Big Bill's New York Pizza - Centennial, CO

8243 S. Holly St.
Centennial, CO
Phone: (303)741-9245

Styles of pizza: New York-style thin crust, Sicilian thick crust
Service: dine-in counter service, carry-out

Standout tidbit: Avoid the free cookies as you exit. If you need sweet stuff, go for the straight-outta-Brooklyn Drakes Cakes displayed throughout the joint.

Review: After much great za lately, I was excited to try the proclaimed best NY-style pizza of 2006. Being the NY-style pizza lover that I am, and finding Big Bill's to be near my suburban office, I couldn't wait to try it out. However, I think someone over at Westword must have had the munchies when they picked this one. I don't claim to know where the best NY Style pizza in Denver is, but Big Bill's CAN NOT be the best. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Big Bill's is bad, per se. But to be the best - I mean, that's setting some lofty expectations.

We headed over for a lunch-time za about a week after "the best" rating came out. It's one of those typical suburban strip mall pizza joints, with a blandish interior (think plastic wood tables and chairs stolen from Shakey's) and random NYC-related sports crap.

Big Bill's large pizzas are only 16", and four of us usually split an 18-incher at Anthony's. So we warmed up with large salads ($3.25) and tasty garlic knots ($3.99 for a dozen). The knots were good, slightly salty/garlicy and the marinara sauce was delish as well. So far, so good. The menu also offers calzones, and anything that looks or sounds remotely Italian.

After a short wait, out came our piping hot fresh cheese za. We dug in eagerly. My first slice had somehow been missed by the sauce fairy as the red stuff was really sparse. (The second slice was better in that regards, and the sauce was interesting - slightly sweet - once I got some.) The crust was crunchy and cracker-like, which was probably because it had to hold its weight against the rivers of oozing grease. But almost too crunchy, in a disturbing "Am I going to chip my tooth?" way. The amount of cheese was a little on the skimpy side, with a small spattering of oregano sprinkled on and baked in to top it all off. The pizza was a little more on the "well done" side, when I prefer medium doneness (perhaps explaining the crunch?).

(Oh, and that Westword review? It lies when it says the slices are foldable. NO FOLDING HERE! Did those guys even TRY this place? Or did they just see "New York" in the restaurant name and deem them worthy?)

Overall, the pizza was fine - really more forgettable than memorable. But it was pizza, and all Zealots know that some pizza is better than no pizza at all.

Zas truly,
SupaCoo

New York Pizza and Pasta - Las Vegas, NV

2400 S Jones Blvd
# 13
Las Vegas, NV 89146
Phone: (702) 871-1159
Hours: Daily 11am-9:30pm

Styles of pizza: New York-style thin crust
Service: Wait staff dine-in, carry-out

Standout tidbit: A few miles West of the strip on the NE corner of Sahara and Jones Rd.

Review: The open kitchen is behind a black and white-tiled counter on your right when you walk in the door. It looks like NYP&P originally took up one unit in this strip mall, but recently expanded into 2 more dining areas. The entry side looks a little more cluttered and well-worn than the other two. This is where family and day-long regulars hang out with the owners and kitchen staff during slow times. The remaining two dining areas are spotless with bright white walls and a fake rose on each black, clean, institutional-style table. Framed posters of various Manhattan sights adorn the walls. The bathroom was immaculate and we all enjoyed the nice touch of an artificial tree in the corner opposite of the toilet.

After checking the menu, all four of us settled on the lunch special of a salad, cheese slice, and drink for about $5. It was about 2pm so the lunch rush was over. I guess they had to make a fresh pie (no complaints here) because we were told by the owner that it would take a little time, but it would be worth it. We devoured our plain, wet, boring iceberg salads fairly quickly. We did note that the menu listed other, non-lunch-special salads with a wide range of ingredients. We waited another 15 minutes or so after the salad bowls were taken away for the slices to show up on our table. Shawn was just about to slip over the “hungry/grumpy” edge, but, when they did arrive, all was forgiven.

The slices were a good size (although I have never known a slice to be “too big”), and were served on cool, aluminum plates instead of the standard scalloped paper type. The crust was very thin, slightly salty, foldable and was browned with some slight charring. The interior maintained a good softness while the exterior had a slight crisp to it. The ratio of cheese to sauce was just to our liking and both were very flavorful. The fresh-tasting sauce had a nice texture and was lightly herbed. The cheese provided a slight amount of grease. Shawn was heard claiming, “now, I can eat a LOT of this pizza.”

Hands down, this was the most authentic NY-style, and best pizza we had in Sin City. If you have a need for pizza in Vegas, and a method of transportation away from the strip, this is the place. I still need to try a whole pie as well as sample some toppings, so I’ll be renting a car on my next visit as well.

Gavin