There's an old saying that refers to conversational etiquette in social
situations, and it goes something like this: "Never discuss religion and
politics."
I think Jesus said it.
It's a useful bit of wisdom, but we'd like to add one thing, based on our own
life experiences: Also never discuss New York pizza. There is hardly a better
way to turn a friend into an enemy in this town than to disagree with them
about who has the best slice or pie, and lord forgive you if you start that
conversation without having been to DiFara.
So as you might expect, we are not here to tell you that Motorino has the best
pizza in New York. We've learned our lesson by now. But we would like to tell
you that Motorino is absolutely incredible, and it is by far our most
frequented pizza joint in the city. It's much easier to get to than the old
school favorites in Brooklyn, and it's also much easier to get a seat. And
when the craving hits for Motorino's perfectly chewy, perfectly charred, puffy
crust, the last thing you want to do is wait two hours for it.
That's not to say that you won't wait at Motorino - we're definitely not the
only ones that have such fond feelings for this place. But you can give the
host your name and phone number and head down the street for a drink until
your table is ready. If that doesn't work for you, Motorino also delivers
well. Find a friend who lives nearby and invite yourself over for dinner. Just
remember what we said at the beginning of this review. You can eat the pizza -
just don't discuss it.
Food Rundown
Meatballs
Motorino does some mean meatballs, and you should start your meal off with an order.
Fennel Salad
A tremendous little salad, with thinly sliced fennel, orange, and olives. Also
a good way to get your meal rolling.
Margherita
A Motorino pizza is really all about the crust, and the margherita is a
perfect example of that. This is no different than any other margherita in
town, other than that the simple ingredients are sitting atop a charred,
puffy, chewy cloud from heaven. So good.
Soppressata Piccante
Easily the best pie at Motorino, and definitely one of our favorite pies in
town. The soppressata is salty and spicy, and there's a perfect balance of
cheese to sauce. Just be warned - this thing brings the heat.
Cherry Stone Clam
We love clams on pizza, and this is a perfect example of how it's done right.
As clam pie enthusiasts (you're sick) might expect, there's no tomato sauce on
this guy. Instead it's topped with butter, parsley, and olive oil. So yeah,
it's a healthy lunch. There's also lots of lemon in the mix, which cuts
through all that fat and makes the clams taste even better. A must order.
Brussels Sprouts Pizza
Look how far the brussels sprout has come. Once the butt of every 1970's
television sitcom joke, this vegetable is now not only on every restaurant
menu in New York City, it's on fcking pizza. And you know what? Motorino
makes it seem like it belongs there. This pie is piled high with sprout
leaves, along with a whole bunch of really smoky smoked pancetta and some
mozzarella. Let's be clear about something - this is not a salad sitting on
top of crust. This is a hearty meal with lots of flavor, and it's a Motorino
classic.