 Show Slices are supposed to be convenient. In theory, the frozen ones by New York pizzeria Table 87 are exactly that. Available at your local Whole Foods and via Fresh Direct, this $4.99 slice of frozen “coal-oven pizza” takes just seven minutes to cook — quick and easy enough for a drunken second dinner at home. But, at least from a New Yorker’s perspective, the premise is laughable. The Gowanus Whole Foods where I purchased it is just five blocks from one of Table 87’s brick-and-mortar locations. On my walk home, I passed no fewer than three slice joints, all wafting the savory perfume of grease meeting bread. I rushed past; my glacial slice was melting. When I got home, I peeled the soggy triangle from its packaging. A piece of wilted basil stuck to the inside of the plastic. As it warmed in the oven, I watched the cheese bubble up and simmer down, as if to say, “Good enough” with a sigh. As with fresh pizza, I ate it too quickly and burned the roof of my mouth. The first bites were promising. The basil was surprisingly fragrant. The crust was a tad spongy, but that’s true sometimes of even a perfectly acceptable $2 slice. But it got worse as I chewed on. The tomato sauce was flavorless. The mozzarella had a rubbery texture — not good-rubbery, as a cheap slice occasionally can be; just freezer burned. And while it physically resembled a specimen “handmade in Brooklyn,” something was missing. I mulled as I ate. It wasn’t cheese or sauce or even spices — it was soul. Though it would do in a pinch, this sad pretender lacked the true grab-and-go spirit of the slice. Perhaps if I found myself in a land where delicious slices were out of reach, I would have appreciated this facsimile of New York bliss. Here in my Brooklyn apartment, though, I mourned this sad ghost of partial pie.
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I Always Have Slices of This ‘Shark Tank’ Pizza in My FreezerFor many eons, frozen pizza has been mostly disgusting, a form of cuisine that, despite the rapid technologizing of society and the global love of pizza, has experienced little innovation. Finally, however, the Brooklyn-based Table 87 (“Home of the Coal Oven Slice”) has hacked frozen pizza in a way that caters to those who might live alone, don’t cook, don’t order out, want good pizza, and don’t want to make an entire frozen pizza for themselves. (That person is me.) Each Table 87 frozen pizza slice is sold individually and is an ample New York–style slice, bigger than my head, which is a normal-size head. At this time margherita is the only variety available in slice form. Pepperoni, mushroom with white truffle oil, and prosciutto, in addition to margherita, are options in the frozen whole-pie varietal. According to Table 87 owner Thomas Cucco, who appeared on a 2015 episode of Shark Tank, his frozen pizza is superior to others due to a technique that cooks it for two minutes and then flash-freezes it. The Sharks, impressed, entered a bidding war; Cucco received a $250,000 investment from Lori Greiner after she negotiated a 19% take in the business. After about 10 minutes in the oven, a Table 87 frozen pizza slice is not quite a fresh (or fresh-ish) dollar slice. It’s something unto itself that, in my consideration, is a formidable rival to a street slice and is superior to a frozen Roberta’s pizza, which I always find to be disconcertingly chewy and dry. No, this is a slice full of verve—a plate is necessary to catch any gloppy mozzarella or no-frills tomato sauce. It’s also the perfect thing to eat when you are extremely hungry and want something hot that is not toast. A few caveats: The cooking time on the package says eight minutes, but I find 10 to be more satisfactory, and of course, that doesn’t include the time your oven takes to preheat. Also, each slice retails for $5 (prices are higher if you buy online, but the pizza does arrive quickly in a bed of dry ice). Five bucks for a slice of frozen pizza? Yes, I know. But when you factor in the amount of time it takes to make one, and the level of satiation and satisfaction it provides, the cost, in my estimation, comes out to about $2 per slice. In New York prices, that’s basically free. Further readingDid Table 87 get a deal on Shark Tank?The deal with Lori fell through, but Cucco grew the frozen pizza line slowly but surely in the years that followed. As of July, 2022, he has his frozen pizza in hundreds of grocery stores including Wegman's, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and more.
How do you cook an 87 pizza?Heating Instructions: For Best Results: Remove frozen pizza from packaging and place directly on rack in your pre-heated 350 degree (177 C) toaster/conventional oven. Cook until cheese starts bubbling (within minutes). Enjoy your authentic coal oven pizza.
When was Table 87 on Shark Tank?According to Table 87 owner Thomas Cucco, who appeared on a 2015 episode of Shark Tank, his frozen pizza is superior to others due to a technique that cooks it for two minutes and then flash-freezes it.
How do I cook a Whole Foods frozen pizza?The instructions for Whole Foods' frozen pizzas is to bake it at 400F for 20 minutes directly on the oven rack. I also put aluminum foil down underneath where the pizza will be. Since the toppings are so generous, they tend to fall off the pizza a little bit and end up burnt on the oven floor.
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Table 87 frozen pizza Whole Foods
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