Alison M.
Yelp
So I started a new job downtown (I moved from NYC during the summer), and some coworkers took me here just last week for lunch. Since the move from NY, I'd been really craving some quality, New York-style pizza, and hadn't had a ton of luck finding any (although the search introduced me to some excellent "Pittsburgh-style" pizza joints, so I'm not complaining.)
Villa Reale really came through.
I loved that you could order a slice with basically whatever toppings you wanted (I'm used to being at the mercy of whatever "slice" pie has been languishing under a heat lamp for 3 hours). I ordered a pepperoni and sausage slice, and the small feast that was presented to me did not disappoint. The slice was huge, the pepperoni crispy, the sauce really balanced (not too sweet, not too garlicy), the cheese fresh and delicious and the crust...oh man...thin and crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside. One slice was perfect to fill me up for lunch, too.
Full disclosure: while the wait staff is so friendly, they do get overwhelmingly busy at lunch. We went to the place at 11:00 so we could sit at a table (if you want to dine-in and order a slice during lunch, you can only sit at the counter, not a table, after 11:30) and by 11:30 the place was standing room only. My coworkers informed me that somehow, their pizzas are even better when ordered by the pie (hard for me to fathom) and also that their hoagies are delicious, so I'm sure I'll be trying one of those next time.
It's not the most inexpensive pizza joint downtown (I think my slice ended up being $4-$4.50) but if you're a recovering Noo Yawker like me looking to fulfill some culinary nostalgia, this is your place.