I don't get the live for this pizza. When we ate there last week, the dough was undercooked. It started off hard to cut, and devolved into a gummy mess that reduced me to tearing it by hand because it wouldn't yield to a knife.
The exaggerated size of the crust only contributed to the problem.
Just had pizza there tonight. I don’t understand this review at all. Very disappointing. Huge amount of underdone doughy crust with mozzarella and some cherry tomatoes. The center crust was soggy dough. Extremely Bland. I’ve had so much better pizza in New York.
1
The quality of the ingredients is unmistakably good and loved the Little Gem salad. The pizza crust has a great flavor, but I just don’t like it soggy in the middle. Expected better after reading this review.
1
This should not have been reviewed twice in such a short period of time. Especially when considering the "sheer number of restaurants in the city - about 27,000"
1
Pete: There's a great pizzeria in Hudson, NY called "Oak Pizzeria Napoletana".......a local guy, who makes spectacular pizzas,in a wood fired oven, including a Nantucket Clam Pizza. Better than Frank Pepe's in New Haven. Nice small plates, including Bacala Mantecato, and an interesting wine list at reasonable prices. Right on Warren Street. All of you New Yorkers who come up on Amtrak....give it a shot! You won't be disappointed.
Atlantic Highlands is a 10 minute ride from me! Can't wait!
Great parody, but criticism?
"He lets you notice each ingredient: the little ping of sourness in the Campanian buffalo mozzarella, for instance. Or the unruly, windswept-hillside aroma of dried Sicilian oregano. The precise crunch of each unrefined Trapani sea-salt crystal waiting to dissolve."
1
I'm curious to know if anyone has been to Pizzaland in New Jersey ? It's actually a tiny place that is on the opening montage of HBO's Soprano.
It actually exists and according to reviewers on Yelp makes pretty good pizzas. I have not been.
However I do remember when Pizza Hut used to make pretty good ones. The stuff made by poorly paid teenagers now belong in the garbage along with Papa John's and Dominoes.
If you are looking for fine cannoli's that are made to order and great reasonably priced and non-pretentious pizza, I urge you all come up to Watkins Glen and visit Scuteri's on Fourth Street.
2
@mjbarr
Hey MJ Do they still have car racing there. I know the Grand Prix Formula One has moved to Austin. A lot of tracks built during the 50's are no longer in existence. While I never went to Watkins Glen I did go see Paul Newman race at Lime Rock CT.
"Mr. Mangieri makes what is unmistakably the finest sit-down pizza in the five boroughs"
Am I the only one wondering how the "best sit-down pizza in the five boroughs" is only deserving of 2 stars?
8
@RP Exactly.
Pete's preamble about popular chefs from smaller cities dying a quick death after landing in NYC hasn't got much to do with NY having an outsized collection of great restaurants. It just has too many restaurants of all kinds—too many for the PR machine to be able to promote everyone to the status needed at least temporarily to, say, survive the first year.
Sadly, based on many meals in NYC restaurants with 3, 2, 1, and no stars, my experience has been that everything in NY is overrated compared to other good food cities in America. The only conclusion (supported by the under-informed comments on pizza here) is that the home crowd hasn't experienced much outside of the five boroughs, thinking they already landed in the promised land. If better options exist elsewhere most lifelong NYers either wouldn't know or wouldn't accept it as a possibility. Meanwhile the rest of the world has moved on.
Too many options + an audience that's less sophisticated than it thinks it is means a lot of good places will die prematurely in NYC. Add in crazy rent and what must be a hostile regulatory environment and you get a clearer picture of why some conclude that it lost the title of best food city in America a long time ago and many people didn't know, or didn't understand.
Best of luck to Una Pizza Napoletana who really shouldn't be talked about in the same breath as slice joints. But hey it's NYC! They think they know about pizza! Cheers!
11
Thanks Pete, I'll try to check it out.
Maybe you could do a running list of under the radar spots in every hood?
I definitely felt like my downtown neighborhood saw ridiculous restaurant turnover. Some spots seemed cursed and were only open for a few months before folding. It seemed their goodbye notes always blamed rising rents. It's a shame that landlords would rather leave a storefront empty for a year waiting for that unicorn tenant than concede a bit on rent.
5
I have always disliked tattoos, even the cartoonish ones that some women get. The ones that turn me off the most are the one that both sexes get that snake up from the wrists to the elbows and continue up toward the neck.
