My blog post from Nov. 7, 2012 — NEW YORK PIZZA IN SOUTH RENO (PART 1) — stated that I'm not an expert on New York pizza. I was born and raised in Chicago, so I don't know how New Yorkers would judge the quality or authenticity of two different New York pizza parlors in South Reno.
Sheer curiosity motivated me to try NuYalk Pizza, 9780 S. Virginia St. Hearing that this restaurant has been a Reno institution since 1978 (in a different location until this year) gave me reason to think I might like it. Alas, I'm puzzled by NuYalk Pizza's longevity because, in my opinion, their pizza was barely edible.
Bronx Pizzeria opened earlier in 2012. http://bronxpizzeria.com/
It was originally housed in a former butcher shop and deli that now stands empty on Reno's South Virginia Street. Then Bronx moved to smaller quarters nearby, at 7689 S. Virginia St., behind Terrible's Car Wash.
I read Dave Preston's review of Bronx Pizzeria in the Oct. 11, 2012 issue of the Reno News and Review. Preston, a former New Yorker, seemed to be madly in love with the pizza at Bronx:
But I wasn't convinced I'd feel the same way, since I judge pizza by Chicago standards.
My visit to Bronx Pizzeria confirmed what I suspected. I ordered a slice ($3.50) of a specialty pie called The Bronx Zoo. This featured pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, green peppers, black olives, onions and mushrooms. (Cheese slices at Bronx are $2 each; extra toppings cost 75 cents.)
The meat and veggie toppings on The Bronx Zoo slice were pleasing but the crust was overly bready and blah. And there was hardly any cheese or sauce. The Bronx Pizzeria menu mentioned that this was "Napoletana Style New York Pizza" and that The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) was formed in 1984 "to protect Neopolitan pizza and promote it as the standard against which all pizzas are judged."
This style of pizza is apparently trendy around here. I just don't subscribe to the notion that "less is more" when it comes to the amount of sauce or cheese on a pizza. It makes me think of those bargain-brand frozen entrees labeled "Gravy and Salisbury Steak" because gravy is the primary ingredient — and after all, who wouldn't want more gravy than meat on their plate? In this case, the pizza crust dominates — and I thought Bronx's crust lacked flavor.
The atmosphere at Bronx is not what I'd call festive. It's dimly lit and features some tables with umbrellas — indoors — to make your dining experience even darker. Music would be a more cheerful background choice than Fox News, too.
In a contest between NuYalk Pizza and Bronx Pizzeria, I'd award NuYalk points for its bright, airy dining room, while the pizza at Bronx would win the taste test. But neither of these restaurants were really to my liking.
Of the pizzas I've tried in South Reno, so far, my favorite is the Portland-born pizza at The Blind Onion. See my blog post from Oct. 13, 2012 — BLIND ONION PIZZA PUB: GREAT LUNCH AND GROOVY LOGO.
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