Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19 UPDATE

For the most update info, please go to our News section ASONY News

Friday and Saturday night long wait times/hold times

Due to the Santa Clara County Health Orders, our staffing is limited. In additional to that, we also have to socially distance which causes us to run less efficiently. On busy nights, like Fri and Sat, wait times can get up to 1.5-2 hours, so please plan accordingly. Don't call at 5pm on a Friday night and expect to have your order ready in 15 min. If you want to plan for dinner, please call us 2-3 hours in advance (or more) and tell us when you would like to have your order ready. We will organize our workflow to accommodate your request. Also, if we put you on hold, it is because we are either helping a customer or answering other calls. It DOES NOT help if you hang up and call back. You will simply be put in queue as we answer calls in order. This is very hard on our business and we don't want to lose you as a customer. Thanks for your understanding.

What kind of pizzas do you offer?

We offer two types of pizza: Neapolitan (thin and round) and Sicilian (thick and square).

What is the ASONY Margarita pizza?

This is not a typical Italian Margherita pizza. It is not a sauce, cheese, and basil pizza like traditional Margherita pizzas are. If that is what you would like, simply order a plain with basil.

Our ASONY Margarita is a Neapolitan (thin crust) with our ASONY garlic oil base, Italian peeled plum tomato (pureed), fresh basil, fresh garlic, fresh parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

Pies? You sell pies?

Sort of. We sell pizzas. In NY, pizzas are referred to as “pies,” as in a pizza pie. So, please don’t get excited and ask us if we sell apple or pumpkin.

What is Sicilian pizza?

It is not Chicago deep dish. The Sicilian pie is cooked in a 17"x17" pan. It is a double-bake process, where we let it rise, cook it, let it cool, and then make it to order. It ends up being about 1 1/2" thick, with extra sauce and extra cheese. It is not filled with anything. You can also order a Sicilian with any toppings you like.

What’s on a Meatlover Sicilian?

A Sicilian pie base with the following meats added:
–Pepperoni (on bottom layer)
–Salami (diced)
–Smoked ham (diced)
–Meatball (sliced)
–Spicy Italian sausage (shredded)
Stands over 2" when done.

Why don’t you wear gloves? Isn’t it more sanitary to wear gloves?

Making pizza is a very physical process and it requires a personal touch. As long as a person making, preparing, or handling food has washed their hands properly, all is well. Besides, once people start wearing gloves, they forget to change them after they are dirty (e.g., from ringing someone up at the register). We always wash our hands after handling money--it just has to be done. If it’s not done, let us know on the spot!

What’s this I hear about a guarantee?

We guarantee our products. Period. We would like all our customers to leave our place happy. If you are not satisfied with something you were charged for, let us know why it did not meet your expectations, any suggestions to improve our offerings, and what you feel is a reasonable solution to the problem at hand. We will try to make it right so you are happy. If it seems reasonable, you’ll get it. If not, we will offer what we feel is a reasonable compromise.

How many slices in a small vs. a large? How many people do they serve?

We cut both into eight slices. Don’t think about how many slices there are, think about the size of the pie. A small is 14”, as big as most local place’s large. Our large is 18” and bigger than most others even offer.

Don’t let the number of slices concern you. We could cut our pies into 30 slices, but that number is relatively meaningless. Our house pies (the pizzas we have on display for slices) are cut from a 20-21” pizza and also cut into eight slices. Think of it like this -- an 18” pie is 65% larger than a 14” pie; and the 20” house pie is 23% larger than an 18” pie. It’s the whole circle area and πr² thing.

Why don’t you have a medium pizza?

Well, our small is like a medium. Heck, if you look at a Round Table® large, it is the same size as our small (14"). So, don’t let a name fool you. A name is just a name. Our small is pretty big. If we called our small a medium and we only had medium and large, it would sound silly. We have a small size and a large size. We are not trying to convince you how big it should be based on a made up name like a coffee shop.

How many people does a small pie feed? How about a large?

Well, that depends on how hungry you are, how much you can eat, and if you are eating anything else.