They tend to be dark in color and over the years blend or fade into a black blob. It's not a pretty sight and is a total turnoff when I see a food handler whether they be a cook, acclaimed chef or server. When I saw the picture of Anthony Mangieri assembling pizzas I could understand why the restaurant has uneven number of patrons even though the places get solid ratings.
Tattoos are certainly legal but they give off certain unwritten messages that food prep people need to be aware of. It's certainly ok to be hip but if you want to run a profitable business you should wear clothes that cover them up.
Cops in a few Texas towns and cities are told by their superiors to cover them up or face suspension. It's also interesting that some dermatologists offer reduced fees or even free laser removal of tattoo to women who have found job opportunities reduced due to the stigma that employers attach to body art.
I'b be curious to hear other readers replies.
That concludes my rant on ink.
9
@Benito You want to be different? Don't get a tattoo/s. "Hi Everyone! I'm a cliche! Look at my sleeves!"
3
@Benito, I am 70 years old. Your comments remind me of the rants against long hair on men when I was 20. I dont "get" tattoos but I understand that many people only somewhat younger than me do.
4
After seeing the photos, and reading about the writer's problems with NYC geography, it is clear that he is the finest reviewer in Cleveland.
3
Can you feel my envy from Seattle?
<>
1
Bravo Mr. Wells, I think you got it right this time. Compliments to Una Pizza Napoletana on this well deserved review.
6
@Mark X Wentworth This how a restaurant grows and matures. Bravo to Chef and his partners!
1
The cost of dining out in NYC is simply outrageous. These restaurateurs are employing what is effectively unpaid labor so it doesn’t make sense. Maybe Mangieri should set up shop in Queens.
2
What happened to the East 12th Street location? It APPEARS to still be there & still be a pizzeria - is Anthony no longer involved? Has he cast it off as not being the "right" location or something?
Somebody update me on the East 12th St. location, please!
1
@L ?? It’s a motorino, has been for years
@L he sold the oven to them
For what it is worth, the author's "rather circuitous" route for this piece took six paragraphs before finally getting around to mentioning Anthony Mangieri or Una Pizza Napoletana, which -- I think-- is the subject of the article.
Is he being paid by the word?
7
I understand and share Mr. Wells’ concern about losing favorite New York restaurants. But I’m not sure I include Una Pizza in the list I’d like to save. This has nothing to do with Mr. Mangieri, I sincerely wish him the best of luck. But New Yorkers love thin crust pizza and the thick Neapolitan style crust doesn’t do it for me. I raise my hat to Mr. Wells for his attempt to use his clout to support Una Pizza, I hope both he and Mr. Mangieri succeed.
I can’t resist commenting on Günther Seeger. I read Mr. Wells’ original review of the restaurant, and honestly, at that price I think one can do a lot better in NYC. I suspect that’s what caused the restaurant to close. The bar is higher here. I think if German inspired fine dining is on your list, Gabriel Kreuther beat Seeger hands down on food, ambience, warmth and service. And there are several other restaurants in Kreuther’s league as well, in the same price range.
Seeger might have succeeded in another city, but there are other cities, eg Barcelona, where I think it would similarly struggle to gain traction.
3
@Shiv
GK is Alsatian, i.e., French. But, that's a future three-star Michelin restaurant, yes.
Alstatian food is more Germanic than French...
1
Mr. Mangieri is a purist. In this day and age it's becoming more and more rare for someone to dedicate their life to a specific craft and perfecting that craft over their lifetime.
I ate at Una Pizza recently, 15 years after trying the original 12th Street location, and was impressed by how the food and Mr. Mangieri's vision for his restaurant had evolved over time. I hope Una Pizza stays in New York City.
Regarding all the criticism in the comments, Una Pizza is a unique, small business trying to make ends meet in NYC's challenging environment. I, for one, would much rather have Una Pizza than another one of those chains - Starbucks, Sweetgreen etc. - that are taking over the City.
18
I think Mr. Wells very clearly articulated his reasons for re-reviewing this pizzeria, which is, by the way, the best in the city. And his findings are spot on. Amazed how so many posters are capable of reading, but not comprehending
10
The commenters on Mr. Wells’s restaurant reviews are notable for their high YQ, perhaps because unlike in the other 31 sections in the Times, they feel comfortable commenting on food, which is something they mistake for cuisine.
1
"He lets you notice each ingredient: the little ping of sourness in the Campanian buffalo mozzarella, for instance. Or the unruly, windswept-hillside aroma of dried Sicilian oregano. The precise crunch of each unrefined Trapani sea-salt crystal waiting to dissolve." Yummy!!!
