PQR

All the way from Rome, PQR has found a home in NYC. The name stands for Pizza Quadrata Romana, which translates to “Roman Square Pizza”…and that’s exactly what this place sells. But instead of being the one lonely plain grandma slice in the corner of the pizza shop, PQR’s pizzas are all square and the toppings are far more exciting.

Not only are there lots of fun toppings (eggplant parm! prosciutto! porcini!), but those toppings are nice and fresh. A single piece will set you back $6.50+, but just like they do in Rome, they’ll take a pair of scissors and cut it in half – it’s a BOGO.

I tried two varieties: the parma ham and a special that had mozzarella, mushrooms, and potato. Both were very good, but I preferred the ham, which provided the right balance of salt.

Now, don’t get it twisted: this pizza is square, but it’s not Detroit style. If you’re looking for that unique style, head to Emily/Emmy Squared or Mama’s Too. This is more like traditional pizza in a rectangular shape and when it comes to that style, they do a great job. There is just enough edge crust to elicit the proper proportions. And the crust overall is great – the bottom is crisp, but there are perfect air bubbles throughout, resulting in the right amount of crunch-and-give when you bite down. This is thanks to Italian pizza legend, Angelo Iezzi, who’s perfected the method. I scarfed down my pieces so fast…kind of a problem since they came out piping hot and magically still perfectly fresh upon reheating.