— Metromix New York · New York Food Tour · created over 2 years ago
Ever since Lombardi’s produced their first coal-fired creation over a century ago, New York has been the epicenter of the American pizza pie. From thick, grandma-style slices at Artichoke to flat top–cooked pies at Otto, there’s no unique definition that encapsulates New York pizza.
Neapolitan pizza, on the other hand, offers a little less wiggle room. Widely believed to be the birthplace of pizza, Naples fires up pies that are fairly singular in their identity: often round yet smaller than their New York brethren, with a bubbly, slightly charred crust topped with painstakingly sourced Italian ingredients.
Over the last few years, dozens of New York eateries have helped spark a craze for these old-world pies, from Brooklyn darling Roberta’s (pictured) to West Village standby Keste. Yes, there are plenty of great Neapolitan pizzerias around town, but these five are our favorites.
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Before there was Motorino, there was Una Pizza Napolitana, the popular East Village pizzeria helmed by Anthony Mangieri, who ushered in an age of the cool pizza guy with a pricey, sexy pizza oven. Mangieri has since closed shop, but Motorino’s Mathieu Palombino has taken over Una's old space and stepped in to fill the void. Palombino trained in a Verace Pizza Napoletana Americas–certified pizzeria—the VPNA keeps a close eye on the progress of the Neapolitan pizza in the New World. Besides his official bona fides, Palombino relies on heavy-duty ovens to cook his pies: an American-made Renato at his original Brooklyn location and Mangieri’s hand-me-down imported Acunto at the East Village outpost..
What began as an unassuming neighborhood spot, serving excellent pizza with a farm-to-table ethic, has slowly taken on the role of Grand Dame of a Brooklyn slow-food movement. Without this Flatbush spot, run by a husband-and-wife team who favor simply prepared food and quality ingredients over flashiness, there would be no Motorino, Roberta’s or Marlow & Sons. Franny’s taught us that attention to detail could be found outside of fancy four-star kitchens, and that a casual Brooklyn spot could become a destination even for Manhattan food snobs.
While many New York Neapolitan-style pizza spots have a slew of accolades, so far Keste is the only one with official A.P.N. certification. (The traditional standards insist on everything from the provenance of the ingredients to the bell-shaped wood-burning oven that cooks the pies.) It’s this attention to detail that has earned Keste the respect of true Neapolitan-pizza aficionados. The house special features the finest Italian burrata cheese, which arrives fresh from Italy each Thursday night, with fresh basil and grape tomatoes. In a generous nod to gluten-intolerant pizza fans, Keste offers gluten-free pies on Monday and Tuesday nights.
When it comes to their pie menu, L’Asso offers a bevy of options: two D.O.C. options (a Margherita and a Bufalima), and over a dozen red and white varieties. Plus, there’s a wide range of shapes and sizes: choose from either a 12-inch round Neapolitan, or 18- and 26-inch Roman-style rectangular pies. There’s an emphasis here on the beverage program as well, with a respectable wine list and a rotating selection of artisanal beers curated by an in-house “brew guide.” They even serve coveted Stumptown coffee, for those who like to combat their carb comas with a little caffeine.
A fire-engine-red brick oven greets you as you step into the dining room, followed by a panoramic view of plaid-bedecked hipsters grazing in their native habitat. The pies here are portioned for personal consumption, but a better bet is to order several for the table to sample the full range. Overall, the pizza is quite good, maybe a half-step below some of the city’s best, but the strength lies in the quality of the toppings and their creative combos. Cleverly named pies like the spicy Axl Rosenberg (tomato, double garlic, mozzarella, mushrooms, jalapeño, spicy sopressata) and Cheeses Christ (black pepper, mozzarella, taleggio, parmigiano, heavy cream) work well. The menu also offers a wide selection of impressive non-pizza bites, with an emphasis on proteins like roasted marrow bones and veal sweetbreads.