6
I've never tasted pizza this magnificent outside of Naples. After visiting last summer I told friends that they had to visit but that they should avoid everything else, drink water, and find someplace for ice cream afterwards. Sounds like there have been positive changes--the cannoli look great. I'll be back soon.
4
It has nothing to do with pretending to be sophisticated. These people do gripe, but for two different reasons: 1) they know the dining scene mentioned, fueled by critics, food aficionados, food media, foodies, gastronomes and restaurateurs, is completely artificial, because it leaves out a large number of great restaurants; 2) most of the “restaurant critics” and food media who review or write about this dining scene, have fallen to levels of absurdity that perhaps can be expected from some foodies, but not from professionals who are supposed to have a more than average acumen of gastronomy. It is not solely about what is new or trendy, it should be about what is good or what isn’t. Plus, clear standards and consistency.
Günter Seeger is the perfect example of how these groups prefer to talk about culinary smoke rather than culinary greatness. I agree with the comments about his virtues, but the problem is it got only 2 stars, same as Aviary, Marta and Superiority Burger, clearly in a much lower league in terms of everything, when is evident that it should have been 3 stars based on the writing. No more words were needed, just the correct and fair rating.
No comments on the decision to showcase a personal favorite less than a year from the previous review. But somebody should tell the pizzaiolo that yes, the dough is very good, but most of the time the “crust” is so big, it is almost half the pizza! It should be smaller, probably half the size.
3
It’s pizza. Get over it.
4
Well if Anthony is thinking about moving again, we'd sure love to see him come back down the NJ Turnpike and GSP exiting around 98. Jersey code for the "Shore." You still have a lot of friends down here.
3
@Jay Amberg Guess I am late to the table on this but looks like Anthony is coming back to Jersey, the Bayshore to be exact, GSP Exit 117 not 98 and opening in Atlantic Highlands. Welcome back!
4
@Jay Amberg When is he coming to Atlantic Highlands? And what is the name of the place going to be?
No matter where he's opened the name of Anthony's pizzerias since he started in Pt Pleasant off Rt. 35 in the late 90s have always been the same. When and where in AH I have to check.
.
1
Only in NY, NY would people argue about where to get the best pizza.
2
@NDP
Best Pizza arguments are universal and intense. Especially when you consider that the ingredients rarely exceed quatro dineros.
2
Why isn't the man making the pizza in the photograph wearing gloves? He is promoting a health risk for his customers.
Some first class restaurant....not.
4
@Chuck Roast
Mr. Mangieri could not do what he does if he were to wear gloves. Instead, he does what chefs have done for ages: work with clean hands. It's about cross contamination, and gloves have nothing to do with preventing that.
25
@Chuck Roast seriously? They put it in a 1200 degree oven. Can you just relax, Bubble Boy?
27
@Chuck Roast
I thought the same but I complained about the ugly tattoos in my comments.
2
Real pizza is flat, crispy, sweet/tart and comes from one of many, many joints in New Jersey. Or the NYC outer boroughs. Or from this great place in Manhattan on 17th by 8th avenue, can't remember its name, but the staff is as crusty as the pizza. This stuff described in this review seems like quiche, with souffle crust. Ew.
1
@Marjorie do you know where pizza is from?
10
Restaurant and food reviews are generally a worthwhile resource but never more questionable and mistakenly besotted than those of pizza. Case in point: Roberta's.
1
@Edwin
My unprofessional opinion uninformed by these reviews is that Roberta's and UPN are the two best pie shops in the city. I would have never known about UPN without these reviews.
It looks like rabbit food on bread—not pizza. Not for me!
1
@Michael N. Marcus
To clarify, should it more closely resemble landfill?
8
A review of a pizzeria that barely talks about the pizza.
6
It’s just a regular pizza! Seriously, nobody other than the reviewer really cares if he leaves NY and takes his $25 pizza with him. No substitutions?Sounds like the Seinfeld episode with the soup guy. This is pizza for hipsters who instagram their food and quickly move on to the next new thing.
11
The pie in the accompanying photo looks like it's more than 50% crust. I don't want to pay that much money for doughy looking crust. Sorry Pete.
9
I used to live a block away from Una Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and it was truly a treat - worth braving the inevitable line. If all these snarky New Yorkers don’t appreciate it, we’ll happily take him back!
7
Mr Wells
Once again you have brightened my Wednesday morning with your thoughtful review.
Thank you
11
I am excited to come back to the states after living in Naples Italy, and now Spain (where a Neapolitan family opened a pizzeria in Cadiz and Rota, very authentic) and see if we are getting it right in the US.
