Josh and I spent one Saturday afternoon perusing the vegetables at the Union Square Greenmarket and then wandered southward in search of a late lunch. We tossed back and forth several different options but couldn’t decide, until we hit Washington Square Park and realized we were just around the corner from Otto.
We had eaten at Otto one time previously, on a Sunday night with Josh’s family, but that was a few years ago. Pizza sounded good to both of us so we headed in. It was that weird time between lunch and dinner so there were plenty of tables available in the restaurant, but it was also surprisingly crowded given the late/early hour. We settled down and munched on some slices of rustic peasant bread and grissini while we looked over the menu. The grissini are pre-packaged but the bread had a thick, chewy crust and a nice slight sourdough flavor to it. Make sure to ask for some fruity olive oil to dip the bread in.
Bread and grissini
Although Otto has wonderful pasta, Josh and I were both in the mood for pizza so we decided to split two pies. The hardest part was deciding which ones to get, because there are lots of options to choose from. We ended up picking a classic margherita and a mushroom pie with taleggio cheese. We also decided to share a roasted brussels sprout antipasti that was perfectly cooked, nicely tangy, and not too bitter.
Brussels sprout antipasti
The pizzas at Otto have a super thin crust that are surprisingly still a bit chewy, not like the cracker thin bar pies. The pizzas aren’t huge, but they’re not tiny either. Someone with a somewhat hearty appetite could finish one pie by him/herself.
Margherita D.O.P.
The margherta d.o.p. looked beautiful, as it was covered in a brilliantly colored red sauce, neat little dollops of buffalo mozzarella, and bright green basil leaves, but I thought there was too much sauce and not enough cheese. The cheese was surprisingly creamy, not stringy, with a noticeable gaminess to its flavor.
Lots of sauce, a little cheese
The crust was a golden brown on the bottom, but not burnt (I hate super dark brown spots), and crackly on the outer edge.
Underside shot
The mushroom and taleggio pizza gave off an incredible earthy scent. There was no sauce on the pie but it was completely covered in mushrooms, with the cheese melted underneath. Fresh parsley leaves topped it all off.
Funghi & Taleggio
The taleggio had a buttery flavor that paired perfectly with the mushrooms. I loved how savory it tasted, and it was a nice departure from the typical pizza.
Lots of mushrooms and parsley
While Josh and I both think that the pizza at Otto isn’t as good as some other places (like Lombardi’s), it’s a really well done gourmet pie at a very reasonable price. In fact, the entire menu is very affordable, not something you would expect from a Mario Batali restaurant. The vegetable antipasti are only $4 each, salads are just $8, pastas are $9, and pizzas range from $7-$14. There’s a lot to choose from and everything is freshly prepared. The restaurant is quite large with multiple rooms, and nice warm atmosphere. There’s also a spacious bar area in front, perfect for having some wine and nibbling on some meat and cheese antipasti platters. There are also lots of sorbets and gelatos available for dessert, including my personal favorite, olive oil gelato. This is definitely a place worth checking out.
Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria
1 Fifth Ave. at 8th St.
New York, NY
Tags: Greenwich Village, Pizza