Trophy Pizza

This Evendale pizzeria has been at the top of my to-try list since before it opened, so I was glad to finally visit recently. Decored as a classic New York slice shop, @mytrophypizza serves two styles: New York and Grandma (a thinner version of Sicilian & one of my favorites). On our Saturday afternoon visit, they were nearly out of pizza dough - an excellent sign indicating the dough is fermented overnight (a great way to develop more flavor). We ordered a few New York-style pizzas and I grabbed a grandma slice - for an appetizer, of course.

If you follow Cincy pizza on FB (and who doesn’t?) you regularly hear things like “Finally authentic New York style in Cincinnati at Fratellis” or “I used to live in Bushwick and NYPD Pizza is the first time I found a real NY slice here”. Now, you may say that true authenticity is elusive** and the techniques used by NYC pizzerias to achieve great slices vary, but nonetheless this marketing hook is effective.

Personally, in judging New York style my view is that a quality slice should have a crust that: 1. Is thin, with a crispy exterior and soft/chewy interior 2. Has a nice flavor so that it tastes good on its own 3. Holds up the toppings w/o getting soggy

First, Trophy nailed the texture - it was crisp with a nice subtle char on the edges, a chewy interior, and a bit of cornmeal on the bottom. The slice may have been 10% denser than I like, but overall the consistency was quite good. Trophy uses high-protein Gold Medal All Trumps flour & that high protein content (14.2%) is likely responsible for the slightly denser crust. I thought the flavor was pretty nice as well, perhaps due to that longer fermentation period. The slice did get a bit soggy, but I attribute that to our rather exuberant topping choices. It was still foldable and appropriately crispy.

Every slice I tried at Trophy was quite good, but my favorite was the grandma square. It was a really nicely balanced slice, with a tasty sauce-forward flavor. Simple, and artfully executed.

Overall, I don’t think I have had a better NY slice in Cincy than Trophy. It’s an excellent addition to the local pizza scene and I plan to return.