Mid-Week Snack....

Not quite half-way to the weekend, found myself near Mission Valley last night.  My mother-in-law was treating me to a performance of the new musical opening at the Lyceum Theater, Storeytown. It's the story of the redlight district and and the birth of jazz in New Orleans in the early 1900s.

We decided to make a quick stop at Bronx Pizza on 3rd Avenue in Hillcrest for a bite before the play.  Bronx, you may recall, has been our favorite Pizza spot in town for the last 10 years.  Ever since we discovered it, it's been the only place in town I would go for good east coast pizza.  That is until my recent quest for the best New Haven style pizza.

Bronx is a funky hole in the wall with an attitude.  It's all business.  Better know what you want when you step up to the counter to order.  The restaurant is a no frills joint.  The walls are lined with old boxing and NY Yankees photos.   The case at the counter is filled with all kinds of pizzas.  They do a huge "slice" business.  People walk in off the street, and order a few slices right out of the counter.  All the while they are pumping out fresh pies out of the brick ovens behind them.

Here's a little bit about the crew from their website:

Some of the lifetime accomplishments of the Bronx Pizza crew:

• a handful of college degrees
• a few felony convictions
• several years of attendance in twelve-step programs
• dozens of tattoos
• too many burns to count

We ordered a cheese pie with sausage.  Unlike the New Haven pizza pie where the sausage is crumbled and spread all over the pizza, at Bronx the sausage was sliced like  pepperoni.

The pizza was delicious.  Just as it always is.  Since I've been searching for and tasting New Haven style pizzas recently, it was easy to tell the difference.  Bronx Pizza is thin crusted with a wonderful crunchy dough and crust.  But.....it's not quite as thin as what you would get in Connecticut, or at Urbn.  And it is missing that slightly burnt quality that you would also find in a Pepe's or Sally's apizza.

The two of us were only able to finish half, so I brought it home and we heated it up and polished it off for lunch today.  Again, it tasted great, but it didn't quite match up to the pizza from Urbn.

Every thing about Bronx Pizza is fun, funky and delicious.  The only negatives are; parking can be an difficult and their beverage selection is minimal.  They only serve fountain sodas.  There is a liquor deli next door, so you can go there to have your other needs met.  I'm not sure if you can bring a beer in to the restaurant.

We will be heading for Urbn again this weekend.  Plans changed, so we are going early Saturday evening instead of Friday.  I'll be dieting heavily until then.