Sunday, May 14th, 2006, 4:15 PM Rivoli Pizza, 502 Hudson St, New York, NY (West Village), 2 slices at $2.00 each Nestled away on a quiet, tree-lined corner that's inconvenient to everywhere except the Christopher St. PATH station, Rivoli is a fine asset to the neighborhood. This is by no means artisanal pizza: it uses the same so-so ingredients and inattentive baking process as anywhere else. But for what it is, it's pretty good. I'd certainly be coming here regularly if I lived nearby. As it is, I'll keep it on my radar when I'm rollberblading down the Hudson bike path and in need of some nourishment (as I was today).

Saturday, May 13th, 2006, 3:30 PM Sal & Carmine's, 2671 Broadway (Upper West Side), 2 slices at $2.50 each Sal & Carmine's is rightfully revered as one of the best slice places in Manhattan. The same two brothers have been running it for 50+ years, which has given them plenty of time to develop and perfect their art. The crust is especially unique: it uses a distinct blend of flour that complements the cheese and sauce exceptionally well. It's this more than anything that defines their pizza. Just watch out for the reheated slices; like anywhere, they're no match for the fresh ones.

Tuesday, May 9th, 2006, 12:40 PM Giuseppe's, 341 Lexington Ave, New York, NY (Murray Hill), 2 slices at $2.00 each Another day, another lunch trip to Giuseppe's. Yup, it's still there. And yup, as expected, the slices weren't as aberrantly awesome as they were last time.

Sunday, May 7, 2006, 3:20 PM Not Ray's Pizza, 690 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY (Fort Greene), 2 slices at $2.00 each This city suffers an infestation of tearfully bad pizza places called Ray's. While the name apparently once commanded respect (hence its proliferation), it's now barely more reputable than Sbarro's. So it was exciting to find a place that defines itself by its disassociation with the brand. And sure enough, the pizza I had here blew Ray's out of the water. Nothing in particular stood out (okay, if you press me I'll admit the sauce was tasty), but nothing needs to. These were traditional well-executed slices that left me full and happy. What more could I want (besides another serving)?

Friday, May 5th, 2006, 8:00 PM Abitino's, 733 2nd Ave, New York, NY (midtown east), 1 slice for $2.25 The Abitino's brand is famous for its food court-style mediocrity. Some consider the replacement of the old Joe's at Bleecker & Carmine with an Abitino's a criminal offense, while openings in the East Village and elsewhere are greeted with derision by anyone with functioning taste buds. But the 40th & 2nd location is supposed to be one of the better ones and I happened to be walking by (and needing a bathroom), so I stopped in for a slice. And it wasn't bad. So it's confirmed: at least one Abitino's is tolerable. I have no plans to sample the others.

Friday, May 5th, 2006, 7:30 PM Frank's Pizza, 127 E. 23rd St, New York, NY (Gramercy), 2 slices at $1.75 each Blech. Apparently this place has a good reputation, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Uneven patterns of rubbery cheese over massive glops of Prego-inspired sauce do not make for a good pizza. It reminds me alarmingly of the concoctions I used to make at home as a teenager, and I didn't (and still don't) prize myself as a master pizza artisan. And so, 23rd St. remains pizza wilderness for now.

Sunday, April 30th, 2006, 6:30 PM Anthony's, 426A 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope), 1 pie (8 slices) for $11.00 Anthony's strives for quality execution of simple dishes in the Neapolitan style. It's hard to argue with that mandate, and fortunately they fulfill it splendidly. My margherita pizza looked gorgeous when it was placed onto the table. And it tasted just as good as it looked. The cheese was strikingly fresh. The crust was artfully charred. The oil was fresh and lively. My only criticism is that the ingredients didn't balance as well as they should have: the cheese played too prominent a role while the crust was unnecessarily understated. But that's nothing deal-breaking. Places like this make me feel good about the state of pizza in the city.

Sunday, April 30th, 2006, 2:30 PM Roma Pizza & Restaurant, 85 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope), 1 slice for $1.80 I must stop trusting my uncorroborated intuition. I got excited about this place because a) it looked like an old-time neighborhood joint and b) the name sounded vaguely familiar, as if it had some reputation I should be aware of. That led me to part with $1.80 of hard-earned money to have the pleasure of YAFNYS (Yet Another Forgettable New York Slice). Oh well. To their credit, their grandma slices looked really good. I'm still kicking myself for not getting one of those instead.

Thursday, April 26th, 2006, 12:30 PM Giuseppe's, 341 Lexington Ave, New York, NY (Murray Hill), 2 slices at $2.00 each Whoever made my pizza today used woefully negligent technique: he glopped on far too much cheese and overcooked the crust. This was a seriously unprofessional implementation that in normal times would demand severe censure. But these were not normal times. Not only did these screwups not damage the pizza, they seriously enhanced it. Somehow, through some amazing stroke of luck, what came out of the oven today was a pie of unprecedented quality (by midtown standards). I was taken aback, and as I finished up my lunch I realized I was witness to something truly special. So I remain intrigued by Giuseppe's, although, realistically, I don't expect such luck again.

Saturday, April 22nd, 2006, 8:00 PM Angelo's Pizza, 117 W. 57th St, New York (Midtown), 6 slices at $2.00 each (approx.) Few things soothe the spirit like a hot, tasty pizza on a cold, rainy day. So the absolutely miserable weather we were having demanded a reliably satisfactory fix. This naturally led us to Angelo's. It may not be the top pizza in town, but it's close. The balance is Grimaldi-esque: a distinctive, prominent sauce mixed with a charred, chewy crust. But I dare say Angelo's (sometimes) rivals Grimaldi's: while the latter has its on and off days, the former is consistently great. It's definitely the best pizza in midtown (John's 44th St. has nothing on this).

Saturday, March 25th, 2006, 12:40 PM Aviano Pizza , 344 9th Ave (Chelsea), 2 slices at $2.00 each My neverending quest for decent pizza near Penn Station led me to 9th Ave, which falls far enough outside the tourist and commuter zone to offer the promise of a good find. Sadly, that find remains elusive: Aviano offered me nothing new or notable. It wasn't particularly good. It wasn't particularly bad. It was just another anonymous slice from another anonymous pie. But at least the entertainment was nice: I watched the Three Stooges on TV while I ate.

Saturday, March 18th, 2006, 2:30 PM Pizza Paradise, 121 Dyckman St, New York, NY (Inwood), 2 slices at $1.75 each Long-timers declare this the best pizza in Inwood, even better than the venerable Grandpa's Pizza a few blocks north. The style here is defined by thick crust and heavy spicing. And it's not bad. But I wouldn't trek out of my way to go here, and I can't say definitively that I'd choose this over Grandpa's.