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According to Upper West Side myth, Sal and Carmine refuse to deliver their pizza because they don't want to degrade the quality of their pies. And there is plenty of quality to preserve. The thin, floury crust is topped with fresh mozzarella and a minimal amount of tomato sauce, then baked into one savory, inseparable layer. Of course, maybe the real reason Sal and Carmine refuse to deliver is just that they're endearingly cantankerous. When visiting the joint, you're likely to see either Sal or Carmine alternating between spreading sauce on a pie and barking at—or ignoring—the customers. But the old-fashioned surliness suits the old-fashioned tin roof of the narrow shop, the old-fashioned levers on the cash register, and the old-fashioned heartiness of a satisfying, authentic, Italian-New-Yorkian slice. — Lauren Aaronson

Cheese slice, $3