Here’s the thing: I moved to town from New York City, a city that needs no introduction when it comes to pizza. No other city comes close.

Since I got here, I’ve eaten some great food, just not a lot of what I’d call great pizza. Almost every New York-style pie I’ve tried has been off in one way or another. The crust is too doughy. The sauce is too sweet. The cheese is cheap. No salt. No love. Something is always missing.

Isabella’s Pizza is different. This is the best New York-style pizza in the Memphis area, no contest.

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The whole thing is very late 20th century. At the heart of the operation is a set of old-school deck ovens, their doors worn from years of churning out crisp, golden-crusted pies. The display case tells you everything you need to know about Isabella’s. A sprawling array of oversized slices, from a classic cheese pizza with the perfect cheese-to-sauce ratio to a sausage roll slice loaded with mozzarella, peppers and onions, dominates the counter. Thick, doughy strombolis, golden-brown calzones and stacks of house-made breadsticks line the shelves, daring you to order more than you originally planned. Which I did.

The vodka slice is the one. The first thing you notice is the size: properly massive, triangular and meant to be folded. The dough is spot on and does justice to the wonderful water we have here for baking. It’s crisp enough at the bottom to hold its shape but chewy in all the right places. The crust has that slight crunch when you bite in, but it doesn’t fight you. Then there’s the sauce. I’ve had so many underwhelming vodka sauces on pizza, either too heavy on the cream or too bland. Isabella’s nails it: bright tomato flavor, the right amount of richness and perfectly seasoned. At $5, it’s easy.

The stromboli (I got sausage, peppers and ricotta) is another winner. If you like stromboli, you’ll like this one. The dough is once again the star, with that ultra-chewy, pull-apart crumb that makes it clear they care about their bread. It’s stuffed generously, the ricotta adding just enough creaminess to balance out the salty sausage and sweet peppers. The whole thing, at $10, is finished with parmesan and herbs, which bake into the crust for extra flavor. It comes with a side of marinara — thick, deeply red, extremely oregano-heavy and clearly made for dunking.

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The pepperoni slice was nearly as good as the vodka. The cheese melted into the classic golden layer of dough with just enough grease to remind you why you’re here. The pepperoni cups at the edges, crisping up perfectly, adding that extra bit of salt and texture. I wouldn’t be mad about ordering a full pie like this, but the vodka slice is still the one I’d go back for first. The pepperoni is also $5.

What makes Isabella’s stand out is that they get the fundamentals right. The dough, the sauce, the cheese — every element works together instead of competing. There’s balance, which is what so many places miss when they try to do New York-style. It’s not just about throwing ingredients together; it’s about understanding how they interact.

For $10, you can walk out with a free drink when you get two slices or a stromboli — a couple of daily specials. Isabella’s doesn’t yet do proprietary delivery (although you can order through Uber Eats and DoorDash), but it’s worth going out of the way for. This is New York-level pizza and a true gem.

Isabella’s Pizza, located at 2801 Bartlett Blvd., is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.