Finally…Pizza!

One or two of you might have been wondering when I’d finally get around to talking about pizza in the Pizza Night category. I was hoping to save it for a special occasion—and I did! It’s a little occasion I like to call “writer’s block.”

And what’s a better cure for writer’s block than rambling on and on about your favorite food? Of course, Tuesday is the “ramble on and on about food” category. Friday is the eating out category. So this can only mean one thing: It’s time to talk about Home Slice Pizza.

homeslice

I must apologize in advance for this potentially mouth-watering post to those of you who do not reside within a short drive of Austin, Texas. And I must apologize to the owners of Home Slice Pizza because I’ve only made it to your excellent establishment once. (I just don’t get out of this chair as often as I’d like.)

If you’d like to know the HSP backstory, I highly recommend watching The Queen of Pies. Their specialty is serving up New York style pizza (and I must offer a third apology to my friends and family in my hometown of Chicago: but when it comes to pizza, New York’s got the goods). If you don’t know what NY style is, I’ll let them tell you what it’s not: “A flabby pepperoni and mush (room) delivered by [insert favorite chain here].”

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and the trip to my stomach better be taken by an extremely crisp, relatively thinnish, very large, oven-fired pizza. It should have sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. That’s it. (This is what I like to refer to as “a pepperonly pizza”). Believe me, Home Slice delivers the goods. You might wait a few more minutes here than at other pizza places but if you’re in a hurry (and you’re not) then go someplace that deserves your impatience. Like McDonald’s. You are clearly here for perfection in the form of a properly prepared pie.

blissYou say you’d like to be more adventurous than just a pepperonly pizza? Well, then I highly recommend my second favorite: the White Pie with Spinach. This is made with olive oil, garlic, ricotta, and mozzarella. A picture of this pizza is shown here at the right.

So if you live in Austin, head over there as soon as you can. If you don’t live in Austin, get here as soon as you can. Once at Home Slice Pizza, just tell them Charlie sent you. If they say, “Who?” then ask to speak to Jen, one of the owners. If she says, “Who?” then say, “You know, Charlie, that guy you worked with back in 2001 or 2002 for a while at that doomed start-up.” If she says, “Who?” then say, “Just bring me some pizza, okay?”



13 Responses to “Finally…Pizza!”

Megan said
on
October 17, 2008 at 4:20 am

Yeah! I visit Austin several times a year! I will have to check it out. When I was little, we always went to Luigi’s and it had some of the best NY style pizza ever!

Stems said
on
October 17, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Gina’s Pizza in Burleson TX is my HSP. In addition to the pizza, they serve ‘salads’ consisting of iceburg lettuce, black olives and mozzarella cheese with your choice of ranch or bleu cheese dressing.

Before you say ‘gah, that sounds boring,’ I must explain the most important part of the salad: the bowl it’s served in. They have had the same pressed wood bowls for as long as they’ve been open (30+ yrs), and the ‘seasoning’ those bowls provide is better than any special dressing a fancier place could provide.

Oh, and… Gina still works there 🙂 Nice lady!

runjess said
on
October 17, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Charlie said
on
October 17, 2008 at 5:44 pm

Hey, that’s awesome. I did not see that. Now I got a serious hankerin’ for some pizza.

Michele said
on
October 18, 2008 at 11:58 am

I love pizza!!!!!!! I have to have some now!!!!!!!!!

Vicki said
on
October 18, 2008 at 8:23 pm

Hello~ My name is Vicki and I’m a pizzaholic.

johngl said
on
October 19, 2008 at 9:30 am

I’m very sad. Charlie used to think my grilled pizzas were the best ever. Not any more…he has to turn to professionals.

Charlie said
on
October 19, 2008 at 4:04 pm

I meant favorite commercial pizzas. John, your grilled pizzas are still truly the best. I just didn’t want to send hundreds of people swarming to your outdoor kitchen. At least not without twenty-four hours notice.

Giyen said
on
October 20, 2008 at 7:54 am

Forget NY or Chicago style pizza, Neapolitan style is the best!

I know, those are potentially fighting words!

Randi said
on
October 24, 2008 at 7:56 am

I beg to differ. NY pizza is just a plain cheese pizza, no pepperoni. We’re heading to NYC on Monday, can’t wait to eat many a slice!@@

Anne (Happy Fun Pants) said
on
November 11, 2008 at 9:15 pm

Huh…Austin, eh?

Well – at least several things are helping keep Austin weird.

Quix said
on
December 18, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Ok, I’m sorry to comment on such an old thread, but had to say – love the site, you’re hilarious, and I’ve only been here once too but their slices are DELISH and I wish I made it out of the Allandale hood more! Though, have you tried Conan’s Savage? It’s not NY pepperoni but you might just have another favorite… Anyway, I’ve got your blog bookmarked and promise I will comment on something more timely soon.

Charlie said
on
December 18, 2008 at 8:40 pm

Quix: There’s no actual statute of limitations on how long you have to post a comment. I read ’em all! 🙂

Welcome!