The Bacon, Tomato, Cheese Slice- A Woodlawn, Bronx Creation??

I imagine years ago a drunk donkey stumbled into Katonah Pizza on an early Saturday afternoon and ordered a bacon, egg and cheese. Chances are he was just leaving Behan's or maybe Lark's Nest and was STARVING. Not realizing he was in a pizzeria, he placed the order and fell out in one of the booths. Dude behind the counter knew any attempt at explaining they didn't serve bacon, egg and cheese would be futile, so he exercised creative control and came up with the pizza equivalent. The lad then paid for the slice and as he pin-balled his way out of door, his drunk brethren saw what he had in his hands and asked pizza man for the same thing. The legend was born. It's safe to say that the bacon, tomato and cheese slice is a local specialty.

This slice is available at the pizzeria around my corner, Katonah Pizza and Pasta in Woodlawn, the Bronx's Irish enclave. It costs $3.50- prices went up recently from a an even $3. A long while back I saw the slice available at a pizzeria on Bedford Park off Webster Ave- a couple of storefronts from the Jolly Tinker. I guess Irish bars breed crazy pizza creations.



The slice consists of regular pizza dough covered with mozzarella cheese. It is then topped with slices of American cheese and whole slices of tomato, and finally blessed with small pieces of bacon. There is no tomato sauce. The shit is delicious. Very salty, which is to be expected with the bacon and american cheese. I don't fold this slice so as not to compromise its integrity- you don't want all that bacon falling to the middle and the american cheese spreading everywhere. You know how yellow american do. And I never put any spices or seasoning on it. That Italian shit wouldn't work on it. Maybe a little pepper, but absolutely nothing else.



I tried to do some research on this delicacy but the effort proved fruitless. That further reinforced the uniqueness of the slice thus giving me the opportunity to let the Bronx lay claim to this. There should be a holiday named after this shit. Schools are closed, chubby little pigs parade down White Plains Road and there will be Irish line dancing competitions at Yankee Stadium. And all strict religious dietary rules and restrictions will be put on hold. I won't judge Moshe or Mohammad for getting their bacon on. Shit, I'd join them. Every other borough is shining right now, so why can't the BX do the same.

Coincidentally, bacon on pizza was being discussed over at slice. That bacon pie is too OD for me. The success of the BTC slice is the moderate use of the swine, providing us with the overall essence of the fat belly, but not giving it center stage. There are 2 many actors in this play. Everybody gets supporting credit.

If you really desire this truly unique creation, hop on the 4 train to the last stop and take the BX34 Bus to 237th and Katonah. Or take Metro North to the Woodlawn stop. While you're here you might as well partake in the festivities and hit up one of the many watering holes. A little something that I fucking despise, but you might appreciate, is that the no smoking laws for bars don't apply in Woodlawn.

Katonah Pizza & Pasta
4307 Katonah Ave. at 237th St.
718-994-8337
Mon - Thurs 11am - 10:30pm
Fri - Sat 11am- Midnight
Sun - Noon - 10:30pm