New York Style a slice above

A few months ago I happened to notice that one of Sherwood's longest-running pizza joints, Le Star Pizzaria, had closed. The empty place looked sad and lonely.

Then I noticed a plastic banner that said New York Style Pizzeria was coming soon. I watched and I waited until one day, I saw a big, permanent sign on the pole out by the street.

It was finally open.

It is hard to tell the restaurant is there without a big sign on the front over the entrance. But there is a flashing "Open" sign, and a few handmade posters listing specials taped to the windows. For reference, it's across from the Taco Bell/KFC, near the access road by the Kiehl Avenue exit.

On a whim, I stopped in one evening because I didn't want to cook dinner. What caught my eye was the poster for an 18-inch two-topping pizza for $10.99. That sounded like too good a deal to pass up. (I did recently notice on their Facebook page that they've changed the special to a one-topping for that price, but even if you pay to add a second topping, it's still a good deal.)

I ordered the special with beef and black olives.

The dining area is sparsely decorated, and about half full of tables and chairs.

Diners order at the counter, most of which is blocked off by large chalkboards that list the menu.

It only took about 10 minutes for the pizza. After my five-minute drive home, the pie was still hot and gooey. I hadn't realized how large an 18-inch pizza was; my son and I managed to get four meals out of it. As for the pizza itself, it was a basic New York-style version with thin crust.

The toppings were flavorful, the melted mozzarella had a nice mellow flavor, and the thin crust had just the right amount of crispness to it. And I also liked the fact that they didn't overpower the thin pizza with too much sauce.

The only real problem was that the box was too wide to fit in my side-by-side refrigerator. I have never had that happen with any other pizza box. I ended up wrapping the leftovers in plastic.

My son and I made a return visit on a recent Saturday for lunch with the intention of trying other menu items. I've always been a fan of the stromboli, which is sort of like a rolled-up pizza. I ordered New York Style Pizzeria's version, which costs $8.99, and comes filled with mozzarella, pepperoni, ground beef and Canadian bacon.

My son ordered the Chicken Parmigiana ($10.99). The friendly gal behind the counter asked what salad we'd like and listed a variety of choices; I chose Caesar. She then mentioned that pasta dishes come with rolls, too.

The Philly Cheese Steak Sub ($7.99) sounded promising, so I ordered that, too, knowing all the while that at least half of the food would be going home with us for dinner later. And lastly, we knew we wanted to try their homemade cannoli ($3.99), so I ordered two.

I don't think the salad -- torn-up lettuce and two tomato slices served with what tasted sort of like Caesar dressing -- really qualified as a Caesar. But hey, it was a salad and we were not really disappointed.

The pasta came out first in an aluminum to-go-style pan. There was a layer of spaghetti with sauce on the bottom topped with a breaded chicken breast, more sauce and a generous amount of gooey mozzarella cheese bubbling on top. I cut off a slice of the chicken and it was tender and juicy. All the flavors melded well.

The rolls that come with the pasta were beautifully rustic -- the exterior brown and crusty, the interior soft and tasty.

The stromboli came out second. The crust was nicely browned and glistened as if it had been brushed with butter, and there was an adequate amount of filling. It was as delicious as the pizza had been, and leftovers reheated well in the toaster oven at home.

The server then brought out the Philly sandwich. It was made of thick, crusty bread filled with well-seasoned, tender sliced beef, mozzarella, onions, peppers and mushrooms, which added depth. Half of it went home, too.

We were both a bit full, so I asked for the cannolis to go. The crunchy shell had a slight cinnamon flavor, and the rich filling had chocolate chips mixed in.

New York Style Pizzeria's menu offers a variety of baked pastas, spaghetti, a selection of gourmet pizzas and a create-your-own option. There are also more submarine sandwiches, appetizers, larger salads and desserts that include cheesecake and tiramisu. A kids menu offers spaghetti and ravioli, but on my first trip, I saw a small boy get rather upset that they don't offer a child-size pizza.

The staff of New York Style Pizzeria is pleasant and friendly. I hope it has enough business to keep it around for years to come. What it lacks in ambience it makes up for in the quality and flavor of the food.

Weekend on 12/11/2014