Grimaldi’s in West Village - possibly the best pizza in town
Upon walking in, there was a bustle in the air that made it sound like Friday night. Conversation, people, food, the TV in the background - it was all flowing that gave an energy to the place I really liked and hadn’t felt in a while. Some places are too staid with atmosphere and other try too hard to be casual. This got it just right and in a way that felt as it was almost by accident.
Despite being seated at a two-seater too small table in a banquet room just slightly off kilter from the main room, the energy bubbled into our alcove and soon we had tables around us that had filled up. While there was no bread basket available (complimentary or to order - grrr), we started out with a Caprese Salad, tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil with oregano and olive oil. The cheese was divine and while I’m not a tomato fan, they had good flavor. Grimaldi’s loves them some basil so the scent in the air as the salad came was pleasant and kept us hungry.
We ordered a large regular pizza with toppings of pepperoni, Italian sausage and fresh garlic. We were sticking to the plainer side of pizza because personally, I think that’s the benchmark. If they can pull that off, then they can probably do the other selections of white and pesto pizzas just as well. We conversed, waited, conversed, picked at the salad, waited, then waited and finally, a server brings a delicious looking pie to our table. It turns out, it was the table’s next us. Sigh. So more waiting occurred until a manager came to report that our pizza had been burned in their signature coal oven, they were getting it out and that dessert was on them. Surprisingly patient as we were, we nodded and waited.
I’d like to say we waited about 45 minutes from the time that we ordered but when the pie came out, it’s bubbling beauty was a sight and smell to behold. It was oh-so pretty. Pizza is probably my favorite food and the sheer style of this thin crusted pie with a beautiful blanket of glistening mozzarella, mountainous texture of meat and an aroma to die for made everything forgivable.
The slices are a bit big and I had to sacrilegiously cut the first bite with a fork instead of wrangle it with my mouth from the floppy slice. But as that first piece met my taste buds, I had to have a moment. If my taste buds were on EHarmony, this pizza would have been their perfect match. While nothing overpowers the rest, each ingredient is flavorful and apparent and sublimely fresh. I could almost get high off the tasty bouquet of the pizza. It is simply, to die for. While hot enough, the roof of my mouth was never in fear of a cheesy burn. The crust, complete with oven residue on the bottom was a perfect crisp when not weighed down toward the center with ingredients.
It was so good we went back two days later. We added ricotta cheese to the mix which was not the greatest idea. It made for a more gooey texture which I didn’t like all that much but the same outstanding qualities the first pizza had were there.At least they are consistent.
Save for maybe their service. Both times we noticed some scattered server. Ours on Friday night seemed to forget us at times and on Sunday, a server had given one table the wrong pizza. Oh wait, that happened to us too. Their friendliness almost makes up for it. But if it’s more than one, it makes me wonder if management is so strict it freaks them out. Bill Addison at DMN had a better experience. Maybe we should go with him!
But the scatter-brained coup d’etat (sp?) was the free dessert from the first night. They kept pushing the Godiva chocolate cheese cake which sounded of rich delightful-ness. I opted for that while the date selected a cannoli. They packaged them to go and off we went with leftover pizza and two fresh desserts. I was having visions of chocolate goodness when we decided to open our desserts at home for a late night treat only to find they had given us two cannolis. D’oh!
The cannolis were pretty good and the sweet ricotta cream inside was perfect. But it wasn’t Godiva chocolate.
I used to think Pastazio’s was the best in town but Grimaldi’s, despite its flaws, has won themselves a fan for life.