1
@David, what is the name of the pizzeria in Cadiz? We will be there in July
looks to me like all you can eat for about $150.
want keeps pace with wealth--always.
9
Interesting. That's exactly the kind of pizza oven and pizza being made in the new Whole Foods in Commack, Long Island. They're made on site and "toasted" for two minutes in the igloo oven. Fabulous. You should go review them, too.
16
Sorry, but it seems hilarious that we in the US and New York pay high prices for just regular, fresh, good food: in Europe, this is just normal--with normal prices.
44
@Steven W. Giovinco When you buy that pizza you're paying for not-normal Manhattan rent along with the good, fresh ingredients and labor. I guess hilarious is one word for it.
7
@Steven W. Giovinco Having traveled in Europe, the food prices in most major European cities far surpass the food prices in even Manhattan, even for premium ingredients.
3
@Steven W. Giovinco if you ask pizza nerds, UPN is making a pie that is better than you will find in top places in Naples. So no, its not normal to walk around Italy and eat pizza this good.
2
With apologies to Neopolitan purists, the closer a pizza crust approaches the texture and pliability of naan, the less I enjoy it. I was underwhelmed by Una Pizza’s East Villlage location as well as turned off when I was refused salt. Yes you read that right; I asked for salt and was told no, my pizza has been properly seasoned. Oh vey.
46
@RDA You put salt on pizza?
1
@RDA I was also refused a glass of tap water at the old Una Pizza in the East Village. Even though I had ordered wine, Mangeri insisted that he would only serve pricy bottled water, not free NYC water. That resulted in a call I made to 311 to complain.
5
I enjoyed the old east village location. I’ve left NYC now but I those days were an interesting time of many competing Neapolitan pizzerias. Pizza is amazing in all its wonderful forms and his version is a good one.
3
Maybe they are struggling to do business because they have a very limited menu with high prices for a food item that is not difficult to get in NYC. Once you've gone once or twice and tried the lot, what's the point of going back?
12
@Kevin Really? You eat a delicious thing once and you're done with it? Why go back? To enjoy the food again and again.
9
I’ve never been a fan of Mr. Mangieri’s pizza. Granted, I’ve only eaten at his San Francisco shop and It’s possible that things have improved. What I had resembled an under-baked “Noah’s” bagel with only a slightly less dense crumb.
11
If it’s the best pizza in NYC why just 2 stars? Isn’t affordable food as worthy as tasting menu joints of star ratings? Shouldn’t value have a place in the equation?
21
@Pauline
3 and 4 stars are based on service and the mysterious concept of arrogance and ambiance. Having lived in NYC for 2 years eons ago it seems that New Yorkers enjoy being charged high prices by snooty chefs and treated rudely by demeaning maitre'ds.
In Texas we tend to like good food cooked by smiling people and served by nice folks who appreciate your business. So there !
2
@Benito
Casa Mono has three stars and is at the same price point and service level. A three-star restaurant needs depth and breadth. It needs a wide-ranging menu that shows the full talent of the kitchen. A one-trick pony, no matter how good it is, will never get more than two stars. Sushi, though, seems to be the exception, though. Case in point: Sushi Nakazawa, which serves nothing but sushi (and a granita at the end).
2
@Steven M.
Obviously you're more into gourmet food than I am. You must be doing well financially to be able to afford the high prices as well.
Continued success to you, Bub.
27000 restaurants and one pizza place gets reviewed twice. NY Restaurants probably haven't lost their edge but the NYT restaurant review column most certainly has. If it's not a place paying a public relations firm (Major Food, David Chang, Danny Meyer etc) then apparently it's not getting a review.
60
Thank you!!!
Just like eater.com in small markets. All payola. All advertorial. Articles to the highest bidder and to the largest restaurant companies. Pay to play. Corrupt. Total sham sites with sham writers. And in this case , the Times is months behind on the new critique.
Ps - I really liked una pizza in the lower east side. The pie was delicious and unlike most Neapolitan pizza , it tasted great on takeaway an hour, 3 hours, and even a day later - without being heated up. Any other day-old crust needs to be heated if it’s salvageable at all but that UNA crust was soft and spongey and satisfying the next morning right outta the fridge.
Now that’s a miracle!
4
Amen. This review reads like a very awkward favor being called in.
13
@Nick it certainly seems that way! I feel like I read the same review over and over here each week. Especially when 99% reviewed get the same TWO stars!
