If there is one thing New Yorkers know more than anything, it is the quality and taste of a great slice of pizza. That knowledge has come in handy for Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, which is a Cali-based fast-casual “pizza joint” that just made its way to New York City on Staten Island. There is a huge difference between what Blaze does in terms of the fast-casual concept, and it is executed in a fun and inviting way that will definitely have you coming back for seconds, thirds and more.
Here are a couple of reasons why Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza should be your next stop for all things cheesy goodness. For one, you have NBA Superstar LeBron James who has a major investment in this franchise that began back in 2012. It’s a HEALTHIER pizza. One whole Blaze pie (11 inches around) is equivalent to approx. 2 traditional NY slices. And gluten-free dough is available.
It’s fast fire’d- meaning that its ready in 180 seconds, which should be the general waiting time for any sort of fast-casual setting. Over the weekend, I stopped by their location in Hicksville, Long Island, where I was greeted by their friendly and upbeat manager Elliot who took me through the process of ordering and experience Blaze.
Essentially, the way it is broken down is that you have the option to order from their variety of menu options or you can create your own as you go. For instance, I made a beeline for their BBQ Pizza which came with Gorgonzola, Red Onion, Banana Peppers and a tangy Barbecue Sauce, but i am not a big fan of red onion so they had no problem substituting that for some artichoke slices which went really well with the pizza overall. They made the pizza within the 180 second marker, and the pie came out warm, bubbly and absolutely scrumptious. It has a fresh taste to it with each slice not being overtly thick or big to where you can eat the entire thing and not feel too sluggish.
For the BYO, or “Build Your Own” category, you have four different sections that include meats, veggies, cheeses and sauces. So you can go the traditional route with a pepperoni pizza with mozzarella and tomato sauce, or you can go against the grain and be wild with options that include salame, pineapple, goat cheese, and pesto drizzle from each category. Go crazy and be unique! Blaze is the one location where variety is truly the spice of life, and the overall experience was quite fantastic from the look of the spot to the taste of each bite we had.
Be sure to grab a hearty brownie on your way out or any of their sweet and tasty lemonades instead of soda. With how the weather has been lately, the latter is a perfect fix to cool you down as you wait for your pizza to arrive. Overall, Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza is a concept that I hope becomes more centralized in the heart of Manhattan, as it would do extraordinarily well with the lunchtime folks and so many others.
For more information on Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, check out their official website.