SLICE at last

[Rich Pawlak]

So it was the kids and I with about four hours to kill in Center City. Of course they fell asleep en route, which made it easier for me to cruise Center City, Bella Vista, Wash West etc. and check out all the new places that have cropped up in the past year. I've been away from the city too long.

While I was on 10th St. I drove by SLICE, the raved-about pizza joint, but it was yet to open. Parked across the street in front of Bitar's Bakery and scanned the newspapers I brought along, picked up the Jim Rome Show on a radio station in Wilmington, DE, and relaxed while the kids slept. Felt like a pizza place stalker. And I was.

Within a half hour, a neon "OPEN" sign flashed on; soon we would be in business. And not soon after that, Sophie wrested herself from slumber and said the magic words: "Daddy, I have to pee." That woke Ben, conveniently enough, and giddily we walked across the street for pizza and potty breaks at SLICE.

Owner Jason Dilks was already taking orders for delivery over the phone; we quickly ordered 3 slices and found the restrooms, which led us througn the entire kitchen area where 3 other workers were chopping mounds of basil, shredding cheeses, stirring crushed tomatoes. Glorious.

We picked up our slices, and with my eyes closed, it was scarily close to a Delorenzo's of Hudson St. tomato pie. And Dilks should know; he grew up eating the stuff, and he thinks it's still the best pie in the US. Appearance-wise, he doesn't burn the crust quite like a Trenton tomato pie, but he has the flavor profile down pat. Ben and Sophie scarfed down their huge slices (we had to cut them up a bit, Jason serves a very large slice), because, like their dad, they know what the good stuff tastes like; they go ga-ga for Delorenzo's.

We chatted pizza for a while, joined by some neighborhood residents and a pressman from the Inquirer who stopped in for a slice: a random room full of pizza geeks at 3 in the afternoon.

Jason's pie is nicely thin crusted, without the random bumps and odd shapes common to Trenton pies, but the bottom was nicely charred, and the flavor was nutty-yeasty-smoky, the texture chewy. The way it's supposed to be. It's a great homage to the pizza of his youth. I have a coupla pics on my blog, below.

And (breaking news?) he is looking into opening a branch of SLICE in Center City. Eyeing a location in particular, but he would not divulge. Oh you lucky Center City bastids. You will be spoiled forever.

Dilks says he makes a mean white clam pie, too. Guess which pie the kids and I will be trying on our next visit? Along with a traditional red, I mean. You can never get enough of pizza this good.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Rich Pawlak (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Slice definitely makes a terrific pizza, and is our usual delivery pie. Next time, try the eggplant pie: it's really out of sight.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: between Slice, Chickie's and Bitar's, that corner of 10th and Federal has an embarrassment of eating riches.