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ryan.rutherford
⭐️RISING STAR ALERT⭐️ If you’re familiar with Pelham, NY, you know a rivalry exists between loyal Pelham Pizza customers & those claiming Four Corners has the best pies: enter Pizza Fenice, owned by Bronx native John Gristina, who started working in his dad’s pizzeria at just 12 years old, eventually opening his own spot with a partner in 2003 in Wilton, CT. After leaving the partnership in 2009, John bounced around until he moved his family to Pelham in 2020 & bought Marco’s Pizza to open Pizza Fenice in 2022, rising like a phoenix (fenice in Italian) from his own ashes back into the pizza game. With several different incredible styles to choose from, I opted for the classic New York Cheese pie, which is essentially a rather fancy football pizza. Despite a thickish appearance, the dough is actually light & airy, with sourdough vibes from a longer fermentation process, creating a cleaner & more digestible canvas for the other ingredients. Very firm & fairly crispy with a delightfully tasty & crunchy texture, particularly the wonderfully charred & crunch-packed crust, the dough possesses a beautifully blackened undercarriage to go along with a semi-smokey flavor & quality crisped consistency. The cheese is made up of mostly Grande mozzarella, a top-quality mozz, with some fresh mozzarella mixed in, as well as some shredded Parmesan & a sprinkle of pecorino romano, creating a somewhat sharp flavor. Pungent & delectable, the cheese blend is mostly tight, though creamy in some spots, not too thick, melted well as the textures converge. Not nearly as sweet as I had anticipated, the sauce is hearty & moderately chunky, a substantial amount, yielding a deliciously even-keeled taste. Neither salty nor sweet, the sauce is modestly savory despite its neutrality. Decently seasoned & spiced, the crushed tomato blend melds well with the cheese & dough. The grease is minimal, if any, as the pie is gussied up with some basil & extra virgin olive oil atop. Overall, this is excellent pizza with quality ingredients that compliment each other splendidly. Travel-worthy as is, a sweeter sauce could elevate this pie into elite territory. Pelham Pizza & Four Corners may be the main rivalry in Pelham but make room for Pizza Fenice, a true rising star on the NY pizza scene. 💫