In truth

As the name implies, True NY Pizza serves up large, thin-crust slices and 16-inch pies. You can buy just a slice of nearly every specialty pizza on the menu, which is pretty uncommon in my experience. It was convenient as well, since a sizeable and unexpected selection of pasta and Italian dishes were beckoning my hungry crew to mix it up a bit.

Whole pies range from $15.95 to $25.95, but we decided to try a few slices. Classic combo ($4.25 each) with sausage, meatball, pepperoni, mushroom, bell pepper, black olive, onion and mozzarella was OK, though the crust wasn’t up to delivering all that stuff unaided. Even after employing the folded slice method, it still took two hands to pick up. The edges were quite crisp, and the sauce had enough garlic to let you know it was there.

Slices of Angry Hawaiian followed ($3.75 each), with plenty of diced ham, pineapple chunks and sliced jalapeño. I think I’m the only one in the family who doesn’t like pineapple on pizza, but I will say that adding hot chiles is an improvement. While the fruit lovers were happily munching, I moved on to sample the Crispino ($4.25 each), square slices of noticeably thicker crust topped with slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato, roasted pepper, balsamic reduction and pesto. It was sort of a delicious, punched-up caprese served on crispy bread—with the pesto actually drizzled on top—and definitely my favorite of the three.

Moving on to other items, we tried a baked pasta combo plate with lasagna and ravioli ($15.95), and an eggplant rollatini and chicken parmigiana combo ($19.95). Both meals came with garlic knots and a garden salad of mixed greens, kalamata and green olives, cucumber, tomato, red onion, peperoncini and marinated artichoke hearts, with garlic and herb vinaigrette on the side. The knots were roughly the size of a dinner roll, soft and crispy, replete with fresh garlic and grated Parmesan.

My main takeaway from both meal combinations: these folks aren’t shy with the sauce and cheese. The ravioli and lasagna were both loaded with ricotta, slathered in plenty of chunky, mild marinara, then absolutely blanketed with melted mozzarella. The rollatini was breaded eggplant stuffed with ricotta, ham and mozzarella and paired with a sizeable breaded chicken breast, also drowning in marinara and mozzarella. The chicken was fairly moist, and the very different flavors of these two items provided a nice contrast. I’d definitely order it again.

From the list of sandwiches, rolls and calzones, I decided to try the stromboli ($8.95), an item I first encountered years ago on a visit to New York City and rarely see around here. Most times I’ve ordered one in this neck of the woods, it turns out to be a sauceless calzone. This time, I finally got what I’d been looking for. The foot-long, rolled-up mix of pizza dough, salami, ham, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella and ricotta was crispy, chewy and even cheesier than the combo meals. A cup of pizza sauce was included but was really unnecessary. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it.

We ended things with a fresh-piped cannoli ($3.95), featuring an excellent filling and one of the best shells I’ve had—delicate, light and crispy rather than hard and crunchy. Service was quick and friendly, and even though it’s on the opposite end of town from my home, I will definitely be back soon.