Back in the good old days known as 2012, the news was filled with quirky stories like the first Lego Man in Space and the Gay Oreo debacle. One story which you may or may not remember is the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, which is actually a lot more dramatic than it sounds.
The Sticky (yup, that’s the official name) will be produced by Jamie Lee Curtis (who loves stories about trauma) and follow the story of the real-life heist which involved the theft of 18 million Canadian dollars, which equals over 70% of the world’s maple syrup supply. The official synopsis:
The Sticky is a half-hour series revolving around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity. Especially now that that very bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: Her farm, her comatose husband, and her right to manifest destiny. With the help of Remy Bouchard, a pint-sized local blockhead and an aging and Mike Byrne, a low-level mobster, Ruth changes her fate—and transforms the future of her community with the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of maple syrup
The pilot was written by Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, who will executive produce and co-showrun with Kathryn Borel. Jason Blum, of Blumhouse Television, will also executive produce. “This story, about an unassuming band of renegades who managed to pull off perhaps the largest heist in Canadian history, caught our attention immediately,” the show-runners said in a statement.
“The characters, stakes—all were ripe for tapping (pun intended) for our fictional story. We’re thrilled that we have world-class partners on board to bring our vision for The Sticky to life.” Filming is expected to begin this fall.
Donald Trump Jr. is going to bat for Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was recently signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. In predictable fashion, Don Jr. has latched onto the recent, and gross, conservative trend of calling the bill’s detractors “groomers” along with hurling some very QAnon-esque accusations at teachers.
In his latest vertically shot video, Don Jr. accuses teachers of being in “camouflage” so parents can’t tell that they’re “trying to indoctrinate and groom these children.” The former president’s AMPED-up son then urged parents to pull their kids out of public schools.
Junior is back, and ranting about opponents of FL’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law: “You’re trying to indoctrinate and groom these children .. Let kids be kids. Let kids have their innocence. Don’t jam this stuff down impressionable minds!” pic.twitter.com/qwgu0V0UoU
“I guess, at least they’re easy to pick out and spot for the most part. But you never know, some may go under camouflage not have blue, green, purple hair. But this stuff is insane,” he argued. “At least you can find them and see for yourself, but we need to do whatever we can to give parents the ability to pull their kids away from this nonsense.”
“Just my opinion, right? I’ll probably get canceled for it,” he said.
Ever since The Walt Disney Company came out in opposition of the bill after it was signed into law, Republicans have been lashing out at the media company, which is one if not the largest employer in the state of Florida. In retaliation for Disney’s opposition, state GOP members have been looking into repealing a decades-old statute, which could curtail Disney’s ability to invest in its theme parks. However, doing so could have severe economic impact on the state, so it will be interesting to see just how committed Republicans are to that plan or if they’ll content themselves with making unhinged videos demonizing teachers.
Frank James, the New York Police Department‘s primary suspect in the Brooklyn subway shooting on Tuesday that left 29 people injured, was taken into custody on Wednesday. The 62-year-old was arrested in Manhattan‘s East Village and has been charged with having committed a terrorist act on a mass transit system.
Keechant Sewell, New York’s police commissioner, said that Mr. James had been stopped in response to a Crime Stoppers tip and that he was taken into custody without incident. She said Mr. James would be charged with having committed the shooting on Tuesday. “We were able to shrink his world quickly,” Commissioner Sewell said. “There was nowhere left for him to run.”
Much of the credit for finding James, who was on the lam for over 24 hours, belongs to Zack. Just… Zack. “Thank you, Zack! You’re a hero with those fast reflexes,” Twitter user Samantha Zirkin tweeted, along with a video interview with the hero.
The “21-year old security camera installer” held an “impromptu press conference” shortly after James was taken into custody.
Zack Dahnan, the 21-year old security camera installer who first spotted the suspected subway shooter in the East Village, is holding an impromptu press conference on 1st Avenue. He says news of the presser left him unable to sleep. pic.twitter.com/5j3DrFqnMx
The NYPD offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the gunman. Zack deserves it, and so much more. But for now, he’s being praised for his heroics on social media,
You misspelled “Zack the bodega guy did our job better than we could w/o any weapons or militarized gear.” Now go stand around uselessly some more. https://t.co/kEJz4z6pan
Cardi B once said that she won’t let her daughter sing one of her biggest hits, but now, thanks to Nickelodeon, at least one of her songs will be acceptable for Kulture’s little ears. This Friday at noon, Cardi will be guest-starring on the kids’ series Baby Shark’s Big Show! as a toothy, finned, bright-pink version of herself named Sharki B. She’ll be joined by fishy animated versions of her husband Offset and her daughter Kulture to perform a new song called “The Seaweed Sway.” Today, Billboard premiered a clip of the song, in which Sharki B shows off its accompanying “viral” dance alongside the show’s title character.
