A slice of New York has found its way onto campus in the form of the fast-paced pizzeria Lorenzo's Pizza. The pizzeria, formerly located on University Drive, recently moved into the spot owned by Villa Pizza, north of the Fulton Center. With its return, Lorenzo's brings cheap and easy New York-style pizza as well as other Italian dishes such as pizza, pasta, salads and calzones — a perfect lunch for hungry college students.
Lorenzo's operates much like a New York pizzeria. Their food is on display behind a glass counter where a guy with a New York accent in New York apparel keeps the line of customers moving at a New York pace. He tosses sizable slices into the oven behind him before moving on to take the next diner's order.
Lorenzo's pizzas are made on thin crust that's soft on the inside but still slightly crispy. Their pizza sauce is sweet and zesty, and they use the perfect amount of cheese. Together, these elements make even the most basic slice at Lorenzo's delectable.
The full selection of pizzas at Lorenzo's changes daily, but many of the choices make regular appearances. For wing lovers, there's a pizza topped with buffalo chicken, celery and a drizzling of ranch dressing. For cheese fanatics, Lorenzo's usually offers slices topped with chunks of ricotta and a vegetable, like mushrooms or spinach. The heartiest of the pizzas, the pasta pizza, is topped with ziti in marinara sauce, and is a good choice for indecisive diners. Don't expect to be hungry for much more than a single slice, though — even one slice is starchy, heavy and extremely filling.
Regardless of which slice you choose, make sure to grab an order of garlic knots. They're served hot and piping from the oven and are coated in olive oil and fresh garlic. The garlic knots are one of the tastiest dishes Lorenzo's has to offer and a perfect accompaniment to the pizza.
Lorenzo's also has great deals on salad and pizza combos, so it's not a bad choice to grab something green to go with your slice. Lorenzo's usually has four varieties, including one topped with berries, and a traditional Greek salad with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and feta.
Lorenzo's is little more than a small café, where ambience is exchanged for extra table space. With the size of the lunch rush the restaurant handles, it's easy to see the reasoning behind the tradeoff. However, the surroundings do little to deter from the flavor of Lorenzo's pizza, and many diners opt to take their slices to the street — just like New Yorkers.
— jessica.kokal@asu.edu, foodinphoenix.com
