Had I visited Johnny’s Pizzeria when I first moved back to NY, I would probably have never written the Sal’s post lamenting the lack of high-quality Westchester pizza — a post which looks sillier and sillier by the day. We have good pizza. Maybe it’s not on every block, and you have to wade through a few over-cheesy clunkers to find it, but it’s there.
I finally made it down to Johnny’s, after getting it through my thick skull that it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays. Two other things about Johnny’s: cash only and no slices. (There’s also a disturbing amount of Yankees paraphernalia lining the walls — so that’s three.)
You can order all your usual toppings; I opted for purity: plain cheese.
This baby was piping hot. Steamin’. Clouded up one of my pics.
Now, I could tell the pie was crispy when I heard the satisfying Crrrrrk of the pizza wheel cutting through the crust. But the sauce looked thin and the pie had a “wet” appearance.
Oh no, this thing’s going to turn into a soggy mess, I worried.
Of course, I was completely wrong.
It looks to me — and someone will have to verify this — that the folks at Johnny’s put the cheese on first, then ladle the sauce on top. Unusual, and I think that’s why the sauce is sort of puddly on the surface. But that keeps it from penetrating down, allowing the thin crust to remain impeccably crispy.
If there’s one word to describe this pie, it’s “balance.” They’ve nailed the ratio of crust/sauce/cheese. (It’s a light scattering of cheese, unlike many pizzerias that just throw on heaps of cheese to cover up for an inferior product.) The sauce has a zingy tartness. The saltiness of the crust is spot on. The crust is thin, but not too thin, crispy but with bite, lightly blackened but not burned.
It’s a delicious pizza.
Johnny’s Pizzeria
30 W. Lincoln Ave.
Mt. Vernon, NY
914-668-1957