The Snob lived in San Antonio for 18 years before moving to Franklin. When people in Tennessee used to ask me what I missed most about San Antonio, I had a simple, one-word answer: Austin! It was a city Mrs. Pie and I loved to visit for music, food, shopping, and mostly for its great vibe. Thanks to a recent business trip, I was able to return after 15 years.
There was no doubt where my first stop would be after my plane landed: I made a bee-line to Home Slice Pizza down on South Congress. Home Slice opened in 2005 after my Texas tenure. I had heard great things about it from a co-worker. I also read that the folk behind Nashville’s fabulous Five Points Pizza did their pizza-making training there.
Driving through Austin for the first time in 15 years, my reminiscing was mostly “that’s where so-and-so used to be” rather than sighting old familiar places. I did find that the South Congress area was still an exciting part of town–full of local color with a steady stream of renovated neon-signed storefronts. Home Slice occupies a large space on the east side of the road. Arriving, I struggled with the unusual requirement to back in and park at an angle on South Congress.
Drat! Home Slice was closed on Tuesdays! What to do? Much to my relief, I found their More Home Slice “slice shop” across the alley. It offered everything I was looking for. The main joint appears to be the traditional Austin restaurant/bar with live music place. “More,” on the other hand, is a small rectangular room with a counter, open kitchen, and stool-seating along the walls and at a community table in the center.
More’s menu board lists cheese, pepperoni, and margherita slices plus two handwritten daily specials. There are also salads and subs with beer, wine, and deserts available. They claim that their menu is the same as the main restaurant. They advertise take-out but do not deliver.
I went for my traditional order of two cheese slices which were $3.25 a piece. Despite the fairly steady lunchtime crowd, the wait for my slices wasn’t long. They were instantly recognizable, looking very much like the ones back home at Five Points. These folks teach well! And, there was no disappointment: they looked and tasted perfect. The Home Slice folks have really brought a bit of New York City to Texas making a pizza about as authentic as it can be. It was slim and trim with all of the right ingredients assembled and cooked exactly how they should be. My slices were awesome and quickly vanished from site–every morsel, including the final tasty remnants of the crust. There are some joints in New York City that should come here for training!
Revisiting Austin was a great experience, and I will try my best to return in the future. The Snob thinks that Music City Mike needs to visit either South-By-Southwest or the ACL Festival next year. The Snob will require a return visit to Home Slice—certainly the best pizza that Austin and perhaps the entire Lone Star State has to offer.
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***** Sets the Standard
Home Slice Pizza
1421 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
512-444-PIES (7437)
http://www.homeslicepizza.com
