Sal's Authentic New York Pizza - Northlands

About Sal's Authentic New York Pizza - Northlands

Sal's Authentic New York Pizza at Northlands, on Main North Road in Christchurch's Northcote, serves what the team calls New Zealand's only 100% authentic New York pizza — big, foldable 18-inch pies built on the well-guarded techniques of legendary pizza maker Salvatore Leo. Born in Corato, Italy in 1941, Leo learned his craft in New York and opened Sal's Pizza of Little Neck in 1975; since the idea took shape over some 'recovery' pizzas after a NYC New Year's in 2008, Sal's has grown to more than 35 pizzerias across New Zealand.

The ingredients are the point: slow-risen dough made with genuine New York milled hard spring wheat flour, sweet tomato sauce made fresh daily from vine-ripened California tomatoes, premium NYC blend mozzarella, and a famous New York pepperoni and Italian meatball exclusive to Sal's. Free range Buffalo wings follow the Authentic 'Original 1964 Buffalo' recipe.

Inside, expect the full New York pizzeria experience — cozy booths, the aroma of hot ovens, and pizza made fresh by hand right in front of you. Pizzas come by the slice, half pie or whole pie, with specialties like garlic knots, signature fries and zeppole, plus a gluten free base and a plant-based Nutzarella swap.

Sal's Authentic New York Pizza Northlands: Foldable 18-Inch NYC Slices in Christchurch

Step inside Sal's at Northlands and the clue is right there in the name: this is New York pizza, made the way it is made in the five boroughs. Giant 18-inch pies, slices you can fold in one hand, dough given time to rise slowly, and the aroma of a busy pizzeria drifting from hot ovens. The Northlands pizzeria, on Main North Road in Christchurch's Northcote, is part of a family of more than 35 Sal's locations around New Zealand, all built on the same well-guarded techniques.

From Corato to Little Neck

Salvatore Leo was born in 1941 in Corato, a small town in the Puglia region of southern Italy, and immigrated to New York City at just ten years old. By 1959, under the watchful eye of his family, he was mastering the art of making authentic New York pizza by hand, strictly adhering to his family's well-guarded techniques and secret recipes. In 1975 he opened Sal's Pizza of Little Neck, and Sal's legend began to spread, renowned throughout the city for some of the finest and freshest pizza around. The idea of bringing authentic New York pizza to New Zealand was born, fittingly, over a few recovery pizzas after a celebratory New Year's in New York in 2008 — and the team has spent years perfecting Sal's methods ever since.

Pizza you can fold

The base ingredients are imported, and the menu is refreshingly upfront about them. The signature slow-risen dough is made with genuine New York milled hard spring wheat flour for a crust that is crispy on the outside yet light, tender and airy inside — the kind you can fold. The sweet tomato sauce is made fresh daily from vine-ripened California tomatoes using Sal's famous recipe, the mozzarella is a premium NYC blend, and the famous New York pepperoni and Italian meatballs are exclusive to Sal's. Even the wings matter: free range Buffalo wings come in the Authentic Original 1964 Buffalo recipe.

The menu, 18 inches at a time

Pies are sold three ways — by the slice, as a half pie, or as a whole 18-inch pizza — and the kitchen happily does half-and-half. Classic Pepperoni and Cheese slices anchor the range, alongside Fire Island with cup and char pepperoni, jalapenos and a hot honey drizzle; the 100 Pepp Black Garlic, loaded with a full hundred slices of pepperoni; the 5 Boroughs with creamy ricotta, black garlic sauce and a pesto splash; and the plant-based Staten Island, made with Sal's Nutzarella instead of mozzarella. Brooklyn piles on a trio of pepperoni, sausage and meatball, while the Nonna keeps it simple with marinara, parmesan, basil and garlic.

Sides, sweets and feeding a crowd

Around the pies sit Sal's specialties: twice-cooked signature fries, garlicky knots, pepperoni wheels, golden mozzarella sticks and those Buffalo wings, served with blue cheese or creamy ranch. Dessert means zeppole — Sal's dough fried golden, tossed in cinnamon and sugar and generously powdered, with vanilla custard, chocolate or raspberry coulis for dipping — plus Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Sharing is built in too: slice specials pair pizza with knots and a drink, half pizza specials bundle a half pie with wings or sticks, and group specials like the Tribeca Trio cover a whole table. Catering is available for bigger gatherings.

The pizzeria experience

Expect the full New York pizzeria experience: take a seat in a cozy booth, soak up the aroma coming from the hot ovens, and watch your pizza being made fresh, by hand, right in front of you amid the hustle and bustle. Diners who avoid gluten can ask for the 12-inch gluten free base — noting that toppings and ingredients may still contain traces of gluten — and any pizza can be made plant-based with a Nutzarella swap. Ordering online makes a quick slice lunch or a family-sized pick-up even easier, whether it is a single foldable pepperoni slice or a trio of whole pies for the table.

