As much as we love a deal here at Midtown Lunch, the trend of cheap pizza has been a little bizarre to watch. Last fall, 2 Bros. popped up just doors away from Indian Newsstand (and pizza joint) Bombay and a price war ensued. Early this week, luncher ‘jonhack’ posted in the forums that Pizza King, Bombay’s pizza joint, was selling slices for 79 cents and that 2 Bros had responded by knocking their price down to 75 cents. As you can see from the photo above, it looks like Pizza King has matched their price. How far will this pizza brinksmanship go?!? Are we looking at 50 cent slices soon? Only time will tell.

Last week, Rachel announced the March specials at Certe and Pizza by Certe. This month’s pizza comes topped with spicy lamb meatballs, fava beans, goat cheese and sautéed minted cherry tomatoes. Certe, you had me at spicy lamb meatballs…but clinched it with goat cheese. Everything seems great on paper, but did the execution stack up?

I ordered one lamb ($3.50) and one margherita ($2.50) for good measure, but didn’t end up needing it because the lamb slice was plenty filling. The meatballs were definitely lamby tasting, so skip this if you’re not a fan of lamb. They weren’t that spicy, but I loved the flavor. The goat cheese was the star of the show, with huge chunks dotting the surface of the pizza. I also couldn’t taste the ‘minted’ part of the tomatoes, but they were juicy, sweet, and slightly charred and definitely did their part. The beans didn’t really add anything, they weren’t plentiful enough to be super noticeable.

In the end, if you’re a fan of lamb and goat cheese I’d say you’ll be satisfied but not blown away by this slice. There was another lamb slice on display that day, some sort of merguez and cauliflower concoction, and I’m not sure if it’s a new regular or a rotating special but I’m very curious to try it for comparison. Stay tuned!

Pizza by Cer Te, 132 East 56th (btw. Park+Lex) (212) 813-2020

Don Antonio, 309 W 50th Street (btw. 8+9th). 646-719-1043

Late last year, Uncle Mario’s Brick Oven Pizza (9th ave btw. 49+50th) opened to little fanfare and Yelp reviews ranging from overly enthusiastic to apathetic all the way to contemptuous. What else would you expect from a slightly gussied up version of a generic pizzeria like Abitino’s, the local chain owned by the same people? None of this made me eager to try it, but when I walked by and spied a macaroni and cheese pie, I felt compelled to investigate Uncle Mario’s world for myself. Here we go!

The first thing you should know about Uncle Mario’s Brick Oven Pizza is that they don’t really have brick ovens. Sure, they have “brick” ovens (ovens made of brick), but that appears to just be a facade for a regular oven. The wood or coal burning ovens and the thin, crunchy crusts that Mario’s name implies are nowhere to be found. Demerits for misleading customers with completely unnecessary word games. I didn’t come to inspect ovens though. I came for pizza topped with macaroni and cheese, and that’s exactly what I got.

The pasta-on-pie idea is nothing new, but I can’t recall seeing mac and cheese specifically, and it’s pretty awesome. Elegant in its simplicity, a thin and sturdy pie (more doughy than crunchy, although the bottom was nicely charred) is topped with one of the world’s greatest comfort foods. And to Mario’s credit, my slice was heated perfectly (I find a lot of places that reheat slices do it for too long or not long enough). Despite the dense pasta, the center wasn’t cold at all and the layer of mozzarella between the dough and the elbow was melted to stringy perfection. This slice is an undiluted overload of carbs and cheese for sure, but it’s moderately sized and filling without being a complete gutbomb.

I decided to try something a little simpler as well, opting for their “grandma” slice. It’s described as a “thin crust square pie topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce on a garlic bread crust.” I don’t want to reopen a debate about what exactly constitutes a grandma slice, but the only thing there that really says “grandma” to me is the fact that it’s square, which many of their pies are. And I didn’t notice anything different about the crust. Semantics aside, it was an extremely standard slice of pizza, with some very salty cheese. I’m fairly certain fresh mozzarella wasn’t the only thing there, and whatever fresh cheese may have been added was robbed of its “freshness” through the cooking process. The sauce was rich, sweet, and cloying- the way I find most overly sweet sauces. I actually kind of liked it, but it’s definitely not ideal. All in all, I didn’t particularly dislike this “grandma slice, but it will likely turn off purists. And people just looking for something simple can get much cheaper slices that will still give you that cheese and carb fix (I’d recommend 2 Bros.).

The two slices together came to $7.45. I’m not sure, but I think they were both $3.50 before tax, which would make the mac and cheese slice a way better value. Either way, I was pretty full and reasonably satisfied.

