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Neapolitan brothers Orlando and Sal Fascati opened their unassuming storefront dedicated to the cheese slice in 1971, sporting little more than a few faux-copper tables and an electric oven. To this day, not even a display case graces the premises. But generations of intensely loyal locals claim Fascati’s pizza as the slice by which they judge all others, over and above famed local rival Grimaldi’s. There are no wood fires or market-driven ingredients here; simplicity rules. The homemade crust is razor-thin, slightly blackened, and the toppings, of homemade tomato sauce and gobs of shredded mozzarella, favor of an abundance of toasty cheese over sauce. Whole pies go fast; purists favor the plain slices over the toppings-customized. Orlando’s sons Mike and Jeff run the place now, and folks who grew up on Fascati’s slices now bring their own kids in, for a taste of the old neighborhood before whole grains and fancy coops replaced pizza shops and neighbors’ stoops. — Laurel Fantauzzo

Cheese slice, $2