A New Kind of Pie Fight: This Pizzeria Is at War With Itself

I ate at Una in the East Village back in the day and thought the pizza was extraordinary. Still think about it years later. If he hasn't been able to replicate that on the Lower East Side, I'm saddened. And as to those complaining about the $25 pizza and saying it is cheaper in their town or in Naples or wherever, you have got to be kidding me. The relevant questions are what's the rent, what's the minimum wage, how much are workers' compensation premiums, are there costly wage and hour requirements and are the owners complying with the law (a lot of mom and pop places are not compliant, which lowers their operating costs)? Whatever happened to critical thinking skills? The problem is not $25 pizza in a high rent neighborhood, with high minimum wage and high workers' compensation premiums and costly wage and hour requirements, the problem is that a lot of people are (sadly) saying that the pizza isn't that great.

I'll take the pizza at Luzzo's any day of the week.

I went to Una in the east Village with some friends back in the early 2000's. It was pouring outside and when we tried to walk in 5 minutes before opening, Anthony Mangieri the owner, told us he wasn't opened yet and asked us to wait outside. After suffering that indignity we were eventually allowed in to be seated in our state of soaking wet. The vibe was unwelcoming, and the very salty pizza was underwhelming. Since that night I could care less about any of his restaurants.

In my 20 years post NYC, Pete Wells reviews' remind well of the self-referential cults of personality that I miss not one bit. That folks overpay to feed some Chef's ego is anathema to we in the nation's flyovers. Ultimately, it is no more complicated than our disposable income is unworthy of serving a precious "artist" whose canvas is wiped clean each time our digestive tracts cycle through.

Of those who've posted the already 66 Comments on Well's Una Pizza review, barely a handful seem actually to have been there, and of the few who have, almost none have spoken about the only thing that matters. How was it? It wasn't. Though the pies at the new place were outstanding, special, stellar even, they were not the perfectly balanced masterworks Chef Mangieri seemed to turn out effortlessly in his eccelsial SF temple. In retrospect it would appear that Wells is right; Mangieri cannot produce the same results in a place torn between the purely humble reality of a perfect pizza & the pretentious nonsense his partners bring to, or put on, the table. Other than the pies and the Balladin beer the place was a real let down. The tippy chairs that offer the thrill of dumping you headlong onto the concrete floor and the 4 oz. pour of Orsi fermented (natural wine) swamp water for $16 that cost the house under 12 a bottle set the stage for some God-awful apps: slimy whipped Nduja meaninglessly covered with raw shaved turnips, the insipid meat goo squishing out from under; flavorless ceci covered in pureed raw lobster that begged the question of why a lobster had to die for this; Carne Cruda, tepid, dark & smelly of old blood & bad provenance, with olives that did nothing to hide the foul flavors. And after the pies a scummy Tirami-it-can't-be-su, and some glop in a cup that masqueraded as Panna Cotta. Ugh! War is horrible.

When Massimo Bottura opens a pizza joint in NYC, wake me up. Since it's never going to happen, I'll sleep through the ten or twenty thousand pizza 'emporiums' throughout the 5 boroughs and L.I. Sweet dreams...

We have Chris Bianco here in Phoenix, thankfully one half mile from my house. Walkable. Simple pizzas, farm to table ingredients. Mozzarella made on site. I’m happy!

Readers of this review might enjoy comparing it to one in The New Yorker for the same place https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/06/25/una-pizza-napoletana-sets-... ("Tables for Two" June 25, 2018) Some quotes for those who won't click on the link "Toppings are spare: barely melted cubes of mozzarella affumicata, thick and chewy with just a hint of smoke, clustered with half-deflated cherry tomatoes and finished with fresh arugula." "[Mangieri, Stone & Valtierra] created a place exceptional enough that charging [$25} for a [12 in] pizza doesn't seem outlandish . The small plates are admirably ambitions, if a tad cerebral." "A mound of cold, sweet raw lobster, ground fine, became a luscious sort of sauce when mixed with the wreath of chickpeas, minced celery, loom zest, and parsley." And The New Yorker final flourish: "On a recent evening, a diner put down her spoon and said the magic words: 'Better than Italy.'"

I guess you have to try them. That's a lot of crust there. As for the partnering, I'd guess it was for the working capital. At $25 a pop, however, there should be plenty in the till if you manage it properly.

