Midtown Lunch

From the outside, My Pie Pizzeria Romana doesn’t look like much. In fact, I’ve hurried by dozens of times without noticing it at all, since it almost blends in with its neighboring shops. But, once I walked into the tiny shop for one of their square slices, I was in love. And that’s something, considering the stiff competition in the pizza department in this city. There are several signs that will tell you they’re serving up homemade Romano-style pizza crust, which has no sugar, and they use flour imported from Italy. I was intrigued.

I was further intrigued by the many combinations beautifully displayed at the counter. Negotiating space with even just a few other patrons wasn’t easy, since all anyone wants to do is ogle over the options. Although there are a few bar stools for seating, this tiny storefront is really better suited for takeout.

I expect you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you immediately chose a plain slice without considering the rest. Even though the many flavor combinations were intriguing and somewhat fancy, $4 for a square slice of pizza seemed a little ridiculous to me at first. Then, as I ordered my caramelized onion and Gorgonzola cheese slice, I realized that actually, the pieces are twice the size I was expecting to receive! Rectangular, not square!

I’m not sure this photo really does it justice, but voila: enormous. The caramelized onion and Gorgonzola cheese pizza was topped with mozzarella as well, creating a perfectly gooey, salty-sweet bite. The thick crust was wonderfully soft, yet chewy with the right kind of browned crusty bottom you expect from a square pie. I was satiated with just one slice, but I was definitely temped to try more. If you’re more a two-slicer kind of person, by all means, do it! You won’t break the bank here.

My Pie Pizza Romana, 696 Lexington Ave (at 57th street), 212-317-1850