PIZZA REVIEW: Zero Otto Nove

My search for the best pizza in New York continues….

Amazingly, I may have visited Zero Otto Nove in the Bronx more than any other pizzeria in the city. That would be strange indeed considering I live nowhere near the Bronx and on many of the visits, I ordered pasta.

However most New Yorkers who find their way up here know that Zero Otto Love has some pizzas not to be missed. And after my Arthur Avenue Food Tour, I rarely resist paying it a visit for lunch.

Named for the area code of his native home of Salerno, Chef and owner Roberto Paciullo focuses on food from that region. He’s somewhat of a legend around Arthur Avenue (the Little Italy of the Bronx) since he owns two other highly acclaimed restaurants (including Roberto) and can often be found shopping for ingredients at the nearby Retail Market.

His food reflects the traditions of Salerno in Southern Italy and I’ve found some very unique dishes at his restaurants (including this pasta cooked in foil)

Walking into the seemingly small storefront, you’d never guess how beautiful the dining room is. It looks like a shady courtyard somewhere in the old country.

Once you get past the awe of the interiors, you’ll notice the wood oven in the center of the room and realize that pizza needs to be on your table.

It makes sense to begin with the Margherita. It’s the standard in my book and it’s the best one I tried here. The stand-out of the pies is the doughy but crunchy crust.

They always came out charred to perfection. Sauce has a lot of flavor and the blobs of mozzarella were fresh and complemented the herbal basil.

The Caprese featured the same masterful crust with seemingly lighter toppings. Here I thought the rich mozzarella on the bottom somewhat overwhelmed the arugula and cherry tomatoes. Maybe it’s how they do it in Salerno, but I thought it could have used a restrained touch.

But the pies here are something not to miss, especially when in the area of the original Bronx location (or their under-the-radar Manhattan site). And believe me, I know, because I’ve been here so much.

Is Zero Otto Nove the best pizza in NY? IT’s certainly the best of the wood-fired Salerno-style which is not too different from Neapolitan. You can’t leave Arthur Avenue without a trip to try the charred margherita pie.  8 out of 10.