Pie-by-Pie: La Pizza Fresca

The Hungry Goat — August 05, 2009

With the proliferation of Neapolitan-style pizzerias in New York City, the debate over who serves the most authentic, wood-oven baked pizza is as hotly contested as where to get the best slice. With the buzz around heavy-hitting newcomers like Motorino and Kesté swelling, AlwaysHungryNY.com decided to see if an originator of Neapolitan-style pizza in New York City, La Pizza Fresca (restaurant page), still held its own. Renowned for being the first New York City restaurant to become certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana in 1997, the amount of praise that La Pizza Fresca’s pies has garnered is staggering—most recently including mention in New York Magazine’s Top 20 Pies of the Moment. It makes our negative experience there all the more puzzling.

“La Pizza Fresca” (Tomato Sauce, Bufala Mozzarella, Italian Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives, Parmigiano Reggiano, & Basil, $18)

The restaurant’s namesake pizza was its best. The sweet, fruity San Marzano tomato sauce starred, acting as a foil to the briny, whole black olives. Slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella added a subtle tang. A meager scattering of cherry tomatoes makes you wonder why they bothered with them at all. Of course, the real draw of a Neapolitan style pizza is the thin crust, and La Pizza Fresca’s limp, chewy base was dangerously close to that of Franny’s, a problem with every pie.

Quattro Formaggi (Bufala Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina & Parmigiano Cheeses, $19)

Billed as featuring bold cheese, their flavors were muted and overshadowed by heavily charred bubbles in the crust. The plump pieces of mozzarella which featured so prominently in the signature La Fresca pie, had melted into obscurity.

Continue for more pictures of La Pizza Fresca's pies. >>

Top 5: Tarte Flambée

May 27, 2009

Our quest for the city’s best Tarte Flambée was inspired by the Flambé Pizza, a version of the savory Alsatian appetizer at Co., and immediately hit a snag with a disappointing rendition at The Bar Room @ The Modern. Named “flambée,” because it was originally baked by flames in a wood-burning oven, the crust is typically charred and topped with bacon, onions and crème fraîche. Like most traditional dishes, there are countless preparation methods. Some recipes substitute fromage blanc for crème fraîche, some call for puff pastry, others use thin, pizza-like dough, and then there is the debate as to whether the onions should be added raw, lightly sautéed or totally caramelized.

For the sake of our Top 5, the overarching ranking factor considered by the CORE was flavor. Click here to see our Top 5 Tarte Flambée.

Pie-by-Pie: Co.

The Gluttoness & The Hungry Goat — March 24, 2009

Obviously followers of the Pizza Bianca at Sullivan Street Bakery, Jim Lahey’s new pizzeria had the AlwaysHungryNY Council of Eaters eager to try our first pie. Due to the consistently long-lines, we waited until Co. opened for lunch in order to avoid the nighttime madness and slip in for a relaxing afternoon of pizza gluttony. With its modern, industrial aesthetic and boisterous crowd of young-and-old alike, the fun soundtrack set the tone as we were sandwiched between two couples (one of whom was incredibly upset over being charged $54 for 3 glasses of Chardonnay) at the long communal table that runs the length of the restaurant. The special of the day was a “Charcuterie Pie” featuring a sauerkraut base, topped with 3 types of sausage, parmesan, béchamel and spicy mustard. It is important to always note the specials, because when they are well-received, like the Stracciatella, they are added to the daily menu in place of an under-performing pie. Now, to the tasting…

1. Margherita, $13.00 (Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil)

Grade: B

It seemed mandatory to start off with the basic. The crust was airy, charred around the edges and the bottom, and doughy on the inside. The tomato was subtle and sweet. The sparse rounds of cheese were mild, but flavorful. Unfortunately, both combined to create a serious waterlog in the center of the pie. More salt would have brightened the whole experience.

Click here for the rest of the Pie by Pie >>