New York Pizza Department

New York Pizza Department

When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than a slice of pizza. Sitting in my den, Indian-style on the floor in front of the TV, watching “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and eating pizza was a favorite pastime. Truthfully, not a whole lot has changed about that over the years. Sure, it’s been a minute since I’ve watched TMNT, but pizza is still like a primary food group for me. Ladies, friends, and family members that I have known over the years will tell you that I completely wore them out on eating pizza. I even worked at a pizza place some years ago (childhood dream realized, haha) and ate the stuff pretty much every day and could vary the flavors up enough to not get tired of it. But, even as much as I, to this day, LOVE pizza, it’s just not the same as when I was a kid.

Back then, it was EXCITING to have pizza. It was a treat. Whether everyone was going out for it after a ball game, or it was delivered for a birthday party, or dad just picked some up on his way home from work for dinner, it was SPECIAL to have pizza, even if you had it frequently.

NYPD brings me back to that. When they drop one of those 24” pies down at your table, it is a thing of beauty. Your eyes glisten with wonder and astonishment and you feel ravenous about devouring it, yet time stands still as you savor each bite. Or at least that’s about how it works for me. It’s hard to describe, but it’s just something magical, and DELICIOUS.

I know some NY and NJ natives who agree it’s the best place in town for pizza/the only place they can get something resembling the true NY-style pizza that they crave. Their pizza is so good that they can even get me to spring for a white pie (Da Gotti Blanca, as pictured below, which is loaded up with garlic and various cheeses) instead of a red base, which is something that I generally consider a pizza sin (with a few rare exceptions). And, furthermore, they pass with flying colors my basic pizza test: having a delicious plain cheese pizza. I have several simple tests like this for restaurants that specialize in a particular type of food. It’s an easy premise, really; I maintain that, if you can’t do the most basic thing for that type of food well, then it’s doubtful that anything else I might order from you would be particularly noteworthy either.

This place really just fires on all cylinders. The food is amazing and they feature a great selection, most of which is already waiting for you on the line if you want to just quickly grab a slice (which makes me terribly, terribly sad that there is no downtown location that I can run to on lunch breaks). The staff is friendly and helpful. It’s local and family owned by a couple of genuine New York transplants. Check, check, and check. I am elated to see these guys doing well and expanding their business. Do yourself a favor and help them keep that momentum rolling. If you’re feeling truly HONGRY for some pizza, take yourself on down to NYPD and satisfy that craving with, hands-down, the best pizza you’re likely to find in the greater Chattanooga area. Trust me. I wouldn’t mislead you on this. Because I LOVE pizza. And these guys do it right.

Update:
IF (and, with the size of these pies, that’s a big “IF”) you somehow manage to have room for it, don’t skip the dessert. The cheesecake at NYPD is genuine NY cheesecake, brought in from Queens, and it is frickin’ delicious. I must make a mental note to hold back on the pizza devouring enough to sample the cannoli and tiramisu in the future as well. Also, many thanks to Eric, Kurt, and the NYPD crew all-around. They have been extremely kind about this review, and even offered an awesome incentive (a free specialty slice and drink) to people who shared this post on Facebook, which is just killer. It’s that kind of generosity and attitude that keeps a business like this going for the long haul. That just makes me want to say even more wonderful things about what they are doing here. And the awesome food definitely doesn’t hurt either. You guys sure know the way to a HONGRY man’s heart..