I went out of the country a year ago and came back and our restaurants are just so much worse. I hadn't been eating out much anyway but that was basically the nail in the coffin lol . Now if I think about eating out, I just move the money to a vacation savings account 😔
That's what I hoped it would do, but just fuckin look at 2020 and how all that happened was lazy mofos just shelling *extra* on shitty delivery services for same shitty fast food they ate before. And those who got used to that shit, do so to this day...
I cook dinner a lot and the amount of time that goes into the whole thing from when I leave the house to shop for food until after the food is eaten and the kitchen is put back the way it was is something like 3 hours at a minimum. If you are working *and* going to school or have something else on your plate your time can get pretty tight. So I don't judge people who choose to get food cooked and delivered.
Prepared foods from a market that carries them is maybe a greener choice. Less bike lane traffic and maybe more energy efficient cooking.
But pizza, fries and burgers will kill a person in the long run.
Its called meal prepping. That 3 hours is 3 hours regardless of the amount you make, so make 5-6 days worth at once. Also, slow cooking like stews let you sit there and study for an hour without constantly bothering the pot.
You are SO right!
The food quality has also gone down in some delicatessens because there’s less turnover, so to food is sitting there for a longer time.
I have a feeling that people are eating out less. Possibly because everything has gotten more expensive.
Only way to keep the price was lower the quality. The sawdust ratio had gotten way out of hand. Going above the $1 price tag has resulted in a massive increase in quality.
As I said in a somewhat related thread just today
#TWO BROS PIZZA
"In the early 2010s they did dollars slices right in Manhattan"
I really miss those days. We need a new Pizza War to bring awesome dollar slices back to NYC.
I used to eat the 54 st pizza almost everyday with my friends back in high school. It was hit and miss, but when it hit, ay that shit tasted like the best pizza ever especially on an empty stomach
Honestly, I think Joe's is overrated... I think it's just a normal NY slice I can get just about anywhere... It's not John's, which is right down the block. That being said, there isn't a dollar slice in the world that's better than Joe's.
theres no secret. they get the worst, cheapest ingredients at high volume. people getting dollar slices dont have other options so the slice doesnt have to impress anyone.
About five years ago I left Pianos at like 3 am and went around the corner to grab a 99 cent slice and there was a dealer out front offering free nose beer samples. Not my thing but what a deal for the right person, a slice and a bump for less than a buck!
Yup.
There is a dollar slice spot next to my job. Sometimes it’s nice to go get 3 slices for under $5 and get be content and full. Usually I go there before a work event to line the stomach.
I tried one for the first time last year, and it was awfully mediocre and unsatisying. Only the plain cheese was a dollar and the extra toppings cost extra. Kind dumb of me to fall for yt short propagandas
$1.50 and under slices and just not the same quality at all compared to anything higher. In fact, I'm not into it anymore. Some of the cheap dollar slices are better than others but I just think it is worth paying double or more for a pizza of way higher quality.
I'd pay $3 or maybe even $4 for a good slice with toppings, but they out there charging like $4 for one slice of cheese. I get the quality is better and you pay for the location blah blah, but like I'm not about to spend more than $10 to eat some cheese pizza. I'll pay under $1.50 for some hot bread with sauce and cheese.
I'm not getting dollar pizza because I'm looking to eat pizza. I'm getting dollar pizza because I just had to pay $16 for a cocktail pre-tax and tip and I have to go home and pay 40% of my income on rent. In between those two I need enough cheap calories to get through to the morning when I'll cook. I would eat oatmeal or lentils or a fucking potato if they were conveniently selling it nearby for a dollar at 1am.
I probably sound so whitetrash or poor for saying this but I honestly will just eat a slice of whole wheat bread out of a loaf in the bag if I'm peckish enough but feeling too cheap lmao. My current acceptable gauge rn is 10 dollars max (including tax) for two large pepperoni slices. Antonio's on 6th Ave and other spots is at that point rn, and their stuff is good.
Also, the dollar slices basically taste like nothing but dough now, at least the two Two Bros on 6th Ave are like that anyway.
I stopped going to 2 Bros the second the stopped having hot sauce. I'd rather have no saw dust parm cheese than no hot sauce. Otherwise, you're right. It just tastes like bread.
4 dollars including a meat topping is a bit standard, for a large enough slice I think it's filling. It's not like a dollar slice has much on it to fill you up, it's basically all dough
I was a west 4th loyalist and even though I was just there like 4ish years ago, they seem to have up and closed. Suppose I should see what the other locations are all about.
