Travel Itinerary
New York ain’t just a concrete jungle – it’s also a land where pizza gets playful. Up in Oneonta, hungry students sparked a tradition by piling cold cheese over piping-hot slices, saving their mouths from fiery burns.
What started as a clever campus hack turned into a regional badge of honor, spreading across Upstate joints that serve foldable crust, tangy sauce, and that snowy cheese topping that slowly melts as you munch.
It’s bold, it’s different, it’s delicious – proof that New York is more than skyscrapers, it’s a state of slices too. Want yours with a little snowfall?
1. Tino’s Pizzeria Originator
Pizza history baked itself into Oneonta at Tino’s, birthplace of the famous cold cheese slice dreamed up for impatient college kids.
A crisp New York-style crust hides under a snowy heap of chilled mozzarella, softening just enough from the warmth beneath. When classes buzz back in, late-night crowds snake out the door, chasing that cheesy legend.
2. Sal’s New Classic Rivalry
Just down Main Street from Tino’s, Sal’s fuels Oneonta’s ultimate pizza rivalry. College kids spark debates over which cold cheese slice reigns supreme while hopping between both joints on weekend nights.
Sal’s twist comes with a heartier crust built to carry the mountain of cool mozzarella stacked on top.
Warm lights, chatter, and that classic slice-shop aroma wrap the place in comfort, keeping regulars circling back for more.
3. Sovrana’s Family Tradition
Would you believe this Albany institution has been serving cold cheese since 1985? Family-run Sovrana proudly advertises their version on social media, making it official menu canon.
What makes their take special? The deli-pizzeria combo means ultra-fresh ingredients. Their cold cheese shower is dramatic enough to star in viral videos, with the perfect cheese-to-sauce ratio underneath.
4. DC’s Pizza Campus Favorite
UAlbany students flock to DC’s for “Oneonta-style” cold cheese slices, the Western Avenue shop humming with late-night energy.
Their playful “COB” (cheese on bottom) twist spreads the dairy evenly, so every bite hits just right. Hot base meets chilled topping in a textural duet that’s grabbed food vloggers’ attention and left locals grinning slice after slice.
5. Slice Pizzeria’s Foot-Long Wonder
Utica puts its own stamp on cold cheese culture with giant slices stretching a full foot long, each buried under frosty heaps of mozzarella.
At Slice Pizzeria on Genesee Street, those oversized creations double as edible art, turning into Instagram gold the moment they hit the table. Cold cheese here isn’t just a cooling trick – it’s a showstopper that lures food photographers from all over the region.
6. Pizza Bono’s Menu Dedication
How serious is Plattsburgh’s Pizza Bono about cold cheese? They actually list “Side of Cold Cheese” as a separate menu item!
SUNY Plattsburgh students flock to this Margaret Street staple for late-night study fuel. The lakeside location adds a scenic touch to this northern outpost of the cold cheese tradition, where dairy appreciation runs deep.
7. Magro’s Custom Cold Creation
Norwich’s pizza gem takes a DIY approach to the cold cheese phenomenon. Rather than premade slices, Magro’s lists cold cheese among their topping options for build-your-own pizza adventures.
This small-town pizzeria brings big flavor with their customizable approach. The staff expertly adds just the right amount of refrigerated dairy to create that signature temperature contrast locals crave.
8. Nina’s Late-Night Savior
When Oneonta’s bars empty out, Nina’s Pizzeria turns into cold cheese central, a late-night beacon praised in food guides as a regional rite of passage.
Daylight hours welcome families, but once night falls the college crowd packs in, drawn by slices loaded with a mountain of mozzarella. Locals lovingly dub it the “Nina’s avalanche,” a cheesy cascade so generous it takes both hands – and a little determination – to conquer.
9. Cold Cheese For Brave Souls
Worried about torching your tongue on molten pizza? Cold cheese came to the rescue, born as a clever fix for burn-weary eaters.
Food lore pins the invention to 1980s Oneonta, where impatient students demanded cooler bites. The happy accident stuck, and the trio of crisp crust, bubbling sauce, and snowy mozzarella won so many fans that shops across Upstate made it a signature move.
10. The Social Media Sensation
Cold cheese slices light up the internet every time influencers stumble upon them, and Sovrana’s cheesy showers rack up thousands of curious views.
The spectacle of a cold cheese cascade – sometimes sprinkled tableside with theatrical flair – fits TikTok like a glove. What started as a practical fix has grown into Upstate New York’s most camera-ready food quirk, turning pizza into a full-on performance.