DISH OF THE WEEK in New York: When Peter Luger Goes Out For Pizza at HEARTWOOD

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

SADLY, HEARTWOOD IS NOW CLOSED.

There’s a specific pizza slice in New York City that foodies go crazy for and somehow always ends up on best pizza lists across the city. Truthully, I find it almost repulsive and I never want to put myself through the feeling of having a heart attack again. It’s the infamous artichoke slice from Artichoke Pizza and it’s basically globs of greasy spinach artichoke dip on top of pizza. Perhaps I’ve never been drunk enough to understand the appeal.

So I was a little skeptical when Heartwood opened in the former Donatella space serving high-end, unconventional pizza from a wood oven and featured a pizza with a creamed spinach base. When Peter Luger Goes Out For Pizza is the pizza that has been getting quite a bit of acclaim here so I was eager to try it. But I was scared – I didn’t want another heart attack. I asked the waitress how rich this pizza was and she wasn’t sure how to answer the question. Fair enough. She didn’t want to commit me to something I would regret. Anyway, I decide to take the plunge.

And I’m so glad I did. This was nothing like Artichoke’s gutbomb. It was actually sort of light and refined. Named for the famous steakhouse in Brooklyn, it gets as close to those flavors on a pizza as possible and justifies the expensive $22 price tag. The tender short rib nuggets are both fatty and browned, drizzled with potent horseradish cream, and siting on a layer of restrained creamed spinach. I didn’t even realize this pie was missing cheese.

All of the decadent flavors of a NY steakhouse lived on that pie, which featured a perfectly charred tender crust. The guys at Artichoke should come see how it’s done. Ok, maybe this pizza will still give me a heart attack, but it will be a lot less noticeable and much more pleasant.