Double Zero Napoletana is to not pay too much attention to that name out front. When I think of it as a gourmet Southern Italian special-occasion kind of destination, I do find myself wanting to go back. When I try to think about it as a serious pizza place, though, I get a little distracted by rules about toppings and maitre d's and Scottish salmon and $17 piles of arugula.

About the Author: Todd Brock lives the glamorous life of a stay-at-home freelance writer in the suburbs of Atlanta. Besides being paid to eat cheeseburgers for AHT and pizzas for Slice, he's written and produced over 1,000 hours of television and penned Building Chicken Coops for Dummies. When he grows up, he wants to be either the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys or the drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish. Or both.

Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.

[Photographs: Meredith Smith]

On Boston's South Shore, bar pies reign supreme and Town Spa in Stoughton has long been considered one of the keepers of the bar pie flame. But like so many small town pizzerias with a base of unwavering loyalist, it can be hard to discern whether the value of the place is in their hearts or in the pies. There are stories like the guy transporting $2000 dollars worth of Town Spa pizzas in coolers across country, the kind of action that at least earns the place a closer look.

Their pies get delivered to booth and bar on dinted aluminum pans. A quick inspection reveals a blonder than usual underside and slightly thicker base than the flatbread-esque crust typical of this style. The textural contrast from the under crust to the upper layer that just meets the sauce and cheese, is subtle. It's a softer pie than most others of the bar variety, which land on the crackery end of the spectrum.

The oil fried flavor of the crust dominates the pie, that, and the Portugese linguica and onion here. That's to say that the cheese and sauce really take a back seat. (There is a special Italian meat sauce option some nights that made me stop and go hmmm. Could that possible be good?) Neither sauce, nor cheese were so memorable on their own. The diced onions were sweetened by the char of their edges and the linguica makes a fine pizza topping. For people that don't like crust, this a good style pie because the toppings go right to the edge. But ultimately there are better specimens of the regionally dominate pie than those at Town Spa. But it is sure to live on in its greatness in the hearts of its eternal fans.

Town Spa

1119 Washington St Stoughton, MA 02072 (map)
781-344-2030; townspapizza.com

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

From Serious Eats: New York

Prosciutto balls, along with Neapolitan and Sicilian rice balls, are $1.25 each. [Photograph: Adam Kuban]

If you didn't click through on our Prince Street Pizza post earlier today, you may have missed this little item was buried in there: The prosciutto balls from Joe's Superette in Carroll Gardens live on. The former manager of Joe's, which closed in May 2011 after owner Leo Coldonato died, is making them at Prince Street. Also available, Neapolitan and Sicilian rice balls. All balls are $1.25 each.

Prince Street Pizza

27 Prince Street, New York NY 10003 (Elizabeth/Mott; map)
212-966-4100; princestpizza.com

The last line of this clip is exactly what the kind of thing I used to love about the Simpsons. And the fact that the whole scene is set in a bathroom? WTF?! And what exactly did Homer use to draw those eyes around his nipples? Mascara?

Sorry there isn't a better English version of this episode. There's a decent quality one here, but it's in German, which is pretty amusing in itself. Onward to the video...

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

[Photograph: rodosee on Flickr]

Here on Slice we've discussed all manner of methods for reheating pizza: the classics; the scientific; desperation driven; the George Foreman. But despite having all the know-how to revive last night's pizza, sometimes you just want it cold. Isn't there pleasure in diving into the leftovers without making a big fuss? Why try to revive the iced slice to its former greatness when it can offer its own brand of satisfaction in its leftover state? If you secretly have just as much affection for pizza cold the next day, vote "way!"

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

From Serious Eats

Pizza! Pizza! [Photograph: María del Mar Sacasa]

I can eat pizza every day of the week. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner; fresh out of a wood-burning oven, lukewarm after being delivered via bicycle on a chilly night, congealed from the box the morning after. I have favorite spots and varieties, like the Neapolitan pies at Motorino, but I'll take a slice from the corner joint or even the freezer (ahem, Stouffer's French bread boat) to satisfy a craving.

How does the flavor combination of gooey cheese, bread, and tomato sauce never induce palate fatigue? You know, I really wish it would because then I'd be freed from the devilish temptation to stop at the multiple pizzerias that dot Manhattan's streets. And also cut down on the amount of antacid I ingest.

This week for Sandwiched, I translated my slice obsession into a sandwich. Instead of a bakery roll, I begin with ready-to-use supermarket pizza dough and baked it on a sheet pan. As an ode to my adoration of Pizza Hut bread sticks, the dough that will act as the hat on these sandwiches is brushed with butter and sprinkled with a mixture of green can Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, and garlic powder.

I know I'll get grief from some of you over using convenience products, but the crumbly Parm is a staple condiment at many a pizza palace and I simply could not give it the cold shoulder here.

Not to worry, ingredient purists, I'm also using fresh Italian sausages, a chunky red sauce with fragrant basil leaves, and crumbles of whole milk ricotta to make this pizza-sandwich perfect, even if you decide to nix my trashy cheese topping.

Get the Recipe

Grilled Sausage and Ricotta Pizza >>

About the author: María del Mar Sacasa is a recipe developer, food stylist, and author of the food blog High Heels & Frijoles. Behind her girly façade lurks a truck driver's appetite. Read about her cravings and suffer through her occasional rants on Twitter @HHandFrijoles and Pinterest.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: My Pie Monday: Bourbon Pesto, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Spanish Pizza, and Much More!

Feast your eyes on this bounty! This My Pie Monday finds us 16 pies strong. First, a warm welcome to newcomers tucra, Nico S, meatballs&milkshakes, redwgn67, and Steve Viterali! There's a hint of spring in the air this go-around and not just with the new growth in Slice'rs. Amusebouche1's asparagus and arugula topped pie and BiereBeer's homegrown arugula pizza get into the season topping-wise, and the spicy pies from Olsonmatt and Imwalkin seems like one way to get things warming up. But some of you are just plain frisky—ahem TXCraig1 and dhorst—both make some pretty good dmcavanagh references. Jimmyg explores some new techniques for an old favorite. Norma427 may be showing some signs of cabin fever with her wacky-shaped 'fried and baked' pie or maybe Girl Loves Pizza with this week's sandwich-inspired pizza. And what says spring more than a the fecundity of wild yeast, which will now have a starring role in effanzo_mane's pies.

It's easy to get your pie included in next week's slideshow. Just take one picutre of a pie you made recently, describe your cooking method (in 80 words or less), and follow these instructions to get it to us by 8pm (EST) Thursday. Be sure to let us know your Slice screen name.

Want to see more awesome homemade pizza photos from previous weeks? They're right here »

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.