📍Ace's Pizza, New York City

I was catching up with a friend over drinks at a dive bar nearby. As expected, after two or three drinks each, we wanted to get some food. Since it was a cold day, we didn't want to go too far. Ace's was just a couple blocks from where we were and had indoor seating.

Ace's Pizza specializes in Detroit-style pizza. They opened up at the peak of the Detroit-style pizza phase the country went through. The vibes inside feel more like a place that opened 20-30 years ago and still looked the same. There are retro VHS tapes on the wall, tube TVs, and red checkered tablecloths. There's a small bar in the front with a few tables to the side and in the back.

We took seats at the bar, right in front. I ordered a Victory Pilsner. It's an easy-drinking German-style pilsner. It's crisp with a little citrus towards the finish. This was one of two or three draught options. An easy choice. It was something to sip on while the pizza was made fresh.

I ordered the personal-size of Vodka Meatball pizza. It's two slices. The pizza has a fluffy center with a crispy bottom and signature crispy cheese edges. In Detroit pizza fashion, the cheese is melted directly onto the crust with the sauce ladled on top of that. All the toppings and adornments are on top of the sauce.

In this case, the sauce was vodka-based which makes it a little creamier than expected pizza sauce. I also got surprisingly moist meatballs. Cut-up meatballs that are exposed to dry heat like an oven can easily end up dry but not these. Alongside, there are ricotta cheese swirls. They add a cooling balance to the hot (temperature, not spice) vodka sauce. The whole thing is covered with fresh shredded mozzarella for some salty and fatty contrast.

My night would continue to bar number two.

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