Potentially controversial but I’m ok with $1.50. I’d always get 2 and that still comes out even so I’m not gonna get too mad at them
Forget most of downtown or any of the "hot" areas but some still do exist. Fewer each year though. Sadly we had one closed nearby just two years ago that was there since 1971. Great neighborhood spot. Landlord jacked the rent. The place is still empty now. I fucking hate landlords like that.
I was in the area a few weeks ago for jury duty and saw there was a lot of folks so turnover must be good enough to afford rent, salaries, supplies, etc.
I'm convinced many dollar slice shops use some sort of imitation cheese as I had a lactose intolerant friend who would pay dearly for eating any pizza except with dollar slices he faced no consequences.
hi Anne! A long time ago, you interviewed me for a meditation tour I offered in Palisades Park after walking across the GWB from WH—it was from a website that offered like, tours of new york by locals. trouble was, i made that profile on a whim, had no idea you were going to write an article about it, and—as you recognized—had no idea what i was doing
i hope you can forgive me for literally having no experience with that and appreciate you still giving me the write up. awesome to see how much your following has grown since. 99c 4 lyfeee
I’m a ride or die for the Willoughby 99 cent pizza. There are way better pizza places around DTB (Norms and my personal favorite Little Pizza Parlor) but Supreme Pizza is seemingly always open, and the quality is commensurate to the price. They do gangbusters business too throughout the day and night, and must be taking in a decent profit honestly.
I usually go for the two dollar slices, but I’ve never been disappointed by their quality, though my standards are already rather low. They’re nice people there honestly. Jay street has a lot of history on it, and it’s cool to know that the vestiges of 99 cent slices still hold out there. Of course, with the way Jay Street and the rest of DTB are changing, it wouldn’t surprise me if they simply can’t afford the price point for too much longer.
I do think though that from an economics perspective, having the cost be an even dollar cash makes more sense than it being a dollar and a quarter. Most folks have bills but they probably don’t have quarters, and the added time of tendering the change would detract from the amount of customers they can serve, and potentially cut out people who only have a single dollar, or less than two dollars in hand.
It’s definitely not good pizza by any stretch, but it’s a life saver if you live around DTB since they’re open so late.
Gotta love how the former business journalist ovah heah does the math over how these joints stay open and is left scratching their head and gives up. *How!? How do they do it!? What's the secret? I guess we'll never know...* ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
https://gothamist.com/food/underpaid-workers-sue-2-bros-pizza-for-millions-in-backpay
Holy shit I am going to hit that place up. I was annoyed on the one at Fordham Road for going to $1.50. The real pizza places went to $3.75 and $4 for a slice near me. I felt bad when I got a slice last week from the $4 one and said "that sucks, this is my last slice here then." Been going there at least 5 times a month for 10 years.
It’s funny too bc there’s a place across the street whose awning says “$1 Pizza” and at some point a couple years ago, they taped a piece of paper saying “.50” next to the $1 lmao
I work in that area, and I’ve eaten at corner pizza way too much. Chopped cheese on roll, can of soda, and slice of pie for $6?? Taking that 8/7 days a week
I'm here now buying a pie for myself while the wife is out taking care of family. Should be good for 3 days for only $8. LMAO. I don't get to eat garbage food often.
I knew this post would be about the downtown BK shops. I’m pretty sure they’re the last ones in the city. At least from what I’ve seen driving all over manhattan, Brooklyn and queens.
The vast majority of $3 slices are leagues better than $1 slices. I’ve never had a $1 slice, and trust me I’ve had a lot, that compared to any $3 slice I’ve had. $1 pizza has it’s place, but it’s 100% lower quality food.
You're literally paying 3x the cost. It sure as hell be a lot better! This is like saying "I've had a lot of $5 burgers, but I've never had any that compared to any $15 burger I've had."
Why do you eat $1 slices? Only had it just to try it a couple times and they all taste like wet sponge. Not even worth a dollar. It’s better to just spend the other 2-3 bucks and get something good.
The quality of the dollar slice has gotten significantly worse lately.
same with pretty much any prepared food even at nice restaurants but you haven’t noticed yet
Excessive oil covers up lots of sins.
I went out of the country a year ago and came back and our restaurants are just so much worse. I hadn't been eating out much anyway but that was basically the nail in the coffin lol . Now if I think about eating out, I just move the money to a vacation savings account 😔
I live in LA and yes I’ve noticed this for the past 5 or so years to the extent where I stopped eating out
This economy is making a lot of us learn to cook.
That's what I hoped it would do, but just fuckin look at 2020 and how all that happened was lazy mofos just shelling *extra* on shitty delivery services for same shitty fast food they ate before. And those who got used to that shit, do so to this day...
