Slice House by Tony Gemignani

While the neighborhood's Italian restaurants lean hard into Southern Italian traditions and Neapolitan ovens, this spot focuses on what owner Tony Gemignani actually won World Pizza Championships for: New York-style slices with proper crust structure. The difference is tangible—reviewers who've eaten pizza in actual New York consistently note the crust here matches or beats what they get in the five boroughs, with that elusive combination of crisp exterior and foldable chew.

The menu doesn't limit itself to NY slices. You'll find Sicilian squares with thick, focaccia-like bases, and multiple regional styles rotating through. What's notably absent (and worth knowing upfront) is Neapolitan pizza—ironic given the neighborhood, but Gemignani runs separate concepts for that style. Here, the commitment is to slices sold individually, which matters when you're walking India Street and want a quick late-night wedge without committing to a full pie.

The setup splits between a compact indoor counter area and a sizeable outdoor patio that handles larger groups better than most pizza spots in the district. Finding an inside table for three or more borders on impossible during peak hours—reviewers consistently flag this. The outdoor space solves that problem, though it means you're eating al fresco whether you planned to or not.

They're open later than surrounding trattorias, serve beer and wine (useful when you want a casual drink without bar-level noise), and maintain vegetarian options beyond just margherita. Staff handles the post-dinner crowd—people wandering in after eating elsewhere who just want a slice—with patience rather than attitude. The pepperoni runs thick-cut and genuinely flavorful; the sausage follows suit. Both outperform the thin, greasy versions common at lesser slice joints.