[Photographs: Adam Kuban] Luzzo's owner Michele Iuliano seems to be on a tear. Earlier this year he opened Ovest Pizzoteca in Chelsea, and not more than two weeks ago he launched Da Mikele on Church Street in Tribeca. (And that's all in addition to Little Luzzo's on the Upper East Side, which he opened in 2008.) Though it took me a while to come around to the original Iuliano joint, Luzzo's, it serves some very good pizza, and it's beloved by many a New Yorker (especially by expat Italians). Whenever a city favorite produces a spin-off, the question becomes,... More

It comes down to this: This particular Campagna slice is good stuff. I have no idea what they call it, but you can't miss it there. It's got a crisp, not-at-all greasy crust topped with a heavy cream sauce, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan cheese. The sauce is none too heavy, the cherry tomatoes add a burst of sweetness, and the shaved Parmesan balances that with its tanginess and little crystals of salt. More

Ovest Pizzoteca (aka Luzzo's West) 513 West 27th Street, New York NY 10001 (map); 212-967-4392; ovestnyc.com Getting there: Nearest subway is the C/E at 23rd Street, and even that's a walk Pizza style: Neapolitan Oven type: Wood-fired The skinny: Luzzo's sister restaurant serves up a solid pizza and a great middday special for the lunch-starved folks working way out west in Chelsea. Price: $6 lunch special for Pizza al Portafoglio or Pizza a Cono; Margherita, $9 for 8-inch and $17 for 12-inch Now open: Ovest Pizzoteca (aka Luzzo's West), way the heck out on West 27th Street in Chelsea.... More

"It is ironic that square pies, stromboli, and fried calzones are considered new here, worthy of press releases and reviews, while they have been staples of the city's pizzerias since time immemorial." Luzzo's 211 First Avenue, New York NY 10003 (12th Street; map); 212-473-7447; luzzos.com Pizza Style: Neapolitan Oven Type: Coal- and wood-fired (and in the case of the Quadrata, electric and gas as well) The Skinny: Three "new" forms of pizza and pizza dough–based dishes that will be familiar to most New Yorkers deliver the goods Price: Quadrata 12-inch, $17; 16-inch, $21 When Luzzo's opened five years ago it... More

Photograph from Rubenstein on Flickr New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein is a pizza freak. Who knew? Yesterday, in the New York Post: "Perfect pizza is as good as it gets. [But] it's got to be perfect," said Klein, who said he first developed his pizza passion while studying at Columbia University, when he drove a city cab all over town on weekends. But this is troubling: "If you have a Neapolitan pizza and you pick it up [by the crust] and the tip flops over, that means it's not done right," he said."You should be able to... More

Clicking in to the Slice inbox today, we've got some intel from Scott Wiener of Scott's New York Pizza Tours... Adam, I was helping a friend move this weekend and nearly drove onto the sidewalk when I saw a familiar carved-wood sign on the facade of a 96th Street building on the Upper East Side. Little Luzzo's opened about two weeks ago, serving quality slices, salads, and panini in a small storefront. Unlike Luzzo's in the East Village, which uses an old coal-fired brick oven (211 First Avenue was once the home of the Palermo Bakery, followed by Zito's East),... More

After starting a six-pizzeria pizza crawl at Franny's, travelers board the" Pizza Express." This afternoon I had the pleasure of riding aboard what I'll call the Scott Wiener Pizza Express. Scott Wiener is a true pizza lover, one who keeps a pizza journal that's legendary among those who know him, and his love and enthusiasm for the pie is truly infectious. So much so that a little more than 20 people showed up for a tour that would take us from Prospect Heights to deep Brooklyn, up to East Harlem, and back again to Brooklyn (see map, after the... More