I LOVE NY Pizza
532 Cagan Park Ave, Clermont, FL 34714
532 Cagan Park Ave, Clermont, FL 34714
Phone: (352) 432-3928
UPDATE! 7-01-2022.. The below mentioned lunch special here is now $5.99. Still a heck of a deal.
Right before all of this Covid-19 business, I was doing some shopping in the Cagan Crossings shopping center located right off of Hwy 27 in the Four Corners area of Clermont, and a sign caught my eye. I'm always down to save some scrilla, and I'm definitely always ready to try out a new pizza joint, so I stepped in for lunch to give it a try.
Two Slices for $4.99 and a fountain drink of your choice included (with unlimited refills). Not a bad deal IF.. the pizza is up to par.
I ordered two cheese slices with no additional toppings. I often do this for two reasons. First, I've drastically cut down on my consumption of meat, especially that of the processed variety. Second.. there may be no better way to size up a pizzeria's skills than by ordering a plain cheese slice. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. There's nothing for them to hide behind with a plain cheese pizza. Quite simply.. the crust, sauce, and cheese, are the three most important aspects in the crafting any good pie. So how was it? Here are my thoughts.
The slices were served on a huge plate, which doesn't do them justice in regards to how big they are. Upon first bite, I could instantly see that the crust was definitely the star of this pizza. You can tell they had a very good fermentation time on the dough, as it was full of flavor, crispy in all the right places, with a nice medium lift to the end crust.
The cheese was of pretty good quality, with a nice buttery flavor that wasn't overly salty. The sauce was pretty good as well. I would have liked to seen a little bit more, but that's just personal preference. in fact, I'm not sure if it wouldn't have thrown off the whole balance of these slices. In retrospect, I think the thin layer of sauce really worked. It brought together the contrast of the crust, and richness of the cheese.
All in all, this is an incredible value for $4.99! Not to mention the stellar service I received. A lot of places will write you off knowing that you're only going to spend five or six bucks, and try to get you in and out as quick as possible. However, my waitress Gabby was super attentive, never letting my glass a soda come close to getting empty, constantly checked on me to see if I needed anything at all. The sweetheart also offered me a to-go cup of soda when I was ready to leave.
Final thoughts
I wouldn't call this pizza straight up New York style. The signage outside of the building can be a little misleading, and I walked in expecting an authentic New York style pizza joint. This is not that. But rather, in Italian restaurant that makes is a pretty dang good pie. That being said, they've now got me on the hook, and I will definitely be back to try more of their fare besides just their Pizza.
Incredible value, great service, and dang good pizza. What more could you ask for? This place is pretty close to where I live, so I will definitely be visiting more often when we are on the other side of this pandemic.