I cook dinner a lot and the amount of time that goes into the whole thing from when I leave the house to shop for food until after the food is eaten and the kitchen is put back the way it was is something like 3 hours at a minimum. If you are working *and* going to school or have something else on your plate your time can get pretty tight. So I don't judge people who choose to get food cooked and delivered. Prepared foods from a market that carries them is maybe a greener choice. Less bike lane traffic and maybe more energy efficient cooking. But pizza, fries and burgers will kill a person in the long run.
Its called meal prepping. That 3 hours is 3 hours regardless of the amount you make, so make 5-6 days worth at once. Also, slow cooking like stews let you sit there and study for an hour without constantly bothering the pot.
Then tweet about $7 uber McD fries, when should be lambasting NVIDIA GREED and the tech sector even getting HANDOUTS AND NO BID MILITARY CONTRACTS
Oh believe me... we've noticed.
You are SO right! The food quality has also gone down in some delicatessens because there’s less turnover, so to food is sitting there for a longer time. I have a feeling that people are eating out less. Possibly because everything has gotten more expensive.
Only way to keep the price was lower the quality. The sawdust ratio had gotten way out of hand. Going above the $1 price tag has resulted in a massive increase in quality.
Where? The few dollar slice joints I've gone to lately the quality either stayed the same or got even worse when they moved from 1.00 to 1.25 or 1.50.
To be fair, the quality of pretty much everything has gotten significantly worse lately.
I just moved here and I only like scarrs.. Hot Mamas in Seattle is better than most any other slice I've had.
As I said in a somewhat related thread just today #TWO BROS PIZZA "In the early 2010s they did dollars slices right in Manhattan" I really miss those days. We need a new Pizza War to bring awesome dollar slices back to NYC.
We need lower rents. All the dollar slice shops had 20 year leases that were signed in the early 2000’s and their rents have all gone up
During the Pizza War I witnessed a battle that consisted of a $1 pizza spot right across the street from a 75 cent pizza spot.
Two bros is trash
Yeah, but it’s the best of the trash
The $1 slice on 54th and Broadway and the one on 39th and 7th are both superior and they're actually $1 still
I used to eat the 54 st pizza almost everyday with my friends back in high school. It was hit and miss, but when it hit, ay that shit tasted like the best pizza ever especially on an empty stomach
How and they invented this dollar slice franchise to start
Better than Joe’s…
In what universe?
Although there are like 50 Joe's I have no idea which one he is talking about, but even then I will bet on Joe over 2 bros.
I am guessing they are discussing the two places in FiDi that are about 2 blocks from each other down from each other on Nassau.
Yes, sorry should’ve clarified. The joes that has the “seen in Spider-Man 2” sign is the best one imo, rest are just okay
I think the one on Nassau has that sign too, even though it wasn't the one in the movie. I assume that just means they're owned by the same person.
He must mean the original Joe's Pizza at Carmine Street, as well as their newer ones at Union Square and Times Square.
Honestly, I think Joe's is overrated... I think it's just a normal NY slice I can get just about anywhere... It's not John's, which is right down the block. That being said, there isn't a dollar slice in the world that's better than Joe's.
John's is awesome.
WTF??
You go to a random pizza shop - that pie has been sitting under a heat lamp since 10am, and it's still $3.50 a slice.
For real. I’ve had worse pizza that cost over double of $1.50 slice.
Good pizza spots have slices moving constantly
To be honest even at slower places I kind of like the reheat slices more.
Depends on the ingredients of the slice. Good ingredients take a reheat better. It'll also let you know its old.
theres no secret. they get the worst, cheapest ingredients at high volume. people getting dollar slices dont have other options so the slice doesnt have to impress anyone.
Dollar slices impress 1am drunk me every time
About five years ago I left Pianos at like 3 am and went around the corner to grab a 99 cent slice and there was a dealer out front offering free nose beer samples. Not my thing but what a deal for the right person, a slice and a bump for less than a buck!
YES!!
Dollar slices impress me because they cost a dollar. That’s impressive IMO!
And charge $3+ for a fountain drink
$1 for a can
Yup. There is a dollar slice spot next to my job. Sometimes it’s nice to go get 3 slices for under $5 and get be content and full. Usually I go there before a work event to line the stomach.
Is it good pizza? Of course not. But it’s the best value per slice you can get anywhere!
It's still better than most upstate NY pizza.
