Food and Things » sal and carmine’s

Pizza: Keste in the Village for Neopolitan Pizza

Laura Weiss — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:32:17 +0000

“How do you like the pizza?” asked the hot Italian guy sitting next to me after we had devoured our luscious pie at Keste, the Neopolitan pizza joint in the Village. When I told

Photo: By roboppy via flickr.

him I thought the topping was delicious, but objected to the soggy crust, he explained that Keste’s crust is prepared just the way they do it in Naples.

“We love this place,” he said as he and his girlfriend tucked into a classic Margherita pie.

Keste’s pizza, it’s true, is very different from the classic NY pie, like the one, for example, dished up at Sal and Carmines on the Upper West Side. There is the crust issue. But if you can get used to that, Keste’s toppings are divine, at least on the one pizza we tried. We ordered Salsiccia E Friarielli, a pie made with Italian sausages, Italian rapini, imported smoked mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil. Rich and incredibly savory, this was some of the best pizza toppings I’ve ever tasted.

Photo: By roboppy via flickr.

Authenticity is what Keste is all about. The cramped pizzeria is overseen by Rosaio Procino and his partner Roberto Caporuscio. The latter is the president of the APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) whose mission, says Keste’s web site, is “to protect and preserve the Neapolitan pizza tradition and promote the art of pizza making.” To learn more about what goes into a Neopolitan pizza, read Slice’s post on pizza making at Keste.

If you go to Keste while the weather is still summery, wear the coolest clothes you own. The night we were there, the small dining room was as hot as the blazing pizza oven. If there was AC, it was hard to tell. (Also, on a steamy night, avoid the restroom which is next to the tiny kitchen; sweat was dripping off my face by the time I got back to my table.)

Be prepared for a mob if you go any later than 6:30. Still, Keste turns over the tables quickly, and once inside, the service is quick and courteous.

Prices range from $9 to $18 for a pie. There’s also a few salads and dessert if you still have room after finishing off your satisfying and filling pizza.

Keste Pizzeria

271 Bleecker St.

New York, NY

HOURS :

MONDAY – THURSDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 5PM to 11PM

FRIDAY – SATURDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 5PM to 11PM

SUNDAY : 12PM to 3:30PM and 3:30 to 10PM

Pizza Man: A Sad Night at Sal and Carmine’s

Laura Weiss — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:20:05 +0000

Last night, we walked up to Sal and Carmine’s to get a pizza.The gloomy weather matched Carmine’s mood. It was so sad to see the legendary pizza man, minus longtime partner Sal, standing all by himself in his pizza joint, gazing mournfully out the shop’s window fronting Broadway.

Asked about the circumstances surrounding Sal’s death in May, Carmine said, “the painkillers killed him.” According to Carmine, Sal went to the ER seeking relief from a bout of severe back pain. He was given pain medication. Soon, his kidneys shut down. Then, “he had a heart attack,” Carmine said, his voice registering barely above a whisper.

We walked home with our pizza, our mood’s dampened from this impromptu condolence call.

Sal and Carmine’s
2671 Broadway
New York, NY
212 663 7651
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Sal the Pizza Maker of Sal and Carmine’s Dies

Laura Weiss — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:08:18 +0000

Ed Levine of Serious Eats writes a loving tribute to pizza maker Sal Malanga, who died recently. As Levine points out, Sal was one of New York’s great pizza men.

Sal’s legacy will live on, says Levine:

I hailed a cab to take my pizza home. My son, Will, was watching the Mets-Yankees game. We each put a slice on a plate and took a bite. ‘This is such good pizza,’ Will said. I had to agree. So satisfying, so seriously delicious, and so Sal. Sal would have been proud.

Luciano (Sal’s grandson), along with Carmine, are doing everything Sal’s way, the right way, the only way.

And a charming reminiscence from the very talented playwright, Charlie Schulman:

Very sad news. Sal and Carmine’s was a staple of my diet for over ten years when I lived a block away from their place and was a young, starving writer. (Now I’m middle-aged and still hungry) Sometimes I would wait for Sal to open up the store at lunchtime. Or get the last slice of the night. They only made pizza. Sporadic delivery. A true “brother… Read More and brother” shop. Carmine was the “character” of the two. Sal took care of the business side. This was REAL, no frills, no foo-foo gourmet, New York pizza. Despite rising rents, they refused to buy lesser quality Mozzarella. Sometimes Carmine would hide the oregano and napkins to to save $. By far the best real pizza on the upper west side. For a long time above 96 street was a “no man’s land” that wasn’t even considered part of the Upper West Side. I rank it up there with Mimi’s Pizza on the Upper East Side. Another family pizza place that has been inherited and now run by Mimi’s son Steve. Long live “Sal And Carmines!”

Sal and Carmine’s

Broadway at 101st Street

New York, NY