A slice of New York is always available at Delray Pizza
Pizza by the slice at Delray Pizza on Federal Highway in Delray Beach.
Pizza-making brothers serve up tasty New York-style pizza by the slice in a Federal Highway strip center space.
By Alan J. Wax
Munching on a couple of slices of what folks down here call New York-style pizza at Delray Pizza on S. Federal Highway I couldn’t help but recall my youth, standing at the counter of the pizza place in my Gravesend, Brooklyn neighborhood gobbling down a 25-cent slice.
Of course, the price of that slice today costs considerably more. But the slices before me at Delray Pizza evoked memories of what I had devoured decades ago. A cheese slice goes for $3.50. The atmosphere, too, brings back memories.
Josh and Aaron Schiffman behind the counter at Delray Pizza (Delray Pizza Facebook photo).
Indeed, Delray Pizza’s slogan, found on its specials menu, is “Bringing back the neighborhood slice joint.” Most area pizzerias stop selling pizza by the slice after the lunch rush.
It’s not much of a space with just five small tables and walls of red wainscoting. It formerly was occupied by Ciao Bella Pizza, Brooklyn Original Pizza, and before that Troni’s Pizza. A brick oven stands behind a brown ceramic counter topped with brown granite and a glass pizza display case. Empty pizza boxes line the wall above the stainless-steel counter where the pizzas are stretched and topped. A large-screen TV hangs high on a wall and the music system while I was there blared Lynard Skynrd’s “Free Bird.”
Sharing a shopping center anchored by a Walmart grocery and a Planet Fitness gym just north of Lindell Boulevard, south of the mile-long row of auto dealerships that line S. Federal Highway, Delray Pizza has been open since early April. A temporary sign hangs above the door.
Delray Pizza’s young owners, brothers Aaron and Josh Schiffman, 35 and 29 respectively, have been slinging pies for about a decade, since starting out in their former hometown of Hillsborough, NJ. They moved to South Florida to escape the cold climate up north and have worked at such places as Jimmy’s in Wellington, Lake Worth Pizza and NYPD Pizza.
Two slices and soft drink $8.50.
Upside down slice, top, and Sicilian slice.
More than plain slices are available, though plain cheese pies are the top seller, along with a pie called Drunken Grandma pie, a thin square pie topped with vodka sauce and charred pepperoni cups. As many as eight differently topped pies are available, including a spin on the famous upside-down Sicilian made at L&B Spumoni Garden and Sunday Supper Pizza, a pie topped with Sunday sauce, including braised pork, sausage and meatballs and topped with shaved Romano and basil
There’s also a variety of salads, sub sandwiches assembled on house-baked bread, wings, and more than a handful of classic Italian dishes.
Those plain slices were close to pizza perfection. Cut from a 16-inch pie, the thin crust had a few puddles of oil that needed mopping with a napkin and was topped with lots of cheese and a sweetish house-made red sauce.
Menu of specials.
On a separate visit, I tried both a Sicilian slice and an Upside Down slice. The Sicilian corner slice — what I always ask for — had a thick bread crust with a crispy bottom, mounds of cheese, and a sprinkle of oregano. The same thick crust was the foundation for the Upside Down pie, but the sauce sweeter and filled with chunks of tomatoes— and tastier in my opinion — floated atop the cheese.
A specials menu is available from the time the door to Delray Pizza opens at 11 a.m. until closing time, 8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
And, if there’s room for dessert, or if you’re doing takeout, there’s a well-stocked freezer case of locally made Proper Ice Cream at $10 a pint.
Good pizza is not easy to find in South Florida. Good pizza by the slice at almost all hours is even rarer. Delray Pizza scores on both counts.
Delray Pizza
3025 S Federal Hwy., Delray Beach, FL 33483
561-303-1278
https://order.toasttab.com/online/delray-pizza-3025-south-federal-highway
