NY Suprema Pizza
“representing the classic new york slice of pie, NY Suprema Pizza lives up to its fame.”
To round out this slate of NYC restaurant reviews, I’m actually going to share with you all the very first meal I’ve ever had in New York, and perhaps in the most New York way, was completely unplanned. It was close to 8pm when our train originally from Union Station in Washington D.C. pulled into Penn-Moynihan Train Hall. Neither my brother and I had ever taken the train before, and we were both fatigued and a little on edge as we hopped from the passenger car onto the platform, making sure we had all of our belongings still with us. There was a slight damp chill to the air, as we mucked our way through the station entering briskly into the night sky, my first real sight of New York City. We had exited from right beneath Madison Square Garden with its towering red, white, and blue lighting. There were crowds of commuters walking about, a sight that would have been unheard of in Lynchburg, VA, where even the McDonald’s branch closes after dinner time and you’d be out of luck getting anything out of the CVS after dark.
We lugged our bags across the street for a few blocks away from the busy streets and intersections towards our AirBnB — a humble dorm room of sorts that only costed $70/night, the longest length of the room that may or may not have been a number smaller than my age. Happy with our living arrangements, we dropped off our bags and stepped back out to look for a bite to eat. It was on our NYC trip list to try a slice of classic NY pizza and right around the block as we made our way back to Madison Square Garden was a literal bright spot on the street: NY Suprema Pizza.
A brusque, but cheerful “NEXT!!” greeted our ears as we dilly-dallied near the door. An entire team was working this shift with a long line of patrons forming a queue nearing the door. I felt a sense of history and awe as I entered the establishment. A display case of pre-baked pizza pies stood on the counter as we entered, with tags giving the name, a brief description, and the price for each slice. The sheer variety was overwhelming — There are two types of white pizza? Isn’t Al Pastor usually seen on tacos? Why is the Grandma Pizza called that? Lucky my brother was there to decide what we were going to get (1 slice each of Figalicious, Grandma, Garlic White, and Chicken Parmagiana), because I was definitely starting to hold up the line which had now started emptying onto the sidewalk on this seemingly normal Wednesday night.
As we sat down at the laminated wooden tables, I looked up to see a Christian cross juxtaposed perfectly next to a humongous portrait of the late Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern from “Bizarre Foods,” all endorsements equal in this establishment. It took only a few minutes for our paper plates of hot New York pizza to be served up on the counter for us to snag.
Each slice of pie was unique, absolutely huge, and topped full with a variety of different flavors. The best by far was the Figalicious - a perfect blend of salty cheese and sweet figs with arugula on top. The Garlic White was as creamy as one would expect and the scent of garlic present, but not overpowering. Grandma’s Pizza was a bit strange in my opinion. It was a bit thicker than the other slices, and felt more like a deep dish pizza made of a savory mish-mash of casserole fillings - it wasn’t bad, but definitely different from the other more traditional ones. The last one we had was a Chicken Parmagiana, which in retrospect looking at the name, literally is just a baked “Chicken Parm,” which was exactly what the pizza tasted like.
As we ate, the atmosphere of the eatery was on full display. It was a single, thriving organism in the bustling biome of Manhattan. Patrons that looked like they were coming off from work in suits and ties dropped by as well as college-aged teens looking for a fun snack on their night out. Regulars would come in and their slice would already be ready waiting for them. Despite it being our first night in the city, we could feel a certain warmth of community and family that NY Suprema Pizza offered to the neighborhood, and it made us feel welcome.
By total chance, we stumbled upon an absolute gem of a pizza parlor in the heart of Manhattan. A place that had grown famous from visits from the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and so many other celebrities that have crossed its threshold. Despite that notoriety, NY Suprema felt accessible and true to its roots as a humble Italian-owned and operated pizza shop, run from the descendents of immigrants. If you’re in the neighborhood, definitely stop by and grab a slice — you won’t regret it.
Food Quality: 8.5/10
Meal Value: 7.0/10
Dining Experience: 9.0/10
Overall: 8.2/10
