#27: Gourmet Pizza

I was thinking the other day how many foods I associate with this city. Pizza is undoubtedly one of them. I mean, I don’t think its too many other places where you overhear people sitting at a bar discussing the merits of a crunchier crust as I did the other day (one preferred the pizza soft, while the other preferred a crust strong enough to support the toppings) in addition to proper eating technique (the folding method seemed popular). But pizza is kind of an everyman American food too right? Am I New York centric? Wait…don’t answer that.

Either way, one thing I can say for sure is New York, much like its residents, is an over-achiever. And although it already wins for the best pies (nice try Chicago), it has taken it to a WHOLE new level with gourmet pizza. Now, the word gourmet, much like the word hipster, can mean nothing and everything simultaneously. Im taking it here to mean any place whose pies costs twice as much and are half the size as standard pizza.

For the sake of geographical diversity, I am going to name 3 places from 3 different areas of the city. Pulino’s, in the lower east side, is as beautiful as the rest of Keith McNally’s restaurants (see Schiller's, Pastis etc…). No matter what the cuisine you are transported to a Parisian corner spot… this time one that serves italian. My favorite pie there was the Bianca Tradionzale (kind of tasted like a cacio e pepe pasta in pizza form), but I also heartily recommend their breakfast pizzas. While I have nothing to say about their bloody mary (for the obvious reasons, see bloody mary) there is nothing more indulgent then combining the joy of pizza with a runny yoke.

Secondly, there is Motorino in Williamsburg. Not as great on the atmosphere front (someone mentioned the word chain restaurant and I cant get it out of my head) but stronger on the food. Plus it would oblige you to check out the cutest best area of Williamsburg off the Graham stop (remember il Passatore?).

Lastly (hey I know my sequence words), there is Saraghina. Given its hard to get to bed stuy location, it may seem like a pity vote in my quest for geographical diversity. But this place is actually the winner of the 3. The atmosphere is like an old farm house with enough antique knick knacks to give my minimalist mother a heart attack (not an easy thing to give a German….we live forever). Also, I enjoyed the leftovers from Saraghina the most, always the true test of a great pie. (I had the one pictured above, among others)

Anyway these gourmet pizza spots are popping up all over the city faster then it takes to mispronounce their funny Italian names. These are just a small piece of the pie...so to speak.