"White Italian Flour" That is usually the "00" . Not to trash on that, but I prefer a stone ground and sifted flour from a local source. If the toppings and cheese can be local, why not the crust? www.lonesomestonemilling.com

Help me out here. In a laudatory same day article elsewhere in the Times about the restaurant called King, the chefs proudly cheer an unattractive dessert that looks like a "blob." We are advised that it will be the first thing to sell out. In his review of this unusual pizzeria, Mr. Wells criticizes a dish that looks like "unidentifiable goo." Well, I know there are different columnists involved, but it seems that Mr. Wells doesn't quite know what New Yorkers want. If the "goo" in one restaurant tastes good, then it should be as acceptable as a popular "blob" in another. I also realize that the star rating system used by Mr. Wells has been strongly condemned recently, and I agree with this criticism. He gave 3 stars to Frenchette, but he wrote a two star review. Here he writes a two star review and gives the restaurant only one star. This pizzeria sounds interesting, and I'm especially intrigued by the cheeseless pizza. I like cheese, but I'm curious about that pie. Chef Mangieri comes across as a highly focused and dedicated man. The next time we're in Manhattan, we'll stop in.

Lol! so they serve basic pizza with minimal ingredients and charges $25 :-) .... possible only in NYC

anyone that would pay $25 for pizza, no matter how "transcendent", should just...stay in New York.

Natural wines: May they die a natural death as soon as possible. Not good on their own and do not go well with food. Hipster snobbery at its worse.

Where are the stars?

All this over a rew mediocre pizzerias? Surely we can put his space to better use.

Isn't pizza getting old?

How many stars was this? I did not see it in the review. Thanks

Pete Wells says that Mangieri closes one location when he opens a new one. I walk past the East 12th Street location of "Una Pizza Napoletana" location at least once a week, and it is still open and doing business. Can anyone explain or clarify for me?

Sorry but it sounds to me from this critique that bringing in Mr. Stone and Mr. von Hauske was just an(other) excuse to extort higher profits from the paying customer. To wit: from $22 to $25 for a tiny 12" pie? Only in New Yoak.

Thought the margherita was the clear best pizza on the menu. Have been twice and each time the other pies had too much salt on top in my opinion... Also surprised no mention of the Carne Cruda, which in my opinion was the best non-pizza item on the menu. Agreed about the wines...all very expensive. The Italian craft beer is a nice touch, but also expensive ($10+ each) which is not unusual considering importing costs, Italian beers are expensive all over the city. It's a good spot, sleek interior. But considering the price and the availability of amazing pizza in this city, don't think I'll be back.

After numerous trips to Napoli and environs, walking into Anthony's place in Pt. Pleasant, N.J. and having a pizza the likes of which I never dreamed I could enjoy outside Scampia, convinced me wherever this craftsman traveled great, authentic Neapolitan-style would follow. If his new venture back in New York doesn't seen right, Anthony will change it. Of this I'm sure. Wish he was back at the Shore.

It is difficult to take seriously any review of a pizzeria after living in Italy for so long. Not that they don’t know how to make wonderful pizzas in New York or elsewhere. I grew up in the Bronx and know full well the delights of a well made coal-fired pie. For me however - with a few notable exceptions - pizzerie in and around New York have simply been on a mission to out-top themselves in order to justify the insane prices they charge for pizze. Even in the most touristed areas of Naples and its environs you cannot pay more than €4-5 for the most transcendent pizza margherita you’ve ever eaten - even if you wanted to. There is no gushing about the San Marzano tomatoes or the mozzarella di bufala or the 00 farina or wood fired ovens here - it just is - and pretty much everywhere south of Rome. While I’m sure Mangieri makes a wonderful pie - they certainly look like the real deal - the price you pay is completely out of line with what good pizza is all about - the ultimate peasant street food.

Re: wine--Sorry, beer goes with pizza. At least it does most of the time here in Italy. And $25? Our city's Mediterranea sells incredible pies for €6-7, say, 8 or 9 bucks. And only pizza. Talk about single minded. This is typical of New York fetishism: That which is normal elsewhere, or in its native land, becomes something to boast about, of connoisseur boasting. I'll pass.

