Patsy's Pizzeria

"The family pizza restaurant in East Harlem where Patsy Grimaldi initially worked, known for its contribution to New York City's pizza scene." - Erika Adams

"Pay your respects to a landmark of pizza history in East Harlem. Patsy’s Pizzeria, dating back to 1933, invented the very concept of selling slices—according to them, anyway. (Hey, we weren’t there.) They still bake their pies in a coal oven, which lends a nice char to the thin, crispy crust. There are multiple locations throughout the city now, but the original still takes up half a block on 1st Ave. There’s both a takeout counter that exclusively serves cheese slices and, next door, a classic red-sauce dining room (whole pies only, no slices), which is covered in honorary proclamations from the city and photos of celebrity customers with a recognizable post-pizza twinkle in their eyes." - molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja

"A true classic. The East Harlem location of Patsy’s Pizzeria is the original, and it's been in the same location since 1933 when Pasquale “Patsy” himself first opened the doors. You don’t need to have a much-longer-than-it-needs-to-be discussion with your family about what toppings to get. Just order some plain pies. Those are why you come here." - hannah albertine, kenny yang

"This pizza looks like the results of a Google image search of “NYC pizza.” But if you called it ordinary, that would be very wrong. Patsy's uses a coal oven, which gives each slice a heavy char, and they claim to have invented the concept of selling pizza by the slice in the 1930s. When you’re at the original location, though, it doesn’t matter if you’re getting a whole pie or just a slice from the counter. What does matter is that you’ll need to order the plain. It’s thin and soft but holds up the bright red sauce and big circles of mozzarella." - bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, carlo mantuano

"Although Patsy’s has several franchise locations throughout the city, nothing beats getting a slice from the original. Patsy’s East Harlem location continues to fire up the perfect plain slice from an ancient oven. It’s now open for takeout. Other franchise locations are also open for takeout and delivery." - Carla Vianna