To be honest, the song ain’t half bad, and considering the origins and ubiquity of the Baby Shark theme song, I’m sure there will be plenty of parents breathing a sigh of relief at getting a break from the hypnotic tune that kids can’t seem to get enough of. On the other hand, I’m equally sure there’ll be a ton of pearl-clutching from the sorts of people who act like Cardi b’s music will be the end of Western civilization, despite the song being about as kid-friendly as it gets. But the video’s cute (look at Offshark!), the song’s catchy, and kids kind of already love Cardi B — at least this is one song of hers parents won’t mind them singing along to.
Watch Cardi’s — ahem, Sharki B’s — new video for “The Seaweed Sway” above.
Rarely does the attacking pose for a basketball player happen at 45 degrees. Time and again in a comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers to clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference on Tuesday night, Anthony Edwards curled his shoulder toward the ground at an acute angle and got exactly where he wanted to go. That tucked-in posture and low center of gravity will be the lasting image of when Edwards dismantled the Clippers and arrived in the NBA, and a symbol of the flair with which Edwards can dominate for years to come.
Edwards’ style isn’t unique for the sake of being unique. It’s uniquely his and wielded to great success. Unsurprisingly, Edwards was a well-regarded running back in Pop Warner as a kid, and since his high school days, his physical presence has separated him from his peers. Nearly 40 percent of his shots have come at the rim as a pro, his relentlessness putting him in rarefied air, a throwback who feels transported from the early-2000s NBA of Baron Davis and Gilbert Arenas rather than of this era.
Against the Clippers, his downhill dominance was a response to the defense. Los Angeles was not only switching everything in typical fashion, but devoting extra resources toward denying Karl-Anthony Towns the ball and double-teaming him when he got it. That often left him facing mismatches he’s more than comfortable exploiting, with bigger players like Marcus Morris Sr. or Isaiah Hartenstein put in situations where they would need to guard him in isolation.
Once Edwards’ first few jumpers went in, the Clippers needed to give respect to one of the only areas of the court that he doesn’t always own (he was basically a league-average three-point shooter this year). Edwards’ abnormally high release, another unorthodox physical quirk he brings to the basketball court, demands even more attention than a typical shooter’s. That led to lapses from the Clippers defenses, as even their best defenders bit on his pump fakes or miscommunicated switches. They suddenly feared his ability to score from anywhere but seemingly did not have a plan for what to take away. Edwards sensed that imbalance, leaned downward toward the ground, and took off, over and over.
To score 30 in a playoff debut is special, to do it as the featured piece against the reigning conference finalists is extraordinary. Edwards checked in at the 8:08 mark in the fourth quarter with Minnesota down eight. Towns fouled out 34 seconds later. From that point on, Edwards tallied 10 points, one assist and one steal, the driving force in a comeback win.
The two have always been great complements for one another, but anyone spelling out a possible Timberwolves win would have likely started with Towns, an understandable decision as he’s potentially on the verge of earning All-NBA honors for the second time in his career. He handled a higher usage rate than Edwards while also serving as a lead play-maker for the team. When Edwards has gone off this season, it’s been a pleasant boost for Minnesota but not always something the team has relied upon to win. That changed in an instant on the biggest stage, and Edwards responded.
Always confident, Edwards didn’t hesitate letting the world know about it. He joined in with Patrick Beverley in a euphoric postgame celebration, and told reporters postgame, “I took what the game gave me. They were scared to guard me, and I took advantage of that.”
Still, while Edwards has clearly absorbed the swagger of guys like Beverley and D’Angelo Russell and helped develop a new, more resilient identity in Minnesota, these things usually take time. Memphis will likely be ready to throw more defensive attention at Edwards in the next round and Towns will look to get back on track himself, but in one resounding moment, a thrilling young star most would have said would be a killer in tight spots had the chance to prove it — and did.
The most remarkable part of Edwards’ debut, however, may have been the small indications of what’s to come. As with many special athletes in the limelight for the first time, excellence was balanced out by mistakes. A turnover with about a minute left created an opening that Paul George seized with a deep three to make it a one-possession game again. Minutes will pass when Edwards struggles to impact the game when he is not involved as a scorer. And before any of the fireworks on Tuesday night, Edwards did only score one point in the first quarter.
To see it all play out that way and watch Edwards still triumph turned imaginations toward the future. Edwards became the fourth-youngest player to score 30 in an NBA playoff game (just ahead of Magic Johnson), and was far from his best. What was a muscular frame in the SEC is undeveloped by NBA standards. He will get stronger, more efficient in his movement, and less predictable.
