Joe's Pizza Opening Second New York City Shop Near Union Square

Joe's Pizza, widely regarded as one of the best slice joints in New York City, will be taking over the space last occupied by Naked Pizza, on 14th Street just west of Third Avenue. The windows have been papered over at the new location, and an employee we spoke with has confirmed the expansion.

The pizzeria opened on the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets in 1975 and moved a few doors down in 2005. We dubbed in #6 out of America's 35 Best Pizzas, it's been hailed by New York Magazine as "the epitome of what a slice is supposed to taste like... uncomplicated, solid, and very comforting pizza," and in 2009 Alan Richman at GQ Magazine named it one of the "Best 25 Pizzas on Earth." There are frequently lines around the block to get in.

It will be replacing a branch of Naked Pizza, a "healthy pizza" chain with 15 locations in the U.S and seven globally (mostly in Dubai). It was open for less than a year, and was perhaps best known for being taken down a few notches by chef Eddie Huang (and for its perpetual emptiness).

This expansion is especially notable because Joe's, owned and operated by Naples-born Joe Pozzuoli, has never branched out, even while the likes of Famous Ray's, Grimaldi's, and many others have successfully franchised. This is no-nonsense pizza, made with the same recipe and high-quality ingredients since opening day, and it should fit in very nicely in the Union Square pizza ecosystem.

Dan Myers is the Eat/Dine Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @sirmyers.