The best pizza I have ever had, here and in Italy! I am sad he left San Francisco.

There are so many things you can eat in NYC that cost more than 25$ that are nowhere near as delicious as this pizza.

I think that it's necessary to add that to many pizza aficionados, myself included, the dryness of the atmosphere at Una Pizza defeats much of the joy of casual eating. I have eaten at all of Mr. Mangieri's places since the early naughts. My first experience was being told, upon asking for red pepper, that he did not allow "toppings". When I pointed out that it was a seasoning, not a topping, I got a broad "W-h-a-t-e-v-e-r" eye roll, as the waiter wandered off. More serious is the well know tendency, again, among aficionados, for Mr. Mangerii to under cook his dough. Its a strange thing and certainly curable. Time will tell. My standard for Pizza will always be Cafe Picasso of Bleeker Street in the 90's. Those lucky enough to share my memories will understand why I rate all pizza's in this country in "Mili-michaels" in honor of pizzaiolo Michael Colonna. Una Pizza, to me has always been about 820 Mili-michaels; not bad, but not quite the stuff that dreams are made of.

As someone who reads the NYTIMES restaurant reviews each time they are published, and has for decades- I'm starting to think Pete Wells should vacate his chair. I'll admit that I was skeptical when I heard about the expanded offerings of the new Una. In particular, I couldn't imagine how the lobster dish would interplay with the pure delicious aromas, texture, and flavors of Mangieri's pizzas. But I was curious and decided to go and wait for a table for about an hour on the only free night I had visiting the East Coast recently. Why? Because of Mangieri's track record of singular pizza excellence. For years, the guy has made mouth watering, memorably delicious pies- and takes it seriously. I chose to suspend any disbelief on modification of the Una format, figuring if Mangieri has chosen to work with partners who he thinks compliment his vision, it could work. And it does- there wasn't a single dish that disappointed. My brother in law and I waited a while, but then tried nearly the entire menu but for dessert. The side dish offerings proved complementary to the pizzas and helped with our hunger during the wait. The natural wine worked too. There is no shame in a conversation on wine with pizza. Nor in reimagining the idea of a pizza place. This Mangieri collaboration builds on the past in a compelling way well worth the wait and the price of admission. Bravo Una Pizza Napoletana, here's hoping you again open in SF! Please step aside Mr Wells.

"Mr. Mangieri ... makes a crust that is delicious on its own, a minimum requirement for great pizza". -- I wholly agree with this assessment. My favorite pizza has a thin crunchy crust, made by my wife, covered in grated Pecorino Romano (much tastier than mozzarella), and with a variety of ingredients, not mixed, but each placed in its own sector of the pizza.

I believe this is wrong: "All the pies are $25. That is a lot for pizza. On the other hand, it is only about $2.50 more than what Mr. Mangieri charged when he first came to Manhattan in 2004" The pies were $16.95 when they opened in the East Village and then went up to $19.

Twenty five dollars for a twelve inch pizza?You lost me right there.

I agree that this review clearly comes across as 2 stars but that may be beside the point. What I'm trying to grasp is the implication in this review that Una should somehow conform to "standard pizzeria protocol". This is not Gino's or Joe's or Antonino's or whatever. This isn't dollar pizza on the corner. This is a contemporary look at a traditional establishment. I just don't get the penalty for pushing the conversation forward. Wells is a great writer and I trust his judgement. But we need more transparency or this entire (review/rating/star) thing will quickly become irrelevant, something nobody wants to see.

Most conventional pizzas with plenty of tomatoes. But the thick-crust varieties (Slide 7) look interesting. Some guests would prefer not to see the tattooed arms of Mr. Mangieri (Slide 6).

I clearly was not born to understand Mr. Wells' star ratings criteria, which to me seem rather, well, schizophrenic. Don't get me wrong, I love his writing, almost live for it on Tuesdays. But he is almost totally laudatory to the max about the pizzas, and really isn't all that persnickety about all else on the menu. Yet his 'at war with itself' theme seems to have been his overriding rationale for one star, though there appear to be fewer criticisms for this establishment than for the three-star reviewed Frenchette of a week ago (and let us not forget the two stars he once scandalously awarded to the now-defunct Senor Frogs). C'mon, give this place the two stars it deserves, and show that you're not at war with your own ratings system.