As the first round goes on, Edwards has now ensured his development will be one of the biggest stories in the league. A matchup against the Grizzlies will mean a clash of young, athletic, building squads, but Memphis will be ready for Edwards now. And we should be, too.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Disney connection is a big part of her professional life, as she first gained recognition for her roles in Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark and Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Rodrigo is the latest in a long line of artists who moved on from Disney television to majorly successful music careers, but once upon a time, she was just a fan of her predecessors.
Rodrigo’s latest Instagram post proves that, as it includes a throwback photo of a young Rodrigo singing on a stage with posters hanging on the wall behind her, featuring photos of Miley Cyrus (as Hannah Montana, of course), Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers. Propped up next to her is a whiteboard on which song titles are written, a setlist that includes mostly Jonas Brothers songs among other late-2000s classics.
Most of the JoBros showed their appreciation for Rodrigo’s long-running support. Kevin took to the comments to write, “Set list!” Kevin also added, “Solid set list.”
Meanwhile, Rodrigo’s post also includes a photo of her current in-ear monitors she wears for concerts, which feature photos of Robert Pattinson in character as Twilight‘s Edward Cullen. She also shared a brief clip of a large concert audience singing along to “Drivers License.” Rodrigo captioned the post, “tour is going gr8,” and that certainly seems to be true.
Compton rapper Buddy is fresh off the release of his new album, Superghetto, which dropped on April 8 via RCA, and today, he announced the tour dates promoting the new album — his first in nearly four years. The tour begins June 15 in Oakland, California at The New Parish and includes dates in LA at The Roxy, New York at the Bowery Ballroom, and Toronto at Adelaide Hall before concluding in Chicago at Subterranean.
Fans can expect to hear new singles “Wait Too Long” featuring Blxst (which Buddy performed recently on The Tonight Show) and “Hoochie Mama,” as well as favorites from Buddy’s 2018 debut album Harlan & Alondra and the Dreamville compilation Revenge Of The Dreamers III, on which Buddy was a standout. Buddy will be joined by Houston rapper HVN and LA rapper/singer Kent Jamz, who collaborated with Buddy on their 2020 joint mixtape, Janktape Vol. 1. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 15 at 10 am local time. You can see the full schedule of dates below.
6/15 — Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
6/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
6/17 — San Diego, CA @ Soma – Side Stage
6/22 — Washington, D.C. @ Union Stage
6/23 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
6/24 — Philadelphia, PA @ Foundry
6/25 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
6/28 — Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
6/29 — Detroit, MI @ Blind Pig
6/30 — Chicago, IL @- Subterranean
Based on a book by Mike Isaacs,Super Pumpedtells the story of the definite rise and sort of fall of Uber founder Travis Kalanick (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) , a tech innovator whose conviction defined the rideshare era despite numerous weighty charges about a toxic culture at the company. It’s a fascinating portrait of ambition, confidence, hubris, and, well, the frivolity of consequences when you’re talking about Gods and money monsters who move a thousand feet over our heads and cash out with billion-dollar parachutes.
If you watch the show and don’t feel a mix of outrage and envy, then good on you. For me, I couldn’t help but wonder how far I could get with less scruples and more confidence. Similar to how I’ve felt watching a lot of these recent shows that focus on tech and shows similarly centered around people who can talk their way into power and out of trouble. Is that the secret sauce that makes these shows so watchable? Is it something else? Following Sunday’s season finale of the planned anthology series from the minds behind Billions (Facebook is next), we wanted to talk money, morality, misunderstood Pearl Jam lyrics, and more with producer David Levien and showrunner Beth Schacter.
What’s the sort of breakdown between… okay, we want to show what Travis loses, but again, at the end, you see Travis gains a lot too. From a financial standpoint and from a power standpoint. What’s the level of thought as far as showing the downfall, the climb, and then concern about not wanting this guy to seem like a rockstar or somebody who people should try to emulate?
David Levien: We had sort of a vague awareness of the company, obviously, in the writer’s room, everybody had used it. We sort of knew that it had gone public and that he had left and that there were some issues. But the thing really started with Mike Isaac’s book. He gave the book to Brian and then Brian gave it to me and then Beth read it. And we thought that he rendered this incredible story of the inner workings of this company that was in all our lives, but we didn’t know about how it got there and what happened.
The incidents and anecdotes in his book were so fascinating that we didn’t have to calculate a ton of the rest of it. Though, by reading it over and over, you start to realize that there’s this phenomenon happening where this group of rebels think they’re going to unseat the entrenched power in an industry, in this case, the taxi and livery industry. And then they do it only to rise to power and then conduct themselves in the same ways or worse corruption-wise, than the prior group. And that could be happening in other industries. And I think maybe people are just aware of how powerful and unchecked these startups are. And maybe it’s just something that’s rising in the collective unconscious, or in the conscious now.
