The perfect pizza is a subjective pursuit, but the thin-crust, New York-style offerings of Slice Parlor are a welcome addition to the Duke City dining scene

 

By Mike English
Does Albuquerque need more pizza joints? Most people would say no. Between Dion’s, Il Vicino, Pizza 9, NYPD, Farina and on and on, there’s certainly no shortage. But there’s always a niche for a well-run restaurant that serves good pizza and salad and runs multiple taps of quality beer. Slice Parlor again proves the point.

Slice Parlor was opened in 2011 by partners Jim Wagner, Doug Crowder and Adam Moffett (Wagner, who was a fixture behind the counter for the first year, recently sold his stake to Crowder and Moffett.) It is located in former Mexican knick-knack retail space Que Chula (it was Book Stop before that) next to the Nob Hill Flying Star.

Let’s just say it up front — I love Slice Parlor. As a resident of Nob Hill myself, and aside from the pizza and beer (more on that in a bit), Slice Parlor adds a unique, casual, neighborhood-joint feel to Nob Hill’s roster of eateries. It’s the place I pop into as I walk down the street. My standard: a quick cheese slice sprinkled with parmesan, red pepper flakes and oregano ($3.25, and BIG), a cold pint ($4) and I’m on my way.

If that routine sounds like a New York-style way to grab a bite, that’s by design. Slice Parlor serves some of the finest New York thin-crust pizza in Albuquerque, with dough and sauce made daily in-house, mozzarella whole-milk cheese and stone deck ovens that cook the pies at high heat for a consistent, crispy crust. Pizza preference is often personal and subjective, but Slice Parlor cooks some of my favorite pizza in town.

Servings are by the aforementioned slice, or in pie sizes of 18 inches ($13.99 for cheese) and a truly giant 24 inches (cheese, $21.99). Specialty creations include such variations as the Zia (pepperoni and green chile, $16.99/$23.99 for the 18/24), Spinach (spinach, fresh garlic, feta, $16.99/$23.99) and Gourmet Pesto (grilled chicken, red onions, pesto, $21.99/$28.99), to name just a few. There’s even a gluten-free crust option. You can also add your own toppings, everything from pickled jalapeños to bacon, which adds $.50-$.75 per slice or $1.75-$3.50 per pizza, depending on topping and pizza size.

If you want some greens to go with all that cheese and crust, Slice Parlor serves a nice selection of salads, ranging from a simple Side Salad (spring mix, tomatoes, black olives, $3.49), to a more elaborate Citrus Salad (spring mix, goat cheese, walnuts, orange slices, balsamic vinaigrette, $5.99).

There are also calzones on the menu. You can order a House Calzone (ricotta, mozzarella, Italian sausage, $12.99), Spinach and Basil Calzone (ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, basil, $12.99) or build your own.

Slice Parlor 3410 Central SE, 505.232.2808 Hours: 11a-11p, Sun.-Thu., 11a-midnight, Fri.-Sat. sliceparlor.com

That’s it — pizza, calzone and salad. It’s a straightforward menu, topped off by one of the better draft beer selections in Albuquerque. Slice Parlor carries Marble and La Cumbre beers, Colorado brews like Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues of Longmont, and Goose Island’s 312 Wheat Ale of Chicago, to name just a few of the 30 or so beers available. Craft pints run $4, but there’s always a $3 pint special (Dale’s Pale Ale on my most recent visit), and Wednesdays at Slice Parlor are a beer drinker’s dream — $2 pints all day. (There are also red and white wine options.)


It’s those specials that appeal to the quick-and-cheap side of many diners. Slice Parlor sells its cheese slices for $1 from 2-4p on Tuesdays, for example, and offers a two-cheese-slices-and-soda deal every day for $6.99.

They deliver, too. I’ve had pizza brought to my house and I’ve had it delivered across the parking lot to the Tractor Brewery tap room, even by the slice. Tractor and Slice Parlor seem to have a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship, in fact, providing yet another option for pairing tasty pizza and beer.

With Il Vicino right across the street, I originally thought Slice Parlor would be redundant in Nob Hill. I was wrong. It’s already a favorite neighborhood fixture.