National Cheese Pizza Day with East Village Pizza
PIX11
It's National Cheese Pizza Day and if you like pizza and you like cheese then you need to get a slice of East Village Pizza's double-stacked cheese pizza! This pizza phenomenon was created by East Village Pizza owner Frank Kabatas.
Every September, pizza lovers across the country mark National Cheese Pizza Day by seeking out the best version of the most fundamental slice: no toppings, no distractions, just dough, sauce, and cheese at their absolute best. PIX11 celebrated the occasion by turning the spotlight on East Village Pizza and its extraordinary double-stacked cheese pizza — a creation that redefines what cheese pizza can be.
The double-stacked pizza is the invention of Frank Kabatas, owner of East Village Pizza since 2003. The concept is simple but the execution requires precision: two full New York-style pizzas are baked together as one, with a generous layer of fresh mozzarella and sauce sandwiched between the two crusts. The result is a taller, denser, more indulgent version of the New York slice that cheese lovers have been dreaming about without knowing it existed.
What makes the double-stacked cheese pizza exceptional is not just the concept — it is the quality of the components. East Village Pizza makes its mozzarella fresh in-house every single day. The dough goes through a 72-hour cold fermentation process that develops flavor complexity far beyond what a standard same-day dough can achieve. When those two elements are doubled up and baked together, the result is a pizza that delivers twice the cheese pull, twice the layered texture, and a taste that has earned the restaurant a devoted following across New York City.
National Cheese Pizza Day is an opportunity to celebrate the most elemental version of pizza — and there is no better place to do that in Manhattan than East Village Pizza. The classic cheese slice at $4.99 remains one of the best value propositions in New York dining: hand-tossed dough, fresh tomato sauce, and house-made mozzarella, delivered with the consistency that only comes from years of practice and genuine care for the product. For those who want to go bigger, the double-stacked pizza takes that same foundation and amplifies it into something extraordinary.
Frank Kabatas has spoken extensively about his philosophy around cheese. In a city where corners are frequently cut in the name of speed and volume, he has insisted on making mozzarella in-house because the difference in flavor and texture is impossible to replicate with anything else. The cheese is made fresh every morning, which means that whether you walk in for a slice at noon or order a whole pie at midnight, you are getting mozzarella at its peak.
PIX11's National Cheese Pizza Day coverage brought East Village Pizza to a wider audience, but for those who live and work in the East Village, the restaurant's reputation has always been built on exactly this kind of daily commitment to quality. The regulars who come in multiple times a week are not chasing novelty — they are returning for the consistency of a product that delivers every time.
East Village Pizza is located at 145 1st Ave in Manhattan, open daily from 11AM until 3AM and until 5AM on Fridays and Saturdays. On National Cheese Pizza Day or any other day, the double-stacked cheese pizza is available for pickup and delivery to the East Village, Lower East Side, Union Square, and surrounding neighborhoods. Order online or call (212) 529-4545.