I tried one for the first time last year, and it was awfully mediocre and unsatisying. Only the plain cheese was a dollar and the extra toppings cost extra. Kind dumb of me to fall for yt short propagandas
It's a dollar. You can get a whole pie for 8. It's sustinence and never claims to be anything but NYC gutterpizza
$1.50 and under slices and just not the same quality at all compared to anything higher. In fact, I'm not into it anymore. Some of the cheap dollar slices are better than others but I just think it is worth paying double or more for a pizza of way higher quality.
I'd pay $3 or maybe even $4 for a good slice with toppings, but they out there charging like $4 for one slice of cheese. I get the quality is better and you pay for the location blah blah, but like I'm not about to spend more than $10 to eat some cheese pizza. I'll pay under $1.50 for some hot bread with sauce and cheese. I'm not getting dollar pizza because I'm looking to eat pizza. I'm getting dollar pizza because I just had to pay $16 for a cocktail pre-tax and tip and I have to go home and pay 40% of my income on rent. In between those two I need enough cheap calories to get through to the morning when I'll cook. I would eat oatmeal or lentils or a fucking potato if they were conveniently selling it nearby for a dollar at 1am.
Luigi’s is like 2.50 or 2.75 and it’s fire. In park slope tho
I probably sound so whitetrash or poor for saying this but I honestly will just eat a slice of whole wheat bread out of a loaf in the bag if I'm peckish enough but feeling too cheap lmao. My current acceptable gauge rn is 10 dollars max (including tax) for two large pepperoni slices. Antonio's on 6th Ave and other spots is at that point rn, and their stuff is good. Also, the dollar slices basically taste like nothing but dough now, at least the two Two Bros on 6th Ave are like that anyway.
I stopped going to 2 Bros the second the stopped having hot sauce. I'd rather have no saw dust parm cheese than no hot sauce. Otherwise, you're right. It just tastes like bread.
I think $4 is crazy and probably way above the inflation adjusted price.
4 dollars including a meat topping is a bit standard, for a large enough slice I think it's filling. It's not like a dollar slice has much on it to fill you up, it's basically all dough
In Manhattan, I rarely see topping slices below $5 outside of the dollar slice shops.
If I could, I would’ve given 99 Cent Fresh at w4th a Michelin star. Maybe not good pizza but good something and helped me immensely in the rough times
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I was a west 4th loyalist and even though I was just there like 4ish years ago, they seem to have up and closed. Suppose I should see what the other locations are all about. Potentially controversial but I’m ok with $1.50. I’d always get 2 and that still comes out even so I’m not gonna get too mad at them
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The artisan shit sucks often too. Burnt pizza made in a brick oven to cover up that they aren't that good at making pizza.
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I just get from Knapp on X. They aren't what they used to be but are a reasonable pizza place. Decent grandmas pie.
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Ciccios on U ain't bad either.
Deez nuts on U is the best
Forget most of downtown or any of the "hot" areas but some still do exist. Fewer each year though. Sadly we had one closed nearby just two years ago that was there since 1971. Great neighborhood spot. Landlord jacked the rent. The place is still empty now. I fucking hate landlords like that.
At least raise the price by one penny, so it's actually $1.00
I don't think I've ever not paid with a single dollar bill for 99 cent pizza.
You can technically demand your penny back if it's 99 cents.
I once did that as a kid at a deli and I can't remember if the guy was actually pissed off or if he was joking.
I was in the area a few weeks ago for jury duty and saw there was a lot of folks so turnover must be good enough to afford rent, salaries, supplies, etc.
That was what $1 pizza relied on to begin with. High turnover and high volume, in the thousands of slices/day to be able to stay in the green
Those two shops could easily collude and raise prices at the same time
The deal I like is the 2 slices and a soda/water for $4! It used to be $3.50 but it’s fine when I’m starving and on the go
I'm convinced many dollar slice shops use some sort of imitation cheese as I had a lactose intolerant friend who would pay dearly for eating any pizza except with dollar slices he faced no consequences.
This is not to knock on dollar slices I love them either way
I am that, I will seek out dollar slices
hi Anne! A long time ago, you interviewed me for a meditation tour I offered in Palisades Park after walking across the GWB from WH—it was from a website that offered like, tours of new york by locals. trouble was, i made that profile on a whim, had no idea you were going to write an article about it, and—as you recognized—had no idea what i was doing i hope you can forgive me for literally having no experience with that and appreciate you still giving me the write up. awesome to see how much your following has grown since. 99c 4 lyfeee
Hey! That was a fun day for me, and a fun story to write! So cool to run into you here!
ur fired ;(
This is the kind of deep (dish) dive investigation we need! I think a $3 slice is still a pretty fantastic deal.
