This great city will never be in short supply of places to enjoy cheese-topped dough cooked in an oven, such is New York's obsession with pizza. Each month brings a bounty of new spots vying for pie supremacy; here are a few of our favorites from the latest crop of pizza purveyors.
PIZZA MOTO Having cut their teeth at moveable markets like Smorgasburg and its spinoff beer hall Berg'n, Pizza Moto co-owners Dave Sclarow and Anna Viertel are ready to take charge of their own brick-and-mortar operation, which they recently opened in the shadow of the BQE in Red Hook. There, Sclarow and sous chef Joe Bliffen are turning out perfectly puffed Neapolitan pies topped with things like green tomato salsa, jalapenos, fontina and fresh mozzarella ($14) and tomato, bacon, chili, fresh mozzarella and a soft-cooked egg ($16). In addition to their exemplary pies, the team is especially excited to offering items beyond the crust, like whole fish with salsa verde ($17), chicken agro-dolce with garlic, chilies, peanuts and herbs ($22) and other hot dishes from their converted turn of the century coal oven.
338 Hamilton Avenue, website
BRUNO No new restaurant serving pizza has been buzzed about—and argued about—more than Bruno, which opened in the East Village at the end of July. If you haven't yet visited to check out the polarizing pizzeria—which is doing more than baking up interesting pies—you'd do well to stop by and sample their Country Ham with local peaches, smoked ham, cured onion and Pawlet cheese and other pies that employ their long-tinkered-with 00 flour. You can even ask for the off-menu "special pie of the night" and chefs David Gulino and Justin Slojkowski will put together something unique that hasn't yet been vivisected by the foodie blogs.
204 East 13th Street, (212) 598-3080; website
(courtesy of Babbalucci)
BABBALUCCI If you're squeamish about anchovies—grow up!—then snails might not be the first thing you'll order on your pizza, but that's just because you haven't had the pie that employs them at this Harlem newcomer. The buttery mollusks join tomato, garlic, parsley and gorgonzola cheese on a slightly-charred crust from their wood-fired oven. They're also topping pies with things like potato, scarmorza and prosciutto cotto (Smokey Robinson, $15/22) and Italian sausage and cherry peppers (Thaitalian, $14/21). Swing by during happy hour Monday-Friday because the restaurant will often put out a pie or two, or other dishes, for bar goers enjoying cocktails.
311 Lenox Avenue, (646) 918-6572; website
(Quentin Bacon)
L'AMICO At a time when French cuisine appears to be back en vogue, Auvergne native Laurent Tourondel is offering his take on...pizza. The chef worked for half a decade to perfect his perfect pies, finally debuting them in September in combinations like truffle paste, fontina, taleggio and sage (White Mushroom, $15) or shishito peppers and fennel pollen (Esposito's Sausage, $14). But there's a Soppressata Picante ($13) with tomato, mozzarella and Sicilian oregano to silence ingenuity haters. If nothing else, the gleaming copper ovens are a sight to behold.
849 Avenue of the Americas, (212) 201-4065; website
(Nicole Franzen)
PIZZA BEACH The original Upper East Side location of this pizza joint has been hanging ten since February and now owners Tom and Anthony Martignetti have hired Eric Kleinman, of the dearly departed 'inoteca, to helm their new LES surf shack. Pizzas are Neapolitan-style, with puffy crusts topped with Pineapple & Speck ($16) plus mozzarella and jalapenos and Mushroom & Stracciatella ($19) with roasted leeks, mascarpone cheese and white truffle oil. Pies can be made gluten-free and with vegan cheese, if desired.
167 Orchard, website
