image via cityentree.com
I’ve been hearing about Arturo’s for as long as I’ve lived in NYC and for good reason… this place has been an institution in Greenwich Village for going on fifty years and shows no signs of changing or slowing down.
Usually I schedule client meetings at the client’s place of business but I wanted to get this particular client out of “the office” for a change of scenery and treat him to pizza. So last week, on one of the many scorching summer nights we’ve had this year, we headed for Arturo’s for their pizza and cool a/c blowing throughout the joint.
6pm is a little early for dinner here in the city and so we were ushered right into a table (I’ve heard of hour-two hour waits before). The place was barely populated with a few families with small children or older regulars bellied up to the bar listening to the sweet serenade coming from near the kitchen where a woman was tickling the ivories for the night. I kept thinking… this is sooo New York as regulars were greeted with big hugs and even bigger smiles and a jovial atmosphere surrounded our table.
*Arturo’s Feast*
True New York Pizza elicits a barrage of contention over what is the best, what is truly “New York,” blah blah blah. Whatever your preferred style is you’ve gotta try the pie here. The pizza menu is fairly straight forward with create your owns and a few special pies….we ordered “Arturo’s Feast,” which comes packed with onion, pepper, sausage and mushrooms. The crust is perfectly crisp with a great char on the bottom, the sauce is delicate and balanced, and the melted cheese envelopes every topping so that each bite is terrific. I’m not really picky about my pizza… ok wait I won’t pick up the 99 cent slices you see all over 6th Avenue, but I gotta say… it’s a solid pizza and a must for any pizza lover.
Side note… I’ve been told their Italian menu is full of great items but I was only in the mood for pizza that night. Simply put, Arturo’s is an edible institution in the Village that will never, ever go out of style!
Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza and Restaurant
106 West Houston Street (between Thompson Street and LaGuardia Place)
