Posto Thin Crust Pizza

 

Yesterday wasn’t much fun, as my girlfriend was at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases having shoulder surgery. (She’s doing just fine, but it’s a painful operation.) The day’s lone bright spot was lunch at Posto Thin Crust Pizza.

I can’t compare Posto to other places, as I don’t eat pizza on a regular basis—my waistline just won’t tolerate all those carbs and calories. But if I were a pizza guy, I have to think that Posto would be near the top of my list. A number of other bloggers evidently think so (Mona’s Apple, Lulu Loves Manhattan), and it’s had good write-ups in New York and the Village Voice. The folks at 10best.com rate Posto the city’s 10th-best pizzeria.

The rustic décor festures a tile floor, wooden tables, exposed brick, and a low tin ceiling. There is also outdoor seating in the summertime. Service was just fine, but I was there at an odd hour, so it wasn’t very busy. They deliver anywhere between Fifth Avenue and the East River, from 14th–26th Streets. The same team also own Gruppo on Avenue B between 11th and 12th Streets, and Vezzo at 31st & Lex, both with substantially the same menu.

The main event here is thin-crust pizza, which means crust the thickness and crispness of a Ritz cracker. You can start with a 9-inch ($6) or 16-inch pie ($12) and choose your toppings ($1.00–2.50 each for the smaller size, $2–5 for the larger). Or, you can choose from one of the special house pies ($9–11 in the small size, $18–22 in the large). There are also salads and appetizers ($5–12). Iced tea and lemonade are home-made, and I counted around a dozen wines by the glass.

I chose a pizza called The Big Pineapple ($10 in the personal size), which comes with marinara sauce & cheese, fresh pineapples, fresh tomatoes, smoked bacon, and fresh basil. It had a fresh, lively taste, and thanks to the thin crust, I didn’t feel over-stuffed after I’d finished it. The thin-crust pizza cooks quickly too, so I wasn’t kept waiting for very long.

Posto is pretty far away from my usual stomping grounds, but I’d gladly go back if I’m ever in the neighborhood again.

Posto (310 Second Avenue at 18th Street, Gramercy/Stuyvesant Square)

Food: ★
Service: ★
Ambiance: ★
Overall: ★