What to Look For in the Best New York Style Pizza near Me: A Guide

Neopolitan pizza, or Sicilian pizza? Detroit-style pizza, or Chicago deep dish? There are countless different types of New York Style Pizza, the best food on the planet.

But only one style reigns supreme: the New York style pizza. 

Forget about using forks in Chicago. What is that, lasagna?

Pizza is hand food. And it’s done best when you can fold the slice and eat it without making a mess.

The only problem with New York pizza is that most people who love pizza don’t live in New York. Wondering how to find New York style pizza near me?

I’ll be honest; it can be quite difficult. The only places that do it right are those whose owners have spent enough time in Brooklyn to understand what makes New York style so dang good.

But we’ve compiled a few tips below to help you find the best types of pizza near you.

What Makes New York Style Pizza so Good?

New York has always been ripe with Italian flair. So it’s no wonder that the famous New York-style pizza is originally rooted in Neopolitan pizza. 

Back in the 1800s, Italian immigrants flooded into the streets of New York City. While many eventually made their homes beyond the city limits, countless Italians set up shop in NYC. Today, those of Italian descent still make up a huge percentage of the city’s residents.

So it’s no wonder why Neopolitan pizza, consumed by residents of Naples, Italy, become so popular in New York as well. And over the ages, New York style pizza emerged as its own version of the Italian staple.

New York pizzas are huge. The standard size for a full pizza is 18 inches, while other types of pizza places will make 12- and 14-inch pizzas (for some weird reason).

Each slice is cut very large, and the bottom crust is quite thin. The outer crust is crispy.

The slices can seem overwhelming to eat until you learn how you’re supposed to eat them. Simply fold the slice, making it easier to hold, and less likely to flop around. 

Most NYC pizzas are kept simple: tomato sauce, mozzarella, and a few dabs of oregano, Parmesan, and red pepper. But you can also get one with almost any topping, from pepperoni and sausage to anchovies if you like the strong, acidic flavor. 

To craft the perfect New York pizza, it needs to be baked in a wood- or coal-burning pizza oven.

New York Style Pizza Near Me

Now that you’re mouth is watering and your tummy is rumbling, it’s time to learn how to find some New York pizza, even if you’re a thousand miles away from the Big Apple. 

It’s All in the Name

Obviously, the name of a pizza company tells you a lot. If the term “New York Style” is in the name of the business, you are on the right track.

Also, Brooklyn-style pizza is another popular term. They will be very similar, though Brooklyn-style uses a provolone and mozzarella cheese blend, and uses a thinner crust that gets a bit crispier in the oven.

Both styles will satisfy your craving for New York style pizza, however. 

Also, look out for Italian names in the business name. Names like Giovanni are a good sign, as are Italian-American names like Joe or Frank. 

Though, when going off the name, ensure that the pizza won’t be Neopolitan or Sicilian. 

Lastly, look for the word “pie.” If a pizzeria calls it a pizza pie, there is a good chance that they have either Italian or New York style pizzas, as early Italian immigrants are to thank for the connection between pizza and pie.

So a place like Wiseguy Pizza Pie is likely to have amazing New York-style pizza, even though they’re all the way out in Idaho. Especially since they use the term “fuggedaboutit” on their website. 

Unassuming Location

Often, the best New York pizza places are the ones you overlook. The hole in the wall restaurants that don’t waste money on fancy signs or decorative interiors are often the hidden gems of the pizza world. 

So next time you’re driving down the street and see a tiny shop with a pizza sign, make sure to give it a try. 

Big Slices

The most telltale sign of a good New York-style pizza place is the size of the slices. The bigger the slice, the more New York it is. They should be a little bit bigger than a standard-sized paper plate.

If you walk in and see mediocre-sized slices in the display case, or on other customers’ tables, you should probably just walk out and go somewhere else. 

Because the slices are so large, many customers only need one or two for a quick lunch, rather than buying an entire pie. So New York pizzerias usually offer pizza by the slice, either all day long, or just during the lunch hour. 

So if you see a line out the door at noon, that’s probably a good sign. 

Local Ingredients

Spend enough time browsing the food scene in NYC and you’ll quickly discover that New Yorkers care about their food, and where it comes from.

The farm-to-fork movement is huge, with a big emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients. So a top-notch New York-style pizzeria, even in the Midwest, will also use high-quality ingredients, not from New York or Italy, but from local farmers in their region.

If you’re blessed with multiple New York-style pizza restaurants in your area, figure out which ones source their ingredients with care. Support businesses that support small, local farmers, rather than those who buy from corporate grocery stores and factory farms.

Your belly, and your conscience, will thank you. 

Satisfying Your New York Style Cravings

Finding New York style pizza near me doesn’t have to be difficult. So long as you’re in a relatively populated area, at least.

New York is a megacity. And as much as people love living there, many eventually move out, to other parts of the country, and bring their New York style pizza with them.

If you look long and hard, but still can’t find a good option, then I guess you need to book a plane ticket, so you can take a pizza tour of the Big Apple in the near future.

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