Adam Elzer and the team behind Everyday Hospitality open a second location of their celebrated slice joint, Sauce Pizzeria on New York City’s Lower East Side. At this nostalgic pizza parlor, guests can enjoy a selection of pies including classic thin crust as well as a variety of brand new square pies, only available at the LES location. Keeping with the name of the pizzeria, all pies are served with a side of Grandmother’s Gravy, encouraging guests to dip their crusts in the restaurant’s signature sauce.
“Following the success of our first pizzeria in the East Village, we’re excited to expand to the Lower East Side, the home of our flagship, Sauce Restaurant,” says owner Adam Elzer. “We’re also looking forward to introducing the city to our new approach on the square pie.”
To create the new square slices, Elzer developed a brand new dough recipe that yields a light, airy texture by incorporating fresh mashed potatoes into the flour. The dough is then baked in buttered square pans with Parmesan cheese tucked into the sides to create a crispy lattice exterior. Square slices include:
- Upside Down Cheese Square Pie with Mozzarella, Pecorino, tomato sauce, wild Sicilian oregano and breadcrumbs, and constructed by reversing the order the ingredients are put on the pie
- Pepperoni Square Pie with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Biellese pepperoni
- Heritage Sausage Square Pie with tomato sauce, red onion, olive oil, Mozzarella, homemade sausage, garlic and Parmesan
- Vodka Square Pie with spicy Mantecato sauce, fresh Mozzarella and basil
In addition, Sauce Pizzeria offers their signature thin crust pies including Classic Cheese and Biellese Pepperoni, as well as selection of unique specialty pies like the Al Pastor with chipotle-spiced roasted pork, white onion, pickled red onion, pickled jalapeño, pineapple sauce, and cilantro — a nod to Adam’s time at Alex Stupak’s Empellón and many Mexico City research trips; Not Your Grandma’s Apple Pie with salted Macintosh apple sauce, blackened radicchio, sliced fresh Mozzarella, Jasper Hills Chef’s Shredded Cheddar, Italian Speck, and fresh ground black pepper; as well as Upside Down Cheese, Heritage Sausage, Vodka, and a rotating Seasonal Veggie Pie. Cheese, Pepperoni, and a selection of daily rotating specialty pies will be available by the slice.
A selection of salads completes the menu with options including House Salad with iceberg lettuce, pickled red onion, grape tomato, fresh mozzarella, and pecorino; and Arugula Salad with baby arugula, grape tomato, artichoke, and pecorino. Boylan’s Soda will be available by the bottle in flavors like Cane Cola, Diet Cola, Root Beer, Black Cherry, Orange, Ginger Ale, Cream Soda, and Lemonade.
The 12-seat space is anchored by a white marble countertop, where guests can order for take-out or have a seat at the window bar or black wood tables. The interior features Sauce Pizzeria’s signature look inspired by an Italian grandmother’s home, with maroon and gold Victorian wallpaper, antique objects collected from NYC flea markets and thrift stores, large tin cans of tomato sauce which line the walls, and dried herbs that hang in the windows. The vintage ambiance is met with bold elements that pay homage to New York City’s hip hop scene, with black and white portraits of rap legends, collages featuring city views, bright neon signs that light up the room, and an old-school playlist with hits from Biggie, Tupac, and The Beastie Boys. Slices are served on black, white, and red checkered deli paper and pies are available to-go in Sauce’s custom black, white, and red patterned pizza boxes.
