DAY 4, Pizza Month 2011 - Phil's Pizza (Greenwich Village, NYC)

DAY 4: OCTOBER 4th, 2011

LOCATION: Phil's Pizza (Midtown East, NYC)

ORDER: One slice of plain

GUEST: Amy Hellman, Tegan

REVIEW:
For nearly 40 years, Phil’s Pizza has remained unchanged.

Phil’s Pizza opened its doors in 1972 and if the sepia toned photos posted on the wall are any indicator, it hasn’t changed much since.  Homemade signs with crossed out prices layered with decades of grease fill the congested pizzeria (with an A grade for cleanliness).  Fortunately, the pizza’s good.

By the way, Phil’s pizza slices are plain cheese - “regular” or “Sicilian.”  I went with a regular slice and was thrilled to uncover a new-to-me classic New York pizza.  The uncooked crushed tomato sauce is seasoned with herbs and spices.  Then the savory spread is distributed nearly to the outer edge.  A high quality creamy Wisconsin mozzarella is layered upon a thin but firm under crust.  The outer edge is slightly crispier but acts as a perfect handle for folding the slice for portability and oil drainage.  It’s simple, no Extra Virgin Olive Oil, no grated cheese, no basil leaves - just good quality basics.  Proof that pizza, at its core, is just plain delicious.


PHOTOS:

RATING:
3.75 out of 5

• VALUE:
  4/5


• AMBIENCE:
  2.5/3


• TASTE:
  7/10


• SERVICE:
  N/A

13.5/18 = .75 x 5 = 3.75


MISCELLANEOUS:
1. Tegan is my first guest that happens to be a cat. She didn't seem to be too thrilled by the experience - of course, she didn't get to eat any pizza.

2. Amy Hellman childhood home has goats living in it.
3. I wrote a Daily Slice for my favorite pizza resource (slice.seriouseats.com) earlier in the year.