New York Pizzeria - Irvine, CA [Eating]

Posted by Chubbypanda at 3/03/2008 01:09:00 AM

(Picture for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.

I've been fighting off the flu for the past two weeks. Here's a little quick bite to ease me back into the swing of things.

The first introductory paragraph is the same in all articles in this series. Please feel free to skip it if you've already read it.

Read the rest of my Soul Pizza Series.)

My wife, Cat, is a staunch proponent of what she calls "soul pizza". It's her name for the type of unabashedly Italian-American pizza found in little neighborhood joints across the States. American GIs who returned from World War II had acquired a taste for Italian pizza during their tours on the European front, and made Italian-America pizza popular in the 50's as they sought out at home a dish they'd so enjoyed in Italy. Every city has one of these culinary time capsules, usually family-run and dishing up this simple, all-American favorite at very affordable prices. Timeless and comforting, these are local, mom & pop institutions with deep ties to the surrounding community. As Cat says:

Soul pizza is by definition not corporate pizza. Someone IN THE SHOP decided what the food was going to be like, and probably had to eat a lot of it if it wasn't very good at first. Having strict rules other than the one above regarding what can and can't be considered soul pizza seems inappropriately dictatorial, but the following are at least general tendencies of the species.

  • The owner is around pretty often, and is likely to be doing some cooking/cash registering/schmoozing.

  • The menu is straightforward and doesn't change much. No fad toppings and no side dishes with cutesy names. You can't get Cin-a-Min Curls or Fiesta Veggies at a soul pizza joint. You can have Sausage and Mushroom Pizza with Salad.

  • The decor is somewhere between minimal and haphazard. If everything matches, it's because the owner just hasn't collected enough stuff yet.

  • Somewhere in the place is a picture of the owner's kid, a picture by his kid, or his kid.





Located behind a church at the corner of Walnut and Yale, New York Pizzeria fits her definition of soul pizza to a T. It's a family-run neighborhood joint in the truest sense. Service is polite and friendly, but minimal. The decor is utilitarian at best. Yet, the restaurant gets regular business from a stream of local children on bikes, parents picking up a dinner for the family, and my wife and I.



What keeps us all coming back is the quality of the pizza. This place has the most ethereal pies in all of Irvine, with delicate, blistered crusts surrounding chewy, cloud-like interiors. The ratio between bread, cheese, sauce, and toppings is harmoniously balanced, each bite Zen-like in its simple perfection. However, the true mark of pizza mastery is the utter lack of grease. Unlike certain mass-market chains, New York Pizzeria's pizzas don't turn their cardboard boxes translucent and you won't need to blot up pools of lurid orange oil before venturing a bite. It's comforting, healthy food made fresh with care, and it shows.


New York Pizzeria - A delicious alternative for families on the go. Cat and I like going for lunch on the weekends. We order up one of the hefty medium pizzas and spend a relaxing afternoon reading the paper at one of the tables outside.

As a side note, the restaurant was recently robbed. Although the robber was caught, it's unlikely that they'll recover any of the money he took. Times are tough enough as it is for family-run small businesses. I urge all of my Irvine readers to stop by sometime this month and give New York Pizzeria a try. Support our local restaurants and help keep this great community establishment alive.


Bill:

Medium Pizza - $12.00


Flavor: A
Ambience: C
Service: C
ROI: A+

Overall: B+


New York Pizzeria
13925 Yale Ave., #135
Irvine, CA 92620
1-949-733-3434
Order online

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11 comments:

  1. joanh said... 3/03/2008 06:04:00 AM

    hey chubbypanda.. long time, no comments... sorry to hear you are under the weather. i had some weird thing for a couple days last week too. hope you feel better soon.

    the pizza looks good.. will have to try next time back in the OC.  

  2. KirkK said... 3/03/2008 08:28:00 AM

    Hey CP - I was wondering why it was so quiet 'round here! It has been a fairly terrible year for the flu. Hope you fully recover soon.  

  3. Bill said... 3/03/2008 08:12:00 PM

    Nice find...I will have to stop by.
    No thanks to the flood bloging crews I'm gaining some needed weight to offset my running regimen.  

  4. Wandering Chopsticks said... 3/03/2008 11:23:00 PM

    Feel better. It's a terrible year for colds and flus. I've had a recurring bout of something too. Airborne! It's great.  

  5. Jessica said... 3/03/2008 11:50:00 PM

    As a transplant to the OC from NYC, I've been on the perfect pizza quest for quite awhile. I've been to this place, but have to say, I really prefer Ma Rizza's in the LBC. Give it a shot if you haven't already! Though do beware, the high-schoolers who work there, though sweet, are not the most efficient.  

  6. elmomonster said... 3/04/2008 03:04:00 PM

    I know exactly where this is. Lovely, and funny writeup by Mrs. Panda.

    I'll have to give it try.  

  7. Griffin said... 3/04/2008 09:49:00 PM

    I find the pizza here to be hit or miss. One time it was fantastic and the next time it was barely edible.  

  8. Vegasbuff said... 3/08/2008 12:36:00 PM

    Will have to give a try the next time I'm in the area,  

  9. anoldiebutagoodie said... 3/08/2008 05:49:00 PM

    Goodness, your slideshow is making me pretty hungry.

    Since I'm in L.A., I'd have to wait a while to try out this place  

  10. Kathy said... 3/08/2008 09:20:00 PM

    Hope you are getting better quickly! It seems all my friends in the city also have the flu, bah...just drink up OJ and monch monch on many bowls of jook!

    ...but hooray on the pizzzza find!! ^_^  

  11. Chubbypanda said... 3/12/2008 12:45:00 AM

    Hey Joanh,

    Yeah. I don't have a lot of time to comment these days, but I have been reading. I'm feeling much better. On the other hand, Cat seems to have caught something. =(

    Kirk,

    All better now. Thanks!

    Bill,

    It's the main drawback to loving food. Even rail-thin Tony Bourdain seems to be putting on weight.

    WC,

    I take so many vitamins and supplements as it is. So very many...

    Jessica,

    I might have to look it up.

    Elmo,

    She says, "Thank you."

    Griffin,

    I think it might depend on who's making it. If it's the mom or dad, you're in the clear. The mom's pizza is really good.

    Vegasbuff,

    Let me know what you think.

    anoldiebutagoodie,

    I'm sure LA has more than a few great soul pizza joints. =)

    Kathy,

    Oh gods, so sick of boiled grains... =)

    - Chubbypanda  

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