Proprietors/Executive Chef: Rosario Procino

Greenwich Village – 271 Bleecker Street, New York, NY

Bright Lights…was my first impression of Keste.  Really bright and narrow…and all the  familiar furniture and wood oven fire everybody is used to seeing in a humble, yet authentic pizza restaurant.  Not big by any means, and seats will quickly fill up before 9pm.  Decor is uninspiring to say the least.. it definitely looks like your typical, average pizza joint.  But the food is absolutely good….so don’t let the decor fool you.  Additionally, for those that are gluten intolerant, they definitely have an impressive listing of gluten-free and vegan pizzas…. but if you are not intolerant to gluten, WHY in the world would you order gluten-free pizza?  I’m sure it taste just as good.  Obviously, I have opted for their regular dough.  Think Old School… there is nothing modern about this place whatsoever… Don’t get me wrong, sometimes old school is nice and relaxing.

Nothing like a good Neapolitan… margherita pizza w/ salami & fig & prosciutto.  perfectly individual sized, with a crust that is nicely charred and a bit on the “fluffy” side.  Love that they make most of their own cheese (burrata & mozzarella).  The menu is so extensive and inspiring, you will have such a hard time choosing one you’d like…. Since i judge a pizza by it’s classic margherita, it made sense to pick a staple here (we couldn’t resist adding salami on top)….and for the second option, we went a little risque and chose a special for the night, fig & prosciutto.  Both were VERY different, yet very tasty

margherita w/ salami

Fig & Prosciutto

Tiramisu

Not recommended for a first date, but great place to catch up with an old friend or lover you are beyond comfortable with…but if you don’t care for all of the above, go just to try great food.  It’s a favorite classic and a staple in the heart of Greenwich Village.

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Altamarea Group/Michael White

East Village – 160 2nd Ave, New York, NY

This is Altamarea’s fourth restaurant opening in the city… (marea, osteria morini & ai fiori)… safe to say, I’ve had the pleasure of trying about half of Michael White’s restaurants in the city… so far so good… and you bet your ass that I will finish the list by end of year!!  Marea is up next… Moving along.

All Things Italian… pizza is no exception.  as I am even writing this, I salivate just thinking about it.  Michael White hits the nail on the head with Nicoletta’s concept.  It’s definitely gourmet pizza…so don’t go expecting your traditional NY Style pizza.  The crust itself has a nice crisp texture… it’s not as thick as Chicago style pizza, and maybe a little thicker than your NY style…. seems like we have a bit of a hybrid going on.  you can even customize your pizza here…so no matter what option, PLEASE remember to top it off with garlic oil or Chili oil.  I’m greedy when it comes to spicy food, so I preferred to just have the bottle of chili oil sitting by my side.  The waiter couldn’t help but laugh at my request.  If you are lazy and prefer no reign whatsoever, let them top it off for you…or if you are control freak like me…. ask for it on the side. the restaurant is quaint, and rather charming and yet doesn’t quite feel like your typical pizza joint, except it is… clearly from the wood fired pizza oven.  This place just about one up any regular pizza parlor in the city, but perhaps feels like it would sit well in Brooklyn.

if you are craving pizza…go to Nicoletta.right.now.  it really is that good… nicoletta warms a special place in my heart that i didn’t know existed.  For starters, we couldn’t resist the suppli, (deep fried risotta ball) stuffed with mozzarella sitting on top of a ragu antico (meat sauce).  Super crispy, gooey and all around delicious.  For pizza, we decided to go with the tartufata, toppings consisted of wild mushrooms, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto and chives.  A good portion to share between two people.  Everything tasted so fresh and so hearty, it is worth savoring every bite and every slice.  Pair it with a nice glass of wine and you’ve got yourself a complete and memorable meal!  Fantastico.

Suppli

Tartufata

this can easily be the neighborhood spot… only wished I lived in the village….!

www.difara.com/

Proprietor/Chef: Dom DeMarco

Category: Pizza

Neighborhood: Midwood
1424 Avenue J St, Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258-1367

Mood: really good, fresh, piping hot margarita pizza.  Stick to the basics.