Typically, a small will serve 2‐3 people and a large will serve 3‐5...maybe 3‐6. Me personally, I can put down a house pie by myself (23% bigger than a large), so it is very difficult to determine the right amount. I always tend to order extra when I go anywhere because I like leftovers, but that’s just me.

My pizza today is different than yesterday. How come?

Yes, your pie will be different every time you come to our shop. We will always do our best to make sure you receive a good product, but it will never be exactly the same as it was last time. Why? Because we make everything by hand and from scratch. Nothing we serve (other than drinks and desserts) is made outside of our shop. We put care into all of our products so you leave with something we are proud of and something you will enjoy. We use brick ovens and wooden peels to make the pies, not screens and conveyer ovens. Our pizza makers are craftsmen/women who take pride in what they serve you. If you are not happy with something, please let someone know so we can resolve the issue.

You have Drakes?

Yes, we stock Drakes products. We try to always have Devil Dogs, Ring Dings, Yodels, Coffee Cakes, and Funny Bones. The list of what is in stock is on our wall. We get them shipped in from NYC, so please be patient if we run out.

How do I warm up my pie or slices (after I just picked up my pie or slices)?

1. Preheat the oven to 400° with a pizza stone inside (bottom shelf). If you don't have one, a cookie sheet will do nicely. A toaster oven also works great as does a hot pan or skillet (no oil).
2. Once the oven is nice and hot, put a slice or two on the stone or cookie sheet for a minute or two. Any moisture that has built up on the crust will evaporate and the slice will get nice and crispy. This is very important for veggie pizzas or combo pizzas like the "Times Square" or "The City."
3. DO NOT MICROWAVE...you will zap the life right out of the pizza, making it soggy, then hard.

How do I warm up my slices from the freezer?

1. Yes, our pizza freezes very well, just use a ziploc bag and get the air out.
2. Using a toaster oven is great. You can also preheat the oven to 375° with a pizza stone inside (bottom shelf). If you don't have one, a cookie sheet will do nicely. DO NOT MICROWAVE...you will zap the life right out of the pizza, making it soggy, then hard.
3. Put the frozen slice in the oven for 4-5 minutes (depends on what kind of slice it is)
4. You should be good to go. The slices heat up really well.
5. If you are reheating a Sicilian slice (a thick one), you will probably need to leave it in a bit longer.
6. Keep in mind that some slices will heat up very quickly (e.g., ASONY Margarita or the Buffalo Chicken) because they do not have sauce, only our oil. Slices with more stuff and sauce will take longer. They will all taste great!

Do your prices include tax?

No. We have always tried to keep change and numbers round. The pandemic has pretty much shown us all transactions are made be via some form of electronic payment. So, the need to have "round" numbers is not really relevant right now. Effective Dec 1, 2020, we have made our menu "plus tax." All our items are now tax not included. There will be temporary surcharges from time to time (like now during the pandemic, we have an 8% surcharge on all orders that goes directly to the crew --less taxes-- to cover lost tip revenue to the crew as we can no longer tip via touchless payment). The surcharges will be applied from time to time based on market conditions (e.g., flour instabilities, temporary sales tax increases, cheese spikes, etc.). Since a surcharge is temporary, we do not modify the menus to reflect this change. We will post information so our customers understand the cause of the surcharge.

Are any of you from NYC?

Yes, but that really doesn’t mean very much. If you want real NY pizza, just come in expecting it and see how we do. You be the judge.

How do I get a real pizza stone?

We are offering the ability to get a commercial pizza stone for your home. It is just under 16” in diameter and should be able to fit in all home ovens, even smaller ones. Gas or electric is irrelevant when using a stone cooking surface. The deal is you always leave the stone in your oven (except when you clean the oven). It will make your oven cook and work better, maintaining consistent temperatures, and actually improving energy efficiency. See the San Jose Menu for details. These are special order only.

We can also order custom size surfaces. If you are making a pizza chamber at home or want to experiment with brick oven cooking, we can help you create the ideal oven for you. Please contact us for additional information at ovens@aSliceOfNY.com.

How long does it take to make a pizza?

