By Daniel Ziebarth

Welcome to the first article of The Slice Shop! Here you can find a new review of Fordham’s best, and not so best, pizza shops each week.

This week’s inaugural review will cover Tony and Tina’s Pizzeria, which sits on the corner of 189th Street and Arthur Avenue. Before even entering this place, you know you’re getting the old school slice shop experience: neon signs in the window, five tables with plastic bench seating and the same two guys working behind the counter.

The shop’s cozy atmosphere combined with the servers’ friendly disposition makes T and T’s a welcoming stop.

When you walk up to the counter, you’ll see all the offerings the place has. The menu is small, but it has what you’re looking for from a classic slice shop. Pizza, garlic knots, chicken rolls and pepperoni rolls are all on display, alongside some great classic Albanian and Mediterranean foods that include burek, yogurt and baklava.

Side note, if you’ve never had burek before, you need to try it. Burek’s warm, flaky filo dough surrounding your choice of delicious filling, including options ranging from meat and cheese to spinach or pumpkin, will make you question why you haven’t been enjoying this treat your entire life.

If we’re talking pizza, Tony and Tina’s has three go-tos.

You can choose between cheese, pepperoni and veggie, as well as a Sicilian cheese slice, so anyone looking to get weird with some buffalo chicken or mac and cheese on their slice should avoid this place like it’s Mugz’s on a Tuesday.

A regular slice costs $3 unless you get a Sicilian for $3.50, which is a little more expensive than a usual slice, but the slices here are bigger than usual. Honestly, the size of the slices is one of the few complaints I have about T and T’s. When looking for a good slice, you want something that you can fold up in one hand. This leaves the other one free for a drink. Tony and Tina’s goes balls-to-the-wall with their slices and makes ‘em XL. So be prepared, if you’re grabbing a slice or two from Tony and Tina’s you’re going to need two free hands for this one.

The other thing they do here is pile on the cheese. Personally, I think they throw on more cheese than they need to, and it takes away from the crust and sauce underneath. Both the crust and sauce have the qualities you want in a solid slice. The sauce has enough flavor without taking over the profile, and the crust is just crispy enough on the outside to add some crunch before biting into the softer inside of the dough. The quality combo of crust and sauce saves the slice from being overwhelmed by the surplus of mozzarella on top.

Overall, this is a slice shop you should go to and one of the first I’ll recommend to people in the neighborhood. The beauty of Tony and Tina’s is that while it doesn’t have everything you want, it’s exactly what you need. Nothing here is organic or artisanal. The menu isn’t large. There’s no hardwood flooring or refurbished exposed brick walls. And you know what, that’s okay. Maybe that’s the point. Sometimes you need a slice shop that has what you need and nothing more. A seat to sit on and a table in front of you. A few familiar, friendly faces behind the counter. Consistent food with consistent service. A classic New York City slice shop.