Tastes Like: a great love affair with traditional NY style pizza.  i am in paradise… and all i need is a nice pairing of wine or for some, prefer an ice cold beer.  Dom DeMarco definitely knows his stuff is good and takes pride and joy in making his pizzas.  He is so serious and die hard, in fact, the recipe may just die with him…as he has refused to share his secret recipe with his son.  he starts off with the dough, and sauce and cheese…. lots of cheese…. he takes it out of the oven, only to add more cheese and drizzles fresh olive oil and to end it, cuts fresh (home grown) basil on top… uhhhh…. salivating… and the magic is watching this man doing this all under a 15 minute process.  Quite the wonderment.  

Must Haves: original pie… keeping it classic

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: a handful of tables… definitely got the brooklyn, new york neighborhood charm

Service: let’s just say he opens for dinner for two hours…opens at 7pm, done by 9pm.

Rating: 5 stars

Caveat: Cash only

www.ottopizzeria.com

Proprietors/Chef: Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich/ Dan Drohan

Category: Pizza/Italian

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
1Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559

Mood: Happy Hour…or Italian classics… stick to staples

Tastes Like: great pizza, pasta and small plate options, paired with an extensive beer and wine list.  Daily specials to spice things up a bit.  it doesn’t get any better than this.  Highly impressed with their pizza.  Pepperoni was smoked to perfection and the crust was not too crispy, chewy and very inviting.  The prosciutto was not too salty, which made for an absolute ideal slice of pizza with some greens on top.  Semi-healthy.  Everything was so good, I seriously couldn’t stop grabbing another slice.  Luckily, the pizzas are individual sized, so the portions are fitting and you won’t have a problem eating 5 slices (which equates to 1-2 slices by NYC standards).  

Must Haves: Prosciutto & Arugula pizza & Pepperoni pizza

Stay Away: mmm… wasn’t so in love with the fig appetizers.  It was pickled…and I imagined it to be something completely different.  If you like pickled food and figs, hey, give it a shot.

Ambiance: happy, loud, casual joint.  You might lose your voice at the end of the night, but guaranteed to be a bustling night.

Service: very swift and knowledgeable of daily specials.  not as attentive, but i was wrapped up in heavy conversations with a friend so the non-interruption was much appreciated.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: Always jam packed.  Highly recommend making reservations ahead to score seats…or if you are content at the bar tables and standing… knock yourselves out.

http://www.grimaldis.com/

Proprietor/Chef: Frank Ciolli

Category: Pizza

Neighborhood: Flatiron
656 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10010
(212) 359-5600

Mood: Viciously hungry for NY style pizza… they sell only by pies (8 slices) here..but it’s good enough to split for 2-3 people.

Tastes Like: divine pizza made in a brick coal oven… dough is super soft and chewy.  mozzarella and ricotta cheese is heavenly.  sauce is chunky and thick.  overall, simple but great pizza. if i can make one small criticism, the pizza could be more piping hot … the dough a little bit crispier.  but overall, i left satisfied.  the best part about the pizza is that it didn’t feel heavy or greasy at all.  how does this grimaldi’s compare to the original in Brooklyn????  I haven’t found out yet… I once mercilessly waited in line at the Brooklyn location, only to find out that they only sold pies …not by slice.  I wanted a taste, not a whole pie..so I left.  Maybe this time around, there is no need to go all the way out to BK anymore.  

Must Haves: try half margarita pizza with ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella.  DELICIOUS.

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: super casual.

Service: speedy. it’s a pizza joint.

Rating: 3 stars

Caveat: There is no liquor license (yet..) I hope they will be able to get it soon… not being able to drink a beer/wine with your pizza just sucks!  Grimaldis also closes at 9pm from Mon-Sat and 8pm on Sundays.  I know… a little early….

http://www.vezzothincrust.com/

Proprietor/Chef:

Category: Pizza

Neighborhood: Murray Hill // Gramercy // West Village
178 Lexington Ave // 310 2nd ave //65 Carmine St
(212) 839-8300 // (212) 716-1200 // (212) 242-1200

Mood: Delicate appetite in a casual atmosphere.  The portions are surprisingly light (thin crust pizzas) with a ton of salad and appetizer options.

