Jackson L.
Yelp
A conversation between the present-day me -- who has been to Pizzeria Locale (twice now) -- and the past version of me, who had eaten at literally every other restaurant on 32nd street and driven by this place almost daily for the last 3 years but never stopped in:
"What's the issue here, man? Why haven't yet you checked out their pizza yet? Is it because you thought it was like the other single-serving, made-to-order pizza places you had been to that weren't all that impressive? Is it because you thought it looked like a chain restaurant from the outside? Is it because Blue Pan and Hops & Pie are just down the street?"
In hindsight, I really can't say why it took me this long to set foot in Pizzeria Locale, but I will say that I'm kicking myself for waiting. While they do have multiple locations, this is truly a local restaurant and not a chain. Their focus is on high-temp-cooked, italian-style, wood-fired pizzas, and they are simply phenomenal. I started with the classic margherita and my wife went for the veggie. Major added bonus that they offer vegan cheese so that my wife and I can eat here together.
The margherita was ready in less than 5 minutes after ordering, and it was delicious. Simple, minimal ingredient dough (the best kind!) cooked up blazing hot in the oven and served up bubbly and slightly charred (not burnt) - just like the pizza we had in Rome. Portion is always a concern for me given my appetite, but this single-serving pizza filled me up just fine, thank you very much. And the capper: it was $6.90. Six dollars, 90 cents. Less than my standard order at Chipotle.
Within a few days, I found myself craving that crust and found myself back in Pizzeria Locale without really consciously meaning to walk down here. What a nice surprise from me to... well, me. Convenient, inexpensive, and delicious - I have 3 years of lost time to make up for eating here...