About ten minutes. If there are orders ahead of yours, we will tell you at the time of ordering so you can plan your arrival. Wait times on Friday and Saturday can reach 2 hours, so call in your order ahead of time. You can always call in at like 2pm for a 6pm pick-up.

Do you have seating?

No, until further notice.
Yes. In San Jose, we have six stools inside. Outside, we have a covered area with two large tables, eight armchairs for you to relax in, and a four person picnic table. At our Sunnyvale location, we do not have outdoor seating, but we have plenty of indoor seating. We even have a “Subway car” you can reserve that will hold 20‐25 people.

Do you deliver?

No. We continue to offer our internal catering service for large events or corporate orders. We have a 15% catering fee added on to the order to cover costs with a small portion going to the crew; however, tipping is always appreciated (we suggest 20%).

For repeat catering customers, the catering fee is reduced to 10%. We have a $40 minimum delivery charge so smaller orders can also be delivered, if needed. Please email us to inquire at catering@aSliceOfNY.com.

Is your cheese from California? What cheese do you use?

No, our cheese is not from California. We only use part‐skim premium mozzarella cheese from the Grande Cheese Company in Wisconsin. It is the best cheese money can buy and what most pizza shops in NY use. Why? Because it tastes the best and is the most consistent high quality cheese available. We get seven pound blocks directly from the company and shred them at the shop daily so you get the freshest ingredients possible.

Does your cheese have rennet? Is your rennet animal based? What is rennet?

All our cheese comes from Grande Cheese Company, including the provolone in our Chicken Parm Hero!

Rennet is an enzyme that is used to turn milk into cheese. The mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone cheese we use is from Grande Cheese Company and they use a plant based (not animal based) form of rennet. Here is a quote directly from William Harder, Director of Quality Assurance and Technical Services “Grande Cheese Company uses a highly purified, natural milk clotting enzyme (rennet) for cheese manufacture. The enzyme is derived from a pure culture fermentation and is non GMO according to European standards. The enzyme is also Halal and OK Kosher approved and manufactured in the United States of America. Grande Cheese Company uses only microbial rennet in its Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese lines. No animal based rennets are used.”

How many locations do you have? Are you a franchise?

We are NOT a franchise. We are a family owned and operated business that started in 2006 at 3443 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose, CA (we are a Santa Clara business with a San Jose address). We are right next to Stevens Creek Surplus. In 2011, we opened our second location in BevMo Plaza at 1253 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA, with expanded seating, parking, and beer. On July 1, 2017, A Slice of New York became the first worker cooperative retail shop in Silicon Valley (South Bay).

What is a Slice Card?

A Slice Card is a reusable/reloadable “debit type” card that can be used at either of our shops. You can put money on it (like a gift card) to use any time. It does not expire.

Do you offer frozen pizza?

I never thought I would say this, but yes, we are now starting to offer frozen personal pies. These are 10" personal pies that we cook to 85-90%, let cool, wrap, and then freeze. As of now, we are wrapping in plastic film, dating them, and labeling them. We will have more a more complete labeling system in the very near future, but we are still figuring out what to make.

We will try to have cheese, pepperoni, mushroom, ASONY Margarita, Buffalo chicken, and maybe some others. We are trying to keep a daily inventory of what we have on hand so you can call in and see what we have, but this is new for us. Here is a link to our guidelines. We want feedback!

What happened to your slices?

We are now offering slices again! We are starting off slow with just cheese, pepperoni, and ASONY Margarita. We are modifying these and they may not always be available. Please call ahead to check.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all kinds of problems for our economy and our business. In order to better protect our team and respect the spirit of the health orders, we discontinued slices on March 21, 2020. As a replacement, we offer a 10" personal pie, equivalent to about two slices. We have modified our lunch special so if you arrive before 2pm, you will get a free soda with your personal pie. Remember, all orders are CALL-IN ONLY, so please don't just show up and request a pie. We post our number on the outside of the shop so you can easily call in from the parking lot. And please be sure to wear a mask or face covering when coming to pick up your order. Thank you!