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.
[Photograph: Dave Katz]
People actually seem to like Pomodoro, which almost looks like a caricature of a pizza shop on its Spring St. corner. The lunch crowd tends to be relatively large, the selection is broad, and it's open very late on weekends (sign says 4 a.m.). Unfortunately, Pomodoro's signature Vodka slice ($3.50), which has gotten rave reviews on Yelp and beyond, will leave most pizza fans wanting more (or, in this case, a bit less).
Less, in this case, refers to the sauce and cheese and not the size, which actually justifies the price tag—though the less offensive cheese slice is equally large and a dollar cheaper. Although, size is about the only thing Pomodoro does right. The crust is unremarkable. Despite being somewhat crispy, the thin crust tastes a bit too much like flour and crunches more like a cracker than a good pie. Moreover, there is almost no char on the underside.
Perhaps the cracker-like crust is necessary to bear the particularly heavy helping of sauce and cheese. The Vodka sauce, which is studded with tomato chunks, is cloyingly sweet (it nearly overwhelms the pie) with a spicy finish. Cheese doesn't fare much better. Although Pomodoro puts fresh mozzarella on the pie, the cooks cut it on the thick side, which produces rubbery results, especially in reheating. Basically, unless you are stumbling around at 3 a.m. or desperately in need of a slice, you might want to skip Pomodoro and head down the block to Rubirosa.
Pomodoro
51 Spring St. New York, NY 10012 (map)
212-966-9229; pomodoropizzany.com