New York City is a big place with a lot of big food. When I hear that a restaurant has "the best" of something I'm usually a little skeptical and, as much as I love to eat, I am in no way a connoisseur of any particular type of food; if it tastes good, I'll eat it.
My friend Jake is the ultimate persnickety eater and drinker. On a recent trip to a pub, he took it upon himself to educate the bartender on the sub par pint of Boddingtons she poured, pointing out that this particular establishment was not using the required nitrogen in its tap. So when I got the word that we would be lunching at Keste Pizza & Vino, recently written up in Time Out as having the best pizza in The City, I knew we were in for a little adventure and a lot of gastronomic critique.
On this beautiful NYC afternoon we headed over and arrived at the appropriate lunch hour of 1:15. Outside the restaurant were crowds of people waiting for their spot in the relatively small dining space. We put our name on the list and headed over to a nearby pub for a quick brew. Half an hour later we returned but our seats had been given away and we were asked, ever so politely, if we would mind waiting another 20 minutes. Not at all.
Finally seated, we ordered the classic Margherita pizza and a Rustica salad. Within minutes the gorgeous pizza was presented at our table. We seized ourselves and then dug in.
It must be said that this pizza making can be a complicated business. When making the authentic Neoplitan variety, there are strict standards involved. The pizza maker, a Pizzaioli, must be certified by the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, the elite organization that maintains strict guidelines on the ingredients and preparation of Neopolitan pizza. They also require that all pizza be made in a dome shaped, wood burning oven that burns at a staggering 800F!
Upon first bite you are struck with how light this pizza is. Then you're hit with the sweetness of the sauce with just a hint of tart and tang; it was the freshest tomato sauce I've ever tasted on pizza. The cheese was perfectly melted and the basil was fresh and flavorful. The famous crust was delicious; airy, soft and chewy with just enough char on the edges. The center of the pizza is a little wet, requiring this type of pie to be eaten with a knife and fork. The Rustica salad of greens with artichokes and prosciutto was the perfect companion to our pizza.
I haven't eaten at enough specialty pizzerias to know if this is actually "the best" in New York City but I can tell you that Keste served us a beautiful lunch that tasted divine and pleased the persnickety partaker. I would not hesitate to return in a heartbeat.
