The problem with dollar slices is that you almost always get what you pay for. Sometimes not even that. Of those I've eaten around the city, the most complimentary thing I could say about the best of them was that they were cheap—and probably good for after-bar scarfing.
But Percy's Pizza, a newish dollar slice joint on Bleecker amid all the bars and jazz clubs, might be the best dollar slice I've had—even good as judged by the standards of a regular New York slice.
Percy's is especially great when it's hot out of the oven, with creamy, stringy mozzarella; a fresh-tasting sauce that seems to be little more than crushed tomatoes with some salt added—maybe a little sugar in there, as it's a touch sweeter than most lightly cooked sauces.
The crust is crisp and chewy, with none of the excessive softness or doughiness of the Hot Fresh 99¢ Bros. It's flexible and foldable. At least that's how it's been two of three times I've tried it. The shot above, well, it was a little overcooked when I visited earlier this week.
But I show that shot to you to illustrate the fact that this is not an ordinary dollar slice.
See, in a recent Slice post, Kenji attempted to define the "dollar slice" as a unique style of pizza. One of the major hallmarks of which being that the dough is stretched on an oiled surface, transferred to a screen and then cooked.
But Percy's flies in the face of that MO, as it's stretched on a floured surface and cooked directly on the deck of a gas-fired oven (a beautiful, old, stocky, four-deck Blodgett oven that looks like it's made a lot of NYC pizza in its time).
That might be because it's owned by the South Brooklyn Pizza folks. Those familiar with the spot know that Percy's replaces the short-lived Greenwich Village location of South Brooklyn, of which Slice is a fan. As the manager on duty there when I visited recently told me, "Same guys. They just wanted to try a new venture here."
It's not quite the same rich, flavorful slice as at the actual South Brooklyn Pizza, but it's a dollar slice that's playing in the two-dollar leagues and not doing too bad at it. Especially at 1am.
Plain slices, $1; most topped slices are $1.50; 2 slices and a drink go for $2.75.
Percy's Pizza
190 Bleecker Street, New York NY 10012 (near MacDougal; map)
About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.