Katie Reisert — August 20, 2009

Kesté, This Is It

In Neapolitan dialect, ‘keste’ is said to translate to “this is it.” It’s an apt name considering that when it comes to pizza, the new West Village spot, Kesté Pizza & Vino, has been on a roll. New York Magazine listed it as number one of “The City’s Top Twenty Pies of the Moment,” and TimeOut New York recently rated it first on their list of Best New Pizza in NYC.

Kesté is daringly located in a narrow space on Bleecker Street across from a pizza institution, John’s of Bleecker Street. The design inside is simple and modern— exposed brick walls, small wooden tables, and framed black and white photos— but décor is secondary to the true showpiece, the large brick oven at the back. There’s a lively atmosphere, fueled by a stream of servers dashing past from the open kitchen with steaming hot, fresh pies.

Pizzas are served in the traditional personal pan style. The crust is perfectly airy—doughy, with just the right amount of chew and the sauce is light and sweet. It shouldn’t be surprising that the ratios are accurate as pies are made by Roberto Caporuscio, the president of the American chapter of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani.

Topping portions are generous without overwhelming the well-seasoned, flavorful dough. Ingredients and flavor combinations are classic and straightforward. There were enough sweet, roasted cherry tomatoes on a Pomodorini e Provola to have some in each bite. Fragrant truffle sauce and salty prosciutto pervaded each mouthful of the Pizza del Re. But after several visits, the most amazing pie was a special, the Burrata Pizza. When served on the hot dough this extra creamy mozzarella makes for a wonderfully rich, cheesy mess.

There’s a lot of hype around pizza in New York City in general these days, but as it turns out, when it comes to Kesté, there’s good reason.