On the menu at Motorino: One pie covered in prosciutto, the other in white clams.
Despite the naysayers, the food scene is improving on the Upper West Side. And this week, we’re getting some more info on an upcoming pizza restaurant that serves the “city’s best pizza,” the New York Times opines.
As we first learned in May, Motorino will open at 510 Columbus Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets. It will be a snug 600 square feet with about 25 seats, according to Eater.
“[Owner Mathieu] Palombino is installing an Acunto wood fired oven, just like at the other locations. The menu, which features a selection of appetizers as well as doctrinaire Neapolitan pizza, is also expected to be the same as Palombino’s other restaurants. Motorino UWS is slated to open in August, initially offering dinner service, with lunch expected shortly after.”
And yes, they plan to do delivery.
Photo via Motorino.
YES!!!! So excited about this addition to the neighborhood.
youre excited over a pizza shop?? why?
Their pizza is OUTSTANDING!
Why wouldn’t you be? It’s a great new addition to the UWS.
What do you get excited about, derivatives?
I am excited by pizza derivatives. Especially the sauce and cheese. In that, I am a Cheesatarian.
Bagel, bagel, bagel, bagel, BAGEL!!! (Ooops, sorry … this is the pizza bitching thread.)
Some people think pizza is tasty, and the opening of a new pizza shop presents additional opportunities for these individuals to purchase and eat pizza! These consumers might consider this development “exciting”!
I would be excited. With one or two minor exceptions, pizza on the UWS is terrible. (I look forward to your nasty letters and telegrams.)
” the city’s best pizza ” who says ?? Stop beating that dead horse..
I’m dying to know what the delivery zone will be.
…and are reservation taken.
“Son, the third great war broke out over who really makes the best pizza in NY”.
Koronet
Ayone know what happened to the diner that April Bloomfield was supposedly going to open on Amsterdam? I thought it was supposed to open right after the taste of the UWS event.
The last update said August opening.
Moooaaare Pizza pizza pizza.
…pizza.
I’ll take two slices and a soda for about $6 from most neighborhood pizza places (choose your personal favorite – Pizza Pete’s is right there and it is acceptable) vs. paying several times that for “wood fired oven” pizza. But if this makes other people happy and fills an empty store front, I’m happy too.
This looks nice, but what the UWS needs is great *New York* pizza. The greasy, cheesy pizza for a couple of dollars a slice that you can get with sausage or pepperoni. That kind of pizza around here is meh at best.
Now can we please get a decent taco shop? Simple, authentic, Mexican tacos. Not nouveau tacos. TACOS tacos.
I really miss the Mexican place (La Cocina?) that was at 85th and Broadway next to French Roast that became a high end kosher place. Nothing fancy about it, but very solid for tacos, enchiladas and your other Mexican basics at a reasonable price. I agree there is a glut of high end Mexican places (Rosa Mexicano, Dos Caminos) but very few family friendly ones, inexpensive (but not too cheap) ones.
It was La Cocina and I loved it too. I ordered from them all the time.
Great Burrito at 79th and Amsterdam has good tacos. And great guacamole!
Motorino is wildly overrated. I have all the “best” pizzas in NY and most in US and never been so disappointed.
Also, this type of pizza doesn’t do well with delivery so range should be unimportant.
Eh, I’ve had it delivered many times when living/visiting in EV. It’s fine. The margarita may get a little extra soupy in the middle, and I can see why some people might not care for that, but the others hold up well. Even, surprisingly, the brunch/egg-topped pizza.
THAT’S a Comment worth repeating!
Eh, I’ve had it delivered many times when living/visiting in EV. It’s fine. The margarita may get a little extra soupy in the middle, and I can see why some people might not care for that, but the others hold up well. Even, surprisingly, the brunch/egg-topped pizza.
So, which is the best pizza?
Having been to their EV location, I can say without reservation that Motorino is legit.
Then you are the person who’d know. I asked earlier about whether reservations are taken as I prefer hot pizza.
You guys realize that Motorino is Neapolitan style pizza, not NY pizza, right??? This ain’t Pizza Pete’s, and comparing it is like comparing McDonalds burgers to Shake Shack. Both perfectly respectable, with similar ingredients, but fundamentally different products. Both have their time and place.
One 10-12″ pie per person (price point $12-18). NO SLICES! Focus is on the dough. Traditional margherita is very light on the (very high quality) mozzarella and tomato, often a bit “soupy” in the middle requiring fork and knife and not slices. But there’s lots of room for experimentation, and some of the pizzas you may not recognize as pizza. When done well, it’s sublime. But if you’re expecting a slice, or even a Patsy’s or Grimaldi’s style pizza, this is not it.
