Located in Greenwich Village, Otto Enoteca Pizzera is Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s vibrant and approachable pizzeria. It’s the most price friendly of the BBHG restaurants in NYC, and even with all the celebrity chef hype, the food and service at Otto were excellent. Otto is just around the corner from Babbo, so if you can’t get a table there, head on over here for your Italian fix.
We braved the cold on a chilly February evening and were delighted to step into the warm, welcoming space that is Otto. The space is designed to look like an Italian train station, and there’s a rotating list of train stations on the wall to notify diners when their table is ready. We had a reservation so we skipped this step and were seated in the main dining room immediately. Warm textures, terracotta red, filled with energy! I have never visited Italy, but have experienced other European train stations, and I picked up on that vibe at Otto. It was lively, but not too loud to hold a conversation at the table.
If you love Italian food, you’ll be spoiled for choices at Otto. There were plenty of tasty vegetarian options for us, and I spent a while debating pizza vs. pasta.
John ordered the Quattro Formaggi ($14), the four cheese pizza. Tomato, mozzarella, taleggio, cacio, ricotta. This was really tasty, and they’re quite generous with the cheese. Unfortunately, one of the cheeses was a bit much for John.
I ordered the Funghi & Taleggio ($13). Mushrooms, taleggio cheese, parsley. The crust was perfect, and the earthiness of the mushrooms paired with the cheese was just delicious. The flavors were rich, but not overwhelmingly so. I couldn’t stop eating!
As you would expect, Otto has a *very extensive* wine menu. Since we already had a little wine at home, we just ordered drinks by the glass. John got some kind of pilsner (I think), and I had a glass of the Bastianich rosato. It was a fairly generous pour and was one of the cheapest by the glass wine options. I figured if Joe Bastianich is willing to put his name on it, it’s good enough for me. There’s something about a bright, fruity rose paired with rich, earthy flavors that makes me a happy girl.
Even though we didn’t finish our pizzas, we had to treat ourselves to dessert! There’s always a second stomach for dessert, right? John got the Gianduja Calda ($5) hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream, which was perfect for a cold winter evening.
I knew that I wanted something with gelato, and the Olive Oil Coppetta ($11) immediately caught my eye. Olive oil gelato, tangerine sorbetto, pignoli rosemary brittle, lime curd, blood oranges, kumquats. The gelato is heavenly… a subtle olive oil flavors lingers on your tongue. The brittle was fantastic. The sorbet was very refreshing. Every component was good both on its own and together with the other flavors.
13 Comments
Mrs C
atBuono! I see that they have cheese selection on the menu! I would be happy with just that. I used to see cheese in different eyes before my husband. He’s Italian and cheese is in his blood and being a Malaysian, ‘belacan’ is in my blood instead (LOL!) but somehow over the years I learn to love cheese so much I can be happy with just cheese platter and some crackers! Cheese selection is rare at least here in Dubai Italian restaurants so this menu is a treat for me :)
wazwu
atYah, their cheese selection is really impressive! You and your husband would really enjoy it. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with all the cheese and wine pairings at Otto.
Hahah, you live and breathe belacan! Cheese and belacan are definitely acquired tastes. ;) Malaysian and Italian… your kids must be adorable!
annie lee
atah yess.. that gelato does look heavenly. even better than the pizzas! lol
wazwu
atI’ll have to go back for more gelato… perhaps when the winter is over! :P
Delicious Peace of Mind
at“There’s always a second stomach for dessert, right?” – OK, that explains how my brother can always eat so much :D Both pizzas and gelato look super tasty!
wazwu
atI’ve spent too many years of my life skipping dessert because I’ve filled up on carbs… no more of that! Don’t want to keep missing out on the good stuff. ;)
Delicious Peace of Mind
atModeration is the key, so you can indulge in all. Or two stomachs! :)
wazwu
atHaha! Hmm, don’t cows have multiple stomachs?!
Delicious Peace of Mind
atI heard that too. Haven’t checked, though! :D
Mitzie Mee
atOlive oil gelato? Cool! I’m really curious about that one. Was all the gelato olive oil based, or was it just one with olive oil flavor?
wazwu
atIt was just that one with an olive oil flavor. There were several other classic flavors, like vanilla, caramel, coffee, pistachio, etc. I’m sure they would all be delicious!
Kim (@garsleat)
atYou should definitely make an entire meal out of the appetizers next time. The only misfire I had was sometimes the food could be oversalted.
wazwu
atGood call! I’ll have to go back to Otto soon for appetizers and pasta. :)