Danny Dines: Love at First Slice

Pizza is the best food of all time. I’ll die on that hill. So, after I received a flurry of emails telling me to check out even more pizza joints, I was ecstatic.

I was in New York City last year, and I ate pizza every single day. I skipped breakfast just to have more room for pizza. I have no regrets, and if it wasn’t for my doctor, I’d have pizza every day.

I am always excited to eat pizza. This week, I had the pleasure of trying Rio Rancho’s Love at First Slice food truck.

Do any of you live in the Northern Meadows/North Hills area? I do, and it’s like living on a different planet. Every grocery store, retail store and restaurant is about 20 minutes away; even Domino’s Pizza doesn’t deliver out here.

Have no fear, Northern Meadows/North Hill comrades! I got great news for you; the Love at First Slice food truck is located right off Cherry Road in the parking lot of Furniture 42.

Don’t feel like cooking? Need food for a party? Are you sad that the Cowboys just lost to the seventh seed? Bam, Love at First Slice is just a couple minutes away, serving up pizza, sandwiches, calzones, lasagna, strombolis and soups.

With the help of co-owner Amanda Lennon, I decided to order a pepperoni pizza, an Italian sandwich, bean and chile soup with a side of cornbread.

My order came out, and it was a sight to behold.

The pizza was cooked in a wood fire oven and had huge slices of pepperoni under the cheese. I couldn’t wait to dig in, and as soon as I got that first bite, I was in love.

The char on the pizza had a nice bitter flavor, the sauce was tangy-sweet, the ingredients were well balanced, and the crust tasted like breadsticks with a delicious garlic and parmesan blend. We all know someone who doesn’t eat pizza crust; buy them this pizza, and I guarantee you that they will change their ways.

Next, I headed for the Italian sandwich, which had ham, pepperoni, salami, provolone, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, banana peppers, Italian dressing on French baby Boule bread.

This sandwich was gigantic and made your mouth water the second you saw it. My brother is the pickiest eater in the world. He hates veggies, mayo, mustard, fun … you name it, and he probably hates it. However, when he saw this Italian sandwich, he stopped being picky. My brother, who used to order pizza without cheese, had finally changed, and all it took was an Italian sandwich.

I tried it, and I have yet to have a better Italian sandwich. The contrasting textures and flavors of all ingredients were sublime. The bread was toasty, and crunchy, the meat was savory, and everything was perfect. This was the gold standard of sandwiches.

I ate everything and then headed for the bean and chile soup which also had some meat in it. It was warm and calmed the throat with every spoonful. The flavors were a trio of sweet, spicy and savory. It was great, and the cornbread melted in your mouth.

I am more than a year into my food journey, and all I can say is that we have some pretty amazing places to eat. Thank you to everyone who has shown me new places, hidden gems, and for introducing me to some wonderful people.

Eat local everyone.

The 10-inch pepperoni pizza costs $13, and the full-sized Italian sandwich costs $14.50.

Love at First Slice can be found at 1504 Cherry Road NE and is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. If you would like to contact Love at First Slice, call 505-518-0716

Where should I go next? Email me zunigasauce@gmail.com