Little Vincent’s and the Iconic Cold Cheese Slice

New Yorkers are fiercely protective of their ubiquitous style of pizza and the cherished pizza joints that have become institutions in communities across the state. Enter Little Vincent’s, or Little V’s, in Huntington Village. Located an hour east of Manhattan, this Long Island mainstay has consistently been noted among the top pizza shops in the region, if not the nation, for its plain cheese and cold cheese slices. 

It's tough to earn pizza bragging rights in the shadow of the city that ignited America’s fascination with pizza, but Little Vincent’s has been able to hold generations of pizza lovers captive with their cold cheese slice, a regional dish born of and preserved by the local community.

According to legend, the cold cheese slice originated in the college town of Oneonta in the 1970s -1980s. Intoxicated students consistently burnt their mouths on the hot cheese and someone, likely a pizza shop worker who grew tired of scorched mouth coeds, had the ingenious idea of playing with the temperature of the slice by adding an insulating layer of cold low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese to a hot slice just before serving. Eventually, students brought the cold cheese concept back to the island. Speaking to a local news station, the manager of Little V’s reminisced about the origins of the cold cheese slice, “Absolutely the customers are the ones who started it and we ran with it after that.” 

The cold cheese slice is novel and addictive. The added cold cheese confuses the taste buds and gives each bite a triple texture dose of hot and oozy, just melted, and fresh cold cheese. Simply put by the store’s manager, “It's not rocket science, but it definitely tastes great.” Of course, the plain cheese pizza, which serves as the base for the cold cheese slice, is also delicious. Patrons love the strong notes of oregano in the sauce and the consistently extra-crispy underside of the pizza dough. 

Both the menu and the decor have remained relatively unchained since Little V’s opened in 1986. The restaurant is still cash only. The walls are plastered with brown wood paneling, oversized mirrors, and a handful of green laminate rectangular booths stocked with individual shakers of parmesan cheese, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes—the classic hallmarks of any well-established slice shop. While families and high school students will pop in for a slice after school or take a full pie to go, the cold cheese hasn’t strayed far from its origins as it is well-loved by late-night party-goers of Huntington Village. 

While there are thousands of slice shops across New York state, “The future of classic New York slice shops hangs in the balance,” according to Eater. These shops represent a sliver of New York’s late 20th century history and places like Little Vincent’s are helping to preserve the state’s slice culture while also paying homage to the regional innovation that helped make New York pizza what it is today. 

Little Vincent’s Pizza Restaurant 
329 New York Ave, Huntington, NY 11743
324 Smithtown Blvd, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

787 Coffee Injects a Bit of Creativity and Social Good into the FiDi Cafe Scene

New Yorkers run on caffeine, and the metropolis offers countless options for residents of the city that never sleeps to get their fix. Downtown’s Financial District is no exception to this rule. Specialty coffee shops dot the neighborhood, and with a small cup of coffee averaging around $5.00, it's important to choose wisely. 

There’s Black Fox Coffee at the 70 Pine building, as well as Suited on John Street. Though these mainstays craft expert cups of coffee and meticulous global fare, these spaces are missing the unpretentious, community-focused energy that defines coffeehouse life. Enter 787 Coffee on Pearl Street, a creative, mission-driven coffee outpost making its mark by going against the tide of capitalism and globalization in a neighborhood representing global wealth and power. 

Situated a stone’s throw from the New York Stock Exchange, 787 Coffee offers specialty farm-to-cup Puerto Rican coffee in a less stuffy space than other local shops. It's an inviting space for groups and those tethered to their laptops. Friendly, patient staff know their product and are quick to offer a brief education about the bean’s farm-to-cup journey. They’re attentive, bringing cups of water for anyone caffeinating without proper hydration. They often roam the room politely, snapping social media photos of patrons with their school bus yellow 787 Coffee cups. These small acts help cultivate the “for human, by human approach” to coffee that 787 Coffee Roasters strives for. 

The space is littered with plants, Puerto Rican flags, and cartoon artwork, as well as cheeky neon signs that give 787 Coffee a homey vibe—a stark contrast to the meticulously curated global minimalist aesthetic of other cafes nearby. Towards the back of the shop, a set of TV screens features footage of Hacienda Illuminada, the farm where the coffee beans are grown, and interviews with the farmers responsible for the beans. Though millions of New Yorkers drink coffee daily, few can see the faces and hands of those who produce this precious commodity. 

The menu offerings also differentiate 787 Coffee from other shops in the area. When ordering a beverage, patrons can choose between alcohol-infused beans or a classic medium roast. The rum-flavored espresso bean, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and dark chocolate notes, is especially comforting on a cold winter day. Their specialty drinks tie back to the beans' Puerto Rican origins by offering Latin American flavors–such as coquito, horchata, dulce de leche, and tres leches. The adventurous home barista can also purchase these syrups for personal use. Grab-and-go snacks include the predictable cookies, banana bread, gluten-free and vegan options, as well as in-house baked empanadas, quesitos, and sweet bread with coquito frosting, the latter of which was, unfortunately, a bit dry. 

Traceability, sustainability for people and the planet, and education are at the heart of what 787 Coffee Roasters stands for. The cafe’s New York founders, Brandon Pena and Sam Sepulveda, control the coffee production process. In 2014, they purchased an abandoned coffee farm in the mountains of Maricao, one of the poorest regions of Puerto Rico, with the vision of revitalizing coffee agriculture on the island while also providing a living wage to farmers. The concept has taken off, and 787 Coffee now operates 35 locations across three states and on the island of Puerto Rico. 

We hope 787 Coffee’s Pearl Street location continues to be successful. It's nice to know that these particular Wall Street dollars are doing some good in the world. Long live the changemakers, the creatives, the dreamers, and the caffeinated New Yorkers. 

787 Coffee
66 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004
Website