REVIEW: Mariella's Pizza (8 Av / 57 St), D'Aiuto's (8 Av / 30 St)

[Das Ubergeek]

Only in New York does the following need absolutely no explanation:

"NEXT!"

"Two cuts sausage diet to stay."

"Seven. NEXT!"

***[translation below for the Gothamically challenged]***

"May I help the next customer in line, please?"

"Yes, hello, how are you doing today? Terrible weather, isn't it -- just absolutely pouring down rain. I'd like to have two slices of pizza with Italian fennel sausage and a glass of Diet Coke, and a table at which to eat them, please."

"Certainly. That will be seven dollars, please, sir; take any table that's free. Thank you for your patronage. May I help the next customer in line, please?"

***[end translation]***

This was the scene at Mariella's Pizza, 8 Av at 58th. The owner was busy screaming at a new employee in the most unbelievably fast mishmash of Spanish, English and Italian, and screaming at another kid in Italian to get the first one to listen up.

I said my piece (above) and got two slices of very good New York pie. The crust was crispy enough, the turnover high enough even at 1:15 PM that the pizzas were still fresh and warm from their original trip to the oven, the sauce tangy and the sausage fennelly and delicious (and, importantly to me anyway, SLICED and not crumbled). Size was perfect for folding, it wasn't too oily, and the condiments on the table were right (let's just come right out and say it: if you don't have garlic powder and oregano on the table in shakers, you can have all the signs you want but you are NOT a New York pizzeria).

I downed the slices, took the coke, and headed uptown to my meeting.

Is it worth a special trip to Midtown? No. It's not Patsy's; it's not Di Fara's. However, what it is, is a much, much better-than-average slice of New York pie with quick service -- I was in and out, having eaten, in eight minutes. If you can make it to Patsy's in time, or Di Fara's, good for you, you don't need to look any further for your lunchtime pizza fix. If, like me, you are grabbing what you can on a walk from midtown to Lincoln Center (and no, I did not have time to go up to 74th for Patsy's), this is a damn good place to stop in.

Also, while I have your attention, I would like to say that I truly did enjoy my cheesecake from D'Aiuto's on 8 Av / 30 St (despite the grim-faced Jersey tunnel people at 34 St failing to get out on any NJ Transit trains, and I didn't see a D'Aiuto on 8 Av in the 50s) -- an excellent cheesecake, and well worth the trip from anywhere in Manhattan -- their cream puff was the most god-awful specimen I've ever put in my mouth. The filling tasted and felt like Crisco and the puff itself was chemically beyond belief. I will go back and try their sfogliatelle, but I will TRY one before I inflict them on anyone else in case they're bad.

[Spends Rent on Food]

I was working in that area about two years ago and went to Mariella every day (well, not every day... but close to it.) I agree with your assessment 100% - I wouldn't make a special trip for a pie, but if I'm in the neighborhood you bet I'm stopping in.

They also serve a thick-pan tomato pizza that I avoid like the plague at other pizzerias, but I tried it one day at Mariella and absolutely loved it. It's a far cry from NY style, but it's definitely a well made pizza pie.

This is also a place where a slice is as good as the whole pie... (I'll stop now as I know I'm wandering into dangerous territory with that statement.)