It’s been a while since I last wrote on here but it’s been a very busy 2021 so far! I got a new job and moved to New York City and have spent the past few months getting acclimated to my new life. I promise I’ll give an in depth update later, but for now I have a new challenge for myself.
I’ve challenged myself to try one new local restaurant every week to support local businesses and find the best places the city has to offer. I’ve been here four months and have fallen into the habit of frequenting the same places, and they’ve all been pretty much corporate chains…yikes, I know. So instead of hitting up Chick-fil-a or sweetgreen once a week, I want to really branch out and try as many restaurants as I can since there are just so many to choose from in NYC.
To start off my challenge, I chose a local spot, literally right around the corner from my apartment, called San Matteo Pizza and Espresso Bar. I walk past it almost every day and have been wanting to try it but have found excuses not to.
I walked up with Millie, my favorite date and pizza connoisseur, around 6:30pm and found it mostly empty. The server greeted us super nicely and had us sit on the covered deck just outside the door. She immediately took a liking to Millie and brought us both water, which is always nice when you don’t have to ask for water for your dog.
To drink I got a glass of rosé, which they filled generously. It was good but nothing special, just a house wine situation. I then ordered a Buffalo mozzarella caprese salad to start, a diavola pizza, and gnocchi alla sorrentina. The waitress looked at me like I was insane for ordering three dishes for myself, but I wanted to try a bit of everything and I'm always up for a challenge!
The caprese salad was amazing, and unlike what you might be used to. They really let the Buffalo mozzarella shine by giving a generous portion and having small piles of a mix of cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and basil on the sides. It was so good together and an interesting but perfect presentation. Everything about it was perfect. And they gave me a little brown paper bag with pieces of fresh Italian bread to go with it, which is always a nice bonus. I would absolutely order again.
Rating: 10/10
I ordered the Diavola pizza because I wanted to branch out a little from the basic margherita pizza I would usually get. It was just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and spicy sopressata sausage. The dough is truly the star here because it had the crisp from the oven but was still chewy and doughy without being undercooked. It definitely reminded me of the pizza I ate in Rome. And Millie definitely enjoyed the crust so she gives it a high rating as well :). I liked it but would probably try one of their many other pizzas next time. It was good but sort of generic and nothing that really stood out (other than the crust).
Rating: 8/10
I had read on some Yelp reviews that the pasta is pretty good here, so I went ahead and ordered one of the two pastas on the menu: the gnocchi alla sorrentina. It’s literally just gnocchi in red sauce baked with mozzarella on top. Which is HEAVENLY. I’ve had the dish quite a few times from different places and I mean what’s not to like about a baked gnocchi with melted gooey mozzarella??? I was definitely already pretty full but still able to eat some of it, so I could try it when it was fresh. It wasn’t anything super mind-blowing and not the best gnocchi alla sorrentina I’ve had, but if you’re not in the mood for pizza it would be a good option. Again, not super exciting and I don’t think I’d order it if I returned because I’d want to focus on the pizza, but still not a bad dish. Plus, I have lots leftover and I look forward to eating it for lunch :)
Rating: 6/10
Overall, I really love the vibes of this cozy neighborhood joint and the pizza is some pretty authentic stuff. Also, anywhere with high-quality ingredients (like buffalo mozzarella) is going to be pretty great. The friendly service really boosted my experience too. Every time the servers passed our table they stopped to pet Millie and ask me about her and make fun small talk, which I really appreciated as someone dining alone. Really loved them and enjoyed the whole meal. I will definitely recommend this place for a good, authentic Italian pizza and stellar neighborhood staple restaurant.
My overall rating is an 8/10 because the service was excellent and the food was good! If I return I’ll definitely be trying some different pizzas :)
Stay tuned next week to see the next place I cross off my list!
(Menu pictured below if you want to get a sneak peek before heading there! This is only one side but it's the pizza which is the most important part IMO)
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