1
No thanks. Here on the mainland, I've got great sit down pizza at 089 on Arthur Avenue, Patricia's on Morris Park Ave., Kingsbridge Social Club on Kingsbridge Avenue off 238th, and many more. Dudes: get over yourselves.
20
@Fast Marty - you are missing out if you have not tried louie & ernie's on crosby avenue in the bronx. you will not be disappointed.
1
Always wondered how a single minded obsessive like Mr. Mangieri would operate with partners. I'm sure at first, the idea of someone else handling the non-pizza portions of the menu sounded ideal, but in reality, maybe not so much. And good on Mr. Wells to take the initiative and re-review so quickly to try and preserve this special resource.
7
Sounds great.
I hope though that this is not the critic who reviewed "best slices" in NYC and recommended a pitiful excuse for pizza on the upper east side (one only a critic wowed by "ingredients from Italy" could find appealing).
3
Hmmm. What about mouth feel? You didn’t rate mouth feel.
12
Could we please stop calling pizzas ‘pies’? This is not an Italian practice: a pizza is a pizza.
23
@Thomas This is New York and not Italy. It is a pie.
10
But it is in English.
2
@Thomas
According to the Cube Rule Of Food, pizza is actually toast.
;)
1
My boyfriend and I had a reservation to dine at Una this past Friday night, and spent days drooling over the menu! Wish I could write about how great the pizza was, but as soon as we walked into the restaurant, we were practically attacked by the hostess for arriving a few minutes early. Between her attitude and the 300 degree heat (a broken AC I guess?), we felt like we were at the gates of hell, so we left. Maybe we'll try this place again once the "heat" is contained to the pizza oven...!
29
Seriously??! This is a NYT review(er)? Now I've seen it all...
ps. if you must write about pizza then call it what it is- pizza
10
My goodness, here is a pizza, the one affordable 'meal' of the proletariat masses, has now been dropped in price from $19 to $25 each. I'll retire to Bedlam.
12
@TigerSoul61
Bedlam is closed due to over crowding. And they aren't taking reservations.
2
Wells must be this guy’s cousin. Prohibitively overpriced and, at best, completely forgettable pizza. I could name a half dozen better walking distance from wherever this place lands next.
15
@Sean - Just three should be enough, please. ;-)
7
@Bill Oehler
Umm...how about recommending half a dozen places in walking distance from where is now?
1
The pizza at the original on 12th Street was the best pizza I have ever eaten. Anthony was a wonder of intensity preparing those pizzas and watching him focusing on the dough and the toppings was a delight. We went to the new Una Pizza Napoletana soon after it opened and it was a huge disappointment. Anthony wasn't cooking that night and his replacement produced a much inferior pie. I'm very happy to hear that things have improved and I looking forward to giving it a try.
5
Back in the day there were lines and long wait times for this Pizza, even though the staff had quite the attitude, inflated egos and lack of compassion for their customers. Since the owner left for SF, the city has been flooded with great Neapolitan pizza joints and now when he has made his return it’s no wonder people choose not to go there.
10
@Polar
To paraphrase Seinfeld....it sound like this guy is the "Pizza Nazi"? lol
12
@ Steven M. New York, NY
Sorry, neither my tablet (WiFi), nor laptop (cable) allows me to type my answer below your comment. Am trying it this way.
May I be forgiven for finding it nearly impossible to become enthusiastic for pizzerias. My favorite is home-made pizza, where I am entrusted with placing the individual ingredients, not mixed, in the sectors of the crust circle, before it goes into the oven.
2
Maybe the reason we didn't all flock to Mr. Seeger's restaurant was that the minimum tab for dinner for two was just under $300. And that's without wine! Just because I read the New York Times doesn't mean I'm a member of the 1%.
82
@Paul
The city is TEEMING with restaurants that charge inferior tasting menus for a higher price.
5
@Steven M.
Tasting menus are anathema to eating. The higher prices are a kick in the gut, for good measure.
5
@Steven M. That there are overpriced mediocre restaurants doesn’t mean that I can’t wait to eat at a restaurant where dinner for two with wine, tax and tip costs close to $500.
5
Their reservation system is not working. I tried to reserve within 5 minutes of reading this. There were tables available but when they sent me the confirmation code by text, it would not work even though I entered it correctly. THREE TIMES. I just gave up. If they want to stay in business, they need to have a reliable reservations systems that actually works.
31
I went shortly after they got their first star and thought it the best pies in Manhattan. I'm eager to see how they compare now to Roberta's, which I call the best pies in the five boroughs.
7