A hit and an RBI followed by a walk at NYC Pizza Cafe.

NYC Pizza Cafe closed at the end of 2016.

Recently at NYC Pizza Cafe I had the opportunity to try some out-of-the ordinary pizza builds, and revisit an old standard.

On Tuesdays after 4 p.m., NYC offers half-priced pizzas. Coaxing a dinner companion to NYC for the promise of cheap eats, I ordered up pepperoni and onion, a personal favorite, while they opted for The Iowan.

My pizza was expectedly cheesy and saucy, with a delectable char on the onions that knocks my socks off. The Iowan – with finely diced pork, barbeque sauce, kernels of sweet corn, and a drizzle of honey – was a surprising combo of savory and sweet.

On my last solo visit, I came intent on ordering another pepperoni and onion. However, wanderlust compelled me to try the Chicago Beef, built with a giardiniera mix of pickled vegetables, roast beef, and a roasted garlic and red pepper sauce.

Overall quite zesty, even briny from the giardinera. The roasted garlic sauce – enough to bind the cheese and crust together into a single layer – contributes a hint of garlic flavor. Finely chopped roast beef sits on top as a post-bake garnish. Its quite easy to pick off, some were even a little cool to the touch. I enjoyed the first slice, but after two more the building richness of the cheese/sauce combo put me off.

At home with the leftovers – after brushing off the beef garnish – I basically had a garlic cheese crisp, studded with pickled vegetables. I almost didn't eat the remaining slices, until I cut them up into dipping strips with Ragu spaghetti sauce. That's the added flavor I needed to put away the remains.