Did we feel like a responsibility, that we weren’t going to lionize these people… or the reverse? I’d say that we go about it in a way where we want to understand them. And we don’t feel like it’s our job to judge them and we want the audience to be able to, and we’ve had this experience before, as viewers. If you watch The Wolf of Wall Street, he doesn’t editorialize a lot about the ills of this guy. He shows his behavior and a segment of the audience never really understands that it’s a huge cautionary tale or a negative portrayal or anything like that. They just think he’s awesome. A lot of other people realize they have this emotional reaction at the end that they’ve watched something sort of toxic.
And for us, we felt like we wanted to put it out there and it’s for the audience to decide how they feel about this. And the fact that society gives a lot of financial reward to these people… And he was a charismatic guy who was able to enlist hundreds and thousands of people in his vision of the way this company should run. So that part had to come across and then the rest of it happened. So we wanted to render that, but the way people add it up at the end has to be to the viewer.
I don’t mean just for this show, but in general, culturally is that a concern that we are trying to understand… I put it as like, you’re in a room with a tiger who’s going to attack you. Do you need to understand the motivation or do you need to try and protect yourself? We see that a lot of the time with the way that we kind of analyze and over-analyze conspiracy theorists, or deep conservative thinking or some of the profiles that the New York Times gets dunked on for. Is that a worry? The over-analysis of the things that might be hurting us?
Beth Schacter: It’s so funny because I just read a review that was like… “Why won’t they humanize Travis?” And then I read another review, which is, “Why do they keep humanizing Travis?” The thing is, we just have to tell the story as storytellers in a way that we find satisfying. It’s the audience that’s doing all this work of, “I don’t want to understand him. I do want to lionize him. I do want to understand him, now felt guilty because he’s a bad man. And I have empathy for a bad human.” Audiences need to sit with complicated emotions. And I think for us more, we are interested in writing complicated people who are both human and can be kind, but also can do great damage. Those are our favorite heroes and anti-heroes and characters and film and TV that we love and consume. So I think yes, as a culture, we probably need to stop worrying quite so much that we understand things that are truly evil, but as artists, no, we want to keep understanding them and getting inside their brains and humanizing them. Also because actors have to act them. And there’s really nothing fun about… I’m sure Joe, would’ve been like, “Cool, it’s a robot.”
It is interesting, I feel like there was a split at some point where storytelling stopped moralizing so explicitly and sort of went more into the gray and I wonder why that is. I wonder if it was just more content, more freedom to tell those stories.
Levien: That happened a long, long time ago.
Oh, yeah. Of course.
Levien: Having somebody moralizing at you is very tiresome.
Schacter: I mean, it’s the genius of gangster movies, which is like, here’s this movie where this guy or woman… People are just breaking the law and shooting motherf*ckers and stealing and you’re going to cheer for them. And then you’re going to have to sit with that. You’re going to have to sit with fact that you just cheered.
Levien: If you try to tell a story of a bad person who loses because of it and that’s… In certain cases, that’s not going to be very realistic. It’s just not going to have any resonance to the life experiences people are having. Maybe your question might be why are certain ambiguous people given such outsized rewards for what they’re doing?
I watch this show and I think to myself, if I was born with no scruples and had more confidence, how far could it get me?
Levien: Well, financially, very far I suppose. You sound like you’re lamenting the fact that society’s gone off the rails and there’s very little we can do about that. We’re not going to disagree with you loudly.
Schacter: But it does make for good television and storytelling. I mean, to be honest, we can’t do very much because our skillset is this.
Levien: We’re not legislators currently.
This is more… We’re just kind of chatting by the fire as culture burns, not looking to get you guys to throw water on the fire. The fire’s too big at this point. There isn’t really much any of us can do other than just say, “Damn, that’s a big fire.”
Levien: It’s become a fireside chat.
Maybe it’s not so much that there’s been a split where it’s less moralizing in storytelling. Maybe it’s just that in real life, we’re becoming more and more aware of the ways that these people are doing bad things and still winning. And maybe that’s what it is.
Levien: One experience we had in the writer’s room of this show is we realized that we were doing a show about disruptors. So that allowed us to use storytelling methods and filmmaking methods that were very disruptive and unconventional. And one of them became the ability to let other characters besides the mainframe characters take over the show and show their experience. So we did that and that was very cool because in our world of entertainment, it’d be very hard to make the Uber show from the point of view of one driver. So you give somebody like that the stage and it’s like a little bit of a Trojan horse thing.
The end speech with Joe’s character is so tremendous. Just the spite he has for people who don’t do all the things that he does. What was the thought process behind putting that as a button to the whole show?
Levien: Well, yeah, I mean, obviously that wasn’t in Mike’s book, some monologue like that, but we felt like a lot of other people had broken the fourth wall and spoken to the camera. And at the end of the day, we were like, “Well, we should take a shot at having Travis do it.” And it sort of survived all of the drafts and the shooting and the editing and made it there because it just seemed like it made sense at the end of the show to let him give a version of where he was coming from. Our characterization of Travis.
