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slice of ny pizza

The Origins And Advantages Of Ordering A Slice Of NY Pizza

Manhattan is famous for many iconic foods, like cheesecake, the pastrami sandwich, Waldorf Salad, and pizza. It’s also the birthplace of “on-the-go pizza” eating. When looking for a delicious slice of NY pizza, stop by Mario’s Pizza.

Advantages of A Slice of NY Pizza Vs. Whole Pie

Americans love pizza and eat it frequently. However, sometimes you don’t have time to sit and eat a pie, even if it’s personal-sized. Due to its unique crust, you can fold a slice of NY style pizza in half. This feature offers these advantages:

  • Convenience – get it and eat as you go
  • Speed – quick service with very little waiting
  • Taste – reheating slices crisps the bottom and increases deliciousness
  • Customizable – add your favorite toppings

Slice of NY Pizza – How Pizzerias Began Selling Them

The forerunner to today’s pizza began in Italy around the 1700s, cooked in wood-fired ovens. When Italians began immigrating to America, they discovered that coal was the most widely used fuel. Generally, a wood-fired oven burns at a lower temperature, resulting in the pillowy crust of Neapolitan pizza.

In contrast, coal-fired ovens burn hotter, creating a crispier and drier pizza crust, representative of NY style. Moreover, for the best dining experience, you must eat coal-fired pizza fresh. Once it cools, the crust becomes tough. Thus, selling pizza slices had to wait until the invention of the gas oven.

One Italian immigrant, Frank Mastro, tinkered with a coal-fired oven, adapting it to use gas as a fuel source. Gas ovens baked pizzas more evenly at a lower, but steady temperature. This allowed for consistent cooking and a drier crust. With a drier crust, pizzerias could reheat slices while maintaining their crispy texture.

NY-style Vs. Neapolitan Pizza

If you’ve ever ordered a Neapolitan pizza, you’ll discover the differences include more than the pizza crust. Typically, these adaptations occurred due to switching to gas-fueled ovens and the availability of ingredients.

For example, fresh tomatoes for Neapolitan pizza were unavailable, but canned tomatoes were easily accessible. However, canning companies harvest tomatoes before they fully ripen. Hence, canned tomatoes aren’t naturally sweet like vine-ripened ones. To balance the acidity of canned tomatoes, immigrants began to season their pizza sauce.

Another difference is that Neapolitan pizza is made with fresh mozzarella, whereas a slice of NY pizza uses low-moisture cheese in its preparation. Generally, fresh mozzarella has a higher water content. However, during the baking of Neapolitan pizza, the extreme heat of wood/coal-fired ovens evaporates the excess water.

In comparison, the extended cooking duration and reduced temperatures of NY style crust prevent this water from evaporating. Hence, using fresh mozzarella causes a soggy crust. Switching to low-moisture cheese eliminated this problem.

Pizza At Mario’s

One local restaurant represents the traditions of those early pizzerias. Three Italian brothers from Brooklyn, NY, moved to the area in the 1980s. Their dream was to bring NY style pizza to North Carolina. Over the years, they have expanded to 9 locations in the Piedmont area:

All Mario’s restaurants follow the same time-honored traditions adapted by those Italian immigrants who opened the first pizzerias. From using the freshest ingredients to hand-tossing the dough, every step matters.

Moreover, we offer 34 delicious toppings to make your pizza exactly the way you like it. And for those days when you can’t decide on your favorite toppings, we offer several specialty pizzas:

  • Margherita
  • 5 Boroughs
  • Greenhouse
  • The Worx
  • Pizza Bianco
  • Spicy Buffalo chicken
  • Cauliflower/rice-based crust

Finally, whether you enjoy pizza by the slice or pie, Mario’s has got you covered. Our single slices are huge, plus our pies are available in 5 different sizes, from personal to party.

Ultimately, it’s our commitment to quality that makes us a local favorite. Here’s a recent comment by one of our customers:

Always the best pizza around. I order this for my staff because they work hard. Support local when you can. Great people here who make amazing pizza and deliver customer service every time – Brian P., Greensboro

FAQs About Mario’s Pizza

Thinking of picking up a pizza from Mario’s, but have additional questions? Below, we offer some additional information. If you have any other questions, please call your nearest Mario’s.

What Else Is On Mario’s Menu Besides Pizza?

We have an extensive menu filled with delicious Italian flavors:

  • Appetizers including wings, garlic knots, and toasted ravioli
  • Salads – enjoy it as a side or a full meal
  • 11 tempting hot and cold flavors
  • Strombolis
  • Calzones
  • Lasagna
  • Baked Ziti
  • Spaghetti
  • Eggplant/chicken parmigiana
  • Tiramisu
  • NY cheesecake
  • Limoncello mascarpone cake
  • Cannoli

Can I Join A Loyalty Program?

Yes! We love to reward our customers for dining with us! You can join by downloading our app or letting your server know the next time you place an order. Then, start earning rewards with every purchase. Combine your rewards with our luncheon or daily specials to save even more!

Does Mario’s Cater?

From our 24-inch pizza pies to our party trays, we can help make your next event a success. You and your guests can enjoy these favorites:

  • Greek/Garden salad
  • Garlic knots
  • Spaghetti with marinara/meatballs
  • Lasagna
  • Baked ziti
  • Ravioli
  • Chicken/eggplant parmigiana
  • Cannoli

While we offer these delicious options, we don’t deliver or set up. Furthermore, we ask that you call ahead so that we can have your food ready for your celebration.

Who Serves Delicious NY Style Pizza?

When searching for a slice of NY pizza, visit Mario’s Pizza. We hope you stop in to see us soon!

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