I hold generic pizza places like this in very low esteem (much like the generic delis this site was designed to offer alternatives to). Their bank of prepared pies, sitting there at room temperature just waiting to be reheated, bores and depresses me. I adjust my expectations at a place like this. I’m not looking for great pizza, I’m just looking for something that tastes good. The mac and cheese slice definitely satisfied on that front, and I would consider trying some of their other more experimental options (like the pulled pork or puttanesca pies on their menu), but if you’re just looking for a slice, the quality and value at Uncle Mario’s don’t really stand out.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Their mac and cheese pie is just what it sounds like, and it tastes really good
• As far as generic pizza places in Midtown go, it’s pretty good

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• It’s basically the same mediocre pizza you can get anywhere
• The names of the restaurant and some of the pizzas are misleading
• The prices aren’t great

Uncle Mario’s Brick Oven Pizza, 739 9th Ave. (btw. 49+50th), 212-459-1234

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a white slice or a Sicilian slice and the day that I visited J&V, I was in the mood for both so I got both. Just by looking at the 2 slices, they looked pretty damn tasty.

The Sicilian slice ($2.75) had a nice crunchy bottom and sadly that was the only highlight of that slice. The crust was a little too dense and chewy. And I have to agree with Lunch’er Milkman about the sauce. It had potential but not enough flavor.

I’m sure if I had eaten this white slice ($3.50) when it came straight out of the oven, it would’ve been great. The flavors were totally there (unlike the Sicilian slice) and the slice tasted pretty good. But as with most white slices, it became tough and chewy once it cooled down. Also the crust had no taste at all which made me very sad because I love eating the crust.

It seems like J&V Midtown has real potential to become a great pizza place. The 2 slices I ate weren’t greasy at all and I didn’t feel disgusted afterwards for eating 2 slices. J&V Midtown made me curious about the original J&V in Bensonhurst, I may just trek out there for pizza. Also on the menu (picture above) they have a grandpa slice? What is a grandpa slice?!

The + (What somebody who likes this would say)

• J&V in Bensonhurst is my favorite and now I don’t need to travel into Bensonhurst.
• Not so greasy pizza, sure!
• I have always prefered grandpa slices over grandma slices.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• The tomato sauce was bland.
• The crust had no flavor.
• I’m not going to pay more than 99cents for slices.

J&V Pizzeria, 805 3rd Ave. (btw. 49+50th) in the Basement 212-888-7755

Crain’s announced earlier in the week that Roberto Caporuscio, co-owner of Kesté (one of my favorite pizzerias in the city) and Antonio Starita his mentor and owner of the oldest pizzeria in Naples, will open up a Neapolitan pizzeria called Don Antonio in the fall. It will be on 50th Street just west of 8th Avenue and will serve wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, those crispy, pillowy delights. Only two of the pies at Kesté are under $10, so I imagine this restaurant might also be a little out of our price range. But here’s hoping they offer some lunch specials. [via Eater]

When I passed by Harry’s Italian in the concourse at 30 Rock on Monday, I took a few other photos of the new shop. Get a closer look, including a menu shot, after the jump.

Pizza By The Slice:
Cheese – $2.75
Sausage – $3.25
Pepperoni – $3.25
White – $3
Mushroom – $3.25
Special – $4

Sandwiches:
Mozzarella & Tomato – $6.50
Prosciutto, Peppers & Mozzarella – $7.50
Italian Tuna – $7.50
Grilled Chicken, Peppers & Mozzarella – $7.50
Harry’s Italian Hero – $8.50

Salads:
Mixed Greens – $5.50
Ceasar – $6.50
Arugula – $6.50
Anti Pasto – $6.50
(Add chicken to salads for $2.50)

And early reports in the comments seem pretty positive.  Have you been yet?  What’s the good word…

Photo courtesy of Gothamist

Really?  Famous Famiglia Pizzeria! That’s the best you can do?  Urgh…

3rd Ave between 57th & 58th St is getting a couple of new lunch options this summer, and both seem to be a little more forward thinking than your average deli. On the east side of the street, a Mediterranean concept called “BarBanzo” will be opening soon. The google didn’t turn up anything definitive about this place, but it seems like their menu will likely focus on falafel. On the west side of 3rd Ave, Naked Pizza is a slightly more interesting opening. Founded in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and backed by investors Mark Cuban and Robert Kraft, the chain has expanded to over 25 locations across the US, as well as presence in Dubai.

They seem to have embraced the healthy, organic, sustainable, whole wheat pizza model (looks like Pizza by Certe will have some competition). They’re also big into the social media game, one article interestingly quoting the owners saying that, “Naked Pizza isn’t a pizza company, but a social media company that sells pizza”. So for the lunchers of Midtown East that have been craving more garbanzo beans, or eco-friendly, healthy, whole wheat, preservative-free, organic social media pizza, time to get excited.

The dollar pizza plague trend is spreading! Yesterday, I found this sign up in the narrow storefront on 6th Avenue near 39th Street that used to be a Tasti D-Lite. Personally, if I’m over there looking for a bite, I’d probably hit Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6th) or the Desi Food Truck, but on those days when you only have $2 or $3 to spend on lunch, this will definitely come in handy.