DISH OF THE WEEK in New York: Fire & Ice at R Slice Pizza

I have been doing this food blog thing for a long time. I remember first visiting Roberta’s when it was still an under-the-radar pizza restaurant in an up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood. Now anybody who knows anything about the New York food world, knows about Roberta’s.

In many ways, Roberta’s has peaked and cooled down when it comes to pizza hype (L’Industrie and Mama’s Too get mentioned much more often nowadays), so perhaps to keep themselves relevant, they decided for the first time ever to sell their pizza by the slice.

R Slice Pizza is adjacent to the original Roberta’s restaurant in the now bustling and ultra-hip neighborhood of Bushwick. The pizza is definitely Roberta’s, but not the same as you might be used to from this pizza stalwart. Instead of the iconic Neapolitan wood-fired pies, these are thin crunchy New York-style slices cooked in gas ovens.

The pizza is pretty simple here – not veering too far into Roberta’s high concept pies. You can choose between Cheese, Pepperoni, or the most adventurous option known as Fire & Ice. You can guess which one I chose.

Fire & Ice is a slice modeled after an appetizer at Roberta’s sister restaurant Foul Witch. At that restaurant, a bowl of stracciatella is spiked with spicy ‘ndjua sausage, dotted with olive oil, and served with bread for dipping. It’s not a huge stretch to imagine this as a slice of pizza.

My first impression was that this slice was a total disaster. And I mean that literally. As soon as I tried to bring it to my mouth, the toppings slid off like on an oily water slide.

Despite the mess, the flavors are all here. And I can’t help but think I’m just eating a messier version of that appetizer on a paper plate at a fraction of the cost.

The heat comes quick from the spicy ‘ndjua but is quickly tamed by the housemade creamy, rich burrata-like cheese and rounded out with well-dispersed basil leaves. It’s no coincidence, in my mind, that you can find stracciatella as both a cheese and an ice cream. There is an icy cool to this pizza topping.

The dough, as well, is magnificent with a crusty chew and pockets of char along the undercarriage.

If it had all stayed together, this would be a perfect slice. I actually think it would be a great pasta sauce as well which would hold all the flavors together. Perhaps at their next restaurant.

But no doubt this is a very exciting addition to the pizza world. I was there in the early days, reviewed their frozen pies during COVID, got to now experience their foray into slices, and can’t wait for what’s next. Price: $6

*Update: Shortly after this post, Roberta’s opened a second slice joint in the very convenient location of just outside Penn Station.

Is R Slice Pizza the best pizza in NY? Based on the Fire & Ice, the slices are as exciting as the wood-fired pizzas Roberta’s has always pumped out of their facilities. I have to give it a 9 out of 10 despite a messy slice that doesn’t stay together, but as long as you don’t mind getting your hands messy, it’s easy enough to construct back together.