There is a massive divide between different styles of pizza: the thick deep cut of a Chicago pie, the charred yet soft dough on a proper Neapolitan pie, and that classic New York slice on the go.
As someone who is from New York City but has lived in Naples, one could successfully argue I’m a pizza snob. I’ve gotten spoiled with two of the best pizza cities in the world, and it’s both a blessing and a curse. I’m now much pickier when it comes to choosing my pizza, and though I used to say nothing could beat a proper New York slice, my time spent in Naples has shifted my views ever so slightly.
Now, when I’m back home in New York, I know what to look for when it comes to a proper Neapolitan pie, and unfortunately, most restaurants in NYC miss the mark entirely. However, fortunately, a few do not. So, when I want a slice of Napoli in New York City, here’s where I go.
Fornino
A mix of pizza and cocktails at Fornino
(Gregory DelliCarpini Jr.)
Fornino took me by surprise in the best way possible. I visited Fornino as my first pizzeria stop on my first trip back to New York after living in Naples. It’s not that I had low expectations, I knew Fornino was good because I had been there before. But I had never pieced together that Fornino actually makes a proper Neapolitan-style pie.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and that’s why I absolutely love their margherita. Fornino uses a wood-fired oven and even has a dedicated section to Naples on the menu. It’s hard to miss the influence, but it’s easy to find it on your plate: soft, chewy crust with those black specks from the char of the oven, stretchy mozzarella, and a perfectly tangy sauce. It’s now the first pizza I crave every time I come back from Italy.
Don Antonio
Eating the montanara classica at Don Antonio with a cocktail
(Kaitlyn Rosati)
Oh, my dear Don Antonio. I love this place.
Run by Giorgia Caporuscio of Terracina, Italy, Don Antonio achieves something that I’ve never seen done properly outside of Naples: monatanara-style pizza. While everyone knows of Naples’ classic wood-fired pies, most do not know of Naples’ deep history with fried street food, and that includes “montanara” pizza, which is formatted like a typical pizza, only with fried dough.
Don Antonio makes a monatara-style pizza so good, that, dare I say, I have yet to find one that matches its supremacy even in Naples. And I’ve tried it at some of the best, including Starita Pizzeria in the Materdei district. What makes the montanara a true standout at Don Antonio is that, despite the dough being fried, Caporuscio bakes it off on a piping hot oven for just a few seconds to ensure that grease evaporates, creating an incredible crispy-on-the-outside but soft-and-chewy-on-the-inside dough that is a bite I frequently dream of. Plus, with smoked mozzarella, hand-crushed tomatoes, torn basil, and a nice drizzle of their chili oil, the quality of the ‘za at Don Antonio shines, likely because all of their ingredients are imported from Italy.
Unregular Pizza
While not a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria by any means, Unregular Pizza takes us to a different city in Italy: Rome! Run by Roman native Gabriele Lamonaca, Unregular Pizza in Union Square makes one of the only proper Roman-style pizza al taglio in all of New York. This is many thanks to letting the dough ferment for 72 hours and baking the pies in custom cast-iron pans, creating that typical crunchy crust and airy chew. Unregular Pizza lives up to its name with funky toppings, veering from the typical, which is a common theme in actual pizzerias in Rome. Where Naples is a purist, Rome is experimental. At Unregular Pizza, you can find anything from ‘nduja to an entire ball of burrata on your slice, but the small pizzeria also often features typical Roman toppings like thinly sliced potatoes and rosemary.