Yeah. 100%. I think it’s tremendous. It’s a great piece of writing and it really just ties everything together perfectly. It feels very much what you would think Travis would say. With that, this character and this person. Do you think he learned anything from this experience?
Levien: [Laughs] Absolutely. To not have board oversight in his next venture. And he had a lot more capital and the ability to dictate the terms of how he wanted it the next time. And we do understand… I don’t know, I guess that’s it, we don’t have research into how his new company runs, but it seems like it’s very streamlined and it’s working financially.
Schacter: I don’t think a lot of people like Travis see themselves as the architect of their own demise.
What was the idea behind the affiliation with Pearl Jam?
Levien: Well, we felt that there was just something right about Pearl Jam sonically, and about the way that their music is so embraced by bro culture while they sort of might potentially misunderstand some of the lyrics and just get with the anthemic music part of it. So we thought it was really fitting in that way. And we realized that we wanted to have their music in every episode. So we went to the band and talked about more of like a music partnership in that way. And they were game for it. And whenever we put those drops in it just works so great. We were just thrilled with it. We love it. But even when you’re hearing a driving rock song from them, what Eddie Vedder is saying is often something very different and nuanced than… He’s like a shaman.
I don’t even want to think about how the words to “Worldwide Suicide” are hitting a tech bro, and what they’re envisioning the meaning of it being.
Schecter: It’s Pearl Jam and Rage Against The Machine. Those are the two, where I’m always like, “You know what these songs are?” And I was like, “Oh no, no, you don’t, it’s fine.” And it’s just, great. That’s Eddie [Vedder] and Tom [Morello]. I love it because it’s such… They’re singing words that are prosecuting their actual existence. How can you not love that?
With the continuation of the show… You mentioned Travis’s new company. Down the road would you want to ever re-explore if he gives you a reason to? Even if he’s staying completely above board, I imagine it’s a very interesting story about what happens after all of this. Has that been a thought at all down the road?
Levien: We haven’t gone that far down the road yet. I mean, everything is game. I mean, that’s a great question. That’s hilarious. He’d be like, “You got to be kidding me.”
Schecter: Yeah. I hope that he does not do enough that creates another season of television.
The complete first season of ‘Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber’ is available to stream via Showtime.
The caped Benedict Cumberbatch, the new anchor of the MCU, will soon return to theaters in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is already breaking ticket-sale records for 2022. Movies are back, baby, and we keep on saying that, but the masses really do want to watch the Sorcerer Supreme own up to f*cking too much with the multiverse. For sure, Wanda Maximoff is angry as hell about double standards and will be onboard, but do we have any more clues about all that speculation that Deadpool could maybe make his MCU entrance, too?
Remember, overenthused fans thought they saw the Merc with a Mouth hidden in a poster despite a Ryan Reynolds denial. And if we want to be really silly about it all, let’s read into what’s going on with the rating of this Sam Raimi-directed sequel: PG-13.
MCU chief Kevin Feige even dubbed it as the blockbuster film franchise’s “first horror film,” complete with some freakier and more intense imagery as the multiverse opens up to whatever horrors are out there. The MPAA agreed with this sentiment, sticking the upcoming film with a PG-13 rating for “intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.”
Given that Wanda has been studying the Darkhold, maybe that accounts for some of the frights to come. And back to that Deadpool stuff, there’s been absolutely no confirmation from anyone that he’ll bring his brand of chaos into view, but if he did, I would hope that he’d at least do a few R-rated things. So maybe we can joke around and see the PG-13 confirmation as evidence of some sort. (Never mind, they’re totally gonna water him down to PG-13 someday, but it’s likely not happening now.)
However, we can expect to see Wong (Benedict Wong), Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) in this movie, so that ain’t nothing.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022.
Ask any New Yorker where you can get the best slice of pizza in the city and you’re bound to hear some passionate opinions. Pizza by the slice is to New York City what the cheesesteak is to Philly, the Juicy Lucy is to Minneapolis, or the steamed crab bucket is to Baltimore: an iconic and beloved local favorite (which people get borderline too passionate about).
Enjoying a steaming hot slice of ‘za is a New York City rite of passage, both for locals and visitors, not to mention a fairly low-cost yet satisfying meal. While the “dollar slice” may be mostly dead, dollar or not, it’s usually more than worth the dough.
The only “problem” with New York pizza, if you can call it that, is that there’s so much of it. New York is practically drowning in by-the-slice pizza, with literally hundreds of spots to grab a slice in the city, from long-standing neighborhood joints to the spots you patronize late at night, after hitting the bars. Having so much quantity can be tricky though — it’s tough for a newcomer to discover the real gems amidst all the run-of-the-mill-level slices.
