Frico on 2nd Brings Detroit-Style Slices to the UES

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Even though the Knicks recently knocked the Pistons out of the NBA playoffs, Monday’s soft-opening of Frico on 2nd suggests that Detroit may soon be competing with New York in a vastly different arena. The Detroit-style pizzeria was serving up the crispy, cheesy, red-sauce-soaked square pies that the Motor City is famous for to eager throngs of New Yorkers at its store at 1319 Second Avenue (between 69th and 70th streets).

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Though Frico just officially opened, the pizzeria had been serving up free slices to anybody that happened to walk by the storefront last week.

“We decided about a year and a half ago to open our own here and searched every borough before deciding on UES,” Jamie Culliton, who co-owns Frico with partner Anthony Flugel, told East Side Feed in an Instagram message on Monday. “It felt right, had the foot traffic we wanted, and we feel the area has the need for a higher-end slice shop.”

Detroit-style slices are still very much a novelty in New York, where square slices usually come in the form of Sicilian or grandma-style pizza. Frico on 2nd sells a superb classic Red Top slice ($5.50), which the business describes as “a blend of brick cheddar and mozzarella, topped with warm marinara and fresh basil,” along with different variations of it: you can get it topped with pepperoni ($6.50) and/or hot honey and fresh ricotta ($6.75). The Daredevil, meanwhile, adds soppressata and Peppadew peppers to the mix ($7).

And then there’s the “not red sauce” end of the spectrum, which includes a white-style Bianco ($5.75) and more adventurous choices like the Pistach-I-Dew, which is topped with toasted pistachios, Peppadew peppers, ricotta, hot honey and arugula ($7). Monday’s special slices, meanwhile, were a meatball red sauce slice and a white slice called Streetcar, which featured red peppers, cherry tomatoes and whole roasted garlic (both $7).

“We’ve wanted to bring Detroit-style pizza to NY because we feel there isn’t anyone doing it the way we do,” Culliton said, adding that he and his partner have over 50 years of experience in the pizza business between them.

Frico shows love for its adopted hometown, as well, offering New York-style pizza by the pie only. A “Plain Ole Cheese” finished with fresh basil costs $28, with toppings like arugula, hot honey, prosciutto and burrata ranging from $4 to $7 extra. Other menu items include pizzeria classics like Caesar salad and garlic knots (both $6.50), as well as “GiGi’s Monster Cookies” in a variety of flavors ($6.50).

Frico on 2nd is the latest buzzy pizzeria to open on the Upper East Side in recent months, joining the ranks of Brooklyn-born favorite Lucia Pizza, which opened at 1571 Third Avenue (between 88th and 89th streets) back in January.

During its soft-opening phase, Frico on 2nd is open seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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