Looking for a slice of heaven? I was after striding the streets of New York City. A quick online search took me to a wonderful array of pizza places. Because my family and I were in a hurry, we were looking for a place that serves slices. 

Wonderful reviews came up for Joe’s Pizza. With about a 10 minute walk from Battery Park, you arrive on the corner of Fulton and Nassau Street. Almost turning us away was the line that poured out the door. Taking a chance, we hopped in. To my surprise, we only waited 10 minutes and the scaffolding kept us warm. The aroma of cheese, fresh toppings, and hot crust reached my nose, making my mouth water. 

Finally inside, the small space was maximized with seating that included barstools against the windows—enough room for the line to pass in and out. Towards the back of the space was the counter. Glass covered freshly baked pies and a large menu listed an assortment of pizza flavors on the back wall—plain cheese with the choice of an added topping, fresh mozzarella, Sicilian square pie, white pie with the choice of added fresh spinach and garlic, caprese, supreme, and veggie pie. I ordered the white pie and caprese, both with fresh spinach, two fresh mozzarella, and a slice of cheese with pepperoni on top. 

The crew grabbed my slices, put them in the oven to warm them up, and called me over to the register to pay. They asked what I ordered and if I wanted anything to drink from the refrigerator behind me. It was the typical sodas and teas almost every store carries. Within minutes, I was handed my hot, fresh food to enjoy, served in a cardboard box, each slice separated by a paper plate. With the warm box in my hands, I went outside. 

Walking out a separate “out” door to keep traffic flowing, we went back towards the line to find a covered patio. There were four standing round tables with only 2 chairs. We huddled together around the table and finally, FINALLY tasted the scent that was making my stomach rumble. 

Picking up the large white pie slice, I pushed it into my mouth and closed my teeth. The taste can only be described as heaven. The different cheeses filled my mouth with joy and sent my taste buds into orbit with the delicious flavor coming from the thin, perfectly cooked crust. This pizza was worth making that mmmm sound when you eat something so good. The spinach added the freshness and moisture that balanced out the taste of cheese overload. The combination of the cheese, crust, and spinach was the perfect ratio so the cheese wasn't overpowering, the crust adding texture and crunch, and the spinach adding moisture and freshness. 

The next slice had fresh mozzarella rounds, thick tomatoes, and fresh basil on top of a red sauce. Although the crust and sauce were cooked, it seems like the toppings weren't in the oven long to preserve the freshness. This piece was very good. It had a good combination of sauce to toppings—not too much sauce to let the toppings shine. But the mozzarella cheese was disappointing. It was advertised as fresh, but felt almost plastic; it definitely was not fresh. With it mixed into the toppings, the cheese was hard to notice. The pizza overall was still very delicious despite the mozzarella. 

Lastly, the slices of cheese and pepperoni were outstanding. There was the perfect amount of peperoni to ensure you get one in each bite. The cheese was the right amount of stringy that made it taste so much better. You could bite it without feeling like you needed to cut it from the slice, but still have a good pull of string. The crust again, cooked to perfection and the pepperoni was crispy but not burnt. This was a very solid piece of pepperoni and cheese. 

Overall, Joe’s Pizza is a little slice of heaven. They have a wide assortment of pies, all cooked to perfection. The place has really figured out how to quickly serve their customers and still keep them satisfied with their freshness.