With that in mind, we took the liberty of doing some of the legwork for you, attempting to taste as many of New York’s most famous and most acclaimed pizzerias as we could and offering our updated rankings of what we tried.
The Rules:
When there was a margherita slice available, I ordered a margherita slice. If no basil was available to be laid across that sizzling cheese, I ordered a plain slice. In places that had both triangle and Sicilian slices, I ordered both, and if only a Sicilian slice was available, I grabbed a plain or granny slice.
The one hard and fast rule is that each and every spot on this list has pizza available by the slice for takeaway, meaning little to no wait time for all that cheesy goodness.
The Guidelines:
There are a few key markers I look for when it comes to a perfect New York slice. While I understand that there are people who savor a slice with an obscene amount of cheese piled on or a super sweet sauce, that isn’t going to do for this list.
It’s also important to distinguish a New York slice from your typical Domino’s—the bottom of the slice should be crisp and thin, and shouldn’t flop too much or fall apart in your hands (no soggy bottoms!). The cornice of the crust should be slightly raised with a good bit of chew on the inside and air bubbles topped by a slight char for flavor and crunch. Most New York pizzerias top their pies with low-moisture mozzarella. When done impeccably, the slice should still have some red sauce splotches coming through, a nice oily sheen, and stretchy cheese that pulls in strings when you take a bite.
As for the sauce, I’m looking for that classic, simple New York-style pizza sauce — crushed tomatoes that provide their own sweetness and a zingy, acidic taste. It might be flavored with salt and Italian herbs. What you don’t want in pizza sauce is an overt, sugary sweetness, which could come from lazier sauces made with added sugar.
When it comes to the Sicilian slice, that’s a whole different story. You’ll find Sicilian slices all over New York (including in this article), and they can be supremely satisfying when done right. They’re typically square, with a much breadier, thicker crust than what you’d see with a New York triangle. That means that the entire crust, from the bottom to the back of the slice, should be consistently crunchy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. It should also be a bit lighter and kind of airy—almost like focaccia bread. For a Sicilian slice, dry or stodgy crust is the kiss of death.
Regardless of the granular distinctions, the bottom line is that we were on the hunt for tasty pizza that kept us wanting more, and distinguished itself amongst its many many competitors. Here’s how these 20 acclaimed shops ranked.
Maybe most of the people visiting Rivington Pizza on the Lower East Side are stumbling home from the bars when they write five-star reviews, but I just didn’t get it. The slice was greasy and with no hint of flavor from the dry crust. They did top the slice with a considerable amount of cheese, but that doesn’t make it special.
Bottom Line:
Maybe it would’ve tasted better if they’d kept it in the oven longer.
Oh, man. I was primed to love Baby Luc’s, based on prior experiences at the original Lucali’s — possibly one of New York’s most beloved pizza joints. Their newer slice shop in Carroll Gardens turned out to be severely lacking. I ordered a Sicilian slice of margherita and got, for lack of better words, a dough brick.
Bottom Line:
The crust was not without flavor, but it was dense and filling, and the zingy, flavorful sauce didn’t quite make up for the lack of cheese on top. Bonus points for kind service though.
I loved the funky vibe at Two Boots’ landmark slice shop in East Village, and was enticed by the promise of cornmeal-crusted pizza bottoms from this ever-growing NY pizza mini-empire. Their high-quality vegan pizza continues to inspire feverish demand, but I grabbed a corner slice of grandma pie. It had sauce aplenty and tasted nice and fresh, and the cheese was present in just the right quantity. Surprisingly enough, my biggest gripe was the crust itself, which was thick and bland.
Bottom Line:
I needed to gulp water down after finishing this slice.
An unassuming, no-frills slice shop on a popular street in Clinton Hill, 3 Luigis punches way above its weight. The crust on our margherita slice was thin and crispy with the right amount of chew, and the cheese ratio was what you’d want. It tastes like the kind of slice one might remember eating as a kid. And yet, it’s sort of… good but not great.
Bottom Line:
The sauce could’ve used more flavor, and the ingredients lack an overall element of freshness that the slices higher on this list had.
Okay hear me out: yes, Joe’s is an undisputed New York classic, and tons of people love the taste of their slices. Personally, I think there just happens to be much better by-the-slice pizza out there, which shouldn’t detract from Joe’s legacy as a New York legend. The slices here are exactly what one should expect from a typical, jumbo NYC pie: crunchy crust, zesty sauce, lots of bang for your buck. But I just don’t find this to be stellar.
Bottom Line:
The sauce is probably the best part of a slice from Joe’s. It’s supremely chunky and tastes fresh and acidic. The crust is fairly bland, and the cheese is quite greasy.