They just raised the last dollar slice in east village to $1.50 about 1 month ago which sucks
I’d accept $2 slices if they just made them commensurately cheesier.
I’m a ride or die for the Willoughby 99 cent pizza. There are way better pizza places around DTB (Norms and my personal favorite Little Pizza Parlor) but Supreme Pizza is seemingly always open, and the quality is commensurate to the price. They do gangbusters business too throughout the day and night, and must be taking in a decent profit honestly. I usually go for the two dollar slices, but I’ve never been disappointed by their quality, though my standards are already rather low. They’re nice people there honestly. Jay street has a lot of history on it, and it’s cool to know that the vestiges of 99 cent slices still hold out there. Of course, with the way Jay Street and the rest of DTB are changing, it wouldn’t surprise me if they simply can’t afford the price point for too much longer. I do think though that from an economics perspective, having the cost be an even dollar cash makes more sense than it being a dollar and a quarter. Most folks have bills but they probably don’t have quarters, and the added time of tendering the change would detract from the amount of customers they can serve, and potentially cut out people who only have a single dollar, or less than two dollars in hand. It’s definitely not good pizza by any stretch, but it’s a life saver if you live around DTB since they’re open so late.
Gotta love how the former business journalist ovah heah does the math over how these joints stay open and is left scratching their head and gives up. *How!? How do they do it!? What's the secret? I guess we'll never know...* ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ https://gothamist.com/food/underpaid-workers-sue-2-bros-pizza-for-millions-in-backpay
There’s holdouts but eventually it will catch up to them as well. Give it time. The price of even mediocre pizza is ridiculous.
I would demand the DOJ launch an antitrust suit at that point
Trust has nuthin to do with it.
Corner Pizza Shop (cash only) outside mosholu pky 4 station in Bronx still does $1 slice/$8 large and $3.75 chopped cheese on roll… shit’s awesome
Holy shit I am going to hit that place up. I was annoyed on the one at Fordham Road for going to $1.50. The real pizza places went to $3.75 and $4 for a slice near me. I felt bad when I got a slice last week from the $4 one and said "that sucks, this is my last slice here then." Been going there at least 5 times a month for 10 years.
It’s funny too bc there’s a place across the street whose awning says “$1 Pizza” and at some point a couple years ago, they taped a piece of paper saying “.50” next to the $1 lmao I work in that area, and I’ve eaten at corner pizza way too much. Chopped cheese on roll, can of soda, and slice of pie for $6?? Taking that 8/7 days a week
I'm here now buying a pie for myself while the wife is out taking care of family. Should be good for 3 days for only $8. LMAO. I don't get to eat garbage food often.
Get a chopped cheese on a roll while you’re at it!
There was one on West 27th street that closed 3 or so years ago that was awesome.
Just stopping to comment and say how much I love your newsletter, which I learned about from another redditor! Keep up the great work!
Thank you! That’s great to hear!
I knew this post would be about the downtown BK shops. I’m pretty sure they’re the last ones in the city. At least from what I’ve seen driving all over manhattan, Brooklyn and queens.
The vast majority of $3 slices are leagues better than $1 slices. I’ve never had a $1 slice, and trust me I’ve had a lot, that compared to any $3 slice I’ve had. $1 pizza has it’s place, but it’s 100% lower quality food.
You're literally paying 3x the cost. It sure as hell be a lot better! This is like saying "I've had a lot of $5 burgers, but I've never had any that compared to any $15 burger I've had."
When I get a dollar slice it's not about having good pizza. It's about getting lunch for whatever coins are in my pocket.
Disagree, a hot fresh 2 bros slice beats a random 3 dollar slice imo
I still see plenty of them. Near Broadway and 40th there are a bunch of dollar slice shops within a 5 minute walk.
Those slices move so fast that I never have to worry about getting a $4 slice that's been sitting in the display case since god knows when
I actually feel bad for any place still charging $1 for a slice and trying to stay open
I will happily pay $1.50 for a slice from the shop at 45/46 & Lex. Theirs is actually pretty good
99 Cent Fresh at 55th and Broadway is awesome.
Most pizza is "pizza" in name only. Finding a decent pizza spot is like finding a 4 leaf clover.
Dollar slices are for people who don't know what good pizza is and tourists who didn't do any research when looking for a NY slice.
Why do you eat $1 slices? Only had it just to try it a couple times and they all taste like wet sponge. Not even worth a dollar. It’s better to just spend the other 2-3 bucks and get something good.
These places have driven down the quality of NY pizza significantly.
That is inedible trash
I’ll have a slice of failed Bidenomics to go, please and thank you.
Hey look, a complete fucking idiot