IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S SUPER SLICE! (Valducci’s Pizza Truck)

Based on the wording of their menu, Valducci’s Pizza Truck sounds like they’re selling toys for prepubescents. Their original pizza slice is known as a “Super Slice” since it’s a whopping 8″ thick. And the slices are sold in “Packs” of 1, 4, or 6. The 12 year old boy locked up inside me was shocked that this red and orange truck didn’t sell baseball cards.

Instead they sell square pizza slices. They’re somewhere between a thick Sicilian style and a thinner, tangier Grandma style. Valducci’s has been mainly parking in Midtown on 52nd and Park, although they do hang out near Madison Square Park and Wall Street from time to time. I found them in Midtown – they were one of the few food trucks in the area without a massive line.

The slices were all on display in the window of the truck and somehow they looked less appealing than the slices on display at the generic slice joint on the corner. They were just thrown together here on a tray. Fortunately they don’t sell these slices (or at least didn’t to me) and instead popped a fresh Super Slice in the oven.

It took just a few minutes and I soon walked my two slices across the street to give them a try and see how they stack up to my other favorite Square Pizza Truck – Jianetto’s.

The Original slice was mostly composed of bright red tomato sauce. Unlike Jianetto’s, this pizza didn’t seem to have any mozzarella hiding beneath the sauce. Instead some parmesan was sprinkled haphazardly on the slice before cooking. The crust was very crisp and buttery playing off the acidic tomato sauce. I would have personally liked a bit more brightness from herbs (basil or oregano would have been nice) and maybe just a tad more cheese. But this is a specific style and the slice was certainly filling.

I also tried the Vodka Slice, which I almost loved. The big problem is that it was ice cold by the time I took a bite. But here was the brightness and richness I was hoping for. The cheese was still scarce, but the creamy vodka sauce had an herbaceous quality that was surprising and delicious. Most of the crust here was perfectly crisp (especially around the edges), but just a few bites were dry and slightly tough.

Jianetto’s grandma-style slices are a little more to my personal preference, but Valducci’s also does a good job with a thick, crisp slice. And only they can claim to have the Super Slice (it is quite large). Now if only those 4 packs of pizza would contain a piece of chewing gum!

Is Valducci’s Pizza Truck the best pizza in NY? They do a good square slice, but many people might miss one of the key ingredients of pizza: cheese. But as a tomato (and vodka) slice, it earns a 7 out of 10.