After reading rave reviews and stepping into their aesthetically pleasing slice shop on a charming Clinton Hill corner, I really wanted to love the al-taglio slices at Impasto. It’s very clear that Impasto serves authentic, tasty square slices with quality ingredients, and yet there was always something off. Two separate visits yielded similar results: less than enthusiastic service and a lack of consistency. Our first visit resulted in a slice whose crust was not crisp or charred enough, and the overall flavor was fairly bland. On the second trip, the char was so intense that it threatened to drown out the taste of the actually delicious focaccia-like crust—which itself is airy, flavorful, and just the right amount of chewy. The sauce tasted more zingy and acidic this time, with nice chunks of tomato.
Bottom Line:
At the end of the day, Impasto is still making a unique slice of pizza that you can’t find at many other places in the city and their inventive selection of toppings makes this joint worth a try.
This legendary Brooklyn institution has been serving customers since 1939 and is still a supremely popular spot for both locals and pizza fanatics journeying deep into the borough to try an “L&B slice” alike. The slice we’re referring to is their popular “upside-down Sicilian,” for which they layer the mozzarella before laying down a hearty serving of tomato sauce and dusting with parmesan. I was impressed by the flavor and heartiness of this slice, but less than enthused about their thin crust, which served as an antithesis of sorts to the Sicilian.
Bottom Line:
The slice itself was very floppy, and though the crust had a nice char on the bottom, there was hardly any of their flavorful tomato sauce to be found beneath a thick layer of very salty cheese.
Prince Street Pizza and its consistently long line is legendary. It’s frequently visited by celebrities, with photographic evidence you can peruse while waiting to order. They’re best known for their iconic Sicilian slice, topped with unholy amounts of tiny pepperonis, which are honestly worth the line every time. My taste buds had a less enthusiastic response to their classic cheese slice though, which makes me wonder whether Prince Street is a one-trick pony. The slice wasn’t structurally sound enough to pick up without making a mess, though I was impressed by the quantity and quality of cheese.
Bottom Line:
A tasty, chewy crust almost made up for an overly sweet sauce.
A no-frills go-to for locals and Pratt students alike, Luigi’s is a solid slice shop in Clinton Hill. There, the good people of Luigi’s whip up fresh and hot slices from behind an emerald green takeout window—putting out consistently tasty pies with a light and airy, crisp crust. Rather than the traditional pieces of fresh basil, Luigi’s drizzles a pesto-like oil across their margherita slice, and dots it with large splotches of mozzarella.
Bottom Line:
The tomato sauce is tasty enough, but I was craving more consistent cheese across the slice.
Paulie Gee’s is in the midst of building an empire of sorts, spreading its cheesy fingers all the way to Baltimore and Chicago, but the magic started right here in Brooklyn. Its slice shop is located in Greenpoint right next to the OG restaurant, and is probably best known for its genius decision to start drizzling Mike’s Hot Honey on some of their slices. We sampled both their basic cheese slice and a “Freddy Prinze,” which they call an “upside-down Sicilian.” Their basic cheese slice does not make this top list, but let’s get into the Freddy Prinze, because it was damn good.
Bottom Line:
I was blown away by the unique sesame seed bottom, which imparted a nutty flavor to complement the crisp, chewy crust and Pecorino Romano cheese. But for all that breadiness, I was hoping for more sauce, and a more flavorful sauce at that.
Driving up to Joe and Sal’s small shop on a quiet street in Crown Heights felt like being in a rom-com, with string lights gracing the eating area and a friendly wave greeting us from the order window. Inside, diners are treated to even more New York magic, with movies playing on a small mounted television, quirky signs on the walls, and a classic cheesy slice. Their slice is good. It’s not what you’d call “elevated,” but that doesn’t make it any less tasty in its own right. The super thin crust was bogged down by a lot of oozy cheese, giving it a wet structure that was a little difficult to handle.
Bottom Line:
A generous amount of basil and a drizzle of olive oil kept this one fresh, and the sauce wasn’t overly sweet. Overall, a perfect date spot.
One of the many great things about New York is that its culinary scene lives by motto “innovate or die.” That means that while the classic NY triangle will always be in style, slice shops continue to bring new flavors and trends to keep diners from getting bored. On the come up right now is the Detroit-style slice, a cousin of the Sicilian slice and closest in style to the grandma slice. The difference is that a grandma slice is typically a bit thinner than a classic Detroit deep pan. Ace’s, a retro-trendy slice shop in Williamsburg, makes both. We sat at one of their booths to devour a garlic-laden grandma with a thick, oily crust that had tons of flavor, and a zesty sauce.
Bottom Line:
The aroma alone was enough to make anyone hungry, but I was a bit overloaded with garlic flavor to distinguish much else. Still, it was something I’d happily order again, many times.