Tastes Like: crisp thin perfection, with an extra oozing layer of cheese and scrumptious toppings.  If you’re looking for a chewy crust, look elsewhere.  The pizza here is ultra thin, but still manages to hold lots of cheese & toppings for a firm, crispy bite.  Ordered the large shroom pizza consisting of shiitake, button, portobella with truffle drizzled on top. I got weak in the knees.  if you haven’t already guessed, the same owner manages Vezzo, Spunto, Posto & Gruppo.  The menu is exactly alike. Their salads are fresh & phenomenal and lunch specials are wonderful.  It’s probably not THE best pizza in the city (i haven’t ventured to the likes of Brooklyn) but something about the pizza warms my heart to its fullest content.  It may have something to do with the thin crust and its non-greasy appeal.

Must Haves: Shroom pizza

Ambiance: ordered take out @ Vezzo…dined in @ Spunto & Posto.  What you would expect an an authenticated pizza joint, commonly found with checkered table toppers and wooden chairs.

Service: 45 min. delivery // table service was a bit disjointed

Rating: 5 stars across the board

Caveat: pizza was not hot when delivered, so we took a few minutes to heat it up.  The end result was DELICIOUS!

http://www.adriennespizzabar.com/index.html

Proprietor/Chef: Harry Poulakakos, Peter Poulakakos & Nick Angelis/Nick Angelis

Category: Pizza

Neighborhood: Financial District
54 Stone St. New York, NY 10079
(212) 248-3838

Mood: Take out.  Pizza does tastes better when you eat it in house…but why walk when they deliver?

Tastes Like: The perfect plain, “old fashioned” cheese pizza….an absolute must with garlic on top.  Incredible.  Savory… roasted garlicky, finger licking good.  The oregano and red pepper flakes made the pizza nearly perfect.  Perfect chewy dough of crust, al dente to the cheesiness.  The pizza is not ordinary here; yet, it falls just right below “gourmet” style pizza.  It’s hearty, rustic, and crispy goodness.

Must Have: Plain old fashioned pizza, incredible with roasted garlic on top (and fresh basil if you like it)

Stay Away: Margherita pizza, i’ve had much better.

Ambiance: Not too crowded… high bar tables, beautiful wooden floors and clean décor.  Looks like a little nice, upscale pizza joint to me!

Service: When hunger kicks, it’s calling baby.  Luckily our waitress was extremely nice and we were patient.  Food came, calmed, we quickly dominated it all.  One slice left.  It completely satiated our appetite.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: While their margherita pizza is good, it’s not great. I am also convinced that their pizzas are best eaten at the restaurant as opposed to delivery, but this is obviously a broad & applicable generalization across the board

http://www.sliceperfect.com

Proprietors: Miki Agrawal/Radha Agrawal

Category: Pizza, Vegan

Neighborhood: West Village
535 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-2920

Mood: For the healthy conscious… vegan free, natural ingredients…

Tastes Like: absolutely guilt free healthy foods that actually doesn’t taste like a cardboard box.  With Vegan, gluten free, organic, whole wheat, ingredients… sounds scarier than it tastes.  This place is not for your typically NYC pizza eater, but whether you’re health conscious or not, you can expect to get a delicious twist on pizza, by the slice or 20” pie.

Ambiance: Intimate and small enough to squeeze no more than 4….

Service: From what I observed….a little spotty at first.  Lights flickered on and off.  Slightly chaotic.  I had my food ordered to go, and it was no problem for me.

Rating: 3 stars

Caveat: For their other location in Upper East Side, a $20 dinner special night, you get an appetizer, a slice of pizza and two glasses of organic wine and your choice of brownie or a cookie. Stellar deal.  Not sure if it’s applicable to the West Village location but it doesn’t hurt to ask?