The Alex & The Eleanor + 1

Ok, so I’ve been working at Merkley + Partners here on Varick St for a long time (8 years!) and in all that time I’ve never actually set foot in Phil’s Pizza, a tiny box of a place right down the street. While I love pizza, it’s never really been a lunch food for me, and there also happen to be quite a few really good pizza places only a slight bit further away, so until now Phil’s has been unexplored. Well combine a busy day, a recent pizza kick, the extreme cold, and a new-found need to word vomit – er blog, that’s no longer the case.

Phil’s is a place out of time. It’s been in the same location, and from what I can tell the interior has been untouched since 1971. They have a few seats, but are mostly a takeout sort of place.

I tried two plain slices, one Sicilian and the other regular. $2.60 and $2.50 a slice. Unlike  most larger slice joints, it appears they put toppings on plain slices and re-bake them here. No 15 different pies sitting out to look at. I suppose that’s a good thing, although it makes it hard to know what toppings look good. Anyhow, maybe another time.To the slices…

Sicilian – good dough, tangy sauce, cheese has a pleasant subtle flavor but is a little waxy. This falls into the doughy/chewy category of Sicilian slices, which I do like, but the bottom crust could use some crunch to it for contrast.

Regular – good cheese flavor, seems like there’s some parmesan mixed in with the mozzarella as there’s some depth there. The sauce adds tang but is not overwhelming. The crust is a bit of a failure though. It’s got a bit of a cardboard consistency to it, with no oven crunch.

If/when I go back I’ll make sure to ask them to put the slices in the oven for an extra few minutes to crisp them up. This is classic NY style pizza, nothing that knocks your socks off, but it’s cheap and decent in a space about twice the size of my office, so I can understand why it’s stayed in business for 35 years.

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