NYPD Pizza is another strip-mall joint, tucked away next to a coffee shop and a massage parlor, near a busy intersection on the east side. I had heard good things from co-workers about this place so put it on the list.
I now question the judgement of my co-workers.
With dreams of Pizza Rock still dancing through our minds, we rolled into week 8 of 52 Weeks of Pizza. My hopes were high for this week and in the mood for some great New York style pizza. It’s a stark contrast from the thick Sicilian crust that we had the week before.
The place was decently busy for a Friday night. The dining room is humble, and has that lived-in pizza parlor ambiance. to the left of the dining room and kitchen is a full bar area with additional seating.
Their menu is fairly large. Pizzas, calzones, and Stromboli round out the pizza-like selections, before moving on to subs, pasta, and “Italian Bombers”, as well as dessert. In addition to the build-your-own style of pizzas, it hosts a long list of specialty pizzas, with names such as the .38 Special, and “The Situation”, served in 12″, 16″ or 20″ sizes. I don’t get down with gluten free pizza crust, but if that’s your thing, they do offer a couples of sizes.
Jumping straight into breaking down the pie:
Crust: Okay, so this is supposed to be New York style pizza. Pizza that is known for it’s distinct thin, crisp crust, portability. NYPD’s site, even boasts the authentic style. But below is what I experienced.
This crust wasn’t thin and bordered on soggy. There was a hefty amount sauce and toppings, throwing the ratios all off, and as thick as it was still didn’t support the rest. As a result, it didn’t stand out with its own particular flavors. Once you get to the outside crust, you might think there was a redeeming quality about it, but it was chewy, verging on rubbery. It felt under-cooked and even if it wasn’t, it didn’t stand a chance against the sauce/topping onslaught.
Toppings: Cheese. They use 100% whole milk mozzarella. They use a lot of it. Dare I say too much? It was too much. So much so that the leftover slices turned into large chunks of congealed cheese. Here’s what I did enjoy: the green olives. I love green olives and when pizza places have them along side or instead of regular black olives it’s good to take advantage. The ham, was just whatever. Didn’t enhance or distract from the pie.
Sauce: Pretty sure this was right out of the can. Tangy, metallic, and again, way too much of it on this pie.
Overall: Our custom pie from NYPD – New York Pizza Department (about $22) gets 🍕🍕1/2 out of 5 slices. It just didn’t do it for me. The place is friendly, and obviously popular for the area, but for a New York style slice or pie, my choice is Brooklyn or Empire. Disappointing that this east side trip didn’t play out as well for us as Tino’s.
Over it.
NYPD – New York Pizza Department
1521 N Wilmot Rd,
Tucson, AZ 85712
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