Portnoy scored this way too low and even the app score is too low. A score in the low to mid 7s is typical for your slice joint, football pizza. This absolutely is not that and it's better than that. I can't see scoring this as if it's identical to that.
It's true that it's a cheesier than saucier plain slice…which is literally true of the vast majority of New York slice joints that have zero passion for the product and have less flavor. Even if this was an average slice with basil and parm added, that differentiates it and shoots the score up to the mid to high 7s.
But I can't really come up with any huge failures with the regular slice to dock points from it. It's well done and not bitter for me, but I do think artisan and old school joints can overdo it, it's crispy without being S tier crispy, it's not underfermented doughy, bready, or thick. It's not got a huge cornicione.
My biggest criticism is I'd like more sauce on it and the slice should've been heated up hotter and it was expensive, but I don't dock points for the later. I feel like Frank Tuttalamondo's (the owner) is far more passionate about the square than the round.
This round was great but I was expecting more bold amazing flavor to it. I also had L'Industrie and Philomena's the same day and can't see why you wouldn't like those drastically better or worse than this, even though they are somewhat different.
L'Industrie was my favorite of the 3 overall, none of the slice had some glaring flaw, I just felt it had the most cohesive vision. I was expecting big, bold flavor and got something less standout than that.
