Motorino

Cuisine: Pizza
Location: 349 E 12th St b/w 1st & 2nd Ave or 319 Graham Ave @ Devoe St
Phone #: (212) 777 2644 or (718) 599 8899
Method: Eat In and Delivery
Price Range: $$$
Food: A-
Value: C
Service/Atmosphere: B+
Overall Rating: B

As you might have noticed from the first Heady Eats poll (what was your favorite trend this year?), Neapolitan pizza is all the rage lately. Over the past few years there have been a plethora of new spots which serve these wood-fired pies, and they are typically quite proud of their "no slices" motto. You need to sit down and order from a waitress at these types of places and the pies are meant to be eaten one per person (no waiting in line and ordering a slice at the counter from the pizza guy). The restaurant that fits into this category with perhaps the most buzz is Motorino, which was declared "the city's best pizza" in the all important New York Times review and the city's "best new pizzeria" in the 2010 Eat Out Awards by Time Out New York. These are some powerful accolades, and the pizza is absolutely spectacular, but I do have a few gripes.

What I Liked
Let me be clear, the pizza is delicious at Motorino. I have never been to the BK location, but I ate at the Manhattan location and I've had it delivered a few times, and it did not disappoint. You can taste the super high quality of the bread and all the ingredients, no matter which variety of pie you choose. The pies are approximately 12" (4 pretty small slices, about 4-5 bites each) and the crust is literally paper thin. The perimeter of the crust is the most unique part about these pies: it is extremely airy and puffy; it is a really nice touch, especially when compared to the rest of the slice which are incredibly thin. One problem with trying to eat at Motorino is that it is a very small place (less than 10 tables all together) so there is usually a wait. Once you are seated I found it to be somewhat cramped since waiters do need to make their way around the tables and the space is pretty small. They also do not serve liquor, only beer and wine, so plan accordingly. I found the pies to be just as good when delivered as far as retaining their freshness and flavor.

The Margherita ($14) pie has really tasty buffalo milk mozzarella on a thin layer of sweet tomato sauce. Margherita slices are always a good test of a pizza place (Neapolitan or regular) to determine the true taste quality without all the fancy toppings that can distract an eater from a pie's true colors. Although the Margherita was very good at Motorino, it wasn't the best I've had and I was truly disappointed with the fact that I basically just paid $14 for 2 large slices. Without the toppings, a single pie is just not that substantial as far as size goes, and something was missing as far as the flavor. The Cremini & Spicy Sausage ($17) pie was better, not only because it has fantastic sausage and smoked Scamorzza on it, but also because I liked the consistency of it better than the Margherita, probably due to it having more ingredients to hold it all together (the Cremini mushrooms had a strong flavor and it also has Pecorino cheese, garlic and thyme complimenting it as well).

What Could Use Work
The Fire Roasted Mortadella Antipasti ($7) was pretty plain; not sure what I was expecting when I ordered it, but what came out was a pretty skimpy salad with not so special ingredients. Instead of wasting time with the Antipasti items, perhaps it would make the most sense to order 3 pies for 2 people to ensure you fill up (if there's extra just take it home or if it was delivered then just refrigerate it to eat for your daily pizza breakfast the next morning). As a follow up to that statement, the only other thing I'll mention in this section is the cost. It is just a very expensive place for the amount of food you receive. At other Neapolitan places I've tried such as Luzzo's or Pulino's (reviews forthcoming), you might pay the same or even more per pie as Motorino, but at those places you are simply getting much more food. As mentioned above, the pies at Motorino are basically the equivalent of 2 large slices at a "by the slice" place, so that fact is tough to accept when you are paying up to $17/pie (by this metric the equivalent of $8.50/slice). Savor every bite!

Killed It!
Despite the pools of grease that collect in the middle, I love the Soppressata Piccante ($16) pie. There is a generous serving of small slices of Soppressata scattered throughout the pie, and the spiciness of the meat mixed with the mozzarella, garlic, chili and oregano is just spectacular. I am ashamed to admit that I have yet to try the Brussel Sprout ($15) pie at Motorino, which has smoked Pancetta, garlic and Pecorino cheese on it. Based on my newfound love affair with brussel sprouts (see my Westville East review), I can easily see that pie ending up in this section as well once I get a chance to try it out. Stay tuned for that. To sum things up, Motorino is definitely recommended since the quality of the pies are out of this world, but be prepared to not be completely full at the end of your meal as you stare at the bill wondering how you could have possibly just spent that much on a few slices of pizza.