Downtown Lunch: Pizza Italia is Downtown's Best Grandma Slice

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (insuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

Pizza Italia

I’m going to have to say that Pizza Italia has the best Grandma slice I’ve had downtown. I specifically went to check this joint out at the recommendation of two blue shirts I met at the Taste of Downtown festival. We were chatting about the food when I asked where their favorite places to eat down here were. One guy said his favorite slice of pizza was definitely “the triangle Grandma slice at Pizza Italia.”

Pizza Italia

At Pizza Italia they do a different spin on the grandma, making it as a round pie, giving you a triangle slice instead of the traditional square. And the slice did not disappoint- although I wish they had heated it up. It was warm but not hot, but this is my fault though for not asking. The sauce was a little sweet but not overpowering and the crust had a nice chewy texture. Very filling.

Pizza Italia

I also was intrigued by the salad slice which was topped with mesclun, carrots, olives, sun dried tomatoes, and the option of gorganzolla (which I took, duh). I figured this was the healthy way to balance out the grandma slice. This slice was also quite substantial.

Pizza Italia

They also offer an array of specials each day ranging from linguine w/broccoli rabe to chicken marsala. I’m sure it’s enough food for two, but at the 12-13 dollar price range its a bit much for a little hole in the wall pizza shop like this (and out of the ML price range.) I think that was my one issue with this place, the prices. Both my slices were $3.75!! I’m used to paying $3.25, maybe $3.50 for a slice like this, but when you’re almost at 4 bucks I just think that’s insanity!

I also wanted to eat the cannoli after the head lady working the register gave a sample of the filling to me and another person waiting on line- but again, at $3.75 it was a bit much for dessert. $2 is my max for a cookie or something like it during the day. I’d recommend this place for the top notch Grandma slice, just be prepared to pay a bit for it.

Pizza Italia, 11 Stone Street (btw Broadway and Broad), 212-514-7770

Photos and post by Daniel Krieger

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