This is a great review from Jeffrey Orlick of Jeffrey Tastes. Remember—he's doing the 5-Boro Pizza Tour! Take it away, Jeffrey! —The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Jeffrey Orlick]

Here's Sal. Not too hard at work. He's got confidence in his shop and he's certain about his pie. No other would matter. Sal is boisterous at times, gangly, friendly, bitter, loving, careless—all those things. And in the changing demographic of his neighborhood, where he is now the minority, there are fewer customers, yes, but even fewer pizzerias to keep them satisfied. So if profit is down 40 percent since the '90s, is he holding on because of a sustainable business model or just his pride?

"How long has that ices drawing been on the wall?"
"Probably 8 years... Nahh, actually more. More like 10. Ehh, probably more."

Sal's an interesting character. Most people will comment on Sal himself, before his pizza. While both are unique, the character of Sal is always mentioned first, as I have done here.

His pies are served one at a time, which is a rarity now. A holdout. A relic. Now, only pizzerias with strongest ties to the pre-80s hold this tradition, such as Lucia's and Amore in Flushing. They don't advertise chicken and broccoli slices under a glass dashboard, they use only their most recent pie, located 10-feet from the oven. They cut the nearest slice and apply toppings by request. Businessmen are laughing at these owners' anemic marketing strategy, while pizzamen like Sal laugh at the suits' lack of integrity. I don't think Sal has ever contemplated what he'd rather have when he dies: Money or Integrity.

Here's Sal's regular slice. It's got decades of char catching onto the crust. It's tough, without a sag. The floured bottom collapses like plate tectonics. It's taste is the standout for the slice though. It couldn't be the cheese, not that thin mesh blend. It feels irregular, being soft, not gooey. Even the flavor is not as intense as I'd like it to be, as the crust is saltier than the cheese. And the cheese knows that the crust is where it's at, as evidenced by it's own bubbles climbing up onto the coastline.

Sal's Sicilian reminds me more of an arcade slice. The crust is about 3/4" thick and sponge-like. Some might consider it underdone, others thick and savory, with an unbelievable 10-second crust return-to-normalcy-time from bite.

I find myself wanting to go back. I don't believe there's any rush to, though. Sal's of Little Neck will go strong nearing its 50-year anniversary in 2025, he won't quit. If he did, what would be Sal?

It is a remarkable slice and a deserving destination, but is it number one in the city or even Queens?

No, but Sal is.

Sal's Pizza of Little Neck

254-19 Northern Boulevard, Little Neck NY (between Great Neck, LI and Bayside/Douglaston)
718-423-1192; Sal's MySpace (run by his daughter)
5-star rating on Yelp
Citysearch reviews