Although it doesn’t travel as well as regular NY pizza, we’ve had delivery from Don Antonio by Starita (HIGHLY recommended btw) and it’s not too bad.
I’ve been to Motorino in the east village a few times and I like it a lot.
Very informative. I will stop by Don Antonio by Starita on your recommendation. I don’t eat delivered pizza or takeaway (with the exception of eating while on-the-run).
As I came to learn from Sal (or Carmine; it was many years ago). The mozzarella and sauce were being distributed SOLELY by some tough Families to the shops (which explains why they were often indistinguishable). Sal & Carmine resisted, strictly adhering to their mother’s recipe from Italy. There’s lots more to this backstory, but I hope it complements your more recent experience.
We should be able to get a good thin crust pizza delivered here at 74th and Amsterdam – but we can’t. Two Boots won’t come down this far, and Dominos has good crust, but the rest of that pizza is crap. Help me Obi Wan Kenobe, you’re my only hope.
Obi Wan here. The force is weak in this one. Possibly beyond hope.
Domino’s crust is OK? Seriously? Pizza dough is just like any other flatbread, and needs to be cooked on a surface which imparts direct high heat to give it the requisite crispy bottom and soft top. Dominos uses a conveyor belt oven, which does none of this.
For anyone who can differentiate a real pizza from the conveyor-belt crap that the chains sell… For NY style I’d vote for La Traviata, T&R or Freddy&Peppers. My current favorite, surprisingly, is West Side Cafe on 72nd next to Josephs. For a greasy, salty, satisfying NY pizza with a decent undercarriage, theirs is surprisingly good and consistent, plus they’re pretty cheap and deliver reliably and quickly. Give em a shot, tell ’em Obi Wan sent ya, and they’ll throw in a free soda.
For more neapolitan brick oven types, we like Arte Cafe on 74th or Coppola’s on 79th.
Clearly you haven’t ventured north of 96th street, because the best pizza on the UW lives here..(as do the best bagels…)
You had me with: “satisfying NY pizza with a decent undercarriage”, Obi.
Obi Wan, RK, and Westender (and others I may have missed): Thank you for taking the time to share your experience/expertise. The combination of critique, analysis, and recommendation displays a certain cred, that is the mark of Pizza Experts.
I take your generous Comments as community. The proof, as ever, is in the eating. And each is his/her own judge. Thanks for sharing.
Pizza selection on the UWS is actually pretty good (coming from an Italian who knows good pizza). At least it is above 95th street. Motorino is (or at least was) a very good Neopolitan pizza joint — their dough is actually excellent, which is the key. Its a good addition to the UWS, but there is no question that the wait to get in when it finally opens will be at least an hour, likely more. That is too long for me.
OK joe, you got the heritage cred. Do you know if you can avoid the wait by reserving?
No reservations at the EV location. Wouldn’t be surprised if that was the same here. But if there’s a wait, just put your name down and take a nice walk around the ‘hood. Maybe even get a drink somewhere.
I’m looking forward – this is quality pizza if you like this style.
thx. see you there!
I live in the UWS but whenever I’m in the mood for a delicious clam pizza, it’s off to Motorino I go. How great that they will soon have a store open just a few short blocks away from me…I am so happy to learn of this news and can’t wait til they’re open.
Love your enthusiasm!
Enjoy!
Will Gluten-free be an option>
I don’t think so – it’s not on their EV menu and since less than 1% of the population actually needs gluten-free I doubt they’ll add it considering their pies will already be in extremely high demand.
Thank goodness, surprisingly the UWS has few Pizza Shops worth mentioning, most resembling suburban pizza or wanna-be Neapolitan. I believe the best in Manhattan is Bleecker Street Pizza in the West Village followed by Arturo’s on Houston, but one thing is for certain, Downtown has all the great Pizza Shops, they can afford to give up a few. Looking forward to Motorino.
Mezzogiorno’s pizza is terrific. Macchina’s is very good. By the slice, Mama’s on 106 and Amsterdam. The pizza place on Broadway between 103 and 104, I forget the name, is very good too. Sure, Sal and Carmine’s but sometimes the crust is too doughy and the pizza’s too salty.
The Sal & Carmine’s saga continued…
As boys, S&C lived in a small Italian town, subsequently destroyed by volcanic eruption.
Their early experience at their Mamas’ knee came to serve them well in later life. As children they were giving the task of collecting the sticks to fuel the ovens in back of their homes. After many years of apprenticeship, they received instruction in The Art of Pizza.
to be continued…