Stepping into this attractive but underrated corner slice shop in Gowanus, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The pizza far surpassed expectations: a nice thin crust without any excess grease, and some of the tastiest cheese on this list. Despite the solid amount of mozz’ that pulled perfectly, I had no issues picking up this slice. Sauce was a little on the sweet side but had a great taste, and in general, this was a lighter slice.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t necessarily the kind of slice I’d crave late at night, because it isn’t as indulgent as some of the others, but it’s a more upscale option with great, fresh basil, that you could feel good about biting into any time of day.
Another grandma slice. Corner Slice, located in the corner of the Gotham West Market, finally satisfied our longing for a more flavorful dough. Makes sense, since their co-owners make it a point to use fancy artisan flour, hailed by both bakers and pizzaiolo’s alike, for a superior crust. The result is a thick and chewy, yet crispy crust that left me wanting more.
Bottom Line:
Wilted basil and a sprinkling of oregano added herbaceous flavor that complemented the bubbly cheese. Grab a few napkins, though — these slices can definitely be greasy.
As the name indicates, Best Pizza is a beloved neighborhood slice institution with a loyal following. It’s the food baby of Frank Pinello, who has a following of his own and has appeared on shows like Ugly Delicious. Unlike many true slice shops, I love that Best Pizza has a vast indoor seating area for enjoying your slice, especially if it’s chilly or blazing outside. Their super thin slice pizza is a good, reliable slice, but it didn’t exactly blow my socks off.
Bottom Line:
Most impressive was the amount of char and bubbles that gave the slice a great texture, though I wanted more chew from the dough, and thought the sauce was a bit thin.
How can I say this? L’Industrie is… incredibly hip. The consistent line out the door is just one indicator that this Williamsburg slice shop is the “it girl” in the neighborhood. Luckily it’s for good reason. All of their pies are based on a classic cheese slice (which you won’t be seeing displayed in any glass cases, by the way). Atop that glorious base, you have the opportunity to add anything your heart desires: basil, burrata, spicy salami, fig jam, you name it.
Walking away with a steaming margherita slice, I was pleased to see a thin, bubbly crust with a perfect structure. There was solid char to be found on the bottom of the crust, red sauce peeking at me from under the cheese at the base of the end crust, and fresh basil and shaved parm on the very top.
Bottom Line:
I have no doubt that with all the fancy toppings this slice would be a 10/10, but that’s exactly why I go for the basics. My main gripe was that the slice was a bit dry and could have used more cheese, rather than the parm on top.
What was once one small slice shop on the corner of Union and S. 3rd has grown into a NYC pizza empire, as Williamsburg continues to open up shops all around the city. I tried a margherita slice at their original shop, and was pleasantly surprised that they lived up to the hype.
Not floppy at all with a great char on the bottom of the slice, sauce peeking through the mozzarella. Zesty, acidic sauce that isn’t sweet. Shredded basil. Crust tastes fresh with a good chew to crunch ratio.
Scarr’s is the perfect example of where New York pizza is heading—calling upon classic recipes but adding a cool vibe that draws a consistent crowd. They’re also the only by-the-slice pizza joint in New York to use freshly milled flour from Upstate New York for their dough. Out of all the slice shops I visited while researching for this story, Scarr’s had hands down the longest line. It was worth the wait. I was impressed by a supremely even char on the end crust and the perfect color on the cheese. The slice has tons of little bubbles and boils all over, which lent a great texture, and the sauce was zesty with herbaceous undertones.
Bottom Line:
My only real gripe was the pizza’s temperature, which was way too cold for the cheese to pull at all. I chalk it up to the staff trying to rush through the line.
Di Fara first opened back in 1965, and has been churning out consistently fire slices ever since. In that time, Uproxx has shown the place a whole lot of love — though no one tried to bias me for this ranking. [NOTE: After this tasting, Dom Demarco, founder of Di Fara, passed away at age 85. The shop is now in the hands of his son, who longtime guests will certainly know from his years of apprenticing].
I had no problem picking up their slice without getting my hands messy, despite the fact that the top of the cheese was positively gleaming with oil. Their slightly thicker crust could’ve been slightly softer and chewier on the inside of the end crust, but was otherwise great. The sauce was fresh and zesty—the perfect complement to what was obviously good quality cheese.
Bottom Line:
Di Fara now has multiple locations (including one in Vegas!), but their small, OG shop in Midwood is where the real magic happens.
Bleecker Street lands at or near the top of many lists of NYC’s best pizza, and for good reason. Their slice had a great structure and a thin crust, which lent a nice, crisp, crunchy bite. The cheese-to-sauce ratio was perfect, and they used a flavorful, slightly chunky sauce that wasn’t too sweet. My only gripe was that the crust could’ve benefitted from a bit more char, but you won’t really miss it. The slice itself is magically crisp.
Bottom Line:
Even having been to five pizza places that same day, Bleecker still stood head and shoulders above the rest. 10/10.
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(@RonFilipkowski) 