Signature items

• Pepperoni Slice
• Buffalo Wings
• Garlic Knots
• Fire Island
• Zeppole
• 100 Pepp Black Garlic

Menu

Desserts

• Zeppole — Sal's dough fried golden, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, with custard, chocolate or raspberry coulis dip
• Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream — Ice cream tubs, available small or large
• Sweet Dipping Sauces — Silky vanilla custard, rich chocolate sauce or tangy raspberry coulis

Extra Toppings

• Plant-Based Cheese Swap — Swap mozzarella for Sal's Nutzarella on any pie
• Drizzles and Sauce Bases — Pesto, basil, hot honey drizzle or marinara sauce base
• Jalapenos and Swirls — Jalapenos, buffalo swirl or blue cheese swirl
• Veggies — Olives, pineapple, mushroom, capsicum, tomato, ricotta or any three veggies
• Meats and Cheese — Extra cheese, pepperoni, cupped pepperoni, ham, sausage, meatball or chicken

Group Specials

• Sal's NBL Steal — Half pepperoni, half cheese pizza plus four garlic knots
• Broadway Bundle — Half pepperoni, half buffalo pizza, six knots and a 1.5L Pepsi Max
• The Perfect Union — A whole pepperoni pizza and a whole cheese pizza
• Tribeca Trio — One pepperoni, one cheese and one nonna pizza

Slice Specials

• Sal's Famous — One pepperoni slice and one cheese slice
• Charging Bull — One slice, one garlic knot and a 250ml can of Red Bull
• Sal's Classic — One slice, three garlic knots, legendary sauce and a can of Pepsi
• Little Neck Combo — Two slices, three garlic knots, legendary sauce and a can of Pepsi
• Swap Pepsi Can for Water or Juice — Swap the Pepsi can in any slice special for water or juice

Sal'S Specialties

• Sal's Signature Fries — Twice cooked Agria potato fries with ketchup, mayo or garlic aioli
• Garlic Knots — Three knots with crushed garlic and extra virgin olive oil
• Pepperoni Wheel — Pepperoni and mozzarella wrapped and baked
• Buffalo Wings — Original 1964 Buffalo recipe — HOT Buffalo, black garlic, Christopher St rub or Bronx BBQ, with blue cheese or creamy ranch
• Mozzarella Sticks — Breaded mozzarella cooked golden brown
• Authentic Dipping Sauces — Legendary sauce, buffalo, HOT buffalo, blue cheese, creamy ranch or marinara

Half Pizza Specials

• Grand Central — Half cheese pizza, a pepperoni wheel, three garlic knots and legendary sauce
• Queens Meal — Half nonna pizza, three garlic knots, legendary sauce and a 1.5L Pepsi Max
• Taste of New York — Half pepperoni pizza, 350g buffalo wings, three garlic knots, blue cheese or ranch
• New York's Finest — Half buffalo pizza, mozzarella sticks, three garlic knots and legendary sauce

18-Inch New York Pies

• Hawaiian — Free range champagne ham, organic pineapple and premium NYC blend mozzarella
• Cheese — Sal's legendary sauce and premium NYC blend mozzarella
• Pepperoni — Sal's legendary sauce, NYC blend mozzarella and famous New York pepperoni
• 100 Pepp Black Garlic — 100 slices of famous pepperoni on a black garlic sauce base
• Double Pepperoni — Double slices of Sal's famous NY or cupped pepperoni
• Meatball — Authentic beef and oregano meatballs
• Fire Island — NY cup and char pepperoni, jalapenos and a hot honey drizzle
• Nonna — Signature marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, garlic and EVOO
• Cupped Pepperoni — NY cup and char pepperoni
• Mushroom — Premium NYC blend mozzarella and mushrooms
• 5 Boroughs — Mozzarella, creamy ricotta, black garlic sauce, marinara and a pesto splash
• Buffalo Chicken — Breaded free range chicken breast, buffalo sauce and blue cheese sauce
• Chicken and Tomato — Breaded free range chicken breast, tomatoes, parmesan and oregano
• Manhattan — Famous New York pepperoni and mushroom
• Brooklyn — Trio of specialty pepperoni, sausage and meatball
• Sausage — Italian pork and fennel sausage
• Veggie — Fresh cut capsicum, mushroom and premium NYC blend mozzarella
• Staten Island (V) — Marinara, Sal's Nutzarella, mushrooms, basil, garlic and EVOO

Frequently asked questions

Is there a gluten-free pizza option?

Yes. Sal's offers a 12-inch gluten free base, though the toppings and ingredients may still contain traces of gluten.

What size are the pizzas and can I buy just a slice?

Pies are large 18-inch New York pizzas, sold by the slice, as a half pie or as a whole pizza. Half-and-half pizzas are welcome.

Is there a plant-based cheese option?

Yes. You can swap mozzarella for Sal's Nutzarella plant-based cheese, and the Staten Island pie comes with it as standard.

What are the Buffalo wings like?

Free range wings made in the Authentic 'Original 1964 Buffalo' recipe, with choices like HOT Buffalo, black garlic, Christopher St rub or Bronx BBQ, served with blue cheese or creamy ranch.

Can I order online?

Yes, Sal's takes online orders through its website for pick-up.

Is it good for groups and events?

Very — there are booth seats, half pizza and group specials for sharing, and Sal's offers catering for larger occasions.

What makes the pizza authentically New York?

The dough uses genuine New York milled hard spring wheat flour, the sauce is made fresh daily from vine-ripened California tomatoes, and the pepperoni and meatballs are exclusive to Sal's.

Tips

• {"body":"Singles and slice specials make an easy quick lunch — try the Pepperoni or the Sal's Famous pair of pepperoni and cheese.","title":"Order by the slice"}
• {"body":"The 18-inch pies can be split between two flavours, so nobody at the table has to compromise.","title":"Go half-and-half"}
• {"body":"A 12-inch gluten free base is available, though toppings and ingredients may still contain traces of gluten.","title":"Gluten free? Just ask"}
• {"body":"Half pizza and group specials bundle pies with wings, knots or sticks — handy for families and bigger groups.","title":"Feed the table with a special"}
• {"body":"Order online through Sal's website if you are short on time and just want to grab your pizza.","title":"Skip the queue"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Cozy booth seating, slice specials and group deals suit families","dietary":"Gluten free 12-inch base available (may contain traces of gluten); plant-based Nutzarella swap"}