I'll admit I was scared when my fiancé and I first decided to make the move to Houston. A born and raised Jersey girl (with a few stints overseas -- I'm not totally sheltered), I'd been living in Hoboken and working in the Big Apple right out of my four years at Rutgers.

I loved New Jersey; I loved New York. But more importantly, I loved their pizza.

Luckily, I found a little bit of home at Romano's Pizza on West Gray. With its owners born in Italy and raised in Queens, this restaurant's New York-style pies remind me the most of the ones I'd get at the local pizza joints back home.

The dough is made fresh daily and is rolled out nice and thin, allowing the pizza oven to work its magic and making each bite both crisp and chewy at the same time. The thin layer of tomato sauce, a great take on a classic marinara, is slightly sweet, balancing perfectly with a sprinkling of salty and stringy mozzarella cheese that comes out of the oven gooey and bubbling.

They offer your typical Italian toppings like mushrooms, olives, pepperoni and sausage in addition to some specialty items like fresh garlic, grilled chicken, spinach and feta cheese. While you could certainly have a grand time loading up your pie, this slice is best topped lightly so as to keep the crust nice and crispy. That way, you can fold it up in true New Yorker fashion.

My suggestion: Stick to the classic plain or mushroom and get a side of the delicious fried mozzarella to share. The marinara makes for a perfect dipping sauce for that extra crust.

Romano's has most definitely become one of my go-to spots for a gratifying New York-style slice in Houston. Oh, and their chicken parm subs ain't so bad, either...