"Where Should I Go for a Good Slice in Bushwick?"

The question, "Where should I go for a good slice in Bushwick?" has come up a few times this month, so while I haven't been since early 2018, I'll flag a spot I was hipped to by a friend: Fazio's.

Remember, we're talking slices. You have Neapolitan at Roberta's & Ops (I've yet to hit the latter—I know), and Archie's (for Greek pies—which I LOVED).

Fazio’s is on the corner of Jefferson and Knickerbocker avenues five blocks from the Halsey Street L. From Fazio's about page: "Fazio's is the vision and creation of Santo Fazio. In his 20s, Santo traveled extensively in Italy immersing himself in its culture and cuisine. Ultimately, he was drawn to his ancestral roots in Sicily, specifically Palermo and Messina where his passion for pizza took hold. When he returned to NYC he became pizza chef for Two Boots. He opened his own restaurant (Three of Cups) in the East Village, and consulted for restaurants around America."

You think it’s going to be overdone but then it’s just mildly warm. There’s a golden crispiness, a light saucing and a finish of hard, sharp cheese.

Three of Cups (co-owned with Anthony Barile), if you remember, closed in '18 after 26 years. That's now Emmy Squared. But last I checked Fazio's, which Santo opened with acting buddy Anthony Nocerino, is going strong, the neighborhood growing around it.

The slice is delicate and thin. You lift it and catch daylight.

It's an interesting style—not quite New York, not Neapolitan, not quite Roman. (I didn't see anything like it in Palermo, but I was only there a few days.) It's THIN. You lift it and catch daylight. And dark—no rise to the edge. Almost like the pizza kept going but the cheese and sauce stopped where it gets really crackery.

There’s fresh mozz with fontina, finished with caciocavallo & oregano. It's all crunch, bite after bite, with a mild, powdery finish on the tongue and fingertips, but I dug it. It was interesting—like eating a slice made of carta di musica. The thinness and lack of rise means it's delicate—my cornicione cracked, which typically irks me—but the flavors were good.

Scaccia—Sicilian rolled pizza.

The Sicilian had a VERY crunchy bottom but was tall and light, and the scaccia (Sicilian “rolled pizza”), made with dough thin as the slice, makes for a light but tasty bite. I'd return. And if you need a slice in this hood, I'd say try it. — #pizzacowboy🍕🤠