Two ‘n’ A Can Pizza

These days, $1 won’t get you much. But at Two ‘N’ a Can Pizza in Midtown Manhattan, it can get you lunch! Nestled on 41st Street and 6th Avenue, this tiny pizza shop has amassed quite the fan base who will assure you that this is the home of the Best $1 slice in New York City. Best in the City decided to put Two ‘N’ a Can to the test this week, dropping in to chat with owner Johnny, about his pizza- making philosophy and why his pizza is indeed the best.

Johnny greeted Easy Mac, Ramen, and I with boundless energy and enthusiasm. He clearly takes pride in his establishment and continued working throughout the duration of our interview. Aside from being the owner, he wears additional hats- making the pizza as well as serving it to customers.

We ducked behind the counter into the small, sauna- like kitchen. Surrounded by ovens and bags of flour, there was very little room to move, but Johnny and his employee had no problem. They were even able to toss the dough into the air without hitting one of us in the face or getting it stuck on the ceiling. Truly impressive.

Johnny revealed in our interview that the secret to great pizza is the proper cheese to sauce ratio. “Too many places overload the pizza with sauce and cheese. Less is more!” he says, as he popped a fresh pie into the oven. Another one of Johnny’s secrets lies in the cooking process. Instead of using one oven, Johnny uses two for each pie, one to melt the cheese and the other for toasting and color.

Once our pie was done, we were finally able to sample New York’s Best $1 slice and it definitely lived up to the hype. While most $1 slice pizzas are overly greasy and thin, Two ‘N’ a Can produces a pizza that has a soft, thick crust and just the right amount of cheese and sauce.

Finally, you may be wondering, why the name Two ‘N’ a Can? Well, my fellow starving artists, Two ‘N’ a Can references a deal at Johnny’s shop whereby you can buy two slices of pizza AND a can of soda or bottled water for $2.75!! Who knew such a deal could exist in Manhattan?? And in Midtown? It’s almost too crazy to believe. No wonder this place is so popular. I’m in Midtown constantly so I know I’ll be back. And what excites me just as much as pizza is thinking about all things I can buy with the money I saved at lunch.

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