Indie Pizzas

Salvation Pizza

624 W. 34th, 535-0076
www.salvationpizza.com
Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-2pm & 4-10pm; Friday, 11:30am-11pm; Satur­day, noon-11pm; Sunday, 5-9pm

Salvation is located just west of Guadalupe in a two-story bungalow (the old Starlite location) and is owned by Michael Dinsmore, Eric Lambert, and Elizabeth Mahoney. Mahoney grew up around pizza at her parent's Harry's Pizza in West Hartford, Conn. Salvation offers Napoli-style pie: thin crust and hand-thrown, using all local ingredients when possible. You can get a 12-inch or 18-inch pie, with a huge list of potential toppings. If you don't want to decide, they also have a Top 10 list of regulars' faves.

Our half-plain/half-sausage (12 inches, $10.25, or 9 cents per square inch; 18 inches also available) was good. The crust is very thin, foldable, and very nicely charred; the flavor was good but rather indistinct. The sauce is superb and applied sparingly, as it should be. Made from crushed tomatoes with a good balance of acid vs. sweet, it has assertive garlic flavor (a good thing). The cheese is 100% whole-milk and distributed lightly, revealing a dappling of red sauce underneath. The sausage is sliced, with excellent flavor; the texture is firm (bordering on a little tough), with good hints of fennel and heat. We called our order in for pickup, and it did take about 10 minutes longer than the 20 minutes advised.

At Salvation, it's all about the pizza, with bruschetta, garlic bread, and a mixed green salad as the only other savory food options. There's ample room to dine in, either inside the building or on the deck out front. A lunch special offers two slices, a salad, and a drink for $5.99. Fans of the thin style, who believe that less is more, will definitely love this pie.