Attack of the Killer Pizza Slices

[Fat Guy]

I was in Hoboken a few days ago and noted (remembered, actually, because I think I knew this but had repressed it) that the gist of pizzeria competition downtown runs along the lines of: Who serves the biggest slice?

I went to Benny's, which my local contact advertised as the absolute largest slice source. Benny Tudino's is the actual name of the place (622 Washington St., 201-792-4132) and I should note that the menu contains the following two important statements:

Try the rest, come to Benny's, we're the best

- and -

<< Free Delivery >>

You Ring -- We Bring

Anyway, the slice I had (fresh from the oven -- the place has very high slice-turnover) was immense. It was easily twice the size of a standard Manhattan pizza slice, and somewhat larger than the slice at Sal & Carmine's on the Upper West Size.

I was surprised by something, too: The slice wasn't half bad. The sauce was very nice, sweet and applied with a deft hand (just a thin, even coating). The cheese was average, but not bad -- also in a good proportion. And the crust was quite nice, chewy, and cooked so that nice blisters appeared in places. Not the best slice in the world, but it appeared not to suffer for being really big.

[Rosie]

How much did this "not bad" slice cost you?

[TCD]

Benny, of course, spent about 15 years in a federal pen for selling drugs.  Upstanding citizen.

[Fat Guy]

I think it was $1.75, though I didn't exactly check as it was part of an order that included other things. I recall seeing a price and thinking it wasn't different from what a normally proportioned slice costs in Manhattan. The slice price is not on the menu, otherwise I'd be able to tell you for sure.

[tommy]

everything at benny's costs "buck ninety".  at least, that's the old story.  this is because for a while back in the late eighties, there was this guy who worked there who wasn't so smart (as opposed to the guys who work there who are really really smart).  anyway, a slice and a soda actually went for "buck ninety", but if you complicated the order at all, this nice chap would look at you with the blankest of stares while computing the additional math.  to us, at least, he always seemed to come up with "...buck, ninety".  even if it isn't true, we still get a snicker out of it.

seven star has some huge slices as well.  in fact, i think they're bigger than benny's slices.  

it is important to note that if you order a pie, you will get a standard size slice in the pie.  additionally, the pies don't seem to be as good as the slices, at either of these places.

it's also important to note that benny's pizza blows away just about all of the substandard crappy pizza joints that the fine city of NY has to offer.  why can't NY figure out pizza??

[Fat Guy]

There was a deli near where I used to work where everything was "Four and a quarter."

New York has figured out pizza just fine. The question is, why can't Hoboken figure out pizza? In New York, they figured out long ago that you can serve crummy pizza made from inferior ingredients and nobody will notice. They figured out that you can save all that money on ingredients, but not notice enough of a falloff in sales to make it matter. I pity the fools who serve better pizza than they have to.

[thereuare]

OK, as a Pizza Afficionado i will add by biased 2 cents (and speaking of cents, the slices at Benny's cost $1.75):

Benny's makes a FANTASTIC slice, under the right circumstances!  Their sauce is VERY good, but the slice needs to come right out of the oven.  Simply seeing them freshly cut the pie before your eyes doesn't cut it, as they often let pies sit under the counter of the existing slice pie, then simply reach for it when they're done with the current 8 slices.  To know you are getting something truely special, you need to see it come out of the oven!

Unfortunately, patrons at this place come in spurts, with no rhyme or reason or pattern, so they often have a few back-up pies (which don't get thrown back into the oven for reheating, and therefore are often "warm" instead of piping hot) in case they get a rush.  The slices don't hold up too well either as time passes on, the dough gets soggy and the slice gets limp.  As i'm sure they were very friendly to you (<--sarcasm), you can only imagine the look you get if you ask them to reheat a slice, as the slice often falls apart in the oven when reheated, and creates a big mess for them to clean up.

Tommy makes a good point which i've yet to have an explanation for, that being that if ordering a pie, it doesn't taste as good as a slice (besides being smaller).  

HOWEVER, if you order a "House Pie" you will get a perfect, freshly made and piping hot out of the oven, pie that is the same exact pizza as their "Slice Pie."  Contrary to most pizza places, a "House Pie" here refers to the "slice pie" and NOT a pizza with loads of toppings on it.  Incidentally, there is no discount for ordering a house pie, it's simply $14 (1.75/slice X 8).  Toppings on a slice are 75 cents, and an extra $6 if you'd like it on top of a house pie, although i don't recommend toppings on pizza here, or in general).

Another pizza place mentioned above is Seven Star, which is indeed larger, but AWEFUL as far as pizza is concerned.  I don't think they use real cheese and the pizza is only good for when you need a meal and can't get your ATM card to work.  The best way to describe the taste is that it's what i remember Ellio's pizza tasting like when i was a kid.

A new (for me, although it's been around for years) Hoboken pizza place which is GREAT is Delfino's.  It's a bit of a hike from the main street in Hoboken (5th and Jefferson (i think)) but they have the greatest crust i've ever had!

I'd really like to be able to make a pizza using the crust from Delfino's, use sauce from Benny's, and the cheese from Grimaldi's... now THAT would be an experience!!

Lastly, i agree (once again, with Tommy) that both Benny's and Delfino's are better than MOST pizza places in NYC.  This would not have been true 10 years ago, but the quality of NYC pizza has gone WAY downhill, although it STILL is better than just about any other place in the country.

[ELA]

Is Seven Star Pizza the one on the corner across the street from the park?

Eric

[thereuare]

Ela, yes it is.