Midtown Lunch

We reported that Valducci’s has started parking in Midtown a while ago and they seem to now consistently be on 52nd and Park (except for Wednesdays). I realized we haven’t officially given the pizza a review, and I was particularly interested to see how it stacks up against old school pizza truck Jianetto’s, so I went to check it out.

I had to try the original Super Slice, which at 8″ was certainly longer than most square slices you’ll find in Midtown. The crust was a little thicker than Jianetto’s, but it had a nice char on the bottom with a consistent buttery crispness.

The tomato sauce wasn’t as bright and garlicky as I expect from a Grandma slice – this one was acidic and tart. And aside from some smattering of parmesan on top, the cheese was barely detectable. At Jianetto’s they bake the cheese into the bread so you may not see it, but you certainly taste it. I also thought there could have been some basil or oregano to spicen things up a bit.

I really loved the flavors of the Vodka Slice I tired, but unfortunately it was cold by the time I sat down with it across the street. If it had retained its warmth, it would have been almost a perfect slice. The creamy sauce had a wonderful herbaceous quality  with lots of sweet and fresh flavors. The cheese was just as light on this one, but the richness of the sauce was enough. I got an end slice and the edges were crispy and delicious, but other parts of the crust were a bit dry and tough. I blame part of that on the temperature.

I prefer the thin slices at Jianetto’s, but you certainly get more bang for your buck here. After those two slices (at $7 total), I wasn’t hungry for another few hours. The truck offers a few other slices that looked delicious in their own right. I might have to return soon enough to check them out. They can almost always be found at 52nd and Park, but do be sure to check the Twitter Tracker before you head out.

Valducci’s Pizza Truck, 52nd Street and Park Avenue, on Twitter, (212) 470-8476