Today is pay day which means I was already in a good mood. Of course, I also got to spend the whole day looking forward to a complimentary pizza dinner, so even the muggy grey weather couldn’t totally kill my spirit. I realized I had never invited Christina to come to an event with me, so I asked if she and Rob wanted to come. Dre was coming too. We got to SRO (Single Room Occupancy, named for the small 24 seat space I’m guessing) around 6:45 and got to sit down right away. It is really whimsical that this place is a “speakeasy”--AKA you have to walk through Gia Trattoria to get there. As in, you have to know it’s there. I love secrets and restaurants-within-restaurants and back rooms and hidden doors so I’m into this. However, it probably makes it hard and confusing for tourists or first-timers. Luckily for us, Flora was at the door so that made it easy to tell. After we walked in I snagged a glass of Pinot Gris but it was pretty sweet, so later I switched to the Chardonnay. Almost immediately some pizza came!
Look at this beauty:
This is the Avenue B: Brussel sprouts, pancetta, garlic and bufala mozarella. This was Christina’s favorite one, and I liked it because it was the only one we ate that really had vegetables. The Brussels added a nice crunch and some much-needed levity. One other note about all the pizzas is that they are built upon a perfect crush. It’s a thin crust but think enough to not dissolve under the weight of the rich and buttery cheeses most come drenched in. That’s so important! The pliability of the crust made these bite sized slices easy and nice to hold, instead of falling apart in your hand.
Next we got our appetizer, which may have been slightly out of order but we didn’t care! I am always happy to see a burrata. This is another dish I never had until I moved to New York. My first was at Fort Defiance, I think back when Adam Baumgart who is now at Houseman worked there. Adam has pretty much never made a dish I don’t love, but this burrata came mid-summer and felt like a masterpiece. The main components of this decadent cheese appetizer are mozarella and cream, though you can add other things. The one SRO served came courtesy of Caseificio Cioffi, and was served with sungold tomatoes and basil infused olive oil. I got it into four very fair pieces and we inhaled it in seconds.
It may look a little weird, but trust me on this one. It’s heavenly.
Other favorites were SRO’s signature “deep fried pizza” and the Uptown pizza which the menu identified as a (secret pizza). It had black truffle cream, bufala mozzarella and sliced summer truffle. I already said I love secrets so that’s probably why this one was a highlight. I also love truffles, but I’d never had them served sliced like this, almost like a pepperoni or something. I think I prefer truffle oil actually, because the truffle texture is a little mealy. These truffles are from the URBANI collection. I imagined what it must be like to know enough about truffles to discern what collection they were in or what varietal they were. I feel gleeful when I get to have truffles at all, let alone know their source. Here’s the Uptown:
Notice how the edges of the truffle slice are dark? That’s the dark exterior.
The Montanara “fried pizza” might have been my favorite simply because it feels so playful. Basically, the dough is flash-fried first, then they put the simple toppings of tomato sauce, mozarella and basil, and put it in the oven. This crust is already great, and it tastes even better fried. I think if the toppings weren’t so simple, it wouldn’t work, but they are and it does. The SRO pizzaiolo (read: pizza chef) Giulio Adriani came by to see how we were enjoying the summer menu. If his name sounds familiar, it should, he used to helm Forcella before opening this place and is a world champion of pizza. WORLD CHAMPION. I don’t know how you earn that, but I would love to be one of the judges who helps decide. I asked him how he got the idea to deep fry the dough first. He said it was already a practice in Napoli, and that all good ideas about pizza originated there. I asked if he was from Napoli and he said yes, so that settled that. I have been to Florence, Milan, Rome and Tuscany, but now, I must go back to Italy to visit the real home of pizza. Forcella used to serve the Montanara but he’s continued the tradition since opening SRO in January.
Here’s the Montanara:
@sropizza's monumental Montanara pizza. Flash-fried dough baked with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Bellissima! 🍕
A photo posted by nyc chomp (@nycchomp) on Jun 15, 2015 at 4:57pm PDT
We also tried the Prince St: Bufala mozzarella, gorgonozola, fontina and truffle honey. This one was almost too cheesy but the truffle honey next to the salty gorgonzola was my favorite flavor pairing. I love sweet and salty mixed together. Overall, I absolutely would come back. The vibe was awesome inside with lots of old New York decor and gorgeous wood. Even though it was spacious, the place also had an intimate, communal feel. We got to sit in a huge booth meant for six people and it was incredibly comfortable. If there had been six of us instead of four, I think it still would have been. One drawback, I didn’t like my Pinot Gris and when I tasted Christina’s Montepulciano it was not the greatest either. I didn’t see a Chardonnay or a MP on the actual menu though, so I’m guessing they used bottom shelf for the event since it was all comped. But if you do come back and want wine, go for a higher price point or you might be disappointed. The menu can also change daily, so be prepared for variety. Based on the several I tried, you really can’t go wrong here. You’re in the hands of a champion. Oh, and do get the burrata.
