While Neapolitan style (thin soft crust, baked and blistered at 900-1000 degrees in less than two minutes) has become ubiquitous in America, the superior (IMO) Roman style pizza (long, medium-thick rectangular pizza sold "al taglio" by weight by the slice) remains under the radar for most folks.
I first experienced this delightful pizza in Rome (where else) a dozen years ago and I still get excited every time I find it in the USA. One of the best versions I've had is offered at Baldinucci Pizza Romana in an Austin, TX suburb.
Philadelphia is blessed with a few Roman pizza restaurants, including Rione Pizza al Taglio and a branch of the Italian chain Alice Cucina Romana. In March of 2025, while vacationing in Hong Kong, we spotted the more succinctly named Alice Pizza and quickly realized it was the same pizza we'd had in Philadelphia.
Alice - pronounced ah lih che - is an Italian pizza franchise that was founded in Rome by Domenico Giovannini in 1989. Our experience in Philadelphia was delightful, and you can read all about it here: Alice in Philly.
Like most Roman pizza shops - be it Rome, USA, or Hong Kong - there is a large counter displaying many varities of the long rectangular pies. At this corner shop with a few counter seats inside, you choose your style and amount, they heat up your selection, and the cost is based on the weight.
Because our encounter with Alice Pizza in Hong Kong was an in-between-meals serendipitous event, we chose to split a modest order consisting of one slice of the Carbonara pizza (egg, Italian pork cheek bacon, Pecorino cheese, black pepper) and one slice of the Diavola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, Italian spicy salami Ventricina).
Just as we had experienced at the Alice Cucina Romana in Philadelphia, the medium-thick crust was impeccable, with a wonderful texture (light inside, crisp outside) and a delicious flavor. I suspect that you can't make a bad choice here, but we were particularly happy with our choices.
The Carbonara slice was bursting with flavor, and of course how can you go wrong with egg and bacon? The Diavola was only mildly spicy, but the soppressata-like cured meat was bringing the umami. Both slices were ideally balanced - the crust was fully capable of supporting the payload of toppings, with no sag or soggy spots.
It's hard for a chain to make a pizza that is better than convenience food, and the crust is the most challenging. But places like Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza and now Alice have demonstrated that it's possible to get great pizza from a chain.
Our two big slices (each weighed about 100 grams, or 4 ounces) cost 70 Hong Kong dollars, or $9 USD. Pretty good value for pretty great pizza!
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