The restaurant was pretty empty upon our arrival but all looked promising with a big coal oven, free to view in the back of the long narrow restaurant. Brick walls (don't know if they were real or not) made the place felt cozy and inviting. Also of note were the three or so massive jars of Nutella. Yeah, just stick your finger in that! I don't think they served any other purpose than to attract attention. Our waiter and the owner was more than friendly, enthusiastically sharing both suggestions and stories. He was particularly eager to remind us that Martha Stewart had featured the restaurant in one of her shows (which, of course resulted in naming one of their specialties the Martha - yes we ordered it!).
To begin, a simple basket of bread with a thick, crisp crust, and an airy light and yeasty interior. I was able to stop myself at a single slice because greater, tastier things were sure to come.
An appetizer of fried calamari fared on the boring side, though just right in chew. It could have been greatly improved from more seasoning in the batter. The marinara sauce, though, had the perfect tang and sweetness to it. Just imagine if you had a hot buttery slice of garlic bread to dip. Mmm.
The Frito Napoli was a very attractive appetizer. It included an assortment of breaded, deep fried goodness - a risotto-like rice ball, logs of cheese, and potato balls. In the center, a cut of bruschetta with baby tomatoes. Adorable! Everything was so perfectly shaped, I can see myself being easily fooled into thinking it was fake. The potato ball was my favorite of the trio, but then again it's hard not like to fried anything! I'm naturally attracted to anything that has that play of soft and warm with crisp and crunchy. Everything aside from the cheese log was underseasoned, like the calamari, but the crust was something worth swooning over. It was tightly packed, but thin, like a crackly shell. It refused to crumble apart with a bite, holding onto it's hot crunch of integrity.
Lo and behold, let the pizza feast begin! Credit goes to Robyn for her picture of this Pizza Ortolano. Rustic and earthy looking with beautiful slices of mozzarella, mushrooms, eggplant and a fizzle of radicchio and basil. What's not to like? All that fresh cheese mingling in your mouth with bites of mushrooms over a charred crust...
As simple as you can make it. The Bufala di Mozzarella, the most basic pie topped with buffalo's mozzarella. I haven't seriously considered different versions of mozzarella (gasp - this will be taken care of in the near future :)), but hell, I know what I like when I taste it! I would describe it as very subtle yet creamy and just soft and "filling" in the mouth.
This picture of the Pizza Marinara is complements of Allen's Flickr (doesn't it seem like everyone but me is capable of taking pictures? lol). Hahha, ooh anchovies. I really like anchovies. And due to a polite demand of "extra anchovies" we got a pie full of these fishy salty creatures - delish! There was also plenty of olives as you can see. Add in oregano and a heavy hand of garlic and it's the ultimate mouth stinker. Most delicious.
This is the one we've all been waiting for. THE MARTHA. White truffles and truffle oil with prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella. I think it was my favorite (if I was FORCED to pick), but I'm afraid I'm saying that just because it came with truffles :) So I don't know. Don't make me. I like them all...especially this one. My first taste of prosciutto came from the sample counter at Zabars a long while back. It was crazy. The damn thing literally melted in my mouth. Glorious, salty, smooth, and yes, creamy. I cannot recall the brand (forgive me, I was "lost" in those preteen years) but I remember going back for more and more samples until I got the evil glare. One sample too many? But back to the Martha, the prosciutto wasn't nearly as good, but truffles on layered on melted mozzarella and hot bread brought out some wild animal instinct in me. I never ate so quickly before. I wanted to taste it, everything! So it wasn't a rich shaving of truffles (we also weren�t paying the price for rich shavings) but it was enough. Just a taste :)
As a whole, I had issues with the crust. It wasn't crispy like Lombardi's but not thick like Zachary's in Berkeley. It was just kind of...floppy with a bit of a crisp. Not bad but any mean, but you know, pick one or the other please. But the toppings reflected quality and care and came in desirable proportions - you know, when there's not too much, but just enough to leave you craving for more.
The lunch alone pleased my taste buds but the fact that I was there with others who also share and understand this crazy passion for food made everything all the more delicious. It's all about the enthusiasm and gusto. All this energy channeled into the sheet excitement and joys of eating. It makes so happy in ways difficult to describe in words. It gives you energy! When I'm eat with people who love to eat, I never want to leave. Utopia, anyone?
Luzzo�s Ristorante
211 1st Avenue
NY, NY 10003
(212) 473-7447
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